Simply opposing violence against civilians is to risk career and reputation. Where are the defenders of ‘free speech’ now, asks Guardian columnist Owen Jones
The dark humour spoke to an indisputable truth: Palestinians have died due to the logic of collective guilt, as endorsed by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who declared “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible.” Eisen praised the Onion for having “more courage, insight and moral clarity than the leaders of every academic institution” and also condemned Hamas.
Viet Thanh Nguyen, the son of refugees and a sympathiser with other displaced people, had a talk at the 92nd Street Y centre in New York postponed after he signed an open letter demanding an “end to the violence and destruction in Palestine”.
The keynote speaker, Rashida Tlaib, the first ever elected Palestinian-American congresswoman, has been targeted by a Republican smear campaign, with an attempt to censure her for “antisemitic activity” and “sympathising with terrorist organisations” – all baseless attacks.
However, last weekend, in a letter to UK Research and Innovation, she expressed her “disgust and outrage” at its appointment of two academics to its advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion, one of whom – in her own words – “condemns violence on both sides but make reference to Israel’s ‘genocide and apartheid’”.
Meanwhile, Labour has suspended Andy McDonald for telling Saturday’s anti-war demonstration, and to directly quote: “We won’t rest until we have justice, until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea can live in peaceful liberty.” McDonald, was, to be clear, eloquently expressing his passionate support of a two-state solution: but in Starmer’s Labour, this humane demand for peaceful coexistence is deemed morally disgraceful, unlike support for missiles raining down on civilians, including children.
This intimidation has deadly consequences: it undermines public pressure on Israel’s western allies to stop the slaughter and end the occupation, colonisation and apartheid that sustains this nightmare.
The original article contains 974 words, the summary contains 300 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The dark humour spoke to an indisputable truth: Palestinians have died due to the logic of collective guilt, as endorsed by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, who declared “It is an entire nation out there that is responsible.” Eisen praised the Onion for having “more courage, insight and moral clarity than the leaders of every academic institution” and also condemned Hamas.
Viet Thanh Nguyen, the son of refugees and a sympathiser with other displaced people, had a talk at the 92nd Street Y centre in New York postponed after he signed an open letter demanding an “end to the violence and destruction in Palestine”.
The keynote speaker, Rashida Tlaib, the first ever elected Palestinian-American congresswoman, has been targeted by a Republican smear campaign, with an attempt to censure her for “antisemitic activity” and “sympathising with terrorist organisations” – all baseless attacks.
However, last weekend, in a letter to UK Research and Innovation, she expressed her “disgust and outrage” at its appointment of two academics to its advisory group on equality, diversity and inclusion, one of whom – in her own words – “condemns violence on both sides but make reference to Israel’s ‘genocide and apartheid’”.
Meanwhile, Labour has suspended Andy McDonald for telling Saturday’s anti-war demonstration, and to directly quote: “We won’t rest until we have justice, until all people, Israelis and Palestinians, between the river and the sea can live in peaceful liberty.” McDonald, was, to be clear, eloquently expressing his passionate support of a two-state solution: but in Starmer’s Labour, this humane demand for peaceful coexistence is deemed morally disgraceful, unlike support for missiles raining down on civilians, including children.
This intimidation has deadly consequences: it undermines public pressure on Israel’s western allies to stop the slaughter and end the occupation, colonisation and apartheid that sustains this nightmare.
The original article contains 974 words, the summary contains 300 words. Saved 69%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!