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Gary Epstein
And now for something completely different . . .

Hypocrisy in Pursuit of Power

 

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David Lammy, the Harvard-educated Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, has announced sanctions on three “settler outposts” and four organizations, including the somewhat controversial Od Yosef Chai Yeshiva, in response to what he claims is continued violence by “extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.”  He said that on his recent trip to Israel, he met with Palestinians whose communities have suffered “horrific violence” at the hands of Israeli settlers, and suggested that as long as the Israeli government will not hold the perpetrators responsible, “the UK and the international community will continue to act.”

This is the third round of such sanctions applied against Israelis, as Mr. Lammy apparently seeks to establish his bona fides among the virtue-signaling enemies of Israel with such measures as the sanctions, as well as withholding armaments from a country fighting for its existence.  He has previously explained that he dislikes political labels; instead, he says, “I’m interested in power.”  What better way to achieve power in the present UK political environment than to proclaim yourself an adversary of Jews?  Make no mistake.  This is not a courageous fighter against all violence; he is afraid of offending China and has refused to label China’s systematic persecution of Uyghurs as genocide.  But possibly offending Jews is fair play.  This is also not a man of discerning or percipient remedies.  He restored funding to UNRWA when it assured him of its neutrality.

I don’t want to address the appropriateness of these sanctions, especially when applied to organizations that provide support or funds to entities that engage in a variety of social, educational, and perhaps less than salutary or admirable activities. Reasonable people could differ with respect to some of the behavior of the sanctioned people and entities and some of that behavior appears, on its face, to be wildly inappropriate, even if understandable.  The procedure for designation to the Sanctions List is murky and it is clear that political bias plays a role.  One wonders whether many NGOs involved in funding for Palestinians or, perish the thought, even United Nations organizations such as UNRWA, could escape sanctions if they were held to the same standards as those applied to the Israelis.

I will not list the names of the Israelis included on the list.  Suffice it to say that to Mr. Lammy, all Jews must look pretty much the same, since the description of their alleged offenses–every single one of them–is identical. “_______ is an involved person within the meaning of the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regulations 2020 on the basis of the following ground:  _________ is and/or has been responsible for, engaging in, facilitating, inciting or providing support for activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  Specifically, ________ has threatened and perpetrated acts of aggression and violence against Palestinian individuals in the West Bank.”

Put aside the fact that the UK Sanctions List, which includes 4569 names of organizations, entities, individuals, and boats, seems not to include anyone at all involved in the aforementioned genocide against the ethnic Uyghur population.  Perhaps the UK and its Foreign Secretary are waiting for the Chinese Government to hold the perpetrators responsible.  And close your eyes to the fact that the UK and its Foreign Secretary appear not to have noticed that a domestic terrorist organization known as Palestine Action has proudly and openly been committing criminal trespass, vandalism, aggression, and violence for years in its unlawful attempts to injure the Israeli company Elbit. Perhaps some “acts of aggression and violence” may not be so objectionable to Mr. Lammy, if directed at Jews or Israeli companies. Disregard the fact that citizens of almost no other democracy are included in this rogues’ gallery, which includes 2084 Russian,  383 Syrian, 140 Afghani, 394 ISIL/Al-Qaida, 261 North Korean, and 423 Iranian entities. Don’t they say that Jews get special treatment?

Let’s make believe, for the moment, that the Foreign Secretary would treat citizens of any other western-style democracy with a functioning legal system in this manner.  He wouldn’t, and he doesn’t, but let’s suspend belief and give him the benefit of the doubt.

But even if we close our eyes tight and make only a cursory review of the Sanctions List, pretending that there is some non-antisemitic jurisprudential rationale for his biased actions, we still must face the ineluctable conclusion that the “UK and the international community” appear to have overlooked a notorious and unashamed purveyor of “horrific violence,” far beyond the alleged amorphous sins of the Israelis just placed on the Sanctions List.  And it’s in the exact same neighborhood in the Middle East; it could not possibly have escaped his notice.

Yesterday a police officer was shot dead by a Palestinian terrorist near the Yavneh Interchange in Southern Israel.  The terrorist was “neutralized.”  His family will be paid a monthly stipend by the Palestinian Authority.  This is the latest in a series of hundreds of terrorist attacks in the past year, some of which have been thwarted and others of which have yielded tragic results.  There were over 567 terror attacks in Judea, Samaria, and Jerusalem in the days following October 7.  In November 2023 alone, seven people were killed and 18 injured in 292 terror attacks.  Terror attacks occur almost every day.

In every single case, if the terrorist is captured and incarcerated, the Palestinian Authority, under its notorious pay-for-slay policy, pays him a monthly salary. If he is killed, the Palestinian Authority pays his family a perpetual annuity.  Under any rational system of law, this constitutes incitement, and the Palestinian Authority and its principals would be criminally liable as accessories or co-conspirators.  There can be no question that these payments induce and reward violence and terrorism.

Now let’s take one more look at the language used to describe the rationale for placing Jews on the Sanctions List:  “_________ is and/or has been responsible for, engaging in, facilitating, inciting or providing support for activity which amounts to a serious abuse of the right of individuals not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.  Specifically, ________ has threatened and perpetrated acts of aggression and violence.”

Of course, that alleged aggression and violence is against “Palestinians on the West Bank.”  Mr. Lammy’s rules are evidently different when it is only Jews who are being murdered.

Mr. Lammy wouldn’t want to proceed against anyone who pays a bounty for the death of Jews, would he?  That might not result in enhanced power.  Let him wallow in the stench of his abused power and his hypocrisy.  Including Jews and Jewish organizations on the Sanctions List while giving Mohammad Abbas, the Palestinian Authority, and the administrators of its pay-to-slay policy a pass reeks of prejudice and anti-semitism.

Send this to everyone you know in England.

About the Author
Gary Epstein is a retired teacher and lawyer residing in Modi'in, Israel. He was formerly the Head of the Global Corporate and Securities Department of Greenberg Traurig, a global law firm with an office in Tel Aviv, which he founded and of which he was the first Managing Partner. He and his wife Ahuva are blessed with18 grandchildren, ka"h, all of whom he believes are well above average. He currently does nothing. He believes he does it well.