The Mayors of New York and London have both weighed in on the Gaza genocide claim in the past week, calling for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be arrested if he visits either city.
They won't tho. And they genuinely believe it was genocide, as does much of polite society, who is making condemnation of it the price of entry for much of liberal polite society. There isn't much serious thought about this - it's Guardian/TikTok pap - but for most people it doesn't go much deeper than having watched reels of Palestinian kids getting blown up. There's less excuse for the likes of Mehdi Hasan or Javier Bardem mind.
As a barrister, Khan has less excuse than most to have jumped onto the "guilty until proven innocent" anti-Israel bandwagon. What ever will he and others like him do, should the ICJ in its final opinion on South Africa's application under the Genocide Convention which isn't expected until 2029-30, that Israel's conduct in the war didn't constitute genocide.
It doesn't help that most people don't know what genocide means.
It would take a sane and sober adult 5 minutes to explain what genocide is, what's its modern history, and how the Gaza War is nowhere near close. Yet somehow no public figure of any stripe has done this (maybe excepting Fetterman). The mob is in charge.
I know. But this is pop-culture politics. Most people have done very little thinking about it; it's emotive, 'dead kids are bad'. Which they are. It's awful. But it gets complicated at anything beyond that and most people just want to signal they care and are against bad things and in favour of nice ones.
It isn't quite as simple. The same mob didn't/doesn't deplore the barbaric atrocities of 7th October and the children murdered. Nor do they celebrate the "nice" outstanding achievements of Israel, not least by its army.
Thanks again Dave. I often read your articles through the professional lens of a psychotherapist.
Before children have the capacity to question beliefs, they often absorb them. What is repeated by trusted adults can come to feel like the truth. I tend to hold an intergenerational lens. I know how difficult it is to shift deeply held beliefs, and that the desire to do so has to exist in the first place. It’s our future generations I fear for too. What we’re witnessing becomes part of the “long body” of things that are carried forward.
I want to end on a more upbeat note. I love this quote:
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” Nelson Mandela
Dave has treated us to another dose of Hasbara but I don't think I've seen him so open about his genocide denial. So the ICC hasn't yet charged Netanyahu with genocide but could add the charge, as it did with Slobodan Milosevic, and as if crimes against humanity don't already translate into the documented crimes by genocide scholars.
And keeping citizens safe is fundamental to the brief of city mayors, as he says. Dave's own organisation, the Community Security Trust, has documented that attacks of various sorts rise when Israel kills Palestinians - so speaking out against the source of this rise is a duty.
The British Chief Rabbi calls the IDF 'our heroic soldiers' - I think Dave agrees with him given his support for them.
Presumptive close is a sales technique. For example a car salesman will ask you questions about your behavior after purchasing the car you are considering, even though you have not giving them a penny. It's a way to sensitize you to the idea of the purchase.
This too is the nature of the propaganda. Repeating falsehoods like "genocide" makes Israel appear as a criminal and a villain, and thus the de facto basis for legislative action to come. Once the popular "truth' has been established and is it incumbent on "true" politicians to address criminality and villainy.
The words are not the threat. The forthcoming actions that are justified by the words are the threat.
Politicised prosecutions. Major exponent= Donald J Trump! Naturally all manner of scurrilous copycats are going to jump on the bandwagon. Trump’s uncanny inability to foresee even the obvious consequences of his actions will really come home to roost in 2028 if the Democrats (including DSA) win big and also decide to weaponise the DOJ to pursue their political opponents (if SCOTUS allows)
Hi Dave. why not address the war crimes rather than the criticism of the war crimes? If anything is putting Jews at risk is the lengths that pro israel organisations, like the boD and CST go to try and silence all criticism, of israel, even from within the jewish community.
They won't tho. And they genuinely believe it was genocide, as does much of polite society, who is making condemnation of it the price of entry for much of liberal polite society. There isn't much serious thought about this - it's Guardian/TikTok pap - but for most people it doesn't go much deeper than having watched reels of Palestinian kids getting blown up. There's less excuse for the likes of Mehdi Hasan or Javier Bardem mind.
As a barrister, Khan has less excuse than most to have jumped onto the "guilty until proven innocent" anti-Israel bandwagon. What ever will he and others like him do, should the ICJ in its final opinion on South Africa's application under the Genocide Convention which isn't expected until 2029-30, that Israel's conduct in the war didn't constitute genocide.
It doesn't help that most people don't know what genocide means.
It would take a sane and sober adult 5 minutes to explain what genocide is, what's its modern history, and how the Gaza War is nowhere near close. Yet somehow no public figure of any stripe has done this (maybe excepting Fetterman). The mob is in charge.
I know. But this is pop-culture politics. Most people have done very little thinking about it; it's emotive, 'dead kids are bad'. Which they are. It's awful. But it gets complicated at anything beyond that and most people just want to signal they care and are against bad things and in favour of nice ones.
It isn't quite as simple. The same mob didn't/doesn't deplore the barbaric atrocities of 7th October and the children murdered. Nor do they celebrate the "nice" outstanding achievements of Israel, not least by its army.
Thanks again Dave. I often read your articles through the professional lens of a psychotherapist.
Before children have the capacity to question beliefs, they often absorb them. What is repeated by trusted adults can come to feel like the truth. I tend to hold an intergenerational lens. I know how difficult it is to shift deeply held beliefs, and that the desire to do so has to exist in the first place. It’s our future generations I fear for too. What we’re witnessing becomes part of the “long body” of things that are carried forward.
I want to end on a more upbeat note. I love this quote:
“No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love.” Nelson Mandela
With warm wishes, Debbie
It is relevant that both Khan and Mamdani are Muslims .. both have a responsibility to ‘all the residents’ of their respective cities.
Both Khan and Mamdani are whipping up more Jew hate, at a time when Jew hate is already ‘off the scale’.
Both Khan and Mamdani are dangerous in their Mayoral roles.
Excellent, thank you. However, I think it IS relevant that the two mayors are Muslim. More than most, they will be aware of the danger of prejudice.
Dave has treated us to another dose of Hasbara but I don't think I've seen him so open about his genocide denial. So the ICC hasn't yet charged Netanyahu with genocide but could add the charge, as it did with Slobodan Milosevic, and as if crimes against humanity don't already translate into the documented crimes by genocide scholars.
And keeping citizens safe is fundamental to the brief of city mayors, as he says. Dave's own organisation, the Community Security Trust, has documented that attacks of various sorts rise when Israel kills Palestinians - so speaking out against the source of this rise is a duty.
The British Chief Rabbi calls the IDF 'our heroic soldiers' - I think Dave agrees with him given his support for them.
Both Khan and Mamdani absolutely know that their words fuel anti-Semitic attacks and they absolutely intend them to.
Presumptive close is a sales technique. For example a car salesman will ask you questions about your behavior after purchasing the car you are considering, even though you have not giving them a penny. It's a way to sensitize you to the idea of the purchase.
This too is the nature of the propaganda. Repeating falsehoods like "genocide" makes Israel appear as a criminal and a villain, and thus the de facto basis for legislative action to come. Once the popular "truth' has been established and is it incumbent on "true" politicians to address criminality and villainy.
The words are not the threat. The forthcoming actions that are justified by the words are the threat.
"missteps" is a kind word to use
Politicised prosecutions. Major exponent= Donald J Trump! Naturally all manner of scurrilous copycats are going to jump on the bandwagon. Trump’s uncanny inability to foresee even the obvious consequences of his actions will really come home to roost in 2028 if the Democrats (including DSA) win big and also decide to weaponise the DOJ to pursue their political opponents (if SCOTUS allows)
"It is a mistake, and a dangerous one, to allege, as some do, that the explanation for this is simply that Mamdani and Khan are both Muslims."
It's certainly true that the fact that they are both Muslims has *something* to do with their attitudes.
Hi Dave. why not address the war crimes rather than the criticism of the war crimes? If anything is putting Jews at risk is the lengths that pro israel organisations, like the boD and CST go to try and silence all criticism, of israel, even from within the jewish community.
Dave is director of policy at the CST so that answers your question!
A sly conflation of “ anti semite” with “ anti Israeli”. This shit doesn’t work anymore.