A few JC Blogs regulars have been active on a British Methodist Church blog, combatting the recent decision of the Methodist Church that its members boycott goods from Israeli settlements situated beyond the 1967 borders.
Whereas their decision refers to "Occupied Palestinian Land", they have no answer to our pointing out that Palestine ceased to exist on 14th May 1948, and that the settlements in question are on lands that were previously under Jordanian, Egyptian or Syrian sovereignty. And that there is no such thing as "Palestinian Land".
But what bothers me is that we won that argument because of their ignorance! The first people to publish a request for a boycott of goods from Israeli settlements situated beyond the 1967 borders were Israelis from the Extreme Left "Peace Bloc". (You will never hear the term "Extreme Left" on Israeli radio or tv, because these leftist-controlled organizations will never admit that on their "side" there are such things as "extremists").
Uri Avneri was one of the leaders of the so-called "Peace Bloc".
The same Uri Avneri who made a living for years from publishing a semi-pornographic magazine ("HaOlam HaZeh") which specialised in groping around in the gutters and drains of Israeli society and happily regurgitating in print whatever it found dripping and smelling there.
The same Uri Avneri, who at the height of the first Lebanon War in 1982 met with Arafat, and described the initial meeting as follows: "We embraced each other, it was natural, as between friends". This at a time when IDF soldiers were fighting Arafat's terrorists and defumigating Lebanon from their presence.
This is the person who originated the boycott idea.
What could I possibly reply to a Methodist who was knowledgeable enough to throw this in my face?
The same thing is true with the Jewish Chronicle blogs section. I don't have to repeat the anti-Semitic / anti-Israeli sentiments that have been published here by certain anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish bloggers.
So what right will I have to object to an anti-Semite using the terms "judeo-fascist", "Apartheid State", "murderers of young children" etc etc ad nauseum, when he claims "I read it in the Jewish Chronicle"?
This is a price for democracy which I am not prepared to pay. At time of war many democratic rights are suspended, usually voluntarily by an understanding public.
But not always voluntarily. At which times those with a finger on the buttton are not allowed to get caught sleeping on duty.
I do NOT expect a Jewish organization to supply my enemies with anti-Semitic fuel.