On 22 May the Knesset took testimony about Israel-based antisemitism in the UK
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/68038/british-jews-have-new-confidence...
You can hear some of the testimony on "Walter’s World" on Israel National News
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/Author.aspx/1197
(You get to a page about Walter Bingham the presenter; scroll down till you get to his programmes; click on the first one "British Jews Disunited". The segment begins about 55% into the programme).
Around 90% through, Mick Davis - who chairs the JLC and UJIA, albeit unelected - talks about Hamas' activities in the UK (immediately after David Bedein). He says:
Hamas is not debarred from operating in the UK or Europe provided the organisations are carrying out purposes which are entirely peaceful and not for terrorism ...
There was much that was good in Mick Davis' presentation -- but does he truly think that the terrorist organisation Hamas can have any peaceful purpose?
http://www.thecommentator.com/article/1293/is_the_guardian_the_most_bigo...
Direct quotations from the Hamas Charter (source: Yale Law School, via "The Commentator")
“ Israel will exist and will continue to exist until Islam will obliterate it, just as it obliterated others before it" (The Martyr, Imam Hassan al-Banna, of blessed memory).“
“Our struggle against the Jews is very great and very serious. It needs all sincere efforts. It is a step that inevitably should be followed by other steps. The Movement is but one squadron that should be supported by more and more squadrons from this vast Arab and Islamic world, until the enemy is vanquished and Allah's victory is realised.“
“The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him salvation, has said: ‘The Day of Judgement will not come about until Moslems fight the Jews (killing the Jews), when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say O Moslems, O Abdulla, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him. Only the Gharkad tree, (evidently a certain kind of tree) would not do that because it is one of the trees of the Jews." (related by al-Bukhari and Moslem).“
“ Initiatives, and so-called peaceful solutions and international conferences, are in contradiction to the principles of the Islamic Resistance Movement.“
“ The Moslem woman has a role no less important than that of the moslem man in the battle of liberation. She is the maker of men. Her role in guiding and educating the new generations is great. The enemies have realised the importance of her role. They consider that if they are able to direct and bring her up they way they wish, far from Islam, they would have won the battle.
“That is why you find them giving these attempts constant attention through information campaigns, films, and the school curriculum, using for that purpose their lackeys who are infiltrated through Zionist organizations under various names and shapes, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, espionage groups and others, which are all nothing more than cells of subversion and saboteurs.
“These organizations have ample resources that enable them to play their role in societies for the purpose of achieving the Zionist targets and to deepen the concepts that would serve the enemy. These organizations operate in the absence of Islam and its estrangement among its people. The Islamic peoples should perform their role in confronting the conspiracies of these saboteurs. The day Islam is in control of guiding the affairs of life, these organizations, hostile to humanity and Islam, will be obliterated.“
“You may speak as much as you want about regional and world wars. They [Jews] were behind World War I, when they were able to destroy the Islamic Caliphate, making financial gains and controlling resources. They obtained the Balfour Declaration, formed the League of Nations through which they could rule the world.
“They were behind World War II, through which they made huge financial gains by trading in armaments, and paved the way for the establishment of their state. It was they who instigated the replacement of the League of Nations with the United Nations and the Security Council to enable them to rule the world through them. There is no war going on anywhere, without having their finger in it.“
“The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups.
“All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions. They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion.“
“The last of our prayers will be praise to Allah, the Master of the Universe.“
And no mention of the word "antisemitism" -- despite several mentions of the word "delegitimisation"?
Addendum 1:
The (incomplete) Knesset TV recording is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXGP5Ck1Kew&feature=youtu.be&a
Addendum 2:
Davis' slide at 4:52 of the Knesset recording says that the Board of Deputies "represents individuals" and deals with "day to day issues" (as opposed to the JLC which deals with "big picture/long-term strategic issues"). Both are incorrect. All Deputies (apart from Past Presidents) are elected by synagogues and other organisations. And the Board does not just 'firefight'! For example the International Division produced a paper on "Antisemitism in Europe" (which I co-authored).
Addendum 3:
At 12:05 on the Knesset recording Mick Davis mentions only two BDS successes - the Co-Op and Moti Crystal. There have been more - Ahava for example and the disruption of the IPO Prom. Unless we face the problem honestly there is no chance of fighting it.
Addendum 4:
At 18:00 on the Knesset recording Mick Davis says "it is also a Community which has very recently played a vital role in the Mayoral election campaign ... facilitating the election of Boris Johnson as opposed to his opponent" - and his slide shows the URL of a website vote4ken.org.
Let's be absolutely clear about this. That website was a grassroots initiative. It was not backed - financially or with other resources or intellectually - by either the JLC or the Board of Deputies. Neither - to the best of my knowledge - did any member of the JLC's Council nor the Board's Executive make any public comments favouring Johnson in the campaign (I would welcome correction).
http://www.thejlc.org/about-us/the-jlcs-structure/council-of-members/
