Morning Star promotes claims of Israeli “apartheid” – from slave-state Qatar!
I’m sometimes asked why I bother commenting on the reportage of the Morning Star, a small-circulation daily controlled by the Communist Party of Britain.
The reason is because the M Star exerts an influence on the mainstream British left – and especially the trade union movement – that is out of all proportion to its circulation, or to the membership of the CPB.
The M Star’s domestic ‘line’ is fairly mainstream pro-Corbyn banality; its foreign policy is characterised by uncritical support for Assad in Syria and absolute hostility to Israel, inherited from Stalinist anti-semitism. So, Fridays’s M Star front-page was not that much of a surprise:
Israel is guilty of apartheid, says UN report
Mar
2017
2017
Friday 17th
posted by Steve Sweeney in Britain
Campaigners hail findings as ‘breakthrough’ in the struggle for Palestinians
ISRAEL is guilty of imposing an apartheid regime of racial discrimination on the Palestinian population, according to a “historic” United Nations (UN) report.
The report, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) on Wednesday, urged member states to work together to bring such apartheid regimes to an end.
It concluded that it was “beyond reasonable doubt” that Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid as defined by international law.
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) hailed the publication of the report, which condemned the “systematic regime of racial domination” over the Palestinian people and their exclusion from all levels of society.
PSC director Ben Jamal said: “This is a hugely significant moment … The case for the international community to hold Israel to account via the imposition of meaningful sanctions is overwhelming.”
And the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement said it was a “historic breakthrough.”
Its co-founder Omar Barghouti said: “Our South Africa moment is nearing. This new UN report is a stark indicator that Israel’s apartheid is destined to end, as South Africa’s did.
“BDS is not only growing impressively on campuses, in churches, trade unions, cultural organisations and social movements, it is today adopted by a UN Commission.
“This may well be the very first beam of light that ushers the dawn of sanctions against Israel’s regime of occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid.”
Although considered a breakthrough by pro-Palestinian organisations, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the report did not reflect the views of the secretary-general.
He added that the ESCWA — a UN agency made up of Arab states — did not consult with the UN secretariat before publishing their findings.
The report — titled “Israeli Practices towards Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid” — called on UN member states to remember their collective duty not to recognise an apartheid regime, not to assist a state in maintaining such a regime and to work to bring apartheid states to an end.
It accused Israel of “demographic engineering” to maintain a Jewish state, and it detailed how control over matters including immigration, land use and public development planning by the World Zionist Organisation and Jewish Agency reinforces discrimination against Palestinians.
The system of martial law operated over 6.6 million Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip sees Israel “systematically and routinely” practice every inhuman act other than genocide as defined under the 1973 Apartheid Convention, it added.
Around 1.7 million Palestinians who are living as citizens of Israel suffer oppression on the basis of not being Jewish, according to the report, and they suffer discrimination through inferior services, restrictions on jobs and are legally prohibited from challenging legislation that maintains the “racial regime.”
While Palestinians are entitled to Israeli citizenship only Jews are entitled to Israeli nationality.
In East Jerusalem, the report found widespread discrimination in access to jobs and services with Palestinians suffering expulsions and home demolitions.
Their classification as “permanent residents” in the city means they have no legal standing to challenge Israeli law and, if they openly identify with Palestinians in the occupied territories, they risk automatic expulsion to the West Bank and a ban from visiting Jerusalem.
… except that, for anyone who bothered to read the M Star‘s front page article all the way through, it soon became apparent that
“Although considered a breakthrough by pro-Palestinian organisations, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that the report did not reflect the views of the secretary-general.
“He added that the ESCWA — a UN agency made up of Arab states — did not consult with the UN secretariat before publishing their findings.”
In other words, the M Star‘s lead story and headline was thoroughly misleading.
And who are the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) ? Well, it is made up exclusively of Arab states, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Libya. There are no democracies – by any definition of the word – in its ranks.
And, most outrageously, the ESCWA includes the state of Qatar, presently enslaving 1.8 migrant workers from India, Nepal and other South Asian countries. And the Morning Star repeats Qatar’s claim that Israel operates “apartheid”!
Shiraz Socialist 
B.Finger said,
March 19, 2017 at 7:19 pm
My favorite response was from your esteemed leftist professor, Vijay Prashad, who piously explained this resolution condemning Israel in a recent article in “The Hindu” from an increasingly ethnocentric country whose caste system is the most complete form of apartheid known on earth. And he, like MS, is commenting on a report commissioned by Arab nations guilty of every form of racial, ethnic, religious and gender oppression one can imagine.
Most if not all of these nations, incidentally or not so incidentally, are guilty of apartheid practices against the Palestinians within their own borders that are at least equal if not worse than the oppressive policies of Israel. All of these countries, with the partial exception of Jordan, deny Palestinians full citizenship rights (to vote or run for office) and the ability to travel freely. Lebanon, for instance, also forbids Palestinians from participating in 50 occupations, from acquiring property of from passing property previously owned to their children. Qatar refuses to grant Palestinians work visas. Kuwait expelled 450,000 Palestinians after the first Gulf War. Palestinians in Iraq, after 2003, were targeted with discrimination and killing and the majority fled the country.
Funny, too, how the zionist controlled press apparently forgot to report on these other apartheids.
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 19, 2017 at 8:47 pm
You really have drunk the Zionist cool aid haven’t you Jim ? I mean Jonathan Hoffman for fuck sake
Mick said,
March 19, 2017 at 9:21 pm
It’s the Islamist Kool Aid which leftists should worry about. There’s still a Guardian article called ISRAEL SIMPLY HAS NO RIGHT TO EXIST even after 16 years. This plays right into the hands of terrorists who have always behaved the way they do to Jews, way before 1948 or any of the Western democracies existed.
The UN’s Economic and Social Commission says Israel is an apartheid state and calls on the UN not to recognise it in a report. Pakistan is in the UN, for example, the Muslim State. That’s the true apartheid state, even going so far as to murderously persecute Christians.
Also, the UN is is a talking shop for pretty much all the world’s worst dictators to pretend that Third World tyrannies are equal and legitimate states. So for them to lecture about Israel, ignoring Palestinian crimes while accepting any old waffle on Israel as gospel, is pure hypocrisy and utterly valueless.
Jim Denham said,
March 19, 2017 at 9:22 pm
Stephen: what, that I have written in response to the M.Star, isn’t true?
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 20, 2017 at 9:38 am
I will resist the temptation to ask what part of the ESCWA report isn’t true
Glasgow Working Class said,
March 20, 2017 at 7:00 pm
You do not seem to like Jews.
The Rise of Anti-Seminism | From guestwriters said,
March 20, 2017 at 10:35 am
[…] Morning Star promotes claims of Israeli “apartheid” – from slave-state Qatar! […]
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 20, 2017 at 10:49 am
This is brilliant. Jackie Walker demolishes Jim’s mate Hoffman.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=779171798908409&id=596712477154343
Jim Denham said,
March 20, 2017 at 4:00 pm
The very fact that you can quote Jackie Walker as a credible source on *anything*, let alone anti-Semitism, is conclusive proof that you’re an idiot, Stephen.
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 20, 2017 at 4:30 pm
I am not sure what you quoting and giving copy space to this freak is conclusive proof of Jim.
Ben said,
March 20, 2017 at 11:57 am
The only thing resembling apartheid in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza strip is the anti-Jewish apartheid-like policy of the Arabs that forbids Jews from residing in those territories, and punishes with death any Arab who sells land to a Jew.
“…The system of martial law operated over 6.6 million Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip…”
There is no such system of martial law. The areas of Judea and Samaria where the majority of Arabs reside are under complete Palestinian Authority rule (Area A, where the large majority of the Arab population resides) or are under joint Israeli Palestinian Authority rule (Area B). The Gaza strip is under complete Hamas rule. Only Area C of Judea and Samaria, with a paltry 60000 Arab population, is under Israeli military rule.
“…While Palestinians are entitled to Israeli citizenship only Jews are entitled to Israeli nationality….”
BS.
“…Around 1.7 million Palestinians who are living as citizens of Israel suffer oppression on the basis of not being Jewish, according to the report, and they suffer discrimination through inferior services, restrictions on jobs and are legally prohibited from challenging legislation that maintains the “racial regime.”
Considering the fact that the Arabs have been trying to destroy Israel for over 70 years, it is a tribute to Israel’s idealism and commitment to peaceful coexistence with its neighbours that the situation of its Arab citizens is so good. Israeli Arabs have more dignity, freedom and democratic rights than do the Arab citizens of any Arab country. Their living standards are way ahead of Arabs in all the Arab countries except the oil-rich states of the Arabian peninsula, and are better than the living standards of religious Haredi Jews in Israel. On the other hand Jews have been oppressed, persecuted, dispossessed and driven out of every Arab country, and no UN committee has ever spoken up for them.
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 20, 2017 at 4:33 pm
Since Area C is 60 per cent of the ” west bank ” perhaps Ben would like to attempt to explain the fact that it contains only 60,000 Palestinians.
Glasgow Working Class said,
March 20, 2017 at 9:09 pm
They can go to Syria or Saudi even Turkey or Iraq maybe Iran.
Israel can get on with a modern progressive State free from Islamic madness. Howzatt Herr Bellamy.
Ben said,
March 20, 2017 at 10:40 pm
The Oslo accords partitioned Judea and Samaria into three areas, in accordance with the population density and its demographic makeup. Areas A and B contained the vast majority of the Arab population, and included all their cities and towns and most of their villages. Area C contained the Judean desert, the Jordan Valley and other lightly populated areas. In 1993 the Arab population of area C was around 60000. Today it is home to 150,000+ Palestinians and to 380000+ Israelis.
Glasgow Working Class said,
March 20, 2017 at 7:07 pm
Several years back when the Middle East muslims were not slaughtering each other I planned a journey by train and boat to Israel. However I could not have travelled back via Syria as I would gave had an Isreali stamp on my passport. Now is that apartheid? The Syrians would let me in but not out.
Stephen Bellamy said,
March 21, 2017 at 3:40 am
From 60k to 150k in less than 24 hours. That is some going.
Ben said,
March 22, 2017 at 11:25 am
From 60000 to 150000+ in 22 years (1993- 2015), par for the course in the Middle East. Many of the Arab inhabitants of area C are nomadic Bedouin, whose numbers are harder to track.
The Arab population of the Gaza strip rose from 350000 to 2 million in the period 1967-2016. The Arab population of Jerusalem rose from 60000 to 380000 in the period 1967-2016, much of it a result of inner migration from the Hebron area, motivated by the employment opportunities in the construction industry.