Talking sense
Snoopy talks sense about Yisrael Beiteinu. Kellie talks sense about immigration. Mira Vogel talks sense about the Israeli security forces' disgraceful disruption of PalFest.
Bloggery: Some recentish miscellanies and round-ups I may or may not have already linked to - from Kellie and from Kellie again, and from Roland.
Bloggery: Some recentish miscellanies and round-ups I may or may not have already linked to - from Kellie and from Kellie again, and from Roland.
Comments
Israeli security forces'"
It was Israeli police, not "Israeli security forces".
Mingreli- Well, broadly, yes. Vermin would not be the word I would use myself in this case, but I agree with Snoopy's sentiments. And I believe that a very large number of pro-Israel Jews in Britain feel the same, that the involvedment of Lieberman in Israel's government is going to be a big blow for Anglo-Jewry's generally relative mutings of criticisms for Israel.
I class Yisrael Beitenu along with the other Euro-nationalist style parties that are sweeping into the mainstream across Europe, including Berlusconi's PdL, the Austrian FPO and Britain's own BNP.
The responses, both critical and defensive of the closure, seem overwhelmingly focused on ideas of principle, on the one hand principles of freedom of speech, and on the other principles of legal jurisdiction.
What seems lacking is more the question of whether it made strategic sense to close it. Was it smart or stupid? Watching the YouTube clip at Greens Engage, the authorities failed to close the festival, but only disrupted it, and in the process they offered graphic confirmation of the propaganda promoted in PalFest's animated logo. So a double propaganda failure for the authorities.
Whether they were police or not is irrelevant to most watching, all that is clear is that a group of nicely dressed literati were confronted by men with big guns. Not the way to win friends and influence people, and not the way to distinguish Israel from its less savory neighbours. Israel's enemies are good enough at propaganda, there's no need to be this helpful.
Disgraceful? I wouldn't even bother with that argument. Stupid is the more damning verdict.
And Migreli - vermin means "An irritating or obnoxious person". There is another meaning, of course, but it's up to you to choose one.