For the past few years the Stop the War Coalition have presented two faces over the continuing violence in Iraq – they pose as supporters of peace while supporting the mass murderers who oppose democracy.
Now they are doing the same in relation to the conflict between Israel and Hizbullah and Hamas. On the one hand, for mass consumption, ‘pacifist’ sounding calls for ‘no attacks’, ‘ceasefire’ and ‘hands off’ Lebanon but look behind those calls and you find that, yet again, the Stoppers are far from pacifistic and are instead engaging in propaganda for one side in the conflict.
The ludicrous lies about Israel’s aims in the conflict ( the STWC website says Israel is “intent on razing the region to the ground”) are familiar to anyone who keeps half an eye on Islamist propaganda. Sometimes though the link between the STWC and the fascist enemies of peace is more direct.
Gene has already linked to a video clip of a STWC rally featuring an arm-waving Azzam Tamimi, recently described as a Hamas ‘Special Envoy’, receiving celebratory yelps of delight when he declared “Hezbollah is dealing with you, Hamas is dealing with you,” and “Israel cannot exist in peace with anyone. The Zionist entity is made of evil.”
In what way is any of that talk (or the reaction to it from the crowd of Stoppers) an expression of a desire for peace? ‘Socialist Worker’ also gives the game away when it approvingly refers this week to Hezbollah as being part of an “arc of resistance stretching through Afghanistan, Iraq and Palestine.” Think about what that means for a minute.
Today’s gatherings across the UK organised by the STWC are not “peace protests”. They are rallies organised by supporters of the fascist Hamas and Hezbollah. Anti-fascists should have nothing to do with them other than to oppose them.
Gene adds: Add another prominent Stopper to the list of those backing the fascist, Jew-hating Hezbollah:
George Galloway, an outspoken MP for the anti-war Respect Party, prompted claps and cheers as he praised Hezbollah and its leader, Hassan Nasrallah.
“Hezbollah has never been a terrorist organisation, Hezbollah is a resistance movement of Lebanon,” Galloway roared from a stage at a rally that was held at Hyde Park after the march, where about 20 speakers addressed the crowd, including Muslim and Christian leaders and other politicians.