Unwrapping the truth from the standard left wing shrieking over Israel can be somewhat difficult. It’s not just that fine line between anti-Zionism and anti-semitism. Nor the manner in which so many Europeans seem to hate the only middle eastern state that is even remotely European in its standard of living etc. It’s near always necessary to peer through what is being said on the surface in order to winkle out what the underlying point is.
Take this:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Israel to auction prefab classrooms donated by EU to PalestiniansCalls for Israeli authorities to rebuild West Bank structures confiscated by military[/perfectpullquote]
The EU sends classrooms into Israel to be used by the Palestinians and the soldiers come and steal them? Is that it?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””] Israel’s defence ministry plans to hold an auction next week to sell two prefabricated classrooms that were donated to Palestinian schoolchildren by the EU. The Civil Administration, the body tasked with running the occupation, tore down and confiscated the classrooms last October. They had been intended for 49 students, in grades one to six, in Ibziq, in the northern occupied West Bank. An advertisement published in the Israeli newspaper Maariv said the sale would take place at Civil Administration offices in the West Bank. After the classrooms were dismantled, the EU mission to Jerusalem and Ramallah condemned Israeli authorities and called on them to rebuild the structures in the same place “without delay”. [/perfectpullquote]Well, yes, that does seem to be it. Except, except, peer a little closer:
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]A list of auction items, seen by the Guardian, showed dates, item numbers, locations and descriptions that matched the confiscated classroom structures. The sale also appeared to include material confiscated from Palestinians and Israeli settlers who built without authorisation.[/perfectpullquote]Also….authorisation. Umm, do they mean planning permission here?
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Palestinians have limited autonomy in parts of the West Bank, mostly urban areas, but Israel maintains full control of most of the territory and demolishes homes and buildings it says were built without permission.[/perfectpullquote]Well, yes, we might be talking about planning permission here. And it would be a useful pieces of reporting, an addition to the news we have about our world, if we were told, properly, wouldn’t it?
That is, why have the classrooms been seized? A useful assumption would be that if they’re to be auctioned along with materials from places built without planning permission then the classrooms were put up without planning permission. Obviously, that may or may not be the correct explanation which is why we’d hope a news report clarified it for us.
Leading to the question, do Palestinians have to obey planning permission laws. And if not, why not?
Nor the manner in which so many Europeans seem to hate the only middle eastern state that is even remotely European in its standard of living etc. A bit of an aside,, but that actually makes a lot of sense. The Left wing seem to hate European culture and lifestyles per se, and applaud any less sophisticated culture. Indeed, ANY other culture. An interesting thought – if an alien, more technically advanced culture were to visit us from another star system, would the Left wing admire that culture as being non-European, or would they hate it for being advanced, and… Read more »
The counter argument is to look at the Israeli entrants to the EuroVision. Plenty from the LGBTXYZ+ crowd to get behind. The rest of their neighbours would throw these people off a tall building. So why the hate from the Left?
More and more it becomes obvious that the Left do not actually have any principles they believe in, but will simply make up arguments as required to attack their opponents.
Unfortunately, the Conservatives similarly do not have any principles, but meekly concede all the left wing arguments….
Cmon Tim, you know as well as anyone else that land and building things in the West Bank and Gaza is subject to the rule of international politics, not the rule of law. It’s not at all the same as planning permission in the home counties.
Israeli planning law being well known to even handed.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-new-residential-building-for-jewish-settlement-in-hebron-gets-go-ahead-1.6614054
oh wait its totally not