Kevin Myers’ vile article in the Irish edition of the Sunday Times was widely condemned as antisemitic. However responses demonstrated some differences of emphasis.
One point of contention was Myers’ apparent approval for Israel. For some, this cast a different light on the article. It now seemed crass rather than unambiguously antisemitic. Others were less convinced that it let him off the hook, and invoked his perversely meaningless screed on Holocaust denial.
Some of those who persisted in defending him seemed to see support for Israel as a good which trumped or negated any charge of antisemitism.
For others, this anomaly offered an opportunity to sneer.
White had no comment to make on another story in yesterday’s Sunday Times, Alex Massie’s report on antisemitism in the SPSC. This article was based on a document compiled by David Collier which you can consult here. In it he demonstrates the readiness with which many activists associated with the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign share conspiracy theories and Holocaust denial. Here Collier reports on the PSC’s so-called response.
The Sunday Times ran an article on the report. The official SPSC response, came from Sofiah MacLeod, chairwoman of the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign. She said it is “not inclined to take seriously the so-called research”. ‘Not inclined’ to take it seriously that 40-50% of the SPSC activists share antisemitic material. We need to make them take it seriously. It isn’t the 1930’s. Is it?
