I’m pretty sickened when I see a photo like this:
That is because I know perfectly well that English Defence League display the Israeli flag for one reason only: they believe it will wind up Muslims.
In a similar vein, here’s the banner which supporters of the Polish club Legia Warsaw unfurled during a Europa League match against Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv
A considerable degree of effort has gone into the preparation and production of this banner. It is huge. It can only really be used for matches against Israeli teams. And somebody went to the trouble of designing a “jihad” motif which resembles Arabic script.
The irony here is that Hapoel Tel Aviv is a pretty mixed club, whose captain is an Israeli Arab.
More generally, I’m sick of Palestine Solidarity events where earnest idealists merrily rub shoulders with out-and-out antisemites. In a strangely similar fashion, I’m also sickened by the Krakow Festival of Jewish Culture, in Poland, which appears largely to be run by and for well-meaning types playing at being Jewish. Most of the original Jews having been murdered, and their empty synagogues in ruins.
Cheap holidays in other people’s misery.
