The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #161452   Message #3847835
Posted By: Steve Shaw
31-Mar-17 - 12:26 PM
Thread Name: BS: Uk Labour Party discussion II
Subject: RE: BS: Uk Labour Party discussion II
"Applying double standards by requiring of it a behavior not expected or demanded of any other democratic nation is anti-Semitic."

If we give Israel massive economic and military aid and give it favourable trade deals, we expect Israel to use that aid to advance itself appropriately as a democracy. We can't have the same expectation of a country we don't help. We can have hope, that's all. No double standard. I give my child pocket money but not my neigbour's child. I don't expect my child to use it to buy peashooters and catapults for harassing the other kids. I hope my neighbour's child will also refrain from misusing HIS pocket money that way, but, as it wasn't me who gave it to him, I can't have the same expectation. No double standard. The EU consists of 28 countries all of which are signed up to democracy and human rights, among other things. We expect every country in the EU to fully live up to that, in return for favourable trade deals, better security and the free movement of citizens. It would be very nice if, for example, Turkey lived up to the same ideals, but it doesn't. We can hope for that but we can't have the same expectations as we have for EU countries. No double standard. I'm afraid that your definition is designed to obstruct criticism of Israel. Not Jews, by the way, Israel. More specifically, the Israeli regime.

"Drawing comparisons of contemporary Israeli policy to that of the Nazis is anti-Semitic."

Not if the comparisons are valid. My view is that it is not constructive to do so under any circumstances because there can't be a good outcome for criticism levelled in that way, no matter how well-justified. But any country has the potential to act in ways we observed during the Nazi regime. If they do, we have to be free to express our criticisms in the most full-blooded way. Otherwise, again, your definition is intended to protect Israel from criticism, no matter how outrageous the behaviour. When the Taliban or the Burmese generals or Mugabe act like Nazis, we say so, though we always have to justify the comparison by saying what actions they carry out thatbare the same as Nazi actions. Myself, I think it's always best just to describe the actions as plainly as possible. That usually ups the ante quite enough as it is with Israeli regime apologists without rattling on about Nazis.