Sludge Report #105 – The Return Of The “H” Word

In this edition: Durban Racism Explosion - The Return Of The “H” Word

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Durban Racism Explosion - The Return Of The “H” Word

The gloves are off at the UN conference on racism in Durban South Africa.

The PLO leader while not equating Zionism with racism has accused Israel of racist policies.

In response Israel is threatening to go home.

However a graceful withdrawal of even a low level delegation would appear to no longer be an option for Israel. It’s too late now. The gloves are off, and the “H” word is out.

Former PM Bibi Netanyahu talking on the BBC has said that the United Nations appeared to have learned nothing from the Holocaust. Again the entire world was ganging up on the Jews, and we all know what happened last time this happened.

In Sludge’s view it is hugely ironic (hypocritical) for Israel to condemn the UN for providing an inappropriate platform for what Israel alleges is anti-semitism, but which the rest of the world would describe as legitimate criticism of its actions.

Israel might ordinarily have a point.

A more appropriate place for this UN discussion would be the Security Council.

Given the strength of emotions that tend to be aroused around the issue of anti-semitism and murder of six million jews by the Nazi’s, there would obviously be many far more “responsible” ways to conduct this debate at this time.

And Israel can therefore legitimately argue that allegations of this nature should not be dealt with in an emotionally charged manner at a conference such as that underway in Durban.

However Israel in making this argument is the pot calling the kettle black.

It only has itself to blame for the danger inherent in the way these issues are being handled by the international community.

For decades Israel has flouted international law, and UN resolution after resolution on Palestine, Lebanon etc. etc.

With its US supplied get-out-of-jail free card in the form of the US Security Council veto , Israel has been able to behave as if it were one of the permanent five itself.

That it has done so without any treaty or alliance between it and the USA is all the more remarkable.

But more recently even the US is finding it difficult to stand completely behind Israel.

Though it is snubbing the Durban conference on one level, the US has also repeatedly told Israel that it disapproves of its clearly illegal assassination (extrajudicial killings) policy. Israel has ignored its sponsors requests.

But Israel ignores the wishes of the entire planet at its peril, especially if it expects to get away with it merely through use of the old “H” word ruse.

It is as if the school bully, after being told off by the headmaster, but maintaining its right to smack a fellow pupil around is now telling the entire student body that they are the ones that are wrong, that they have always been prejudiced against them and that they are unjustly being criticised by their victim who has been “asking for it”.

Now by playing the Holocaust card Israel is trying to trump the debate, and scare everybody into silence.

This is likely to be a disastrous miscalculation by the Israelis of both the nature and the mood of the international diplomatic and media community.

Millennial media, in Sludge’s recent experience, relish the opportunity to use the “H” word in their news reports. Nazi Germany and the murder of millions of Jews has become a familiar moral reference point by which all other international actions are judged.

So now that gas chamber comparisons are on the debate menu, rather than seeing the debate clam up, we can probably reasonably expect all the above and more to be canvassed in detail in coming hours both in Durban, in the international media and in political discussion throughout the planet.

There is a simple way to resolve this crisis.

And that is for Israel to admit its error of judgement and submit itself to the lawful judgement of its peers.

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