Saturday, June 28, 2003
It was an intensely depressing experience watching Blaming the Jews on Channel 4, presented by David Aaronovitch. Pretty much the article I linked to a week or so back over 45 minutes, looking at the state of Arab Anti-Semitism. The first ten minutes pretty much set the scene for the show as he met the wife of an Islamic cleric who's been sent to prison in this country for inciting racial hatred against the Jews. Hopefully his opinions and arguments are better than hers as she believes that Jews control the media because Rupert Murdoch is Jewish. When Aaronovitch points out that he isn't, it turns out that she thought he was because she thought he was Robert Maxwell's son. Aaronovitch then twists the knife by pointing out that Murdoch is a fine Scottish name.
But when he then travels to Palestine it does get depressing. The Palestinian Education Minister claims that the Jewish people 'exaggerated' the suffering they underwent during the Holocaust, indeed Holocaust denial is a part of Arabic Anti-Semitism (along with a belief that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is true). A school teacher says that the Jews themselves were responsible for the rise of Hitler and one of his students cheerfully says that there can never be peace between Israel and Palestine.
However, although he makes some passing remarks to the state of Palestine under constant siege by the Israeli Army, Aaronovitch comes perilously close to suggesting that this is all the Palestinian's fault. He finds moderate Muslim voices in Egypt or Britain, but not in Palestine. And while there are plenty of shots of Palestinian pop videos inciting Muslim youth to rise up against the Israeli invaders no mention is made of what is said and done in Israel. Opinions of those in the Palestinian government are singled out, Sharon is not mentioned once.
At no point does Aaronovitch really go for 'why is this happening', because that would possibly indict the Israeli government too. Racism and Anti-Semitism have always historically thrived where people are poorly educated with a low quality of life.
And they really should have banned the use of allegory when writing religious books. If Fred Phelps can read 'love thy neighbour' as meaning 'hate all fags' and Muslim scholars can read seemingly innocent paragraphs as really meaning a Jihad against Jews then we're going to have conflicts that can't be solved until we decide to turn our back on God for the good of mankind.
But when he then travels to Palestine it does get depressing. The Palestinian Education Minister claims that the Jewish people 'exaggerated' the suffering they underwent during the Holocaust, indeed Holocaust denial is a part of Arabic Anti-Semitism (along with a belief that the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is true). A school teacher says that the Jews themselves were responsible for the rise of Hitler and one of his students cheerfully says that there can never be peace between Israel and Palestine.
However, although he makes some passing remarks to the state of Palestine under constant siege by the Israeli Army, Aaronovitch comes perilously close to suggesting that this is all the Palestinian's fault. He finds moderate Muslim voices in Egypt or Britain, but not in Palestine. And while there are plenty of shots of Palestinian pop videos inciting Muslim youth to rise up against the Israeli invaders no mention is made of what is said and done in Israel. Opinions of those in the Palestinian government are singled out, Sharon is not mentioned once.
At no point does Aaronovitch really go for 'why is this happening', because that would possibly indict the Israeli government too. Racism and Anti-Semitism have always historically thrived where people are poorly educated with a low quality of life.
And they really should have banned the use of allegory when writing religious books. If Fred Phelps can read 'love thy neighbour' as meaning 'hate all fags' and Muslim scholars can read seemingly innocent paragraphs as really meaning a Jihad against Jews then we're going to have conflicts that can't be solved until we decide to turn our back on God for the good of mankind.
