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Israel does not need friends like these
MIRIAM SHAVIV
October 28, 2009 - 9:28AM Comments 19
British National Party chief Nick Griffin
Israel's public relations problem in Britain, which is already severe, has just got significantly worse.
Over the past few weeks, the Jewish state has been publicly endorsed by two particularly controversial members of the far right.
Firstly, Nick Griffin, leader of the racist British National Party, which currently accepts only white people as members, declared that his was the only party to support Israel in its "war against terrorists" during Operation Cast Lead.
While Griffin, who was elected in June to the European Parliament, is not usually paid much attention, this time was different. He was speaking on Britain's most prestigious political television program, BBC's Question Time. The decision to invite him had proven so controversial that 8 million viewers tuned in, compared with the program's usual 2 to 3 million. The entire country was hanging on his every word.
Just three weeks earlier, the Conservative Party — now widely expected to win the next election — was embroiled in a national row over its alliance with another European member of parliament, Poland's Michal Kaminski.
Kaminski, who leads an important rightist bloc, has been disliked in Jewish circles since he declared in 2001 that the Poles should not apologise for the massacre of Jews by Polish residents of Jedwabne in 1941, unless "the whole Jewish nation [apologises] for what some Jewish Communists did in eastern Poland". There were also concerns that he had worn the Chrobry Sword, a symbol of the Catholic ultra-right in Poland and that he still maintained these unsavory connections.
So when, in early October, he appeared at the Conservative Party's annual conference, the main Jewish representative body – the archaically named Board of Deputies – wrote to Conservative leader David Cameron asking for reassurances. Labour's foreign minister, David Miliband, went on the attack and the ensuing media row, which is still ongoing – the Conservatives were forced to recently reassure Hillary Clinton on the subject — tarnished what should have been Cameron's moment of triumph.
But it did not go unnoticed that Kaminski was in Britain as the special guest of the Conservative Friends of Israel — who had also taken him, this summer, to Israel, where he was pictured smiling by the Western Wall and was welcomed by deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon. Kaminski, it emerged, was considered a staunch friend of Israel in Brussels, where he regularly spoke up for its right to self-defence.
How is it possible for these men to be both far-rightists, with a history of outright Holocaust denial (Griffin) and of controversial comments about the massacre of Jews (Kaminski), and Israel supporters?
For Griffin certainly, but probably also for Kaminski, it is a strategic move. Supporting Israel allows them to claim that they are not really racists or anti-Semites, and gives them cover for other objectionable views. It also allows them to portray themselves, to their supporters, as opponents of the Muslims — a position that carries far more electoral benefit in today's Europe than being anti-Semitic.
But for Israel, this is a disaster. From now on, anyone in Britain supporting Israel publicly can be expected to be told they are holding a position only the racist BNP, or the likes of Kaminski, holds. It will many years to shake off these associations.
The disaster is compounded by the apparent embrace of Kaminski by Israel and some of its British supporters. No one can stop members of the far-right saying nice things about Israel in public. But does Israel really want to be seen in their company? At what point does their support for Israel become more important than racist and even anti-Semitic views?
Israel might argue that it needs to take its friends where it can find them. But this is extremely short-sighted. For local Jews and indeed anyone fighting racism, Israel's apparent embrace of Kaminski is a deep problem, because it makes it harder for them to object to a man with unsettling views on Jews. As for Israel itself, Griffin's poisonous embrace showed only too clearly that with friends like these, enemies are entirely unnecessary.
MIRIAM SHAVIV
October 28, 2009 - 9:28AM Comments 19
Israel's public relations problem in Britain, which is already severe, has just got significantly worse.
Over the past few weeks, the Jewish state has been publicly endorsed by two particularly controversial members of the far right.
Firstly, Nick Griffin, leader of the racist British National Party, which currently accepts only white people as members, declared that his was the only party to support Israel in its "war against terrorists" during Operation Cast Lead.
While Griffin, who was elected in June to the European Parliament, is not usually paid much attention, this time was different. He was speaking on Britain's most prestigious political television program, BBC's Question Time. The decision to invite him had proven so controversial that 8 million viewers tuned in, compared with the program's usual 2 to 3 million. The entire country was hanging on his every word.
Just three weeks earlier, the Conservative Party — now widely expected to win the next election — was embroiled in a national row over its alliance with another European member of parliament, Poland's Michal Kaminski.
Kaminski, who leads an important rightist bloc, has been disliked in Jewish circles since he declared in 2001 that the Poles should not apologise for the massacre of Jews by Polish residents of Jedwabne in 1941, unless "the whole Jewish nation [apologises] for what some Jewish Communists did in eastern Poland". There were also concerns that he had worn the Chrobry Sword, a symbol of the Catholic ultra-right in Poland and that he still maintained these unsavory connections.
So when, in early October, he appeared at the Conservative Party's annual conference, the main Jewish representative body – the archaically named Board of Deputies – wrote to Conservative leader David Cameron asking for reassurances. Labour's foreign minister, David Miliband, went on the attack and the ensuing media row, which is still ongoing – the Conservatives were forced to recently reassure Hillary Clinton on the subject — tarnished what should have been Cameron's moment of triumph.
But it did not go unnoticed that Kaminski was in Britain as the special guest of the Conservative Friends of Israel — who had also taken him, this summer, to Israel, where he was pictured smiling by the Western Wall and was welcomed by deputy foreign minister Danny Ayalon. Kaminski, it emerged, was considered a staunch friend of Israel in Brussels, where he regularly spoke up for its right to self-defence.
How is it possible for these men to be both far-rightists, with a history of outright Holocaust denial (Griffin) and of controversial comments about the massacre of Jews (Kaminski), and Israel supporters?
For Griffin certainly, but probably also for Kaminski, it is a strategic move. Supporting Israel allows them to claim that they are not really racists or anti-Semites, and gives them cover for other objectionable views. It also allows them to portray themselves, to their supporters, as opponents of the Muslims — a position that carries far more electoral benefit in today's Europe than being anti-Semitic.
But for Israel, this is a disaster. From now on, anyone in Britain supporting Israel publicly can be expected to be told they are holding a position only the racist BNP, or the likes of Kaminski, holds. It will many years to shake off these associations.
The disaster is compounded by the apparent embrace of Kaminski by Israel and some of its British supporters. No one can stop members of the far-right saying nice things about Israel in public. But does Israel really want to be seen in their company? At what point does their support for Israel become more important than racist and even anti-Semitic views?
Israel might argue that it needs to take its friends where it can find them. But this is extremely short-sighted. For local Jews and indeed anyone fighting racism, Israel's apparent embrace of Kaminski is a deep problem, because it makes it harder for them to object to a man with unsettling views on Jews. As for Israel itself, Griffin's poisonous embrace showed only too clearly that with friends like these, enemies are entirely unnecessary.
