The Powerful Pro-Israel Lobby’s Denial Of The Inalienable Right To Freedom Of Expression Must Be Met With Obdurate Resistance For The Sake Of All Humanity
by William Hanna, 20 March 2017.
“. . . recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world . . . ” and “ . . . the advent of a
world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the
common people . . . ”
inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of
freedom, justice, and peace in the world . . . ” and “ . . . the advent of a
world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and
freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the
common people . . . ”
Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
The latest Zionist nail to be hammered into
the coffin for freedom of expression occurred last week when the disingenuous
U.S. ambassador to the UN — the Indian American Sikh Nikki Haley —
hypocritically expressed superpower outrage and condemnation while calling for
the withdrawal of a UN report that quite justifiably accused Israel of
establishing an “apartheid regime.” This abysmal denial of an irrefutable
reality was followed by the resignation of Rima Khalaf — the head of the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) — who had
refused the subservient secretary-general’s demand that she withdraw the
report. Needless to say, Israel’s resolve to censor the unpalatable truth of
its criminal violations prevailed and the following report was disgracefully
removed from the UN website:
the coffin for freedom of expression occurred last week when the disingenuous
U.S. ambassador to the UN — the Indian American Sikh Nikki Haley —
hypocritically expressed superpower outrage and condemnation while calling for
the withdrawal of a UN report that quite justifiably accused Israel of
establishing an “apartheid regime.” This abysmal denial of an irrefutable
reality was followed by the resignation of Rima Khalaf — the head of the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) — who had
refused the subservient secretary-general’s demand that she withdraw the
report. Needless to say, Israel’s resolve to censor the unpalatable truth of
its criminal violations prevailed and the following report was disgracefully
removed from the UN website:
In January of last year Makarim Wibisono,
the UN investigator for human rights violations in the Palestinian territories
resigned because Israel had reneged on its pledge to grant him permission to
enter the West Bank and Gaza with all his repeated oral and written requests
for access over a period of 18 months being completely ignored. In a statement
announcing his resignation, Wibisono, who reported to the U.N. Human Rights
Council (HRC), voiced “deep concern at the lack of effective protection of
Palestinian victims of continuing human rights violations and violations of
international humanitarian law.” Israel had long rejected the post of the
independent investigator for the territories, accusing the 47-member state
forum of bias against the Jewish state, a position supported by its pro-Israel
politically shackled and totally unprincipled so-called government of the
United States of America.
the UN investigator for human rights violations in the Palestinian territories
resigned because Israel had reneged on its pledge to grant him permission to
enter the West Bank and Gaza with all his repeated oral and written requests
for access over a period of 18 months being completely ignored. In a statement
announcing his resignation, Wibisono, who reported to the U.N. Human Rights
Council (HRC), voiced “deep concern at the lack of effective protection of
Palestinian victims of continuing human rights violations and violations of
international humanitarian law.” Israel had long rejected the post of the
independent investigator for the territories, accusing the 47-member state
forum of bias against the Jewish state, a position supported by its pro-Israel
politically shackled and totally unprincipled so-called government of the
United States of America.
In June 2013, after Richard Falk — Special
rapporteur for Palestinian territories whose annual report on Israel’s
violations of Palestinian human rights was due to be presented to the HRC —
said the NGO UN Watch should be investigated to ensure it was not not
controlled by Israel, the ever obliging U.S representative to the Human Rights
Council, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, called for his resignation. In his annual
report, Falk condemned what he called Israel’s continued occupation of the
Palestinians: “Israel continues to annex Palestinian territory; Israel persists
in demolishing Palestinians’ homes and populating Palestine with Israeli
citizens; Israel maintains a policy of collectively punishing 1.75 million
Palestinians through its imposition of a blockade on the Gaza Strip; and Israel
prosecutes its occupation with impunity, refusing to accept the world’s calls
to respect international law.” Falk also repeated his previous calls for a
boycott of companies conducting business with Israel or Israelis in the West
Bank.
rapporteur for Palestinian territories whose annual report on Israel’s
violations of Palestinian human rights was due to be presented to the HRC —
said the NGO UN Watch should be investigated to ensure it was not not
controlled by Israel, the ever obliging U.S representative to the Human Rights
Council, Eileen Chamberlain Donahoe, called for his resignation. In his annual
report, Falk condemned what he called Israel’s continued occupation of the
Palestinians: “Israel continues to annex Palestinian territory; Israel persists
in demolishing Palestinians’ homes and populating Palestine with Israeli
citizens; Israel maintains a policy of collectively punishing 1.75 million
Palestinians through its imposition of a blockade on the Gaza Strip; and Israel
prosecutes its occupation with impunity, refusing to accept the world’s calls
to respect international law.” Falk also repeated his previous calls for a
boycott of companies conducting business with Israel or Israelis in the West
Bank.
The global extent and and well financed
power of insidious Pro-Israel lobby networks, mainstream media watchdog
organisations, and paid for social media activism to combat the so-called “New
anti-Semitism” and the “delegitimisation of Israel” — otherwise known as stating
the true facts with regards to Israeli violations — represents a zealously
relentless effort to stifle any criticism of the crimes committed by an
Apartheid Jewish state with blatant and unashamed impunity.
power of insidious Pro-Israel lobby networks, mainstream media watchdog
organisations, and paid for social media activism to combat the so-called “New
anti-Semitism” and the “delegitimisation of Israel” — otherwise known as stating
the true facts with regards to Israeli violations — represents a zealously
relentless effort to stifle any criticism of the crimes committed by an
Apartheid Jewish state with blatant and unashamed impunity.
Such unrelenting vigilance ensures that the
mainstream media self-censors reports which are consequently written from the
Israeli perspective; that even some of the supposed “independent” media
organisations are inhibited by the fear of causing offence to Jewish
sensibilities; that most Western political leaders and politicians routinely
proclaim Israel’s “right to defend itself” as the “most moral” and “only
democracy” in the Middle East; that pro-Palestinian events — especially on
college and university campuses — are viciously besmirched or forced to cancel;
that teaching professors critical of Israeli polices are either intimidated
into silence or fired; and that the public’s right to freedom of expression
does not extend to criticism of Israel which would be tantamount to that
historic hatred for Jews on which the unprincipled ideology of Zionism is so
dependent and exploits with ruthless precision.
mainstream media self-censors reports which are consequently written from the
Israeli perspective; that even some of the supposed “independent” media
organisations are inhibited by the fear of causing offence to Jewish
sensibilities; that most Western political leaders and politicians routinely
proclaim Israel’s “right to defend itself” as the “most moral” and “only
democracy” in the Middle East; that pro-Palestinian events — especially on
college and university campuses — are viciously besmirched or forced to cancel;
that teaching professors critical of Israeli polices are either intimidated
into silence or fired; and that the public’s right to freedom of expression
does not extend to criticism of Israel which would be tantamount to that
historic hatred for Jews on which the unprincipled ideology of Zionism is so
dependent and exploits with ruthless precision.
Apart from U.S. Congressional and White
House subservience to every Israeli wish and whim, other Western governments
are equally obliging in ceaselessly promoting the false premise that any
pro-Palestinian activism by human rights organisations or individuals
constitutes anti-Semitism. So while Apartheid Israelis continue to stand
knee-deep in the blood of ethnically cleansed Palestinians, spineless bought
and paid for Western leaders such Britain’s Theresa May who — despite the
secretly filmed claim by an Israeli embassy official that he had persuaded the
British government to adopt procurement guidelines that prevent local
authorities and the NHS from boycotting Israeli goods — has continued to
hypocritically regard Israel as “remarkable” and “tolerant”; Germany’s Angela
Merkel whose Christian Democratic Union decried the Boycott, Divestment, and
Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel as “coarse anti-Semitism”; and Canada’s
Justin Trudeau who in March 2015 — in an effort to muster Jewish support —
attacked student organisers and questioned their right to free speech by
expressing the view that “the BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] movement,
like Israeli Apartheid Week, has no place on Canadian campuses.” The
suppression of free speech on Canadian campuses is no different to that being
rigorously implemented on U.S. colleges and universities.
House subservience to every Israeli wish and whim, other Western governments
are equally obliging in ceaselessly promoting the false premise that any
pro-Palestinian activism by human rights organisations or individuals
constitutes anti-Semitism. So while Apartheid Israelis continue to stand
knee-deep in the blood of ethnically cleansed Palestinians, spineless bought
and paid for Western leaders such Britain’s Theresa May who — despite the
secretly filmed claim by an Israeli embassy official that he had persuaded the
British government to adopt procurement guidelines that prevent local
authorities and the NHS from boycotting Israeli goods — has continued to
hypocritically regard Israel as “remarkable” and “tolerant”; Germany’s Angela
Merkel whose Christian Democratic Union decried the Boycott, Divestment, and
Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel as “coarse anti-Semitism”; and Canada’s
Justin Trudeau who in March 2015 — in an effort to muster Jewish support —
attacked student organisers and questioned their right to free speech by
expressing the view that “the BDS [boycott, divestment and sanctions] movement,
like Israeli Apartheid Week, has no place on Canadian campuses.” The
suppression of free speech on Canadian campuses is no different to that being
rigorously implemented on U.S. colleges and universities.
Israel’s global propaganda — otherwise
known as hasbara, or “explanation” — combined with the tenacious lobbying of
pro-Israel groups has been so successful that Israeli government ministers no
longer feel the need to feign interest in meaningless peace negotiations for a
two-state solution as a means of playing for more time to facilitate illegal
Jewish settlement expansion. Many of them have now publicly proclaimed that
“there will never be a Palestinian state,” with their defiance stemming from
the knowledge that irrespective of what they say or do, the rest of the world
will neither care nor dare to do anything about it.
known as hasbara, or “explanation” — combined with the tenacious lobbying of
pro-Israel groups has been so successful that Israeli government ministers no
longer feel the need to feign interest in meaningless peace negotiations for a
two-state solution as a means of playing for more time to facilitate illegal
Jewish settlement expansion. Many of them have now publicly proclaimed that
“there will never be a Palestinian state,” with their defiance stemming from
the knowledge that irrespective of what they say or do, the rest of the world
will neither care nor dare to do anything about it.
By firmly implanting and exploiting the
fear of being labelled an “anti-Semite” or “Holocaust denier” within the minds
of most citizens in the Western world so as to preclude any criticism of
Israel, pro-Israel activism has successfully maintained an unprecedented assault
against freedom of expression on three fronts — official censorship, unofficial
censorship, and self-censorship — which if not opposed are all undeniable forms
of contemptible complicity in Israel’s barbaric crimes against humanity in
general, and the Palestinian people in particular.
fear of being labelled an “anti-Semite” or “Holocaust denier” within the minds
of most citizens in the Western world so as to preclude any criticism of
Israel, pro-Israel activism has successfully maintained an unprecedented assault
against freedom of expression on three fronts — official censorship, unofficial
censorship, and self-censorship — which if not opposed are all undeniable forms
of contemptible complicity in Israel’s barbaric crimes against humanity in
general, and the Palestinian people in particular.
“If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty
of complicity.”
of complicity.”
Albert Einstein
William Hanna is a freelance writer with published
books the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple, The Tragedy of Palestineand its Children, and the forthcoming Hiramic Brotherhood: Ezekiel’s
Temple Prophesy. Purchase information, sample chapters, other articles, and
contact details at:
books the Hiramic Brotherhood of the Third Temple, The Tragedy of Palestineand its Children, and the forthcoming Hiramic Brotherhood: Ezekiel’s
Temple Prophesy. Purchase information, sample chapters, other articles, and
contact details at:
