Jack Straw unleashes anti-Semitic diatribe at forum held in House of Commons, according to former MK Einat Wilf
Former British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw reportedly said during a debate in the British parliament that “unlimited” funds available to Jewish organizations and AIPAC in the US are used to control American policy in the Middle East.
The comments were made last week during the Round Table Global Diplomatic Forum in the British House of Commons, according to former Knesset member Einat Wilf.
Wilf was participating in the debate and posted what she said were Straw’s comments on herFacebook page.
Straw said, according to Wilf, that the greatest obstacles to peace between Israel and the Palestinians and her Arab neighbors are the “unlimited” funds available to Jewish organizations and AIPAC in the US, as well as Germany’s “obsession” with defending Israel.
Wrote Wilf: “I nearly fell off my rickety British chair today when former UK Foreign Secretary Jack Straw spoke at the Round Table Global Diplomatic Forum in the British House of Commons. Listing the greatest obstacles to peace, he said ‘unlimited’ funds available to Jewish organizations and AIPAC in the US are used to control and divert American policy in the region and that Germany’s ‘obsession’ with defending Israel were the problem.
“I guess he neglected to mention Jewish control of the media….”
Wilf told the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Sunday that “It was appalling to listen to Britain’s former foreign secretary. His remarks reflect prejudice of the worst kind.” She added: “We’re used to hearing groundless accusations from Palestinian envoys but I thought British diplomats, including former ones, were still capable of a measure of rational thought.”
Wilf, a member of Knesset from 2010 to 2013 (Labor, and then the breakaway Independence party), said she repeatedly stressed in the debate that the root of the conflict lay in the Palestinian and Arab refusal to accept Israel’s sovereign legitimacy as a Jewish state. “Throughout the debate I reiterated that the origin of the conflict was the Arab and Palestinian unwillingness to accept the Jewish people’s legitimate right to a state of their own, and that as long as that willingness is absent there will be no true solution.”
Straw announced Friday that he would step down as a member of Parliament from the Labor Party at the upcoming 2015 general election. He has served in Parliament continuously since 1979. Straw served as both home secretary and foreign secretary under prime minister Tony Blair, and as justice secretary under prime minister Gordon Brown.
Straw, who has noted that his Blackburn constituency has some 25,000 Muslim residents and 23 mosques, has made anti-Israel comments in the past. In June, on a BBC radio program, he declared that Israel “has no territorial ambitions apart from stealing the land of the Palestinians.” When he was foreign secretary in 2001 he reportedly made comments that appeared to legitimize Palestinian terrorism, prompting then prime minister Ariel Sharon to cancel a meeting with him.
Salubrius Said:
thank you, we are able to see why academics hate Israel
Interestingly, ghaddafi was mentioned a few times here, and yet he ended up in a super market meat freezer.
your post was very interesting and informative and actually illustrates why Israel cannot compete with the money the arabs spend on PR. I think lawfare would be a better approach as it would bring free publicity. I am for hasbara but your article shows its limitations.
However, with all the arab pr they appear to be in the shit: arab spring chaos, losing to the persians, obama dumping them, etc. Same for Erdogan, Morsi, EU and even Obama.
I think Israel has done well concentrating on advances in tech, meds and arms.
Perhaps there will be more business for jews doing business with each other if others get off the bandwagon with Israel.
certainly BDS doesn’t appear to hurt Israel’s standing in tech, meds, arms.
@ Salubrius:
Perhaps a more “grass-roots” effort is needed. Hire Phil Robertson and the Duck Dynasty to film a segment in Israel. They have shown they can back down the liberal elite. And with those beards. I though ad men, though out-side the box.
@ dove:
You miss-quoted me!!!!!!!!!! I don’t want give to charities, I want Jewish organizations to seek suport for Israel in middle America and give up trying to convice the liberal left elite to support Israel, I believe most Jews would be surprised at tne moral support that Israel has in Texas, much less in the other western states. Yet, little effort is made to reach out to the people living in these areas, especially the rural areas. Many farmers and ranchers have a great respect for Israeli agricultural practices. We more vocal supporters of Israel to visit our schools and universities, Most expecially Ag., medical, and engineering institutions.
May 15, 2012 Arab Nations Hire 10 New PR Agencies Since Last Year, http://www.frontpagemag.com/2012/ronn-torossian/arab-nations-hire-10-new-pr-agencies-since-last-year/
The U.S. Public Relations industry is one which is very high profile, but is a tiny, close knit industry, with only perhaps 75 American PR firms having more than 50 employees (i.e. enough scope/influence to represent a foreign government or foreign interests). Over lunch recently, one of my [Ronn Torossian] peers, who like me owns one of the 25 largest US PR agencies, explained why his firm would no longer work with Jewish organizations and pro-Israel concerns. He explained there is simply too much money working for Arab organizations and interests, and between front groups, organizations and projects, from a business perspective, he was no longer working for pro-Israel or Jewish organizations. It’s a trend which will grow – and will see Arab interests even more positively portrayed in American media.
In the latest news, Bahrain in the last 12 months has hired at least ten public relations companies since last year. Yes, you read it right – ten – including Qorvis, the Washington company hired by Saudi Arabia to salvage that kingdom’s reputation abroad after the 9/11 terrorist attack. The regime of Bahrain, which tortures its own citizens, has an awful human rights record and doesn’t recognize the existence of Israel, also hired Joe Trippi, former campaign manager for Howard Dean’s 2004 presidential bid, and Sanitas International, whose partner Christopher Harvin is a former Bush White House aide.
In the “new” Middle East a lot has changed – except recognition of Israel, and millions are spent by Arab interests on professional public relations campaigns:
Harbour Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm has been hired by the new Libyan government. As the Hill recently revealed, Harbour recently signed a new $15,000 per month contract with the Libyan embassy. Patton Boggs, another large K Street lobbying group, is also now representing the new Libyan regime. They previously worked with Gadhafi, alongside the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Monitor Group and held a hefty $250,000 per month contract with Tripoli, recruiting prominent American academics to praise the Libyan government.
It’s nothing new in the Middle East – Arab governments spend lots of money on public relations. The Syrian regime continues to butcher thousands of their people in the streets – and its by and large missing from the mainstream media (and one of the things a good crisis PR agency is able to do is ensure negative stories never be printed). One day we will read about who is working for Syria now. A few months ago hackers released hundreds of e-mails from Syrian President Assad’s office, which revealed a document preparing Assad for his December 2011 interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters.
This week, the glowing profile and stunning full-page picture of Asma al-Assad, Syria’s First Lady, which appeared in Vogue in February 2011 with the titled: “Asma al-Assad: A Rose in the Desert” was quietly removed from Vogue’s website. Vogue wouldn’t comment on why the story was removed – but the story which described her as “glamorous, young, and very chic – the freshest and most magnetic of first ladies,” ran as the Syrian government was butchering anti-regime protesters. A PR firm, Brown Lloyd James, worked for Syria to arrange the story in the past.
Brown Lloyd James worked in the past to boost the regime of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadaffi. They said, “…we assisted the Libyan government in its efforts to reach out to the international political community through the United Nations and to the U.S. political and university community.”
@ CuriousAmerican:
Cough it up! I also want to know in writing WHY you support Israel and how? As a Jewish Torah observing nation??
@ honeybee:
I think you are missing the point. We are not required to throw our pearls to swine – actually we are FORBIDDEN to. Charity begins at home. If you have extra you help out your family – for me that would include the whole Jewish family. I was hit on many times this month to give to Christian charities, food banks etc. Didn’t bat an eye to say no. I have my own family and the poor Jews here and in Israel to help – no money left for my enemies that want to destroy the Jews as we know it. We can be Jews as long as we are Christians – that is their game plan – I know It , I live it and deal with it everyday. But I also know that we will carry on as Torah Jews – it’s not for the faint hearted in these times.
yamit82 Said:
Beside the missionaries that come to Israel my dear Yamit82,do you KNOW any Evangiicals or for the matter the great “unwashed masses” that live in ” fly over country”. Jewsih organizations never make any serious attemps to reach out to them. They place allt heir efforts in courting the liberal left to their detrement. To be completely “tongue in cheek”, in words of an old hymn, they might have friends in Jesus. Now yawl can “rip me a new one” for that remark,Darlin
Laura Said:
Yes I meant so called Evangelicals. They are neither homogenous or of the same mind re: Israel and Jews. Not a good idea from your standpoint to lump them all together. Their are a few that I would agree are truly supportive with no alternative motives but the majority are no less our enemy than any Jihadist in their wishes for us, just a matter of different tactics but end results they wish for are similar. Not all but too many to wish for them to overtly support us.
Cast a Giant Jesus over Israel
Update to JewishIsrael’s Recent Report on the Nazareth Statue
They are spending obscene amts of money to buy and bribe their way into Israel, through the front and back doors along the way they are corrupting our politicians and cash strapped rabbis and their institutions and charities. Their goal is to christianize Israel step by step.
What lost it for the Republicans was not the leftist media it was the Republicans themselves and their weak candidate. The election was the republicans to lose and they didn’t disappoint.
yamit82 Said:
According to me own and personal observations, Israel influence is positive when it acts in its own defence. Those living on both the East and West coast are not the only ones who influence American oppnion. Regard the uproar over “The Duck Dynasty”, A&E was forced to retreat.
yamit82 Said:
@ CuriousAmerican:
My question to you was a response to:
Disproportionate to what? And pls don’t repeat Abba Eban quotes of 40 years ago not, germane or relevant. It’s not what you meant either.
If it’s out in the open then you should have no problem identifying it and give examples of it, so we can evaluate and respond to your allegation that the Jews have disproportional influence in America and unlike the Saudis it’s in the open. I will help you out give examples where supposed Jewish influence of AIPAC has actually influenced any American Admin to change or initiate policies beneficial to Israel without an equal gesture to the Arabs. Give any example where AIPAC through their “touted influence” swayed American policy that was negative to Israel into a positive one?
While Saudi influence might be disturbing for someone like you, we know more about their influence and attempts at influence in America than we know about the influence of other groups and entities and they apparently don’t disturb you because they aren’t Muslim or Jewish, the only two groups (out of many) that you referenced.
Speaking of Saudi Influence they just announced their intention to transfer $3 billion worth of arms to the Army of Lebanon and not even a single bullet will be purchased from America. All the arms will be purchased from non American sources due to their Anger at Obama and America. Is this a case of influence in reverse? If their influence was so great why has Obama double crossed them? How could Obama double cross them?
You never answered or explained how and why you believe Jews are powerful? In what way are they powerful? They make up less than 2% of the total American population.
Some are very wealthy but that money is not used either for JEWS OR FOR ISRAEL. There are aver a million and a half very poor Jews living below the poverty line as well.
My intuition tells me you are echoing right and left wing stereotypes of Jews focusing on AIPC and attributing to them all the antisemitic canards and incorrect beliefs we have heard from your ilk for so long.
Your replies to Dov do not refute in any way, what my intuition tells me; if anything your replies to her only reinforce my own opinions.
You have succeeded in showing us that in essence you and Jack Straw are in sync, with regards to Jewish and Israeli stereotyping and are birds of a feather.
Laura Said:
Amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ yamit82:
I’m glad for the Koch brothers being somewhat of a counterweight to most of the left-wing millionaires and billionaires contributing to democrats. Big oil would be under the category of saudi influence. The NRA has nothing to do with foreign policy. Wall Street, banks, unions and big media are mostly part of the political left. The Moral Majority is a long defunct organization. If you are referring to Evangelicals, I actually wish they had the clout you think they do. That would be good for Israel. The rest of the media was responsible for Obama winning two elections.
CuriousAmerican Said:
De me,embracitos y besitos pare ti!!!!!!!!Corazon
@ CuriousAmerican:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xe4qk7Mijlo
@ CuriousAmerican
well mr ego since your other personality is alter ego I have a news flash for you which I have so far only said to a few men. All men are not the same – THANK GOD…..neither are all women.
If what you have represented here on Israpundit and the comments you have made were representative of all men….way back when I would have believed I had the gift of celibacy and I would have become a nun!
Furthermore I have not accused you of being an anti-Semite during this dialogue but rather trying to give the benefit of the doubt – hoping that maybe you were just arrogant and ignorant. Your the one who keeps bringing up anti-Semite
this is another condescending remark….if at the end of the day you just ended up being another chauvinist that would be reason for me to reprimand you if this was my site.
@ CuriousAmerican:
This is what YOU are trying to reduce it to….for you seem to have trouble giving the Jewish people much credit
That is what you have reduced it to.
Ooops Agrees to keep the link and my alter ego secret.
@ CuriousAmerican:
puke!
@ CuriousAmerican:
no need to make this personal. be objective.
What, if one does not tender ebullient praise … this is what you call anti-Semitism?!
I noted the influence of the Jews. I noted the influence of the Saudis. The only one I claimed to be scared about were the Saudis.
If you are starved for praise … get a hug from someone else.
I have written posts and articles were I was slammed for being a Zio-bot by most people … only to have one person show up with Zionist opinions and attack me because I did NOT say something exactly the way he or she liked.
Such people – and I include you – make Zionists look like fanatics.
If you want proof that I have written some pro-Israel stuff … I will give a link to Ted, and he can examine my writing … provided he agrees not keep the link and my alter ego secret.
Then he can report to you.
Ted can email me.
@ CuriousAmerican:
inform
@ CuriousAmerican:
not fishing at all…..just noting that you will not give credit where credit is due.
and the result is a continent where the Saudis and Iranians are starting to propagandize the population against Israel.
Are you so insecure that you need praise all the time?
What is “in from them?”
I like you, too.
The only one I insulted in my post were the Saudis. I said the Saudi scare me.
Do Jewish lobby have influence in America and Canada … YES! They do NOT control.
They influence.
Jewish groups have NO influence in the rest of the world, and the Saudis run rampant.
This is BS.
I said disproportional because of what I read in Abba Eban’s book: Civilization the Jews where he notes that such a small people have a large effect. Smalll numbers => Large effect. Sounds like disproportional to me.
You are just fishing for a reason to complain.
That is NOT propagandizing. That is just laying out facts. Or did you read the link to the Article from the Jabotinsky center, I listed. Is the Jabotinsky center propaganding?
Are you dense? I said Jewish influence was a counterweight to Saudi influence. I did NOT criticize Jewish influence. I criticized the Saudis. I said the Saudis scare me. I never said that about AIPAC. Are you so insecure that you need praise all the time?
@ CuriousAmerican:
Go on. Please define ‘dispropporional’ for us once again. It is an odd statement if the person saying it claims to be a friend of the Jewish people. A friend and especiallyone that studies us so much would usually say something like….WoW! I am impressed. The Jewish people have such a long history of oppression, but yet they continue to bounce back and flourish! That is what I would expect you to say!
You don’t need to tell us here on Israpundit. Most of us are not outsiders looking in. We live it 24/7. Do you at least spend equal time on Christian web sites who claim to be supporters of Israel and the Jewish people to perhaps in from them?
starting to propagandize?? – again – you should be telling this to the uninformed
Why would you just note it? If you were our friend you would applaud it!!
For the record – I am in 100% disagreement with Ted for defending you. Yamit insults many people, myself included. This should not be justification to minimize your insults and anti-Semitic remarks to MY PEOPLE!! (as Ted has also noted at times that remarks you have made are anti-Semetic in nature)
yamit82 Said:
and the apple has a worm in it.
Obviously not. Zionist lobbies tried to blunt Obama’s policies … but they are failing.
Jews do have clout in America. It is NOT anti-semitic to note it. AIPAC is not a cultural society.
So do the Saudis. Right now, the Saudis are winning.
So straw is wrong.
Germany is now friendly to Israel?!
I do NOT deny that AIPAC is very powerful; but I am also aware of Saudi money, and Big Oil.
AIPAC Is used to influence. It does NOT control.
@ CuriousAmerican:
CA do you think Straw is an anti-semite? Do you think Staw is correct and the Jews control American Policy in the middle east?
Ad hominem lie aimed at me. So typical of you.
CuriousAmerican Said:
Disproportionate to what?
CuriousAmerican Said:
How would you know if it’s true? You only know what you know or believe.
Judging from Obama double crossing them left and right how much influence would you say they really have? Would you say they have more clout than say The Rockefeller family, the Kock Brothers, how about Big oil, NRA, Big wall St. like (Golman-Sacks) Big Banks and some Unions, Big Media or the Moral Majority? There are many deep pockets buying influence. Fox News was mostly responsible for Bush winning two elections.
Compared to the above the Jews and AIPAC are small potatoes. while 40% of all billionaires in America claim Jewish heritage few if any are not totally assimialted Jews far removed by choice from anything Jewish including Jewish charities and are more likely than not supporters of those most anti Israel. AIPAC has not had a victory since before Reagan… For Jews and Israel they are less than worthless but serve as a magnate for you Jew haters to point accusing fingers at while ignoring all the others with the real power behind the thrones of power in America.
Why is the above relevant? Why have you provided it for the tenth time? Why should any of us give a damn?
Based on your comments above, how do you arrive at this ?There is a cognizant disconnect between this statement and the content of your comment. Did you just throw that against the wall to see what sticks?
Are you referring to Latin America or the USA? There are as I have partially listed many counterweights to the Saudis. That does not mean I diminish the Saudi influence but no entity is rich enough or powerful enough to control everything and then only sometimes. Besides anyone who wants to know about the Saudis can read some very good books, articles and a myriad of blogs detailing their influence. Those who don’t probably are not interested and anyway anything detracting from the antisemitic perennial scapegoat AIPAC is not necessarily dinner table talk. Before AIPAC the Rothchilds were the favorite Jew haters Boogeyman and still are in the most virulent antisemitic blogs
Have you heard this one. 6 of the Justices of the SC are catholic and 3 are Jewish. No Protestants. Some say there is a Vatican conspiracy to take of America by flooding America with Mexican . Based of their large birthrates the Catholics could become a majority in 20-25 years. I don’t think the Saudis have much to do with that conspiracy making the rounds.
Latin America has no equivalent of AIPAC, except maybe in Argentina, and the result is a continent where the Saudis and Iranians are starting to propagandize the population again
By any standard Straw is a despicable and duplicitous character. He should be declared Persona Non Grata here in Israel or if not practical denied access to any Israeli above the receptionist of any ministry he want to visit. Shitty piece of British Shit… FROM A LITTLE SHITTY ISLAND
Straw was born in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, England, the son of Joan Sylvia (née Gilbey) and Walter Arthur Whitaker Straw, an insurance salesman. He is of 1/8 Jewish descent – his maternal grandmother’s father having come from an Eastern European Jewish family (Straw himself is a Christian). Straw was brought up in Loughton, Essex, by his mother, on a council estate after his father left the family. Walter Straw had been sent to prison in 1939 for being a conscientious objector.
Seems the apple hasn’t fallen far from his family tree.
There’s an old Hebrew saying that a man’s name befits the man. Jack Straw is exactly what his name tells us – a piece of straw…
There is no doubt that the Jewish community has disproportional clout.
However it is out in the open, as a rule.
What scares me – and should scare everyone – is the VAST AMOUNT OF SECRETIVE SAUDI INFLUENCE.
In South America – which I study on the web – the Jewish community is small, and weak, except for Argentina. There the SAUDIS HAVE WREAKED HAVOC.
Ethnic Palestinians in Chile have a lock grip on foreign policy and say things that would get people committed as insane in the USA. Seriously. Look at what this idiot Chilean Senator said (Click Here).
Palestinian-Chileans are 3% of Chile, but 10% of Chile’s Senate. Roughly equivalent to American Jews which are 2% and 13% respectively.
The Palestinians in Chile literally control parts of Chile’s policy in the Mideast, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE OUTNUMBERED 3 to 1 by Chilean Evangelicals who are Zionist. Why? Because Chile’s Palestinians are educated, and elite … like American Jews.
High rates of intermarriage, too.
So are American Jews powerful: YES!
But when I see what happens where there is NO counterweight to the Saudis, I view it is a balancing act.
Latin America has no equivalent of AIPAC, except maybe in Argentina, and the result is a continent where the Saudis and Iranians are starting to propagandize the population against Israel.
Palestinians in Chile – from the Jabotinsky Center
http://www.fighthatred.com/profiles-in-hate/political-figures/1084-palestinian-federation-in-chile-active-in-fostering-hatred-against-Israel
Unlimited funds available to muslim organizations in England as well as Europe, is the greatest obstacle to peace.
Ironic that someone who is so beholden to muslim interests would make a statement accusing Jewish organizations of controlling American policy in the Mideast. The reprehensible Straw was quite obviously projecting.
Britain has a long history of having pro Arab and many anti-semtic political figures. Straw is just part of this list.