Yesterday, we posted about an error-ridden Guardian op-ed by Arielle Angel, chief editor of the anti-Zionist publication Jewish Currents. In the piece (“Jewish Americans are at a turning point with Israel”, May 22), Angel argues that Jews like himself are in the vanguard of a growing movement within the Jewish community that opposes the continued existence of the Jewish state, and was illustrated by Guardian editors with the following photo.
We identified the woman as Shatzi Weisberger, a mini-celebrity in New York among anti-Israel activists, a member of the anti-Zionist and often antisemitic group ‘Jewish Voice for Peace’, someone who expresses support for jailed Palestinian terrorists and routinely levels the ‘Israel is committing genocide’ charge on social media.
Their decision to use this particular photo (taken at a recent anti-Israel protest in NYC) is disturbing. First, note that the placard doesn’t ‘merely’ say, as the op-ed implicitly does, that Zionism is intrinsically racist, but that it’s, in essence, a genocidal movement. Further, the fact that the woman holding the sign is 90 years old – and, thus, was a young adult when the Nazi genocide against the Jews took place – would have the impact to Guardian readers of ascribing greater credibility to that grotesque charge.
Further, and of even greater importance, as we argued in a tweet to the Guardian’s photo editor, such an incendiary charge – which, in effect, implicates Jews, most of whom support Israel, in the crime of genocide – is especially irresponsible in light of the surge of antisemitic attacks in the UK and other cities in recent weeks.
A few hours after our tweet, we noticed that the photo had been replaced – albeit, without an editor’s note explaining the change.
There is nothing on earth the Guardian / BBC / NYT / CNN and the rest of the scurvy crew love more than an air-head Israel-hating Jew. They are guaranteed news coverage.
How about more coverage of the many Palestinians and other Arabs who want to normalise relations with Israel?
The next thing “The Grauniad” loves (after an Israeli-hating Jew) is a false excuse to demonise Israel – on which they may issue a correction later that nobody reads. Come on, you Jewish Labour voters – Stop indirectly supporting this rag.