Righteous gentiles revisited

In 2016 I wrote an article for The Jewish Chronicle about the journalists and commentators I called “the righteous gentiles”: “Many of the best writers about Israel and antisemitism today are not Jewish,” I wrote. I listed Colonel Richard Kemp, former Commander of the British forces in Afghanistan; Professor Alan Johnson, editor of Fathom; Daniel Johnson, then the editor of Standpoint (and now of TheArticle); Douglas Murray, the author and commentator who writes regularly for The Spectator; Fraser Nelson, editor of The Spectator; and Andrew Neil, broadcaster and chairman of The Spectator. There were, of course, many more.

“These writers and commentators,” I wrote, “defend Israel, both in terms of specific policies and its right to exist, but they also end up attacking Islamic fundamentalism.” But, crucially, they see the battle over Israel as part of a much larger conflict concerning Islam, violence in the Middle East, and, beyond that, the state of Western civilisation. This is why Israel matters for them. They see it as a key part of the West, past and present. Its enemies are not just antisemites. They are enemies of the West and all our values.

Seven years later the debate over Israel and Hamas has become even more urgent. Not just because of the terrible atrocities committed against so many Israeli civilians, because of the fate facing almost two hundred hostages or because of the plight of so many civilians in Gaza, but also because of the shameful role of Iran and the danger that this conflict may jeopardise the Abraham Accords.

It is time to praise “the righteous gentiles” again. I would also like to add some new names to the list, Professor Matt Goodwin, Nick Timothy, Martin Bright and John Ware among them. Take this response by Matt Goodwin, Professor of Politics at the University of Kent, when he appeared on the BBC’s Politics Live on 16 October:

Our national broadcaster, the BBC, refusing to describe the Nazi and ISIS-inspired Hamas as “terrorists” —despite using the term before, despite the terrorist group being proscribed by the British state, and despite two-thirds of the entire country thinking this is exactly what Hamas is —a group of terrorists.

Important symbols of Britain’s national community —like Wembley Stadium— refusing to show the colours of Israel in solidarity with British Jews, despite doing the same for Belgium, France, Turkey, Ukraine and LGBT communities.

Having to watch incredibly ugly scenes of British Jews being chased through the streets of London by supporters of Hamas, or people who display the flag of Israel being attacked and fearing they will be beheaded on Britain’s streets.

Observing Britain’s universities, which fell over themselves in 2020 to express solidarity with George Floyd and the terrorist-supporting and fraudulent Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, now suddenly falling strangely quiet.

Becoming aware that if you send your child to one of these universities there’s a good chance they’ll meet student union officers like Hanin Barghouti, at Sussex University, who described Hamas terrorism as “beautiful and inspiring”.

Or knowing they’ll almost certainly be exposed to the same ‘decolonisation’ theories which have seeped out of academe and the universities into almost all of our public institutions and have clearly played a direct role in setting the stage for the spread of Islamist terror…

Or having to watch the streets of London, our capital city, fill with pro-Hamas protests, dancing and celebrations, people openly calling for a ‘socialist intifada’, singing ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be ‘free’, and young people seemingly free to walk around while openly glorifying Islamist terror…

Or being keenly aware of the fact that while the leader of our likely next government, Keir Starmer, tries to reassure you ‘Labour has changed’, it’s not even four years to the day when he personally campaigned for Jeremy Corbyn, who described Hamas as ‘friends’ and now declines to condemn the group, to become prime minister…”

Goodwin also recently quoted an alarming YouGov poll. People in Britain were asked: “Which side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict do you sympathise with more?” Two disturbing trends stood out. 27% of Labour voters, more than one in four, said they sympathised more with Palestinians and only 9% with Israel, compared with 39% of Conservatives who supported Israel, while only 6% supported the Palestinians. Second, nearly 40% of 18-24 year olds supported Palestine and only 11% supported Israel.

In a recent article for The Spectator, “Britain must stand up against those who support Hamas”, Douglas Murray wrote, “Pro-Palestinian groups and leftists are already blaming the rape, murder and parading of these women as being caused by the ‘Israeli occupation’ (Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005).”  “Naturally,” Murray continues,

“the calls for ‘restraint’, ‘de-escalation’ and more poured in from the moment that the attacks became known. For Israel is the only country in the world which is expected to accept with equanimity the mutilation of its citizenry. All the people who think that there is a two-state solution on the table which could come about if only the Israelis tried a bit harder are back at it, apparently without knowing that they are singing a dead song. There is no two-state solution possible. Especially not now. Israel gave Gaza to the Palestinians and the Palestinians gave Israel Hamas and war. If anyone thinks the West Bank should be given similar autonomy then they are simply dreaming of the destruction of Israel.”

Best of all, Murray gave a superb talk at an event on Jewish leadership in London. Referring to a pro-Palestinian demonstration outside the Israeli embassy Murray said:

“These people were not protesting against the Israeli counter-measures – they hadn’t even had any counter-measures – they were protesting because Jews by the hundreds had been slaughtered in Israel and they wanted to wound us more.”

He added that it

“should not be acceptable that the Jewish community among all the communities in this diverse country should be the one community expected to accept with equanimity those who cheer on the murder of Jews and those who support the murder of Jews”.

Andrew Neil wrote on 15 October,

“Looking at these shameful pro-Hamas demonstrations in London and elsewhere yesterday it struck me that Israel must be the only country in the world that is attacked for being attacked by a murderous, fascist, infant-killing death cult — then is further attacked for having the temerity to retaliate against those who would erase it from the earth.” That same day, he wrote, “By far the most ubiquitous chant emanating from the protestors was for the destruction of Israel — which is Hamas policy (and the avowed aim of its Iranian backers).”

Peter Hitchens also doesn’t pull his punches either about the British liberal Left or about Hamas: “I often wonder what would happen if the British liberal left, or the governing figures of Hamas, ever met each other in each other’s homes, saw how each other lived etc. It is hard to think of two such comically ill-matched groups.” On the same day he replied to a critic, “You were nitpicking because you didn’t like to be reminded that Hamas kidnapped tiny children, while it was also slaughtering civilians in their homes. Not a good look for the Virtuous Left who have somehow allied themselves with such people.”

Nick Timothy, former Joint Chief of Staff to Theresa May, recently wrote in The Daily Telegraph,

“thousands of British nationals responded to a terrorist atrocity by protesting not against its perpetrators but against its victims. … Businesses and universities, so quick to support fashionable political causes, have suddenly rediscovered the importance of political neutrality, as they avoid commenting on both the Hamas attack and the backlash against Jews at work and on campus.”

Then there are a number of non-Jewish women who have spoken out in support of Israel. They include Allison Pearson, a columnist at The Daily Telegraph, Camilla Tominey, Associate Editor of The Daily Telegraph and Nimco Ali OBE, a social activist of Somali heritage.

On 10 October Pearson wrote a piece called, “The horror in Israel has put the failure of Western multiculturalism on shocking display,” writing “Civilisation is at a crossroads: one way, there are deluded progressives cheering on mass murderers – the other, everything we hold dear”. Nearly two weeks later, she wrote, “We must support British Jews and their right to live their lives in this country without fear. Otherwise, barbarism beckons.”

Camilla Tominey called on her readers to support the October Declaration from the British Friends of Israel, which condemns antisemitism and “all acts of terrorism against civilians in Israel.” She has consistently attacked all forms of antisemitism. She has been critical of the recent BBC coverage of Israel and on the 22 October wrote about what is happening in Britain, “What we are witnessing is nothing less than the continuity of ancient blood libels on the streets, in classrooms and in the media.”

Nimco Ali has also been a powerful voice standing up for Israel. She recently wrote, “I stand with Israel — why do people think because I’m black and Muslim I won’t?” She supports Israel, “just as I stand with other countries that are the victims of terror attacks. Yet people say anti-Semitic things in front of me and expect me to agree, or they grow angry at my condemnations of terror.”

Of course, there are numerous Jewish voices speaking out against Hamas, Iran and their supporters. But it is time to thank so many non-Jews who have supported Israel and the Jewish community in Britain. I mean two groups, in particular. First, all my many non-Jewish friends who have written movingly to me and my family over the past few weeks expressing their concern and support during this crisis. And, secondly, all the commentators and public intellectuals who have spoken out in support of Israel and criticised the bien-pensant Left, the BBC and, of course, Hamas. The latter, along with their paymasters in Iran and their hosts in Qatar, are responsible for all the terror experienced not only by Jews, but also by Palestinian civilians in Gaza over the past month.

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