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Jesus, Israel and the Intifadas

This is a guest post by habibi

Yesterday the “Stop the War Coalition” (StWC), an organisation which supports Hamas and other violent Islamist extremists, held a demonstration against the BBC at Bush House in London. 

In the carnival of the grotesque that is the “antiwar” movement, perhaps it was inevitable that the name of Jesus would be pressed into service.  Tony Benn, the president of the StWC, was the man to do it. 

Here Benn is, speaking at the demonstration: 

“Friends, the BBC would never be allowed to broadcast any message from Jesus. Because Jesus told us to love our neighbours and if the Archbishop of Canterbury read the Ten Commandments it might upset the Israeli government.” 

Yes, the Israeli government can’t take Jesus, and the BBC must bend to Israeli will.

Let’s be clear.  Mr Benn is a repugnant extremist.  Such dishonest, tasteless and dangerous words deserve nothing but contempt.

In another video of the demonstration, some marchers engage in this chant, widely echoed in the crowd and not challenged:

“Baghdad, Beirut, Kabul, Gaza – victory to the intifada!”.

So, Hamas is not enough.  In addition, some of Mr Benn’s followers cheer on Hezbollah plus the murderers of British troops and countless others in Afghanistan and Iraq, while their fellow demonstrators shuffle dutifully behind them.  Yes, this is the British “antiwar” movement in 2009.  With Jesus on its side, uh huh.

Naturally the ubiquitous Hamasnik Azzam Tamimi was at the anti-BBC demonstration too.  He angrily connected the crowd with the Hamas heroes: 

“The victory in Gaza was something you made yourselves.  The second day of the ceasefire, I received a phone call from the minister of health in the legitimate government of Palestine in Gaza.  He said to me, “you know Dr Azzam, when the F-16s and the Apache helicopters were hovering over our heads, when they were bombing us, when they were killing and maiming, our primary concern was not to let those who demonstrated for us down.”  They could see you demonstrate, they could hear, and for you they succeeded against Israel and America. Allahu Akhbar!

The message to you is that our brothers and sisters in Gaza will not be blackmailed.  They will not submit!  Neither Israel nor America, nor Mubarak of Egypt, nor Abbas of the PA, nor Brown of this country, nor Sarkozy of our neighbours, nobody will force them to surrender.  They have succeeded and they will succeed again.  You need to continue to demonstrate.  You need to continue to express your support for them, because the war is not over.  The war is continuing, and it will continue for many weeks, probably months to come.  Allahu akhbar!”

Tamimi was loudly cheered.

Maybe recent events will mark a parting of the political ways for many people in Britain.  I do hope so.  If you like Nazarene tales in particular, best not march with or help supporters of religious hatred and murder, really.