I have an idea for a new movie for Mike Leigh to make, and even a proposed title: “Secrets and Lies the Reality Version”. The theme goes something like this How many times does a lie have to be repeated until it becomes the truth?
Leigh cancelled his trip to Israel this week, while making a political statement: “The proposed loyalty oath to a Jewish-democratic state is the last straw”. I guess that’s what he views as “the truth”. But what Leigh and his publicist don’t realize, is that what Leigh actually did was help promote an industry of bias and lies that endanger the lives of Israeli citizens, including myself.
Leigh usually deals with movies and fiction, but if he’s decided to become some sort of political activist, don’t you think he should at least check the facts first? While he was quick to talk about “the last straw”, I have a few straws of my own that I’d like to share with him.
Straw number one: “The flotilla atrocity”
Mr. Leigh may not know this, but it has been proven beyond doubt that the organizer of the flotilla was the Turkish IHH organization, who has ties to terrorist groups, and that terrorists were aboard the main ship of the flotilla with nothing even close to humanitarian actions on their minds. The terrorists hid behind naïve extreme-left activists and used them as a cover and as shields. So whose atrocity is it? Israel, or perhaps Turkey, which since then also tightened its ties with Iran? And which of the two countries threatens Leigh more as a citizen of the free world?
Straw number two: The blockade on Gaza and why it began.
The blockade was imposed in June 2007, by two countries: Israel and Egypt. Why? Because that’s when the extreme terrorist organization, Hamas, took over Gaza and declared all security agreements were off, and started shooting regularly at Israeli cities and planning suicide bombings. Hamas also uses its development funding for buying weapons and smuggling them. Why doesn’t the media deal with this issue or with the fact that Egypt is just as much a part of the blockade as Israel? Your guess is as good as mine.
Straw number three: The loyalty oath, and what it tries to deal with.
Part of the Palestinian and Muslim world plan is to diminish the existence of Israel. It therefore demands for all Palestinians and their descendents (since we’re talking about something that happened 40-60 years ago) be allowed to return to Israel (Yes, Israel, not the PA) which if ever happened, would mean a Palestinian majority in Israel and the end of the Jewish state. Not that I’m rooting for this loyalty oath but does Leigh have a better idea of how to deal with this situation, that threatens the very existence of Israel?
Straw number four: Israel’s failed attempt to pull out of Gaza.
As someone who is so keen to take action, I wonder if Leigh knows that Israel has tried to pull out of Gaza one-sidedly while evacuating thousands of settlers, and give the Palestinian leaders the country they allegedly long for so badly. Yes, it happened 5 years ago and it was a total failure because Hamas is not really interested in peace or in an independent country next to the Jewish Israel. It openly declares that its ambition is to wipe Israel off the face of the earth. Is that a straw that burdens Mr. Leigh at all?
If Leigh is taking such a strong political stand, I’m just wondering: does he have a solution in mind? I, for one, sure as hell don’t. But one thing I do know for sure: the way Leigh has chosen to act, is an atrocity if I ever saw one. Maybe this is his way to deal with the growing anti-Israeli atmosphere in Europe, and a way to feel that he belongs. But judging from history that tends to repeat itself, I’m not sure that’s going to help him much. In the past, Jews who tried to side with the anti-Semitic trends did not end up protecting themselves (i.e. holocaust). They were persecuted just like everyone else. So bottom line, Mr. Leigh? It may be a lot less popular, but also a lot more heroic, to come out against the anti-Israeli media bias in Europe, which paints an atrociously biased and incorrect picture. Because by your irresponsible actions this week what you did was not only to endanger the future of Israel, you also made it worse for yourself.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on October 21, 2010
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