Parts of the NUJ (National Union of 'Journalists') displaying the even handed approach for which they are rightly famous

The usually right on the money Harry's Place has yet another piece on the hatred of Israel displayed by some parts of the 'left' of British politics. Do read the whole piece and pay particular attention to the wording of Larry Herman's email. I particularly enjoyed the way that Larry Herman could write the following with no hint of irony:

'There are many explanations why Zionism was organised in the 19th Century and why it was able to establish its state after the Second World War, why this State was violently inserted into Palestine and why Israel has carried on a sixty-year war to defend its interests. Israel is the form that imperialism takes in the Middle East. The Apartheid governments in South Africa were another, and equally unique, form of imperialism. The support of all American big capitalists, their governments and military, since the mid 1950’s (and before) for the Zionist state is because it defends Imperialism and Israel is its imperialist beachhead in that part of the world.

American imperialisms has always fought wars to extend its interests, whether in The philippines in 1898, in the First and Second World Wars and now throughout Western Asia and North Africa ( of course, on other continents, too. The biggest military base outside of the United States is in Honduras!). It’s not the very active and well funded lobbyists in the United States that cause the American Government’s defence of the Zionist State; to argue this is playing into the hands of anti-semitism.'

So it's all the fault of imperialism and by imperialism he means Western imperialism, because the imperialism of the Soviet Union in Eastern Europe 1945-1968 and China in Tibet and elsewhere is presumably not really Imperialism. But having attacked American imperialism Larry Herman shows his real issues:

'The nefarious activity of pro Zionist organisations and individuals throughout the world exists because of the historic weakness of imperialism. That’s why they are compelled to do what they do.'

'nefarious', 'organisations', are we straying close to 'The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion' here? Maybe, maybe not but the role of the journalist as reporter of truth seems to be not the prime role that Larry Herman thinks the journalist should undertake:

'I enthusiastically acknowledge that anti – Zionism occupies our political activity today because of several decades of Palestinian resistance... As activists, we are in harmony with the Palestinian people in their struggle for self – determination. We are transformed into anti imperialist fighters through building this solidarity. We, as NUJ activists, have struggled to be heard in the past and will continue to organise against bigotry.'

So that's NO to the reporting of facts without fear and favour and YES to being 'activists and 'fighters'.

I always like to see the left show themselves for what they are and I think that Larry Herman has done so.


Now before the NUJ push the BBC to 'fund a ‘Panorama Two” putting the different view', perhaps the NUJ could explain where the original Panorama programme was wrong. What alternative facts disprove what happened? Where is the Al-Jazeera film that disputes what happened? Where is the report from Turkey into what happened? Have they seen the film of the interview with the captain that confirmed what happened? Maybe the NUJ could also comment on the role of the IHH and the footage of the activists singing "Khaybar Khaybar Al Yahud"* before the departure of the ship.



* 'when modern-day jihadists invoke Khaybar, they are recalling an aggressive, surprise raid by Muhammad which resulted in the final eradication of the once considerable Jewish presence in Arabia. To the jihadists, Khaybar means the destruction of the Jews and the seizure of their property by the Muslims.
...
Khaibar is the name of last Jewish village defeated by Muhammad's army and it marked the end of Jewish presence in Arabia in 628'

Below is video of some of the flotilla chanting the above lines, now you know what the lines mean do you have more of a feeling for the mindsets of, at least some, of the flotilla? Would Larry Herman like to comment?


Might Larry Herman also like to comment on that female activist's statement that "Right now we face one of two happy endings: either Martyrdom or reaching Gaza".