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Aug 24, 2021, 12:09 PM

Incorrect parallels and evidence-free assertions

A mural depicting Iyad Al Hallaq on the wall in the city of Bethlehem. (Wikipedia: Source https://www.flickr.com/photos/161316741@N04/50025343731/ Author Seka Hamed) Via Jewish News

Eyad Hallaq is a resident of East Jerusalem who was accidentally killed by a policeman on 30 May 2020. He failed to heed an order to stop and the policeman mistook the mobile phone he was carrying for a weapon. The policeman is on trial...

May 28, 2020, 4:09 PM

No moral lessons from someone who said Kaddish for Gaza

Young London Jews say Kaddish for Gaza in Parliament Square. Credit: Israel Advocacy Movement video on Youtube.

On 24 May Anna Roiser implored us to sign a petition to halt the eviction of a family from a house in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan. She asks the JNF ‘to live up to its Torah obligation’ and writes ‘As we head into...

Jul 4, 2018, 1:31 PM

Sir Mick’s five straw man arguments in the row over Zionism

Sir Mick Davis lays claim to the moral high ground in his Jewish News column (3 July). But his history means no-one will be fooled. In previous columns he has used the language of our enemies, speaking of the risk of Israel becoming an “apartheid...

Feb 13, 2018, 1:46 PM

An open letter to Jewish Leadership Council and Jewish Chronicle

The JC last Friday devoted seven pages to the JLCs ‘internal audit’ compiled in 2013 regarding alleged misdemeanours of the then CEO, Jeremy Newmark. The ‘internal audit’ – reproduced by the JC – and the coverage of it prompts a number of questions: 1. The...

Nov 7, 2017, 1:36 PM

LSE breaks own rule on neutral chair for external meetings

LSE has a longstanding internal rule that controversial events need a chair who is seen as neutral. Tonight (7 November) this highly controversial event is scheduled. Note that it is a university event – not a PalSoc event. Arguably it should not be happening. Omar...

Oct 26, 2017, 5:05 PM

Running with the fox and hunting with the hounds

Wes Streeting is a Labour MP. He is a Vice Chair (one of 14) of the All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism. He has been outspoken against anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and has been described by Jenni Frazer – a Jewish News journalist – as ‘passionately...

Oct 12, 2017, 1:00 PM

Ofcom decision plays into the hands of haters

On 9 October Ofcom published its long-awaited decision on complaints about the four-part Al Jazeera series ‘The Lobby’, broadcast from 11-14 January . I was a complainant. Below is a Q+A on the decision. Q: What is the fatal flaw in the Ofcom decision? A: The opinion...

Sep 18, 2017, 11:04 AM

JPR anti-semitism survey: wide open goal for Corbyn

Last Tuesday the Institute for Jewish Policy Research in London published a research paper with the title Antisemitism in Contemporary Great Britain. It seemed to come up with some interesting results. Here are statements from the coverage in another Jewish weekly: The level of anti-Semitism...

Sep 13, 2017, 5:27 PM

Three own goals in three weeks …

First we had Simon Johnson of the JLC badmouthing the CAA Survey. Then we had the CST’s Antisemitic Discourse Report which (page 13) states ‘Not all anti-Zionists are antisemites and anti-Zionism is not necessarily antisemitic’. The only time anti-Zionism is NOT anti-semitic is when it’s...

Sep 5, 2017, 4:00 PM

JLC scores spectacular own goal

On 20 August the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA) published a Report containing the results of a survey of British Jews. Among other things respondents were asked whether they agreed with this statement: ‘In the past two years I have considered leaving Britain due to antisemitism’. 8%...

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About Me

Jonathan Hoffman is a blogger who has written for United With Israel, CiFWatch (now UK Media Watch), Harrys Place and Z-Word.