Goldsmiths and the politics of anti-Zionism
A post of relevance both to my local readers and my far-flung ones. New Cross blogger Transpontine and anarcho-blogger Ian Bone have both posted on the student occupation of Deptford Town Hall, Goldsmiths, to demand scholarships for Palestinian students. An extremely reasonable demand.
Anti-German Translation puts a more negative spin on it in the comments here. Here series of posts entitled "The anti-Zionism of idiots" has lots more stuff on the occupations, drawing on On A Raised Beach and other friends of Bob From Brockley.
Meanwhile, Mira describes the poisonous unfolding of the Palestine Twinning campaign at Goldsmiths.
Anti-German Translation puts a more negative spin on it in the comments here. Here series of posts entitled "The anti-Zionism of idiots" has lots more stuff on the occupations, drawing on On A Raised Beach and other friends of Bob From Brockley.
Meanwhile, Mira describes the poisonous unfolding of the Palestine Twinning campaign at Goldsmiths.
Comments
The problem I have is that the whole issue is so overdetermined by the wider debates about zionism, Palestine and anti-semitism that the real suffering of civilians in Gaza becomes just a cipher. So idiots jump on it to pursue dubious agendas, and those who despise these idiots feel uneasy about joining in anything they are involved in - leaving the field open to them in defining the terms of 'solidarity'. Can we develop a kind of solidarity with civilians who happen to be Palestian (rather than 'the Palestinian People') that recognises and opposes their suffering at the hands of war machines without all the baggage of making them into a unique case?
I think there's some interesting stuff coming out from the German 'anti-anti-Zionist' scene but I wonder about basing politics on a double negative rather trying to affirm a new positive relation.
This is something that has become particularly prevalent over the last two years at Goldsmiths.
Dialogue and understanding over complex issues are being swept aside by pointless occupations / photo opportunities, self-propagation and childish student activism.
Don't get me wrong, activism is important, but in this case, the scholarships were going to be given anyway.
As a result of the occupation, numerous assessments and performances that students had been working on for months were cancelled, whilst those involved in it sat on Deptford Town Hall steps hitting bongoes, drinking cheap beer and smoking.
others include.
Branding Jones and Al-Adhami's names all over the new Common room when many people efforts formed it not just their own.
Using the Miss University Competition as another way of getting their mistaken voices heard. In fact one of their campaign advertisments was that they were against this.
Disgusting if so. No one should be victimized due to their sexuality.
Jen may wind people up but what you did was abuse and hate crime. So what if she brags about shit or makes claims like 'soilders rape women' - they do a lot of the time! Even if it's bad taste it's not abuse - unlike your homophobic slurs. She's not breaking the law unlike you writing abuse.
She has apparently gone to the police and SU lawyers are onto all the hate campaign stuff she gets since the website so I assume you'll hear from them soon.
Good luck claiming she's 'so intimidating that bloody lefty' then! Can't play the victim for much longer after what you did
enough with this nonsense, being anti-Zionist is not equal to antisemitism. you would be stupid to think so.
free Palestine, goldsmith student will always stand for whats right, we are tired of Zionist intimidation