David,

Depressing. First the BNP came...

Not unrelated, in fact as related as the chicken to the egg, was this item in the side bar. In case you missed it, it was Bush making an unusual* statement:

President George Bush has claimed he was told by God to invade Iraq and attack Osama bin Laden's stronghold of Afghanistan as part of a divine mission to bring peace to the Middle East, security for Israel, and a state for the Palestinians.

The President made the assertion during his first meeting with Palestinian leaders in June 2003, according to a BBC series which will be broadcast this month.

*To be sure, not unusual for GWB but unusual for most sentient beings.

And in case you missed another item in the sidebar, i.e. one penned by Robert Fisk, our sin qua non ME pundit. Here's what he said:

Where does the madness end? Where do words lose their meaning? Al-Qa'ida is not being defeated. Hizbollah has just won a domestic war in Lebanon, as total as Hamas's war in Gaza. Afghanistan and Iraq and Lebanon and Gaza are hell disasters – I need no apology to quote Churchill's description of 1948 Palestine yet again – and this foolish, stupid, vicious man [GWB] is lying to the world yet again.

>>I wonder what sort of mindset fosters such fierce anti-Semitism? Oh yes, that's right - that would be the Islamic mindset, now so prominent in the United Kingdom.<<

I'd say it's more like that Mr. Smith up to his antics again!

Dawkins,

Utter rubbish, I defy you to find any reliable source for the rumour that Bush 'was told by God' to invade Iraq, or Afghanistan.

The ones quoted in that sidebar are notoriously unreliable, likewise the Fisk one. And haven't the same people been caught in the recent past, falsifying 'news' items, that never happened, such as rocket attacks and dreadful events?

As for Churchillian quotes, how about this one; -

"I am in full sympathy with the historical traditional aspirations of the Jews. The restoration to them of a centre of true racial and political integrity would be a tremendous event in the history of the world. . . . Jerusalem must be the only ultimate goal. When it will be achieved it is vain to prophesy: but that it will some day be achieved is one of the few certainties of the future. . ."

Are you sure it was Winston Churchill you are quoting and not Ward Churchill?

Of course the Arab cartel are in no-way "foolish, stupid, vicious men and are not lying to the world yet again"- no , of course not!

Anyway, isn't that miracle worker A. Blair now a U.N. Minister for Peace in the Middle East, so we know all will be well...

Unfortuantly we don't need the "Islamic mindset" to be anti semitic, there is quite a bit that isn't

Ernest,

"I defy you to find any reliable source for the rumour that Bush 'was told by God' to invade Iraq, or Afghanistan."

I spoke to God about it and he confirms it. That reliable enough for you?

re; anti-semitic attacks around Britain.

Channel 4, who have recently won damages against the police over it's Dispatches programme on undercover mosques, is to do a documentary on Patricia Richardson, sometime in July.
She is the Jewish lady who recently won a council ward seat in Essex for the BNP.
Channel 4 have developed a taste for not towing the pc line of late, so it may make for some interesting listening if they ask her some searching questions as to why her co-religionists are so anti-BNP, and how she reconciles that paradox.
She's no-ones fool.

Aileen, as usual, said it best.

A rare thing. A Jewish person that Bernard likes.

According to Tel Aviv University's Stephen Roth Institute:

...according to the testimonies of victims of violent antisemitic attacks, not only in France and Denmark but all over Europe, the perpetrators, when identified by their victims, often belonged to ethnic minorities − ‘young Muslims’, ‘young Asians’ or ‘young North Africans’. While under attack, the victim may not have been able to distinguish between North Africans, Arabs from Middle East countries or persons from other countries in Africa, it is unlikely that s/he would confuse them with ‘young white males’.

Secondly, data gathered worldwide by the Institute for over a decade about the targets of antisemitic activities and the modus operandi of the perpetrators indicate that the percentage of physical assaults against Jewish individuals has increased dramatically compared to incidents of cemetery and synagogue desecration. Although the number of cases in which the police succeeded in establishing the identification of the perpetrators of physical attacks is significantly small (in France, according to the interior minister, only 20 percent), the involvement of Arabs, Muslims or members of other ethnic minorities in those acts was much higher than that of members of the extreme right. Therefore, one can point to the central role of young people from families of immigrants in antisemitic activities, and particularly in physical violence against Jews.

(http://www.tau.ac.il/Anti-Semitism/asw2004/general-analysis.htm)

So, it seems that David is right. The rise in anti-semitism can be attributed more to the Islamic mindset than to the activities of the BNP or rogue ATW writers. Astonishing!

FR

I think it is fairly obvious that the main reason for the increase in anti-Jewish attacks is due to the increase in Islamic militancy amongst the growing Muslim populations in Europe and the ever present Palestinian issue, but Anti-Semitism as a historic phenomenon is a very very long standing and pervasive attitude that has very little to do with Muslims.

So the BNP has a jewish councillor. (Mosely must be turning in his grave.)

Does that mean they are no longer jew-haters?

LOL!

Colm and FR are both right. The muslims are probably to blame for the current wave of anti-semitism, but you UK/Euro white guys have had a nice grip on jew hating for centuries.

Hey Daphne

Anti-Semitism isn't unknown amongst American WASPS either.

Did I touch a nerve? :-)

The Protestants have no love lost for the Jews, probably jealous over the money lending trade.

How you doing Colm darlin'?

Daphne

Not touching a nerve. Just me being my usual fair self and spreading the blame evenly :)

Ps - You're the second gorgeous lady to ask me how I'm doing today. I feel I'm being pampered. I'm feeling mighty fine sweetie !

Colm, you go right ahead and spread it evenly, I would be shocked if you only buttered half a loaf.

So, another woman shares my impeccable taste in men?

Jews are part of the west and have contributed to the development of the west disproportionately to their numbers.

The state of Israel is the embodiment of nationalism: a self-defined people who have their own culture rooted in their own land with a society and economy which they will develop for their benefit and defend as required in ANY circumstances.

I support the state of Israel. I believe in Britain as a people and a nation stae which is why I support the BNP. The LibLabConners do not support the idea of Britain as a nation which is why their aim is to dissolve the UK in the EU.

Daphne

Yes it was Aileen, a former ATW regular who popped in today and asked me how I was. Aileen has met me in the flesh, and yes she has impeccable taste in men :)

Cheers Mahons :o)

Yes Daphne - it's true - Colm is a wee honey as they say in Belfast!

My honey may be wee, but the hive it comes from is HUGE :)

Ahh, I'm in good company with Miss Aileen!

Colm, stow your huge stinger before you poke someone's eye out.

Dawkins,

And you trying to persuade us you are such an atheist!...tut! tut!..hypocrite seems more like it!

Allan,

As a matter of interest, which state do you support, northern or southern Cyprus.

Ernest,

I never tried to persuade anyone here that I'm an atheist. And petty name-calling is something you usually criticize others for.

Cyprus is Greek, as should have been much of Anatolia had it not been for certain missed opportunities following WW1 and especially the Russian Revolution.

Allan,

Cyprus is only half Greek—as you well know. It's home to two nations. I simply wondered which you admired, if any. Personally I'd rather that the Turkish Cypriots buggered off.

>>Personally I'd rather that the Turkish Cypriots buggered off.<<

Dawkins, have you been to the Turkish part? I've only been to the Greek, and liked it and the people very much. But Ive been told by seasoned travellers (and not the usual suspects) that the Cypriot Turk is altogether a more congenial chap than his Greek islandman.

Cyprus is Greek: Pomerania and Silesia are German: Kosovo is Serbian. Borders as they are don't necessarily convey the bigger meaning - ask any Mexican where the borders of his country are and where he/she believes that they should/shall be and you'll find that his/her answer differs enormously that given by a white Texan. BTW one of them will be proven right and I don't think that it will be the white Texan.

We have digressed, have we not?

Noel,

You've been well informed by those seasoned travellers. I always found the Greek Cypriots a bit dour. However, the girls are prettier than the Turkish Cypriots :0)

What is it about Biased BBC and the BNP website that they get so many more and varied comments, while the far broader spectrum of ATW get so few 'new arrivals'?
It can't be the login factor, and there isn't any moderation. And why so few women? (Drunken Cyclist and Dee never came back?).

Perhaps DV should put out an APB or do what 'YouGov' does, and offer 50p for every on-topic comment. Yes, that would do it!
At least the latter idea would filter out the mutual admiration love notes (ie. Colm preening himself in front of his 15"...monitor) and cut to the chase.

Bernard - It's because the overall tone of commenting here is combative and unwelcoming, most newcomers have to be persistent and possess the hide of a rhino. It's not fertile ground for women or sane men who want to have a respectful discussion or trade quips. If you're conservative, you will be called racist, bigoted, facist, stupid, simple, phobic, hateful, etc. within about ten minutes of your first comment. If you're liberal, they'll rip off your head and take a dump in the cavity while cackling madly.

Colm is about the most welcoming human on this site for new faces, don't knock him.

Dee left because she got tired of the unrelenting abuse, along with about 25+ other regulars over the past year.

I miss Jeff from Florida....he was wonderfully informative, funny, and level headed.

Here's my quick list of the departed (or nearly so)

DSD
Dee
Stan
Mr. Smith
Richard Carey
FR
Monica
Pinky
Maggie
Madradin Ruad
Smicgiff
Kloot
Chris Gaskin
Paul McMahon
Human Animals
Garfield
Adrian

Thanks Daphne

Bernard's just jealous of me :)

I miss Felix Quigley. He was great, and very egalitarioan to all of us. In his world we were all, (even David) anti-semites.

PS - There are many far more abusive and combative sites that this one. ATW is mild in comparison.

Daphne/Colm;

Yes I agree with all that. There are some sensitive souls out there for sure, and I suppose that centuries old axiom 'the pen is mightier than the sword' still holds sway, even on the web.

I find ATW to be quite stimulating and I don't mind the occasionally combative nature of the discussions. Some of the insults can be quite witty. Besides, if one is really secure in one's beliefs thenone should be able to back them with conclusive arguments. On most issues, we really should learn to agree to disagree.
On this thread, I stand by everything which I said here: Saturday, May 17, 2008 at 10:11PM | allan@aberdeen
and defy the left to respond - in a polite way, of course!