Following US National Security Adviser John Bolton’s talks with Boris Johnson and his ministers in London last week, FCO officials have been asked to speed up contingency planning for the UK to move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, with an eye to an “early announcement” post Brexit.
The UK is currently bound by an EU common foreign policy position not to follow the United States in moving its Embassy to Jerusalem. As things stand, that prohibition will fall on 1 November. FCO officials had previously been asked to produce a contingency plan, but this involved the construction of a £14 million new Embassy and a four year timescale. They have now been asked to go back and look at a quick fix involving moving the Ambassador and immediate staff to Jerusalem and renaming the Consulate already there as the Embassy. This could be speedily announced, and then implemented in about a year.
Johnson heads the most radically pro-Israel cabinet in UK history and the symbolic gesture of rejection of Palestinian rights is naturally appealing to his major ministers Patel, Javid and Raab. They also see three other political benefits. Firstly, they anticipate that Labour opposition to the move can be used to yet again raise accusations of “anti-semitism” against Jeremy Corbyn. Secondly, it provides good “red meat” to Brexiteer support in marking a clear and, they believe, popular break from EU foreign policy, at no economic cost. Thirdly, it seals the special link between the Trump and Johnson administrations and sets the UK apart from other NATO allies.
Bolton also discussed the possibility of UK support for Israeli annexation of areas of the West Bank to “solve” the illegality of Israeli settlements on occupied territory. My FCO sources believe this is going to be much more difficult politically for the Cabinet to agree than simply moving the Embassy, due to lack of support on their own backbenches.
This is an insight into the future of British foreign policy if the Johnson government, and the UK, both survive. In the massive defeat of the UK at the UN General Assembly two months ago over the illegal occupation of the Chagos Islands, the UK was in a voting block with only the USA, Israel, Australia, Hungary and the Maldives, against the rest of the world. The Maldives had a particular maritime interest there, but the leadership of the others – Donald Trump, Viktor Orban, Scott Morrison, Benjamin Netanyahu and now Boris Johnson – constitute a distinct and extreme right wing bloc. These are very worrying times indeed.
This article was updated to add the third point above after my source alerted me that I had missed it.
Further confirmation that “taking back control” will mean even more shameless subjection to the USA (and probably accelerated flogging off of public utilities and infrastructure to the highest foreign bidder). Although tbf it is a form of British patriotism shared by many of their pretend adversaries among the “I heart EU” brigade.
Sadly if Johnson remains in power and crashes out of the EU the problems facing the country will be so significant that no one will give a hoot at the UKs continuing decent towards international pariah status. It is clear to any informed observer that the days of Anglo-Saxon elites controlling the world economy and trade are over but rather than face the new reality with pragmatism and vision they prefer to adopt the bunker like mentality of denial, delusion and insanity. The US/UK axis is rapidly becoming a very real threat to world peace.
The US/UK are becoming a threat to world peace? If you ask Iraqis, Iranians, Palestinians and others who’ve been on the receiving end of their policies I think you’ll find they already are.
But it does seem that Bojo The Clown isn’t wasting any time supplicating to the American Exceptionalists and Zionists and making sure Brexit pays off for ghouls like Jacob Rees-Mogg. People of more modest means who voted Leave to protest against EU neoliberalism or because they wanted a “sovereign” UK with governments that represent the interests of all citizens will be in for a rude awakening.
@ Baalbek August 20, 2019 at 03:28
‘…People of more modest means who voted Leave to protest against EU neoliberalism or because they wanted a “sovereign” UK with governments that represent the interests of all citizens will be in for a rude awakening…’
Indeed, I’ve already awakened, and having voted ‘Leave’, now regret it.
@ Deb O’Nair August 18, 2019 at 11:35
‘…The US/UK axis is rapidly becoming a very real threat to world peace…’
As it has been since pre-WWI, as planned by Rhodes, Milner & Co.
But I don’t think they envisaged a third party taking control of the US/UK world governance.
I wonder if a mini-farmyard will be erected at the new UK Embassy in Jerusalem, so they can send weekly Danegeld to be sacrificed at the Third Temple slaughterhouse…to which ‘God’?
The real question that should be asked is what the heck is White House staffer (i.e. an unelected private citizen) John Bolton doing in London meeting (or rather giving orders to) the UK government? He appears to have assumed the authority of both the US State and Defense departments whereas his role is to advise the POTUS on matters of national security (the clue is in his job title).
Valid questions but meaningless in the current UK political climate where possible solutions are proposed and the likes of Swinson, with a massive 14, MPs, including refugees from other Parties, rushes to put the boot in!
They think they are being clever, if Bolton does something ( on trumps behalf) and it backfires ,trump simply states that it’s not US policy and Bolton gets fired.
That’s what trump does.
He’s not a private citizen, he’s the National Security Advisor – which is a recognised role in US Administrations. Condi Rice did the job for Bush Jr before he made her Secretary of State. She’s never held been elected to any office either as far as I know. The US system is different to ours. A British PM can only choose his cabinet from the Commons (or occasionally the Lords – I think Peter Carrington was the last Lord to hold a Great Office of State). A US President can choose whoever he likes
“The US system is different to ours. A British PM can only choose his cabinet from the Commons”
That is my point, the NSA is not a cabinet position. The NSA does not serve the US government, he is employed as an adviser to the POTUS as a member of the White House staff. The POTUS can employ literally any person he likes to be the NSA.
“The National Security Advisor is appointed by the President and does not require confirmation by the Senate…the National Security Advisor is a staff position in the Executive Office of the President and does not have line or budget authority”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Advisor_(United_States)
“the National Security Advisor – which is a recognised role in US Administrations.”
That again is simply wrong https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_government_of_the_United_States describes the US administration including Legislative, Executive and Judicial. There is no office or role in the US administration defined as National Security Advisor.
I’m not arguing, I’m stating the facts of which you appear to be ill informed about.
“A US President can choose whoever he likes”
The POTUS can choose literally any person he likes to be the NSA (or any other member of the White House staff) but for positions of office (i.e. in the US Administration) the POTUS can only nominate a person and they must be approved by the Senate following a Senate hearing.
It’s terrifying – it’s as if we are on a rapid spiralling decent into total fucking madness and mayhem – led by narcissistic psychpaths.
Yes, it is terrifying.
“Led by narcissistic psychopaths.”
and the BBC.
‘Constitute a distinct and extreme right wing bloc’.
There is one word for this and whilst its connotations inevitably end up in discussions on the past, its sheer unabashed FASCISM.
And its happening today, in this country and in the rogue state we so happily invited to be FoI with.
Thanks for ringing the bell loud and clear, Craig, worrying times indeed and it will spread.
Jerusalem has been the capital all along as far as many are concerned. With Israel now aligned with the Sunni states, it was inevitable.
The main point should be to promote Jerusalem as the Palestinian capital too, or if the Palestinians are not going to get their own state, then Jerusalem automatically becomes their capital anyway. Either way, their struggle continues regardless of where the capital is.
Palestinians will be shunted out of Jerusalem .
You see the answer to the problem of Israelis occupying Palestinian land on the West Bank where they are bulldozing Palestinian homes, whilst Palestinian families are actually still inside and have to run out the door as their house comes crashing down around them, is for Israel govt and USA govt to declare the West Bank no longer Palestinian land ,that way the Palestinians can’t complain that Israelis are occupying their land illegally.
Just think about that.
If someone from government came to your house tomorrow and said that you no longer own it and then bulldozed it and gave it to someone else.
How would you feel
It’s terrible
Why?
Just because of a dream (Isra and Mi’raj) of a Satanic illiterate in the 621 AD?
Absurd.
His followers also converted other people’s holy sites in India (Ayodhya, Varanasi and Turkey (Istanbul) without a dream excuse, pure religious imperialism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_of_non-Islamic_places_of_worship_into_mosques
@ Antonym August 19, 2019 at 04:10
Some groups convert people by the sword, others tempt them with young children, then blackmail them.
Please don’t assume that all Brexiteers are pro-Israel.
Goodwin,
I would imagine a lot of traditional Labour voters such as myself, who voted to leave the EU, have real sympathy for the Palestinian cause.
Indeed, and not just Labour voters .. 😉
Perhaps not, Goodwin, but powerful and prominent Members of our political Parties are. And not only are they pro…. they’re under the control of that state.
I agree it’s astounding what can happen in politics when money changes hands
Or when dirty little secrets become known.
Thanks to Craig for highlighting this,
‘Very worrying’. Yes and extremely worrying for the Palestinians. I attended a PSC talk recently given by Mazin Qumsiyeh. It was a sad litany of resistance to the destruction of his land and the subjugation of his people. 19 of his relatives have been killed by the Israelis. He also pointed out the environmental destruction such as the replacement of indigenous afforestation with pine trees in the JNF National Forest. A fire risk too. Also that the extraction of ground water by the Israelis settlers, especially for their lawns and swimming pools, is so excessive that the River Jordan is now a stream and water is scarce.. The Israeli government is now making a huge investment in desalination. They do not get it or that their Occupation of Palestine is unsustainable.
Jericho incidentally is the oldest continuously occupied city in the world. ‘1. Jericho, Palestinian Territories. The world’s oldest continually-inhabited city, according to our sources, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of 20 successive settlements in Jericho, dating back 11,000 years. The city is found near the Jordan River in the West Bank and is today home to around 20,000 people.
30 May 2017.’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/The-worlds-20-oldest-cities/1old-jericho/
Having bombed Gaza’s electrical and sewage systems, there is an irony in that the sewage has to be discharged into the sea. It is taken by the current up to Tel Aviv. Thus the Israelis are swimming in a sewage polluted sea. The sewage is also contaminating the fish which are Gaza’s main source of protein.
Prof Qumsiyeh runs the Palestine Museum of Natural History in Bethlehem and welcomes visitors.
https://www.palestinenature.org/about-us/
You can see the Jericho excavations here, filmed earlier this year:
https://vimeo.com/343618593
SE
Jericho . Ma Shaa Allah
The only very worrying thing about Israel is that it doesn’t have oil. The UK’s usual friends the US, KSA, UAE and Qatar have it. “Enemies” Iran and Russia have it. Friendly Canada and Venezuela have it but squander this power away with stupid politics. Stupid EU doesn’t and is therefore towing the line of the ME oil royals and mullahs.
“The UK is currently bound by an EU common foreign policy position not to follow the United States in moving its Embassy to Jerusalem. “
Or the mass influx of people allowed into the EU from the ME and beyond.
@ Antonym August 19, 2019 at 04:32
‘..Or the mass influx of people allowed into the EU from the ME and beyond.’
Caused to a large extent by Western invasions, bombings and destabilisation with the use of proxy Jihadi mercenaries of their countries.
@ Antonym August 19, 2019 at 04:28
A situation they hope to ‘cure’ with their ‘Greater Israel’ Yinon Plan.
The new Ambassador to Israel is Neil Wigan. He has an Israeli wife. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neil_Wigan
He replaced David Quarrey who replaced Matthew Gould (of Fox/Werrity infamy).
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/change-of-her-majestys-ambassador-to-israel-june-2019
Wigan joins David Melech Friedman in Jerusalem, the US Ambassador. Friedman is the son of a NY rabbi and a bankruptcy lawyer who represented Trump.
Following his departure from Israel, Gould was digital policy chief but now specifically digital health. May the Lord preserve us.
https://www.digitalhealth.net/2019/04/matthew-gould-ceo-nhsx-by-dhsc/
Quarrey is now the grandly titled ‘Prime Minister’s International Affairs Adviser and Deputy National Security Adviser’ as from July 2019.
We are well and truly in the swamp.
Trump is an America First Zionist with a mixed family. The majority of Americans Jews are mixed too and fail the Orthodox test of belonging to the tribe.
This means many American Jews have a cultural rather than religious affinity with Israel and wouldn’t oppose a peace settlement that safeguarded Israel, contrary to the organised crime-lobbies that promote extremism in association with Military Industrial Financial Complex.
And the irony of Trumps support for Israel is it makes it difficult for him to be called “anti-Semitic” whilst giving Israel so much they will choke, when he moves to a comprehensive Middle East peace settlement with a one state (nationalist) solution, which is the end game feared by the Trotskyite neo-cons.
Trotskyite neo-cons.???
Do I read correctly?
Yes, you read right, SA.
Don’t think Dave can understand what either a neocon or a Trotskyist is or indeed both.
I’d suspect that Dave is referring to the fact that most of the notable NeoCons started out professing to be Trotskyites, but ‘Evolved’ during the Raygun term. 🙂
Dave, please – here is a piece Trotsky wrote on Fabianism and Ramsay McDonald – they were the labour centrists of the time, they were the seeds of what now irritates people on the left and right, please read it, you’ll find yourself agreeing with him, because he was an intelligent insightful man.
https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/works/britain/ch04.htm
Trotsky was a messianic Jew who promoted a revolutionary creed that would allow a tiny clique to rule the world in a Global Police-State and wouldn’t have progressed beyond the fringe without WW1 and a decision of the German High Command to facilitate the entry of the Jewish revolutionaries (Bolsheviks) into Russia to overthrow the government and take Russia out of the war, (resulting in the Red Terror) providing a chance for the Germans to switch forces and win on the Western Front before the Americans arrived. Web search “the sealed train”.
@ Dave August 19, 2019 at 08:10
Unfortunately, he was not the only one ‘..who promoted a revolutionary creed that would allow a tiny clique to rule the world in a Global Police-State..’, which is why the plan is playing out as planned, so far.
“Trump is an America First Zionist” Actually I think Trump is an America First who wants to get re-elected which means going along with the powerful Zionist lobby… for the moment at any rate.
Yes I agree, he’s America First, first, which is why he’s not trusted by the neo-cons, who fear he will as a declared strong supporter of Israel resolve the Israel question on republican rather than Likudite terms.
@ Robert Harneis August 19, 2019 at 06:18
I believe Trump is a ‘Trump Firster’ who spouts as his belly (and cupboard skeletons) guide him.
Wondered why Bolton was all smiles. It’s funny, as UK press were reporting he was being rebuffed in London,… as if.
As for dangerous lightweights :Patel, Javid and Raab, they are indeed a nightmare for Palestinian rights and hopes for a future state of their own. The Israelis backed AIPAC darling Hillary Clinton in 2016, but Trump has been better for Israel’s right than Netanyahu’s wildest hopes, his openly and proudly Zionist son-in-law Jared Kushner is clearly hugely influential shaping the US ‘s lopsided policies in the region. Bolton, Pence and Pompeo probably didn’t need much persuasion as they were already there. Patel, Raab and Javid are putting the UK in exactly the same place too. They are all hugely out of step with UK public opinion, just as the Labour friends of Apartheid, and our Likudite, Borg assimilated media are too.
Also during his visit, speaking on Iran, Bolton said ominously: “the US government fully understands that in the next 80 days the UK government has a singular focus on the Brexit issue, so that we’re not pushing for anything on these broad and complex questions”.
In other words, if Johnson wins an election in Nov or Dec those electing him and his govt should fully expect fireworks in the form of some dangerously unpredictable US, UK action in the Gulf.
Goose,
It wasn’t exactly difficult to learn this. Astonishing the UK media did not report this angle at all. Or not astonishing, I suppose.
The picture that emerged of John Bolton in No.10, stood alongside PM B Johnson, grinning ear to ear, well, it speaks volumes.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/brexit/9714278/boris-johnson-brexit-deal-brussels-america-trump/
Bolton doesn’t look like a man who is being, ‘rebuffed’ here, does he.
@ Goose August 18, 2019 at 13:35
It’s extremely rare for Bolton to smile at all, which suggests the ghoul has been successfully planning some deeply evil outcome.
Craig.
I’d wager if we do enter an election campaign soon(mid-end Sept), the very real prospect of war with Iran, won’t be mentioned in any TV leaders’ debates either. The usually forensic Andrew Neil didn’t mention the subject once in his supposedly ‘probing’ interviews of Johnson and Hunt.
But this is where Corbyn could show some guile; by forcing it on to the agenda. Because, it’s almost certain Corbyn’s fitness to handle the armed forces WILL be brought up, including that old favourite of whether Corbyn would be prepared to unleash thermonuclear hell on some far-away population by ‘pressing the big red button’ as the idiots like to portray things. He needs to to turn the tables and challenge Johnson on Iran; question his continued support for the JCPOA and highlight the dangers of giving Johnson’s hawkish , right-wing cabal a majority to join any US-led Bolton inspired ‘regime change’ war. Because we all know, they will.
Craig, isn’t it more likely the UK could follow Australia’s slightly less controversial example, and recognise just West Jerusalem? Leaving East Jerusalem available as a Palestinian capital post ‘final status’?
This Australian stance apparently really infuriated the Israelis; because they want ALL the city of Jerusalem, including the eastern sector. But the Aussies weren’t prepared to blunder in, ‘bull in a china shop’ style like the arrogant Trump administration. The Australian govt also stated at the time, the move of their embassy from Tel Aviv would not occur until a final peace settlement was in place.
I don’t see the UK following the US’s outrageously unfair and uneven approach, that would indeed be outrageous. The Aussie example is possible however.
Putting Johnson and Trump aside for a moment. The UN must be held more accountable on this, the UN has never revoked resolutions 181 and 194, which continues to be the official position that Jerusalem should be placed under a special international regime.
Ban Ki-Moon said in 2009 that Jerusalem must be the capital of both Palestine and Israel, not just Israel. The US has far, far to much say within the UN, even more so that its HQ is stationed in New York.
The European Union continues to support the internationalisation of Jerusalem in accordance with the 1947 UN Partition Plan, and regards Jerusalem as having the status of corpus separatum.
The UN is sadly is a degraded organisation in terms of its authority. Maybe a new Sanders or Warren Presidency would seek to revive its importance, who knows? But certainly under Trump’s presidency , it’s irrelevant as a peace maintaining body.
The US, even pre-Trump (Bush and Obama era) had zero respect for the UN and its officials. In the build up to the Iraq war the US and UK intel agencies sought to gather dirt to use to blackmail said officials and delegates in the hope of them doing their bidding(as whistleblowers, like Katharine Gunn revealed) The US are the largest funder by far (often using that fact to threaten to pull funding if decisions go against them). The UN probably only survives because it gives the thin veneer of ‘consulting the rest of the world’. But the US’s permanent representatives are invariably awful, arrogant types, who like to storm in, lay out the US’s position and then flounce out.
It needs moving to Norway or Switzerland, even if that means curtailing scope At least it be then somewhere political and diplomatic standards of conduct are higher.
I don’t want to attack the UN as a whole the U.N. has a host of other initiatives. It works to help countries reduce hunger, disease, and illiteracy. It promotes sustainable development and the environment. It protects refugees, provides disaster relief, and economic development. It counters terrorism, promotes nuclear non-proliferation, and clears landmines. It also focuses on protecting indigenous cultures.
The problem I think is striking a balance, the US pumps quite a bit of funding into the UN, and it ergo thinks it should have the biggest say on matters. That’s a big problem on matters concerning Israel, Palestine and Jerusalem.
It’s members (193) know that if they vote against the US, they could find themselves with trade restrictions or a reduction of aid in some cases.
I don’t think it would really matter who was the UN Secretary General, the US all but had UNSG Boutros Boutros Ghali forced out of office, and replaced with Kofi Annan.
I’d like to see the UNHQ, moved out of the US its far to conveniently placed for the them in my opinion.
I know there was talk of reforming the P5 (widening it to include other countries; Germany,Japan, Brazil and India were all mentioned , as was bringing in a qualified majority voting (QMV) system) . Because under their stronger leaders’ Putin and Xi Jinping, Russia and China respectively aren’t afraid to defy the US and wield their veto, much to the US and UK’s fury.
However, the US seems to have gone off the idea of reform. They’ve probably realised how internationally isolated they are over Israel. Given the number of Russian speakers in Israel (over a million) and the very good relations between Russia and Israel – Netanyahu has visited Putin on numerous occasions, it shows you how far out on a limb the US are. Even the lapdog UK can’t follow them down that path.
Those resolutions also say that Bethlehem should be under international jurisdiction, which seems to have been completely forgotten.
I doubt Israel will still exist as such by the time the embassy is due to move.
I think you’re right, Israel seems to be on a one way course to self destruction.
And here’s a piece telling us how the US is basically beaten in the Middle East.
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2019/08/chinas-ultimate-play-for-global-oil-market-control.htm
Which means Israel’s days are numbered.
Our MSM are oblivious to anything like this so there will be some shock.
Johnson appears to have left Karen Pierce in position at the UN. What is her take on Israel/Palestine?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Pierce
‘Israel has an inherent right to defend itself’ and so on….. but she says she is opposed to its takeover of the Golan Heights. Fence sitting stuff.
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/uks-position-on-the-golan-heights-has-not-changed March 2019
In April – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnX2F_feLTM
Reminder: Boris Johnson’s stepmother’s family owns Marks and Spencer, a firm which for many decades has had the advancement of Zionism as one of its main concerns [1]. When he was younger she got together with an Israeli diplomat to arrange his stay in Israel [2].
The big question is how Arab money will respond to a British embassy move to Al Quds, aka Jerusalem. And I don’t just mean regarding payments to backbench Tory MPs. I’m glad I don’t have an account at Barclay’s.
Notes
1) Anyone who cares about children being white-phosphorus bombed and blown apart in Gaza should NOT buy their underwear or anything else from this filthy company.
2) Perhaps when Johnson was first vetted by MI5 that organisation was headed by Stella Rimington, later hired by the same Marks and Spencer as a “non-executive director”?
” Boris Johnson’s stepmother’s family owns Marks and Spencer ”
Where did you read that?
@Kempe – Jenny Sieff is the name. She married Stanley Johnson. This article in Haaretz is as good a place to start as any, followed by this one in the Jewish Chronicle. The Israeli diplomat to whom I refer was Michael Comay, who was ambassador to the UN and then Britain.
‘His feelings about Israel, though, may stem just as strongly from Jenny Sieff, who became his stepmother when he was 17. The Sieffs are a prominent Anglo-Jewish family. Jenny’s stepfather, Teddy, served as chairman of Marks and Spencer and was vice-president of the British Zionist Federation.’
https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/A-passionate-Zionist-596689
He refers to himself as a ‘melting pot’.
THE DAVID AND JENNIFER SIEFF CHARITABLE TRUST
THE CHARITY IS A GRANT MAKING TRUST APPLYING FUNDS TO CHARITABLE CAUSES AT THE TRUSTEES DISCRETION
Trustees SIR DAVID SIEFF, LADY JENNIFER SIEFF, LORD WOLFSON OF SUNNINGDALE, MR Jonathan David Sieff
THE DAVID SIEFF CHARITABLE TRUST (Old Name)Charity Commission http://opencharities.org/charities/206329
‘Sorry. There are no accounts available for this charity’. As if!
Sir William Shawcross, a fervent Zionist supporter, was the previous chairman of the Charity Commission.
He granted anonymity to the trustees of the CST, the private police force for British Jewish communities.
David Sieff was a director of M&S between1972 until his retirement in 1997. He was the last descendent of the original Marks to serve on the board. He died in May of this year.
Like any other limited company M&S is owned by its shareholders and the man with the biggest holding (3%) is Dunelm founder Bill Adderley.
Haha, @Kempe. What a comedian.
Oh dear. The ad-hominem. Is that the best you can do?
Zionist interests have made it pretty much impossible for the Labour leadership to call Priti Patel what she is, a traitor. If the country she had “unauthorised meetings” with had been North Korea, Iran, or Russia, they probably could.
Similarly they couldn’t make a noise when “billionaire with unclear source of wealth” Boris Abramovich, who was denied a British visa when he used his Russian passport, simply went and got an Israeli one and swanned back into Britain. Why was he allowed entry? Because “Israelis don’t need visas”, even if they have been told by the Home Office when carrying some other passport that they were too undesirable to be allowed to enter the country.
(Israel never extradites or deports a “person who has entered Israel under the Law of Return” – a “right” which applies only to Jews – for alleged crimes they committed before they entered. That makes the country a haven for Jewish criminals from around the world. The British authorities have now taken this a step further, allowing an Israeli passport to be serve as a kind of wipe-your-record-clean document for mafia scum overlords like Abramovich, not in Israel but in Britain. Where is Britain’s main leftwing political party when this stuff happens?)
Before anyone mentions him, I am aware of the problems experienced by Meyer Lansky in Israel (which incidentally are referenced in one of the Godfather films). He is the only exception I have ever heard of.
Lansky by the way was the guy who turned Switzerland into an international financial centre, in the 1930s. That status doesn’t go back to the Templars. Sorry, I have not got the time to look up my sources. But if anyone has ever wondered how and when Switzerland became such a centre, this is the answer.
Sergei Mikhailov even got a passport and he was a gentile. The vor of vors, Semyon Mogilevich also has a passport. From memory, a substantial amount of pressure was applied by Washington to veto Meyer Lanskey’s citizenship.
Firstly the bleating from the unionist media and the British government reeks of hypocrisy on Hong Kong, when Westminster is openly flouting International law with regards to the Chagossian people and their stolen homeland.
United Nations General Assembly resolution ES‑10/L.22, declared Israels attempt to have Jerusalem as their capital as null and void.
Of course Trump will cut aid to any country who opposes Jerusalem as Israels capital. Boris Johnson will have no qualms moving the UK’s embassy (quick fashion) to Jerusalem appeasing Netanyahu and Trump, and the poweful lobby groups that haunt the corridors of Washington and Westminster.
As you rightly add anyone who speaks up against the embassy move will be portrayed as anti-Semitic.
As some have predicted the UK leaving the EU will see it under Johnson, lurch even further to the right, Atlanticists, will be in their glory watching Johnsons boots hanging out of Trump’s arse.
@RoS: “As you rightly add anyone who speaks up against the embassy move will be portrayed as anti-Semitic.”
Yes, but there are other ways of responding than speaking up. Arab money could “divest” in “sanction” against Britain. Britain is about to collapse anyway. There must be quite a few interests with large amounts of money who have their fingers hovering over the “pull out” button.
Don’t you get it? They’re intention so far is to completely close down all dissent or discussion on the actions that surround Israel by claiming its anti-Semitic.
As Craig cleverly points out if Corbyn mildly rails about the move to Jerusalem which has International status (Corpus separatum) from the UN, he’ll (Corbyn) will be branded in the media and by political opponents as anti-Semitic.
Yes. That’s the outlook for what will and won’t happen in the sphere of media, opinion, chattering, politics.
Meanwhile, in the boardrooms at the Gulf oil funds…
For the rulers, those with real power in this world, whatever gets stated as fact or editorially in the media or gets put into the mouths of those who gob off politically so that others can talk about them in the media is only of interest from the point of view of making money. Much that’s important from that point of view never gets into the media or noticed by any political party. Some things can appear and then be removed from permitted discussion – like the Syrian civil war or the British defence review.
‘As Craig cleverly points out if Corbyn mildly rails about the move to Jerusalem which has International status (Corpus separatum) from the UN, he’ll (Corbyn) will be branded in the media and by political opponents as anti-Semitic.’
Or to be precise, it will just be MORE evidence that he IS an anti-semite.
Talking of which – and I don’t know if it’s been mentioned on Craig’s blog during the past few weeks – but of the ten people who participated in the Panorama programme and were presented as ordinary (Jewish) Labour Party members, seven of them are executive committee members of the Jewish Labour Movement, and one of them a former executive committee member, and I dare say the other two were buddies of theirs. And I have little doubt that everyone else who participated in the programme – ie the former staffers and the so-called experts – were well aware of who they actually were from the outset. Anyway, here’s a list of them all, posted on the Jewish Dissident website/blog:
Stephane Savary (JLM joint National Vice-Chair)
Joe Goldberg (JLM joint National Vice-Chair)
Izzy Lenga (JLM International Officer)
Alex Richardson (JLM Membership Officer)
Adam Langleben (ex JLM Campaigns Officer)
Ella Rose (JLM Equalities Officer, former National Director)
Rebecca Filer (JLM Political Education Officer)
Joshua Garfield (JLM Local Government Officer)
https://jewishdissident.blogspot.com/2019/07/sticky-fingers-jlm-panorama.html
The programme is available on Iplayer for another ten months (at the time of writing) if you didn’t catch it at the time, or you want to watch it again: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0006p8c/panorama-is-labour-antisemitic
Note the format they used for the ‘Jewish Labour Party members’, and how in all but one instance, the segments consist of them staring into the camera looking perturbed (at the memory of what they are saying supposedly) with a voice-over, then switches to them speaking to the camera, and no John Ware present (as he was with all the ex-staffers and ‘experts’) who might have had to ask some awkward questions, like when the young woman who kicked off the programme – who turned out to be Ella Rose of Aljazeera’s undercover investigation The Lobby fame – said that she was handing out leaflets at a LP conference and someone came up to her and screamed abuse in her face…… most viewers would have expected John Ware (or any interviewer/journalist) to interject at that point and ask her what they said. Or to have asked the young woman who appeared on it several minutes later (who was the only one who mentioned her name – ie Izzy Lenga) why she kept going to LP meetings if she kept being abused every time. The whole programme from start to finish was carefully choreographed, and an exercise in black propaganda if ever there was one!
” if Corbyn mildly rails about the move to Jerusalem which has International status (Corpus separatum) from the UN, he’ll (Corbyn) will be branded in the media and by political opponents as anti-Semitic.”
So what’s new?
“These are very worrying times indeed.”
Not really. Business as usual in most respects. It’s not as if The Labour Party, Democrats in the US, the Australians or anyone else have thrown many bones to the Palestinians over the last 50 years. All that’s really changed is the propaganda.
As for the implied idea that the EU has played a sympathetic part towards Palestinians, well, if that’s true it’s by extremely small margins. The EU was instrumental in undermining Hamas and punishing Palestinians for having the nerve to vote for them (democratically) in Gaza.
And Jerusalem was always the de facto capital in all but name, as you know. Is it better or worse that we have governments that are more honest and up front about their criminal disregard for Palestinian rights? I’m not sure when the guns, bombs, blood, and misery continues to flow regardless.
The problem that we return to again and again these days is that we can only compare Trump and these so called extreme rightists with the Obamas, Clintons, and Blairs of the past and by that standard there really isn’t much to write home about.
“The EU was instrumental in undermining Hamas and punishing Palestinians for having the nerve to vote for them (democratically) in Gaza.”
Correct. Desperately needed aid for Palestine was immediately halted by the EU.
It wasn’t immediately halted but rather it was reduced and given not to Hamas but the UN to meet basic human needs, in 2006 that is.
Don’t make excuses for what the EU did on that occasion RoS. The EU gave up on “basic human needs” in Palestine because it didn’t recognise the outcome of an election. That was unforgivable.
I’m not making an excuse for the EU, I merely stated that the aid wasn’t entirely stopped, but a redirected smaller amount was given to the UN to distribute to Palestinian aid groups for the people.
I at no point agreed with it.
The trick here is to talk in blanket terms about aid to Palestinians, and in doing so failing to distinguish between Palestinians in Gaza and the rest.
My comment was specifically about Gaza.. aid to Gaza was cut off almost entirely after democratic elections there produced the wrong result in 2006. Countries that refused to cut vital aid off were then specifically targeted by an Israeli embargo.
The aid that you are saying continued went to the Palestinian Authority who want to do Israel’s dirty work in terms of managing the occupied territories on Israel’s behalf.
Just last week the Palestinian authority requested/demanded that Israel cut electricity supplies off in Gaza so that instead of allowing something like 2 hours of electricity per day the people of Gaza would be reduced to none.
That’s who we, the EU, etc., send aid to, an organisation that has basically declared war on its own people on behalf of an occupying force that has killed tens of thousands of civilians and stolen or destroyed about 95% of their land.
Nice side to be on, RoS, although I have no idea what you think is in it for you to defend that stuff.
Oh I’m sorry Hautey was I replying to you?
Did I say one way or another that the PA was a responsible, and a fair organisation founded on from Arafat’s PLO?
“Just last week the Palestinian authority requested/demanded that Israel cut electricity supplies off in Gaza so that instead of allowing something like 2 hours of electricity per day the people of Gaza would be reduced to none.”
No need to preach to me Hautey on the machinations of Israel, I’ve been commenting on them in here for years.
“Nice side to be on, RoS, although I have no idea what you think is in it for you to defend that stuff.”
Have you even looked at my other comments on this thread do they read as pro-Israeli?
Hatred
Just last week the Palestinian Authority requested/demanded that Israel cut electricity off in Gaza.”
——————–
Do you have a reliable source for that claim?
“Do you have a reliable source for that claim?“
Yes.
RoS, I didn’t accuse you of being pro-Israeli. I’m perplexed that you seem somewhat defensive of the EU position though.
Incidentally, I’m probably the most pro-EU person on this forum. I want Scotland to join the EU as a full member as soon as we achieve independence. That doesn’t mean I will turn a blind eye to the EU’s flaws.
Tribalism takes many forms but its consequences remain the same.
I imagine there were many Germans in the 1930’s who felt pretty much as many Britain’s do today; very concerned about the direction politics was heading and their inability to do anything about it.
Personally I have little faith in the integrity of the ballot box; the neocon agenda seems too far advanced for those with controlling interests to bother much about allowing voting to interfere with it.
Our press and TV have abrogated any responsibility to the people of holding power to account and all have become little more than the propaganda voice of the right. Most dangerous in this respect I believe to be the BBC and the Guardian, both of whom still pretend independence with a inclination to the left; nothing could be further from the truth.
The Tories’ century long intimate relationship with the state intelligence services also concerns me, neither have much respect for law or democracy and at the same time that there were Germans concerned about the rise in fascism, Mi5 and Mi6 were by their own admission, very relaxed about it.
Worrying times.
That’s largely a cultural and political problem unique to the UK. In the US there is a lot more wariness about intel agencies accumulating excessive power. They know what the CIA got up to in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s eg. the scandal of MKUltra – secretly dosing their own unwitting officers with LSD to see how it affected them(in some cases for years ruining lives). Here in the UK, politicians view the agencies as infallible for the most part, the James Bond mythology very much prevails.
It wouldn’t be surprising therefore, if the US farms out its dirtiest deeds to the UK, because oversight of SIS and the MoD is so shockingly bad. The Guardian ran a story on how special covert ops have no democratic oversight, none. Literally no one besides possibly the PM(?) knows what covert operations are being carried out.
Lets not forget the Deep State, which every country has, think of Operation Gladio, or JFK’s assassination. I doubt presidents or PM’s are privy to them, or maybe not.
There are political and constitutional means to get all these agencies and deep state people under democratic control – other EU countries manage it. But one person(or PM) couldn’t do it alone, they’d be at great personal risk. Look at the story today in the Telegraph:
Revealed: Full extent of Lord Mountbatten’s role in ’68 plot against Harold Wilson
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/17/revealed-full-extent-lord-mountbattens-role-68-plot-against/
Someone as naive as Corbyn would have no chance. You’d need twenty more like Corbyn waiting to replace him, so they’d know, efforts to remove would be futile.
To get the deep state under control, would require a constitution which Britain conspicuously lacks. I say “conspicuously” because I suspect that that is the very reason why it doesn’t have one – so that it can behave any way it likes when it wants rather than being constrained by pre-determined rules binding it to international law. This is a recipe for the rogue state which Britain is fast becoming.
@ Goose August 18, 2019 at 18:26
The EU certainly did not ‘handle’ Gladio; they had a few cursory investigations, then dropped the subject like a hot potato, when it became clear that the US was behind it.
@ Republicofscotland August 18, 2019 at 18:01
LBJ was certainly ‘privy’ to the JFK assassination plot.
The U.S. farms out its dirtiest deeds to Israel. Which is a lot of the reason the U.S. deep state so supports Israel.
@ lysias August 18, 2019 at 22:17
Including the USS Liberty attack.
@ Goose August 18, 2019 at 17:20
You chose one of the least horrendous practices of the MK-Ultra programme as an example – the main thrust of MK-Ultra was the deep trauma mind control ‘training’ of kidnapped children.
“Personally I have little faith in the integrity of the ballot box”
Especially when interest in the ballot box has been totally replaced with interest in that other box that sits in the corner of most peoples living rooms, the one that tells them what to buy, what to worry about and, most importantly, who to vote for.
@ Yr Hen Gof August 18, 2019 at 14:50
The rise of Hitler (with the financial backing of Western Banksters and Corporations) was understandable, given what had been done to Germany and the German people by the West, from the enforced WWI to the iniquities of Versailles, and the starvation of Germany by the British naval blockade even after the war was over.
It cannot be stressed strongly enough that the ‘politically correct’ Western history of WWI is total BS. The Kaiser did not want war, and did all he could to avoid it, whilst Britain and it’s cronies did all they could to bring it about.
“These are very worrying times indeed.”
In some ways, perhaps. But it is only the natural order of things and is no different to the tumult experienced by other civilisations over history. It is important that these things are recorded and noted, for they constitute degrees of travel towards the inevitable nadir. When the pendulum changes direction, its momentum and endurance are determined by these small matters. Thank you again for your contribution.
We can return to Epstein.
Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and mercenary Erik Prince enjoy strong ties to the Israeli intelligence industry, while cutting sensitive business deals with Russia, China and the US
Ties between the United States and Israel are set to experience deep turbulence as a recently jailed figure face suspicions for working with Israeli intelligence
https://www.trtworld.com/magazine/two-american-billionaires-and-their-shady-deals-with-israeli-intelligence-28819
That:s Erik Prince of mercenaries in Iraq infamy via Blackwater.
So handy. You clinch deals with Chinese toffs using underage girls and the software allows them to spy on their entire population.
The perfect business model.
No wonder they’re kicking up in Hong Kong
Dear Sir,
I know they have genetically modified tomatoes, adding some bits of fish DNA to make them tasteless red golf balls and a mushroom slice i ate yesterday has just gone through my digestive system as fresh as when it went in, but to pursue the too much information metaphor and apply it to politicians, is it actually allowed to genetically clone and modify all members of parliament that they serve the interests of Israel for most of my lifetime, trashing all Israel’s Muslim neighbours with British weapons and supporting an apartheid regime?
if this outcome, an entirely Zionist cabinet, is the actual purpose of the populist xenophobia of brexit for three long years of wasted political time, to deny parliament a right to function, so that a right wing Zionist clique can be shoe-horned in, then I think someone should complain. i mean, I’m not complaining about myself as it has all gone clean over my head, or rather through my digestive tract , without harming me. But surely this shit must affect someone, somewhere. Somebody must have been affected by Shimon Elliott fake caliph of the fake Zionist caliphate rampaging through their lands in US 4 by 4s, or noticed the difference between living in a North African society with free housing, schools and hospitals and finding themselves being sold as a slave?
And does it have any connection with the bankers removing all the real capital in 2007 and fake capital being crerated in its place with quantitive easing, house prices soaring above people’s incomes and hedge funders in the Tory party gambling on the pound?
Disgusted from Rumblidge Smells.
“and a mushroom slice i ate yesterday has just gone through my digestive system as fresh as when it went in,”
Have you tried chewing?
D O N
When I recycle it , I’ll chew it next time and keep you informed. Ok?
I (like most people, I’m sure) would prefer it if you kept your bowel movements to yourself.
I’m sure most people ( me included ) would prefer it if you turned your overactive imagination from the meta food . to the metaphori . Lol
nope Deb, both of Giyane’s last posts made me laugh, as well as being on point
Ronnie
Do you not do i-Ronnie?
Someone should table a motion and prompt a (non-binding?) vote when Westmonster returns from their hols.. Wonder what the arithmetic will be, what with the parties having their various Friends of Apartheid groups? The Tories don’t give out membership numbers for their FoA group. In the LibDems, membership of FoA was practically compulsory. Membership of Labour FoA has long been established as a means of ascending the greasy pole. The DUP will automatically cheer the embassy moving to Jerusalem as it represents one step nearer the Rapture. If the SNP group can swallow the Novichok crap, anything is possible.
My guess is that the embassy move to Jerusalem would receive a nod of approval.
Everyone seems to have forgotten Isreal came about by way of terrorism. The head terrorist became the first prime minister.
The head terrorist (Menachim Begin) didn’t become PM until the 70s. He also got the Nobel prize for services to terrorism.
He means Ben Gurion.
It was the Balfour declaration that called for a pro-Zionist home in Palestine. After the British captured Palestine from the Ottoman empire.
It basically opened the door for them to flood Palestine, the British deported them during the day, and Ben Gurion sneaked them back in at night time.
I think the Peel commission originally called for a two-state solution but the British were overwhelmed by the amount of Zionists that entered Palestine, so they relinquished their mandate over Palestine (washed their hands of the increasingly hostile situation they created) and handed it back to the League of Nations.
1. The migration started in the late nineteenth century – read Daniel Deronda by George Eliot.
2. There was a partition plan in 1948. The Jewish side accepted it, the Arabs rejected it and attacked Israel as soon as it came into existence
“There was a partition plan in 1948. The Jewish side accepted it, the Arabs rejected it and attacked Israel as soon as it came into existence..”
If the Jewish side accepted the partition plan why did they not abide by its boundaries?
The truth of the Naqba has been well documented, including by Israeli scholars.
@ Republicofscotland August 18, 2019 at 17:51
The Balfour Declaration was part of the wheeling and dealing for WWI (as was the creation of the Federal Reserve), to pave the way for an Anglo/American World Hegemony. This scenario is still playing out, albeit it seems to have been hijacked by a small but powerful ‘rogue regime’, who seem to now call the shots.
It says a lot about the place that you need to be specific about which head terrorist becoming PM about whom you are referring?
Although he might have been referring to Shamir, head of the Stern gang and seventh prime minister. It is very confusing: the head of Haganah, the head of Irgun and the head of the Stern gang. All terrorists all prime ministers.
How could anyone forget this when you are here to remind them.
Much more likely is that everyone seems to have forgotten that in post Apartheid South Africa the head terrorist became the first President. I don’t hear too many people claiming that South Africa is an illegitimate country notwithstanding the undisputed facts regarding the long ago activities of its first President.
oh like the u.s. loony?
Sure – there is no shortage of examples.
The quantum of examples are not, of themselves, the issue. The issue is, with so many examples to choose from, why one particular example is so captivating. It is almost as though there is some subliminal prejudice at work.
Enter into a search engine: Sajid Javid visits Israel
Hush hush in UK MSM but reported in Israel press.
OPINION – Sajid Javid: My profoundly moving trip to Israel was worth …
3 Jul 2019 – After becoming the first UK minister to visit Israel for almost 20-years, Sajid Javid reflects on the significance of strong ties with the Jewish state …
Sajid Javid visits Kotel, Yad Vashem and meets Netanyahu on Israel trip
2 Jul 2019 – Home Secretary Sajid Javid placed a note between the stones of Jerusalem’s Western Wall today during a two-day visit to Israel.
British Home Secretary Sajid Javid visits the Western Wall – Israel …
1 Jul 2019 – Sajid Javid, British Home Secretary, visited the Western Wall on Monday morning during his latest visit to Israel. The trip by the Home Secretary …
He once said he would like to live in Israel. He is a member of CFoI. He made his £millions on the board of Deutsche Bank, pre the banking crash presumably!
‘“There is only one place I could possibly go,” he continued, “[to] Israel. The only nation in the Middle East that shares the same democratic values as Britain. And the only nation in the Middle East where my family would feel the warm embrace of freedom and liberty.”
“For a British Muslim, this was an extraordinary and courageous intervention in the world of Israel advocacy,” noted the Jewish Chronicle’s political editor. Indeed, so well did Javid’s speech go down with CFI’s audience that when one guest suggested the young MP might be a future prime minister, another reportedly replied: “Of Britain, or Israel?”’
https://www.timesofisrael.com/meet-sajid-javid-uks-top-muslim-pro-israel-politician-who-just-may-become-pm/
He said that if he had to take his family to live in a Middle East country he would choose Israel. It seems a perfectly logical choice, particularly given that Laura, his wife, is a Christian
Alex Westlake
“His wife is a Christian.”
—————-
Ultra Orthodox Jews spit on Christians in the Street in Israel. It has been a problem for decades.
SE
Personally I loved what I saw of Israel and I admire what Israelis have achieved agriculturally . This is what happens when you bring engineers to a hot country.
. Israel is a Holy Land for many different religions and the apartheid racism that comes from Zionism is objectionable and totally unsustainable. At its heart is an incurable envy of the progress of monotheism from the confines of tribalism to a global scale.
Why did the Jews ever think their religion was exclusively for themselves?
I don’t care about the symbolism of where an embassy is put. I do care about any country that fires butterfly bullets at unarmed citizens and imprison the innocent.
Israeli apartheid is an obscenity. Most Jews detest it. I don’t accept my prime minister posing as a Zionist apartheid supporter to ease himself into the premiership. This is abattoir politics .
The anti-Semitic accusations against the Labour Party come from people whose overalls are spattered with Muslim blood.
Prof Mazin Qumsiyeh would definitely not agree with you about Israeli ‘achievements’ in agriculture. The price to the Palestinians and to the ecology has been very high.
But fine if you wan to buy Israeli avocadoes in Sainsbury’s!
https://bdsmovement.net/get-involved/what-to-boycott
BDS. BDS.
Sajid, Boris and Priti, all very much for Cliff Edge Brexit, increased stop and search, more prisons, more courts and more police and more armed services, also fully in favour of Greater Israel, greater intergration with our American buddies, game, set and match,
red wine all round.
I wonder if BoJo et al are actually doing the work needed to fulfill the Prophecy of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: that Israel will disappear from the map. A small country can survive for a long time if it is useful and on cordial terms with its neighbors, but a small country as an outpost of a distant Empire is eventually doomed. Constant random murders of the neighboring citizens, steps offensive to the majority’s religion, all of these are not helpful in the long run.
Correct. At some point US “aid” and support will cease. Ultimately the oil will run dry and interest in the region will fall to pre-combustion engine levels.
Israel doesn’t have oil
Actually, after the annexation of the golan heights, Israel does now have oil. But I was referring to oil in the region which is why I used the term “in the region” in the sentence.
Is English your second language or something?
So why would US support of Israel cease when Saudi Arabia et al run out of oil? Oil is the reason why the FCO “camel corps” have historically been rather cold towards Israel.
“Actually, after the annexation of the golan heights”
A slight correction here, the Eastern third of the Heights is still controlled by Syria.
Thankfully the UN does not recognise Israels illegal annexing, (in UNSCR Resolution 497/242) of the rest of the Heights.
As far as I know only the US recognises the annexation of the Heights, no EU member recognises it.
For Alex.
Genie Energy.
Board includes Rupert Murdoch and Dick Cheney.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genie_Energy
“So why would US support of Israel cease when Saudi Arabia et al run out of oil?”
Outside of the Suez Canal and Egypt, Western interest in the region was essentially non-existent before the combustion engine.
Join the dots.
Also, they are receiving plenty of oil from Iraq via their Kurdish chums.
@ Hatuey August 19, 2019 at 02:51
Britain has always had an interest in opposing Russia getting access to warm water ports in the Med or Indian Ocean.
Control of Constantinople and the Straights was dangled before the Russians as a carrot if they would join Britain and France in an alliance to crush Germany pre-WWI, though like the promise to Arabs about self-determination for their countries if they assisted Britain against the Ottomans, it was always an empty promise, and completely contrary to their real plans for the areas.
@ 19.23 I notice that you come on here intermittently, this time to support Israel. A time before it was when Maduro was being threatened by Juan Guaidó . Nuff said.
PS Maduro is doing fine. He’s still there despite the efforts of Bolton, Pompeo and Trump.
It is good to learn that Maduro is doing fine. Odd that such a committed humanitarian makes no reference to the abject plight of the people forced to endure his regime – or indeed the almost equally abject plight of the Venezuelans forced to flee their homeland.
Fancy contracting polio? Then a trip to Venezuela could help to fulfil your ambition. Or maybe you think Jefrey Epstein a bit tame in which case how about a trip to Cartagena in Columbia. Here you can witness Venezuelan prostitutes engaging in mortal combat with Columbian prostitutes. Still…as you say Maduro is doing just fine, and that is all that matters.
Yes Maduro is still going strong in spite of the actions of these gangsters.
Prevent anything going in’: Report claims Trump repeatedly considered Venezuela blockade
US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested deploying warships along Venezuela’s coast to enforce a naval blockade, a report claims, citing officials. Trump earlier signaled he was eyeing the move, but was short on details.
Aug 19, 2019
https://www.rt.com/news/466781-venezuela-blockade-report-trump/
Bolton promises economic ruin for ‘rogue state’ Venezuela with trade embargo
https://www.rt.com/news/465921-bolton-venezuela-trade-embargo/
‘The latest economic measures against Venezuela are added to a raft of sanctions imposed on the country since President Trump took office, including those targeting its oil sector, which is vital to the socialist government’s revenues. The Venezuelan opposition, led by the self-declared ‘interim president’ Juan Guaido, enjoys US backing, and Washington has repeatedly stated its intention to force Maduro out of power. An attempted uprising in late April was given rhetorical support by US officials, but fizzled out after two days of demonstrations, failing to inspire mass defections from the security services.’
“the people forced to endure his regime”
It’s odd how the governments and supporters of the US led West, who inflict so much misery and suffering on people, have this perverse concern for the very same people.
”Israel doesn’t have oil”
Support for Israel only really became wholehearted after the fall of the Peacock Throne in Iran. It remains a potential foothold, or beachhead in the region, something that would be needed in the unlikely event the Arabs ever got their Ducks in a row and threatened to use energy resources as a weapon. It may also be the case that the mere presence of Israel helps to render the possibility of concerted Arab action even less likely than were it not to exist. 🙂
Quite,
Russia now has a foothold in Syria with its air base and naval base and the batteries of S-300 missiles.
U.K. has its bases in Cyprus,
what more natural than U.S.A. wants its bases in Israel.
As far as I am aware Israel is the only entity outside of U.S.A. who are currently flying F-35 aircraft, we don’t even have any for our aircraft carriers – yet.
@ michael norton August 19, 2019 at 18:07
Japan uses F35’s.
Can Craig give us an opinion on the tanker wars.
Given that it is about to sail out of Gib as an Iranian vessel and run the Mediterranean gauntlet where the US fleet lurks – is the empire about to sink a fully laden ship and start a sea war with the Iranian Navy away from the Gulf?
I wonder what has happened to the original Captain and officers and whether they confirmed that they were boarded in Gib waters.
The 5+1 imperial project and their bottom of the barrel petty caesers are of course cackling like demented gangster clowns who think they are at ‘the top of the world, ma!’
Sickening. Extremely bad news.
Corbyn now has to get on the front foot and come out opposing this very strongly.
The Labour Party, if it isn’t, should now be in general election campaign mode and coming out strongly against this will/would enable them to begin to lay out an ethical foreign policy and to begin to promote an identity.
Now is the time for Corbyn to move on from the managerial role and to show real leadership qualities, and for him to embody forcefully what Labour stands for.
Being against this would be a good start and would also highlight the moral vacuity of Johnson and his servile, self-prostration to the US.
Please do not conflate pro Brexit voters with pro Israel/USA settlement (annexation) policies; they are not one and the same.
Indeed, pro Brexit does not mean pro USA policies…it most certainly does not. It means pro UK policies….but not anti Scottish independence policies; that is entirely the decision of the Scottish people.
You may be right in principle but in practice and given who is in charge, I am afraid Brexit is means a complete surrender to the atlanticists.
What is interesting is that the UK is tying its foreign policy to perhaps the most unpopular US president ever. If we have elections next year (and Trump now frequently ‘jokes’ about not having them) and if they are not rigged (always a very open question in America), then it is likely that Trump is going down to a historically large defeat. Trump remains stuck at about a 42% approval rating, and no President has been re-elected with lower than about 48%. The flip side of that is telling, is that his disapproval rating is up around 53-55%, which means he has to convince a lot of voters who currently disapprove of how he’s doing his job to still send him back for four more years of this. And what strikes me is that these numbers don’t really move, no matter what Trump does, says or tweets. Which tells me that the middle ground of voters, which any candidate needs to win an election, have already made their minds up about Trump. Yes, Trump has his crowds of cheering brown-shirts that chant to deport elected Congresspeople because they hate them, but that does not win an elections. Even worse, since the Republicans are unwilling to stand up to Trump, they are chaining the Republican brand to Trump. Thus, when Trump goes down like a stone, the Republican brand will likely go down with him. I suspect that this is a main reason why Trump doesn’t have a serious primary challenger. This election smells like the post-Dubya election when the Republican brand was in the toilet and nobody serious even wanted the nomination and they were left with Mad Bomber McCain and Sarah Palin as their weak ticket.
So, BoJoke is now chaining UK foreign policy to the political equivalent of the Titantic. I wonder how that will turn out?
The only way the Democrats can lose is if they pick Biden imho. As he might struggle to enthuse and get the vote out among certain demographics.
Once either Warren or Sanders drops out, you’d assume their endorsement and supporters will congregate around the other, thus I’d be optimistic the US might finally get a President offering a different approach. Either would be a vast improvement on Trump.
If the only way for the Democrats to lose is to pick Biden, then they will pick Biden.
I note you neglect to inform anyone of exactly how you determine that “Trump remains stuck at around 42% approval rating”
According to Zogby (a US polling firm) Trump has a current aggregate approval rating of 51% and an approval rating of 23% amongst African Americans – which is a record high (up from a nadir of around 8%).
It maybe that polls underestimate the popularity of Trump. When people casually smear his supporters as Brown Shirts then it is possible that some of his supporters may choose to keep a low profile in order to avoid either unwanted confrontation or dialogue with bigots.
Do you have any idea how the New York Times was able to declare that Clinton was “99% certain to win” only hours before Trump actually won. Two obvious possibilities exist, one being that the polls were rigged, and the other being that opponents of Trump are suffering from severe cognitive challenges.
A lot of the same forces are at play with regard to Brexit – polls wrong, supporters of Brexit being labelled idiots and/or racist bigots. The exact forces at play in the US may be debatable but in the UK the contempt and hatred for Brexit supporters is plain for all to see. Such is the hatred for the working classes that large swathes of the “intelligensia” would prefer to burn the whole country to the ground rather than enact the will of the people.
The polled know the pollsters are anti-Trump and will adjust their responses accordingly. I suspect that already happened in 2016.
‘Do you have any idea how the New York Times was able to declare that Clinton was “99% certain to win” only hours before Trump actually won.’
There is another element in play with opinion polls, and that is to persuade complacent voters to not bother to vote; e.g. poll after poll, including the exit poll conducted by the BBC on the evening of the referendum (before the polls had even closed), consistently stated Remain would win. Result: complacent voters stayed on their sofas rather than legging it down to the polling station to avert a national disaster. Talking of polls The Times recently conducted an online poll on whether people would prefer no deal or remain and 77% stated remain, not scientific but probably a true reflection of how out of touch with the public the cabal of oligarch puppets currently occupying Downing Street are.
How do you determine that the 51% figure is accurate? You don’t, you just quote an outlier poll, conducted with a small sample on the internet, i.e. notoriously unreliable. Craig’s figure is from an aggregate of all the other polls which have shown Trump’s support around this figure for months. Given the way he is going, it will go down even further. He is getting rattled, like the narcissist he is, by negative figures, as shown in his childish tweets.
You underestimate the Democrats’ ability to sabotage their chances. If they nominate a centrist, they will lose, unless the economy becomes very bad.
BoJo has asked for a “study” of moving the embassy, i.e. he’s playing for time but in anticipation of what?
I’m torn on the matter.
On the one hand, we should be able to dictate our own foreign policy without any interference from outside parties.
On the other, we should not be moving our embassy to Jerusalem, instead we should respect the Palestinians.
British politics is in a sorry state.
Conservative foreign policy is dreadful.
Labour economic policy is dreadful.
And Sturgeon is more concerned about her future career in Europe than she is in Scotland.
Tear it all down.
“we should be able to dictate our own foreign policy without any interference from outside parties.”
Bloody foreigners getting in the way of your foreign policy, eh…
Crackers.
I’m guessing “sovereignty” is a dirty word to you. Imagine if China dictated Japanese foreign policy. Imagine if people used the phrase “Little Japanese” to slap down those who don’t like foreign interference.
I do not think the UK should have any say whatsoever when it comes to the foreign policy of, say, France. That’s their business and theirs alone. At least, it should be.
I’ve never heard of a foreign policy that didn’t have foreign countries and foreign people at its core.
It’s semantics to suggest foreign policy was or ever could be independent.
As for the British embassy, who cares where they build it?
If they had spines, they’d be closing the embassy there and redeploying the embassy staff to the ICC with a view to charging Israeli leaders for a range of crimes going back decades.
But one step at a time. Forget independent foreign policy and focus on independent thought.
“Labour economic policy is dreadful.”
Nonsense, many economists and commentators think their policy is perfectly sane. Have you read it, or are you parroting corporate media Tory propaganda?
“But the Conservatives, aided by their allies in the British media, managed to raise enough doubts about Labour’s economic competence to gain an over-all majority in the House of Commons.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/our-columnists/no-wonder-the-economy-has-trump-spooked
Forgive me if I’m deeply suspicious of a Marxist who hates people making profit. He wants to tax the rich more, he wants to tax profits on property sales, and he’ll increase the size of government.
The last Labour government borrowed a huge amount of money and sold our gold for peanuts.
I don’t care about Tory corporate propaganda. I’m not a Tory voter. I just have more faith in the Tories to manage the economy than Labour.
Matt, would you sell your property/ house before you have another one to move in?
Should the Uk leave the EU with no deal, suffer economic hardship to be at the becon and call to Us cherry picking of our public assets? without having a fallback plan B?
Its utter suicide, because the first we will hear from US trade negotiators will be ‘ let US health companies run your NHS’. If we say that we want to talk agriculture and automotive trade first, the reply will be ‘ see you later when you changed your mind.
Is that Matts solution?
What do you think the EU will tell its 54 trading partners, they have agreements with, in case that runaway country comes calling for trade?
Will they say go ahead, why dont you?
Or will they make loyalty to the most lucrative trading block an issue.
Have a guess?
A better analogy would be “should you divorce your wife before you’ve found another one?”.
Let me ask you a question. Are you comfortable supporting a body that engages in economic blackmail in order to keep member states in line? If the EU bark orders at our potential trade partners post EU, all the more reason to get the hell out. It would be a matter of moral principle.
And yes, I’m aware that England basically does exactly this to Scotland. I don’t approve. I would support Scottish independence if they voted for it. I have no moral choice on the matter. Scotland are a nation with the right to self determination. Well, the UK is a country with the right to self determination. We have taken this right. Whether you support leaving the EU or not, I don’t see how you have any moral choice but to accept it.
I don’t know why you’re asking for my solution. I am not an economist, nor am I a politician. I just hold the belief that sovereignty and democracy are more important than economics. Our economy will adapt, it might take time but capitalism rewards those who innovate and adapt. We’re not going to become a third world country. And if somehow we do, we’d deserve it for not adapting, not for being independent. Japan manage just fine.
“capitalism rewards those who innovate and adapt”
Just as heartbeats support those who eat…
Corbyn had nothing to do with the last (New) Labour government and your portrayal of him as a slavering anti-business Marxist is plain nonsense.
Oh, and yes, I read Labour’s manifesto when we last voted. A lot of word salad without any actual policy.