2010 Mar 23: PILGER – “RACISM” CHARGE AGAINST PALESTINE CAMPAIGNERS “SHOULD BE LAUGHED OUT OF COURT”
Tuesday 23rd March 2010
Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign: Media Release
PILGER – “RACISM” CHARGE AGAINST PALESTINE CAMPAIGNERS “SHOULD BE LAUGHED OUT OF COURT”
Investigative journalist John Pilger says the “racism” charge levelled at 5 Palestine campaigners “should be laughed out of court”.
The award-winning journalist and documentary-maker added his voice to an open letter condemning “the attempt by Scottish prosecutors to criminalise the growing international campaign to boycott Israel until Israel comes into line with international law.”
The campaigners, all members of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC), had originally been charged with “breach of the peace” after their August 2008 protest of an Edinburgh Festival concert by the Jerusalem Quartet, an Israeli group whom the letter claims “enjoy the official status of cultural ambassadors of the State of Israel.”
However, shortly after last year’s violence in Gaza which took the lives of 1400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis, the Procurator Fiscal at Edinburgh Sheriff Court changed the charge to one of “racially aggravated conduct”.
Dr Ezra Golombok, director of the Israel Information Office in Scotland suggested that criticising Israel was in itself racist: “That criticism of Israel descends disturbingly close to antisemitic stereotype is obvious”, he said.
“They [the SPSC] do some damage in trying to promote boycotts of Israeli produce”, he continued.
Earlier, Israel’s Ambassador to the UK, Ron Prosor condemned the action taken by the Scottish group: “We must not give in to the attempts to sabotage the marketing of Israeli art and culture in Britain.”
In a separate statement, Pilger was scathing of the Edinburgh prosecutor: “It speaks volumes about the desperation of the failing terrorist state of Israel that its apologists try to intimidate even Scotland's judicial system.
“The prosecutor in this outrageous case is clearly guided by the March Hare, for only he would call principled people "racists", for having protested against the demonstrable racism of a state with a constitution and government that discriminate openly and brutally against non-Jews, mainly the Palestinian people, whose land Israel has stolen. This case should be laughed out of court."
During a January court appearance, a transcript of a BBC recording of the concert made clear that the campaigners had said nothing about Jews, as had been claimed by prosecutors. Mick Napier, SPSC chair, and one of the accused, said “not only do we have a right to criticise Israel without fear of such ludicrous charges, but while Israeli crimes continue, we have a duty to do so.”
The case will call again on Monday 29th March at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, when the Procurator Fiscal is due to explain the justification for the charge of racism in relation to criticism of a state.
ENDS
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Notes for editors:
1. The Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign started in autumn 2000 in response to the Palestinian second uprising against Israeli occupation (Intifada). The SPSC has branches and groups of supporters in several Scottish cities and universities, as well as individual members across Scotland and elsewhere.
For further information, contact:
SPSC Chair, Mick Napier: 0131 620 0052; 07958002591
SPSC Chair, Mick Napier: 0131 620 0052; 07958002591
2. The case against the 5 SPSC members will next call on Monday 29th March 2010 at Edinburgh Sheriff Court for a Diet of Debate.
The accused are challenging the validity of the “racially aggravated conduct” charge in relation to a political protest focused on the State of Israel. The case is still at the pre-trial stage and no plea has been tendered.
The case last called on 21st + 22nd January 2010. A report of the debate, including a partial transcript of the BBC recording can be found here:
3. John Pilger’s full statement can be found at:
4. Dr Ezra Golombok, is the director of the Israel Information Office in Scotland (Under the aegis of the Embassy of Israel): http://www.isrinfo.demon.co.uk.
Golombok is extensively quoted in the Jewish Telegraph article of 26 Feb 2010: “Should Palestinian support worry us?” (Reproduced below as Appendix 1)
5. Ron Prosor is quoted in the Jewish Chronicle stating that, “We must not give in to the attempts to sabotage the marketing of Israeli art and culture in Britain.”
“Israel is heckled at Edinburgh Festival”, 4 Sep 2008:
http://thejc.com/node/5104
“Israel is heckled at Edinburgh Festival”, 4 Sep 2008:
http://thejc.com/node/5104
6. The Jerusalem Quartet performs around the world as cultural ambassadors of Israel. Their August 29th 2008 performance took place at the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. As well as the disruption inside the venue, a simultaneous protest took place outside the event.
7. The Aug 29th protest was endorsed by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI):http://www.pacbi.org/campaign_statement.htm
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) fully endorses the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign's call on the Edinburgh Festival to withdraw its invitation to the Jerusalem Quartet. Members of this Israeli Quartet began their career with active service in the Israeli army, where they served as "Distinguished Musicians," enjoying the sponsorship of mainstream Israeli cultural institutions such as the Jerusalem Foundation, which regards them as "prestigious cultural ambassadors, representing Israel and Jerusalem."
From the beginning, the Quartet's international tours have been actively promoted by the Israeli government. As such, and since the Quartet has not taken any clear position on the various forms of oppression of the Palestinian people, PACBI supports the Scottish PSC's call to boycott the Jerusalem Quartet as an institution that is complicit in maintaining Israel's occupation and oppression of the Palestinian people.
Appendix 1
Jewish Telegraph 28 February 2010
Should Palestinian support worry us?
THERE has been a steady increase in support for the Palestinians in Scotland in recent years and this has led to raised levels of antisemitism in the country.
Are the constant attacks on Israel simply a manifestation of latent antisemitism within the Scottish people or are there underlying reasons why the current situation exists here?
It is true that there have been higher numbers of antisemitic incidents, including blog comments, hate mail and phone calls to Jewish individuals and organisations.
One such message read, 'Every filthy Jew in the UK should be banished, this time for good. You are a bunch of blood-sucking parasites - nothing but trouble for this country'.
There have been occasional daubings on synagogue and other walls. In an isolated community, the only Jewish pupil at one school was bullied for 'killing Christ'. When her mother complained to the teacher, the response was, 'well you did, didn't you?'.
It is clear though, that these incidents are comparatively rare. They are often related to the situation in the Middle East and particularly fuelled by events such as the war in Gaza.
Scots have always championed the underdog. When Israel was seen to be the underdog, there was a lot of support for the State. Now, the Palestinians are clearly seen as the ones who need backing.
And they are being bombarded with wholly one-sided information by a highly active anti-Israeli lobby in Scotland.
One of the main sources of anti-Israeli action is the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign, formed in 2000, as a response to the second Intifada.
The SPSC is chaired by university lecturer Mick Napier. He and four colleagues are currently facing charges at the Edinburgh Sheriff Court accused of racially aggravated conduct after disrupting a concert by the Jerusalem Quartet (whom they describe as 'notoriously pro-Zionist') at the city's Queen's Hall in August 2008.
The SPSC website is filled with virulent hatred of all things Israeli. It states: "The various activities of the SPSC are related in some way to the Palestinian appeal for boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israeli companies and state-supported institutions. We have identified Israel's Achilles' Heel: while the regional super-power can kill lightly-armed Palestinians with virtual impunity, the Zionist State has become deeply unpopular around the world and vulnerable to boycott.
"Wherever we unearth institutional collaboration with Israel in Scottish society, whether in universities, city councils and the Scottish Parliament, we are able to challenge it with every chance of succeeding."
SPSC has managed to latch on to the odd Holocaust survivor who compares Israel's actions with that of the Nazis and is very happy to promote its thoughts.
But is this turning most Scots against Israel and Jews?
Dr Ezra Golombok, director of the Israel Information Office in Scotland, said: "However disturbing the activities of a vociferous anti-Israel body and the upsurge in anti-Israel content in the media, it is worth trying to assess the threat to which a diminishing Jewish community feels itself subjected.
"That criticism of Israel descends disturbingly close to antisemitic stereotype is obvious, but how widely is it shared? In truth, many Scots neither know nor care much about the Israel-Arab quarrel.
"There is more antipathy between Rangers and Celtic than directed at Jews or Israelis.
"The Palestine Solidarity Committee (or its locally named clones) seems well-funded and its few activist leaders are knowledgeable, expert in exploiting any situation for sniping at Israel and at gaining publicity for themselves.
"They secure the paper support of people in the public eye, such as MSPs and claim credit for gesture politics. They are actually quite few in number, but can have some effect in inspiring (in fact irrelevant) motions in the Scottish Parliament.
"They do some damage in trying to promote boycotts of Israeli produce.
"That their views have gained wide public support is doubtful. Hard-headed Scots are not so easily swayed.
"Monitoring the letter and web comments of Scottish newspapers reveals many that are fair to Israel, but not uncritical, among the outright attacks which seem often to emanate from the same few authors.
"Many of these attacks are inaccurate in substance and are open to informed correction. Like decent people everywhere, the Scottish public feels concern if presented with heavily slanted accounts of suffering children in Gaza.
"But that concern, for at least a proportion of readers, does not extend long beyond the headlines; and the antidote to the emotion is to provide a proper factual response."
He added: "Of course the media onslaught can be frightening, but the basic sense of fairness has not departed. If we feel under attack we need to respond. The only effective way is to be well-informed on trends and happenings affecting Israel and then to put the Israel - indeed the Jewish - case in conversation in letters and on the web.
"And not to fear open expression of informed opinion."
As Dr Golombok stated, it is not surprising that ordinary Scots will be moved by images and repeated accounts of Palestinian suffering. Indeed, I'm sure there aren't many Jews in Scotland who don't have sympathy for the plight of those Palestinians simply and peacefully wanting to get on with their lives and have their situation greatly improved.
And Scottish Jews, generally, aren't afraid to reveal their identity.
There will always be antisemitism, but there will always be manifestations of hatred of just about every group in society in Scotland.
It is distressing to see so many motions against Israel in the Scottish Parliament, but there are MSPs willing to speak out against them.
We should remember that Scotland has historically shown more tolerance and been more welcoming to its Jewish population than many other countries.
Long may it continue.