Saturday 20 August 2016

Do the Crime, Do the Time

Another European match, another UEFA fine for Celtic seemingly coming up, due to the selfish, self-indulgent student union politicking by the Green Brigade.

Think that's harsh? Check out their website where they say this about themselves:

With a vibrant and somewhat controversial history, the Green Brigade aim to fuse together Ultra culture with politics in the stands of Celtic Park and beyond. This aspect has led to many conflicts with the police, security and the Club itself over the years, yet remain the core foundations of the group which has continued to enjoy support from the wider Celtic family.

This group, which does contribute greatly to the atmosphere inside Celtic Park, is not merely a group of diehard Celtic fans willing to stand, jump up and down and sing for 90 minutes. They have an overtly political agenda and their very purpose is to thrust it upon the rest of us. They know full well their politicising of their support for Celtic will get the club into bother, but apparently (if this statement on their website is anything to go by) they are proud of it.

Now as Celtic fans, with a section all of their own and recently given a shiny new makeover to meet their special requirements, I have no problem with them at all.

I don't even have a problem with their politics, very little of which I share. What I do have a problem with is their imposition of their politics on the rest of us. They present their political opinions, which they take every opportunity to display for all to see in the stadium, as somehow intrinsic to the Celtic identity. This goes further online at least, where any dissent over their politics is met with aggression, abusiveness and bullying, if not by the group itself, but by people who associate themselves with it.

I've taken so much heat on Twitter this past week for saying there should be no pro-Palestinian protest at the Happoel match.

I've been told I can't possibly be a Celtic fan. One Green Brigade affiliate told me on behalf of the entire Celtic support that I am, "not welcome."

I've been told to "Get tae f***," and been called "A right-wing Catholic nut-job," Imagine that - anti-Catholic abuse from a Celtic fan! Here's someone else they would no doubt have thought a "right-wing Catholic nut-job:



That's just a flavour of the abuse I've taken from people associated with the Green Brigade (and I know they don't speak for the organisation, but they seem fairly typical of their type). I'm thick-skinned enough to take it. In moments of weakness I give as good as I get, though I feel awful for descending to the level of the Timtafada political wing of our support.

If you step out of line, you will come under attack. Some of them launch straight into a tirade of abuse, others initially try to reason with you. But when you are not swayed by their arguments, they soon resort to the abuse too.

As a support, we are being bullied into line. We're being told that the Green Brigade's left-wing politics is part and parcel of being a Celtic supporter and what makes you a Celtic supporter is not merely a love of the club, but embracing certain left-wing causes. Deviance from just one is social death.

Anyway, having spent the best part of a week, along with the moderate majority of our support, many of whom are not afraid to speak out, warning that a pro-Palestinian protest would bring us yet another punishment from UEFA, it was with some amusement that I watched the reaction unfold on Twitter last night.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not happy about the fine. Quite the opposite. What makes me laugh is the ridiculous reaction from the Timtafada to a punishment they were well warned of.

Now one of the things that was endlessly repeated over the course of the past week, was that you were a, "Panty-wetter" if you were worried about a UEFA fine. "F*** UEFA," we were endlessly told, "who cares if we get a fine?"

Well, evidently, the Timtafada cares as they whinged incessantly about the unfairness of the UEFA punishment they wilfully and knowingly brought down on the club.

So we've established one thing at least. Like the similarly in denial Sevco fans, they do care. Like all narcissistic, self-indulgent brats, they long to be loved. They basked for almost 24 hours in the love of the pro-Palestinian movement, then reacted with bewilderment when they realised UEFA didn't love them or their display. They simply can't understand why UEFA have a problem with their display.

Here are eight objections that I have seen constantly on Twitter last night and this morning in no particular order:

  1. "There's nothing political about waving a national flag." This the equivalent of the defender caught in the act of raking his studs down the back of the forward's calf then pulling an innocent face, arms outstretched as the referee races towards him with his hand in his back pocket to pull out the yellow card. "What did I do wrong?" he pleads? "I only waved a Palestinian flag," as if this was not clear as day a political demonstration to publicise the Palestinian cause. Celtic, thanks to the Green Brigade, have been caught bang to rights. You weren't just waving a flag.
  2. "It's an absurd rule, so it's absurd to punish Celtic." This may well be true. Maybe it is an absurd rule, but that is to spectacularly miss the point. It is the rule and if you break it, you will be punished for it. They were told beforehand. They were well-warned and they said they didn't care. So don't now complain about being punished for something you did in the full knowledge we would be punished for it! Here you may be told "rules are made to be broken." A mindless soundbite. You break the rules, you get punished for it.
  3. "Ajax fans fly the Israeli flag." This is classic whataboutery. Some history re Ajax, which I'm positive can't be news to many people - Ajax have a strong affiliation with Amsterdam's Jewish population. Just like Celtic fans can fly Irish tricolours and it is not a political statement but a celebration of our identity, so too can Ajax supporters fly Israeli flags. It's not a political statement.
  4. "It's an attack on our freedom of expression." This is kind of the trump card. "I've got a right to express my support for Palestine and UEFA can't take it away from me." Well, the good news is, they don't. UEFA are not stopping you from waving a Palestinian flag to your heart's content outside the ground. But inside the ground, it is their competition, their rules. When you buy a ticket for any football match, you are in effect agreeing a contract between yourself and the organisers. Check any ticket stub next time you buy one. You accept their rules as a condition of entry. So if you don't like UEFA's rules because you feel they are taking away your right to freedom of expression, there's a very simple solution to your problem - don't attend. No one is forcing you to buy a ticket. If you feel the rule is unfair, lobby UEFA to get it changed. Don't go in and deliberately break the rule, then complain when the rules are enforced.
  5. "Barcelona fans fly the Catalan flag." More whataboutery. Yes they do. And Barcelona has been punished for it. Next!
  6. "UEFA held a minute's silence for Nelson Mandela and that was a political statement." Arguably it is, although I think you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who did not take a broadly positive view of the achievements of Nelson Mandela. But the rules do not prohibit UEFA from making political points. They decide what is, and is not, appropriate in their competitions. As a former Head of State of South Africa, and an almost universally-respected figure of monumental historical importance, it was hardly unexpected that UEFA would ask for silences on his death at their matches.
  7. "It wasn't political, it's standing up for the oppressed." That's not how UEFA see it. The problem for the Green Brigade here is that like all leftists, they seek to portray politics in moralistic terms. Then they can vilify anyone who doesn't agree with them as nasty, evil bigots. There are two sides to the Palestinian conflict and this was a demonstration in support of one side, which seeks the destruction of the other. What makes it overtly political for me is, that there are many oppressed peoples around the world. To give just three current examples, the Tibetans, Yemenis and Kurds. Last season, Celtic played Fenerbahce, surely an ideal opportunity for the Green Brigade to show their support for the Kurdish people, treated as third class citizens in Turkey, denied statehood and subject to unfair imprisonment and aerial bombing. Did the Green Brigade wave Kurdish flags en masse to highlight their plight? Muslim-on-Muslim oppression I suspect, may just not be sexy enough for them.
  8. "Israel is an apartheid state like South Africa was. The world of sport united in standing against them." This one is just hysterical nonsense. Roughly 20% of the population of Israel is Arab Muslim (Palestinian). They enjoy equal rights in Israel. They have their own political parties, they can vote freely, they have access to exactly the same educational and health institutions as Jewish and Christian citizens. There are high-ranking Arab-Israeli army generals, Arab supreme court judges (one of whom handed a former Israeli PM a custodial sentence), university professors etc. There are no laws in the state of Israel which treat Arab citizens differently from Jewish Actually, there is one - unlike Jewish citizens, Arab Muslim citizens of Israel are not subject to conscription into the armed forces, although they are free to serve if they so desire. Arab-Israelis enjoy far greater rights in Israel than Jews enjoy anywhere else in the Middle East. In fact, Palestinian citizens of Israel enjoy far greater rights than Palestinian residents in any other Middle Eastern country. Israel is not an apartheid state. It is in fact the only functioning liberal democracy in the region. It is not perfect, but certainly preferable to the surrounding Islamist dictatorships which want to wipe it from the map.

Just as an aside, another thing that made me laugh out loud in midweek was the people complaining about the Daily Record reporting on their protest. Honestly, they hold a demo to publicise the Palestinian cause, then complain when a paper... well... publicises it!

And of course to top it off, they insisted they didn't care if UEFA fined the club, then when UEFA charge the club, they have a tantrum about how corrupt and despicable UEFA are for... er... charging the club.

So when you hear Green Brigade sympathisers complaining about the club being fined by UEFA because they insisted on doing what they wanted to do and put their desires above the interests of the club, remind them of the old adage - if you do the crime, you do the time. Just stop crying about it.


49 comments:

  1. Hi Daniel, I have mixed feelings about the GB and have done since I was kicked off their forum around 2008-09 for having the audacity to hold and express an opinion that ran contrary to the hive. Prior to being banned, I was abused, threatened (one guy told me he'd set his wee dug on me) and my credentials as a Celtic fan questioned by people who were clearly half my age and had never had to navigate an ankle deep in urine, Jungle toilet at half time in a freezing cold January wondering if Owen Archdeacon might come on in the second half to liven things up a bit:-)))

    I realise that I can't assume these cretins were representative of the entire group, but the experiences of others - such as yourself - tell me that this intolerance and ill-informed political posturing isn't uncommon among their ranks.

    For what it was worth, on political threads, the knowledge and understanding of the issues being discussed on their forum, was woeful and embarrassing. But like most zealots, they were absolutely certain of that they were right in whatever stances they took.

    My crime? Living in London, I pointed out to an almost exclusively Scottish based segment, that the tube strikes around that time, had a very negative effect on millions of people, the vast majority of whom were lucky to be earning 50% of a tube drivers salary and prevented cleaners, shop workers, nurses etc from getting to work. This brought rage and incredulity. The actions of the Union were not to get a driver who had been caught drunk and rightly been sacked, to get his job back, but were in actual fact a revolutionary strike against our oppressors and in any case, lots of people who wear suits would be inconvenienced and everyone knows that if you wear a suit, you're a banker or some other type of millionaire and a wan&er, naturally.

    I kid you not!

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    1. played against owen archdeacon he was at Gourock Utd and was at greenock shamrock. thought he was woeful at celtic and found it hard to pay money to watch him if im honest Brian !

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  2. I agree with every word you've written,the last time we played an Israeli team there was horrific racist and sectarian abuse shouted by morons sitting near me,exactly the kinds of behaviour they slaughter sevco for. We as a club should not be held to ransom by the GB,they accuse the club frequently of not spending enough cash,but are perfectly happy to pour the club's money down the uefa drain.
    Let's face it,a lot of their "protest's" are very childish, they certainly contribute greatly to the atmosphere, but they are not the club,they are not the only supporters, and they do not spreak for us all.

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    1. Some of the videos I've seen posted on YouTube of these people confronting Happoel fans, including young women, on Wednesday have been really quite disturbing.

      They just come across as intolerant thugs and exactly the image of Celtic we don't want to project.

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  3. Thanks for your comment Brian. The people half your age calling your credentials into question particularly resonates with me.

    I told one of them this week that Kenny Dalglish captained the first Celtic team I saw play and asked him how old he was?

    He refused to say and just made some comment about me thinking because I'm old I'm a proper Celtic fan!

    I'm generally very supportive of trades unions but I respect the right of anyone to hold an alternative view, something out GB friends have yet to attain the maturity to accept.

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  4. That was a great read. You said it all.

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  6. It makes me laugh, "moderate majority of our support", how do you know, or are you trying to tell me you have spoken to them all, you have never spoken to me or any of my fellow Celtic supporting friends, so don't you dare make all encomoassing statements like that, I will totally ignore the crap in point 8 because that it what it is.

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  7. Hi Roger. Thanks for your contribution and I have deleted the duplicate post.

    I'd imagine that the concentration of Palestinian flags in the GB section and the dearth of flags in the rest of the stadium might provide a clue.

    Even if you'd like to argue we can't say the majority were not with the GB just because they didn't have flag, by the same token we can't say they were with the GB on that evidence.

    In any case, I'd say it is reasonable to assume that the majority in any large group are broadly moderate.

    As to Point 8, you in actual fact did *not* ignore it, you chose to dismiss it as 'crap.'

    Would you care to explain exactly how anything in Point 8 is not correct?

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    1. Yes, you can look at the United nations organisation, the committee for the eradication of discrimination, you can go and look at the (over) 60 laws passed by the Israeli Knesset which are classed as racist and discriminatory, going back to football you can look at how Palestinian footballers and supporters are regularly detained while trying to get to andcwstch games, Israel has been slapped on the wrist for that, but it doesn't get the same reporting because according to the main stream media Israel can do no wrong, you once again say that we can assume, no you can't and don't try to, one reason why the flags were predominately in one section might be because they were handed out near that section, or have you not considered that, apologists for Israeli terror really don't like it when ordinary people point it out do they.

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    2. You'll have to find those references for me Roger, the onus is on you to prove your claim. I still contend that Palestinians in Israel have greater rights than they do in any Arab country.

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    3. Cerd, a UN body, not my making it up, the 60+ laws on the Israeli statute books would take an awful long time to reprint, they have a website, also the discrimination faced daily by Palestinian footballers etc. is also well documented, once again to reprint would take an awful long time, the evidence is there on official websites, millions of Palestinians living under Israeli military law in the west bank and Gaza would find your comment about thier rights laughable,

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  8. "think you'd be hard pushed to find anyone who did not take a broadly positive view of the achievements of Nelson Mandela."

    Think again! He was called a terrorist by the Prime Minister of our country.US Presidents opposed trade sanctions against White South Africa. Their state department viewed Mandela as a dangerous communist.Dick Cheney voted against a motion calling for his prison release. Even hen he was invited to the White House, he was still officially on the US terrorist watch.

    I think we should wait and see how this plays out. I suspect a quiet £20k fine as UEFA do not want to draw attention to one of their stupid rules. What if, these protests become more widespread against more clubs than Celtic? What if UEFA quietly drop their stupid rule? Would it then have been worth it?

    After all, the US and UK stopped seeing Mandela as a communist and terrorist so much so that the position they held towards him for most of his life, is now seen by you as a "rarely held view". It was not

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    1. In the 1980's here were mixed views on Mandela. That changed not because of any reinterpretation of the actions that landed him in prison but rather because he almost single-handedly managed the transition from apartheid to democracy without the threatened bloodbath.

      By the time he died he was almost universally revered.

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    2. My timeline goes from the 60s to his release when he was still on a terrorist watch list.
      There was always a strong left wing and humanist support of his stance. That was not shared by Western States and their politicians till it became a fait acccompli.

      Careful lest your memory lets you slip into revisionism on this. His release needed pressure and protest, and, violence by the S. African state and the oppressed was a constant feature, as it was with Ghandi.

      Very few changes of power are achieved without it.

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    3. Apartheid changed because of international pressure, including boycotts, including sporting, cultural and trade, which governments generally didnt support, the amount of milltary pressure through violence against the state was negligible.

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    1. Good point sftb's, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter, menachin begin murdered over 200 brit soldiers in one bombing, he went on to be Israel prime minister, Palestinians do not want to destroy Israel, you really should try to be more factually accurate.

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    2. Hamas' Charter calls for the destruction of Israel and an Islamic state from the river to the sea.

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    3. Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, has stated that the charter is irrelevant and history, but for historical reasons cant be chsnged, but will eventually be, Hamas has said that if Israel withdrawals to its 1967 boundaries and allows the return of refugees (something the United Nations had also called for) then there will be no more armed struggle, Israel has refused.

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    4. I can't blame Israel for not trusting that. Of course the charter can be changed if there is a will to change it. That's a real cop out.

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    5. The same way that it took the Irish free state so long to drop its claim to Ulster, no wonder my government doesnt trust the Irish.

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    6. The same way that it took the Irish free state so long to drop its claim to Ulster, no wonder my government doesnt trust the Irish.

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    7. Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, has stated that the charter is irrelevant and history, but for historical reasons cant be chsnged, but will eventually be, Hamas has said that if Israel withdrawals to its 1967 boundaries and allows the return of refugees (something the United Nations had also called for) then there will be no more armed struggle, Israel has refused.

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    8. Ismail Haniyeh, leader of Hamas, has stated that the charter is irrelevant and history, but for historical reasons cant be chsnged, but will eventually be, Hamas has said that if Israel withdrawals to its 1967 boundaries and allows the return of refugees (something the United Nations had also called for) then there will be no more armed struggle, Israel has refused.

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  11. You make your points well Daniel. Sad that your blog has been consumed with tiresome politics instead of the game we all love. The moral high ground is a very slppery surface and even people quoting Sir Bob Kelly for taking a stance against a team from a communist country complicit in national aggression. How many other countries could refuse to play us for being from a country that invaded iraq and murdered so many innocent people

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    1. It is Daniel who initiated the political discussion, the moral high ground I'd a great place to be.

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    2. This blog post is a reaction to the pro-Palestinian flag protest and its fall-out.

      I didn't initiate it.

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    3. Thank you Alasdair.

      It would have been a different matter entirely if Celtic Football Club had taken some sort of stance on the Palestinian issue, but it has not.

      The situation is far more complex than the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia and Celtic are correct to not want to get involved like Bob Kelly did in 1968.

      My point though is that Celtic is a football club and the GB are trying to politicise supporting Celtic, imposing their left-wing politics on the rest of us.

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    4. Inaccurate comments about there being no racist and discriminatory laws in Israel, calling people selfish and self indulgent, a bit like the selfish and indulgent people who disrupted south African teams tours to this country, was that self indulgent, pressure on oppressive governments is how they change, there has been a missile attack on Israel this morning, I condemn it, I also condemn the over reaction of the Israeli idf, the sooner Israel does what the UN asks them to do the sooner protests like Wednesday will be a thing of the past,

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    5. Inaccurate comments about there being no racist and discriminatory laws in Israel, calling people selfish and self indulgent, a bit like the selfish and indulgent people who disrupted south African teams tours to this country, was that self indulgent, pressure on oppressive governments is how they change, there has been a missile attack on Israel this morning, I condemn it, I also condemn the over reaction of the Israeli idf, the sooner Israel does what the UN asks them to do the sooner protests like Wednesday will be a thing of the past,

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  13. Selfish and self indulgent, those are words that were used to describe us when we were campaigning against apartheid, which I did for years, would you have used those words to describe the suffregettes, or the people who campaign(ed)to end discrimination in the 6 counties.

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    1. I've no problem with you protesting about anything you like outside Celtic Park.

      But when you insist that despite the fact you are going to get Celtic in bother with UEFA (yet again) by your actions, that you are going to go right on ahead anyway, then yes you are being selfish and self-indulgent.

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  14. Selfish and self indulgent, those are words that were used to describe us when we were campaigning against apartheid, which I did for years, would you have used those words to describe the suffregettes, or the people who campaign(ed)to end discrimination in the 6 counties.

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  15. Hey Dan, this is Rogers brother Tony ... I work in Jordan, which made Palestinian refugees full citizens, & so having more rights than the palestinians in israel, where they are constantly discriminated against as second class citizens. My wife has just come back from a work visit to Gaza, and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if you tried to tell her that the Israelis policies against the palestinians there aren't bordering on genocide. Go and read something about the illegal settlement building on Palestinian land, and tell me how its different to the American treatment of the native American Indians. You have a point to argue about whether the gb are infringing on the rights of other supporters to follow Celtic as they see fit, but your comments on Israel and its treatment of the palestinians are ill-informed and, quite frankly, risible.

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  16. Hey Dan, this is Rogers brother Tony ... I work in Jordan, which made Palestinian refugees full citizens, & so having more rights than the palestinians in israel, where they are constantly discriminated against as second class citizens. My wife has just come back from a work visit to Gaza, and I wouldn't want to be in your shoes if you tried to tell her that the Israelis policies against the palestinians there aren't bordering on genocide. Go and read something about the illegal settlement building on Palestinian land, and tell me how its different to the American treatment of the native American Indians. You have a point to argue about whether the gb are infringing on the rights of other supporters to follow Celtic as they see fit, but your comments on Israel and its treatment of the palestinians are ill-informed and, quite frankly, risible.

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  17. Great blog post Dan it's just a shame you even had to write it. Some of the poison I have had the displeasure of reading from an element within our support has been shocking. While many are coming from a good hearted place (some misguided perhaps) others have displayed intolerance to a disgraceful level. I'm not sure how to describe these people? Perhaps left wing fascists fits but whatever their politics their hate & racism is clear to see. This element should have no place at Celtic & I'm saddened to have seen little backlash towards them online. Not sure how to eradicate this scum from our club but we must stand up to it whenever we see it. So kudos to you for this blog post & much of what you say on Twitter.

    Anyone travelling to the away game should perhaps stop as many Arab Israeli's as they can & ask them a simple question.

    What's life like for you in Israel & would you prefer to live elsewhere in the Middle East?

    I'm sure you'll get a cross section of opinion but most will no doubt tell you they have more freedom in Israel than they would anywhere else. Who knows you may just have your eyes opened to who in the region are really the "oppressors". Israel is a diverse nation, people of all creeds, faiths & sexual orientation are welcomed. This is not the case in most countries around the Middle East. Stay safe, open your eyes & ears, enjoy a beautiful country but most of all enjoy the game. H.H.

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  18. Oh & if fans have a chance to do one thing other than go to the game they should visit Yad Vashem perhaps it will give some a better perspective.

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  19. Some of the poison you have read, then you describe me as a fascist, you are pathetic, learn your facts, listening to people who have been, or actually live there might help, until then grow up, Palestinians do not enjoy rights in Israel, they are subject to arbitrary arrest, torture, and extrajudicial executions, they have thier land stolen by illegal settlements, they are subjected to collective punishment, which is illegal under international law, they are restricted in thier movements every day, I could go on, how much are you being paid by the Israelis to write such crap because anyone with a brain, who has studied the Palestinian situation woukd never put such rubbish in print.

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  20. "how much are you being paid by the Israelis to write such crap"

    An absolute fucking fortune mate. Why are you jealous?

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    1. No, i am happy being a decent human being who doesn't believe the rubbish put out by a hard line bunch of racists which is what (unfortunaly ) the Israeli state is, if you would care to reply to my points it would be appreciated, I do not need to go to had vasham, my trips to Auschwitz and Birkenhau to see the horrors of the naxis was harrowing enough, it is a shame that the Israelis are now practicing some of the same policies, the abused truly has become ghe sbuser, i am not your mste, not now, not never, nkne of my "mates" are as ignorant and ill informed as you are.

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  21. Some of the poison you have read, then you describe me as a fascist, you are pathetic, learn your facts, listening to people who have been, or actually live there might help, until then grow up, Palestinians do not enjoy rights in Israel, they are subject to arbitrary arrest, torture, and extrajudicial executions, they have thier land stolen by illegal settlements, they are subjected to collective punishment, which is illegal under international law, they are restricted in thier movements every day, I could go on, how much are you being paid by the Israelis to write such crap because anyone with a brain, who has studied the Palestinian situation woukd never put such rubbish in print.

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    1. First of all I never replied to you so no idea where you got that from?

      I have no desire to get into a long winded discussion on middle eastern politics with you or anyone else online for that matter. I will say however that you jump to conclusions all over the place without once highlighting the issues on the other side. I'm glad you've visited Auschwitz & Birkenau for people who haven't though then Yad Vashem is the next best place to go. No idea why you'd be against doing so if you had such a profound experience at those murderous death camps? However for anyone to compare these unthinkable atrocities to the current situation defies belief & I'm sure you realise is also deeply offensive.

      Yes I have been on the ground in Israel & I have friends of all faiths who currently live there. They all wish for peace but are realistic to realise that it's impossible. Not because of the will of the people within Israel be them Christian, Jew, Muslim or other but because of influences beyond their control. Unfortunately hate is good for business in the Middle East & it suits many players outwith Israel, Gaza & the West Bank to continue the conflict. The people are pawns in a far wider game. My issue with people like yourself is you never speak of the ordinary man, woman & child on both sides of the fence. Only look for the bad on one side never the good, while looking for the good on the other side & never the bad.

      I don't pretend to suggest everything Israel does is spot on but they are the only shining light amongst a cespit of radical ideologies. 20% of the population of Israel is Arab the third largest party is also Arab. Can you tell me a country in the Middle East who have as many Jews amongst their population or within positions of power?

      It's funny. While my original post was not aimed at you, you chose to attack it but ignore the question I suggested to the fans who are travelling.

      I wonder why that was? Are you afraid of the answers? Maybe the responses won't tie in with your warped views? Who knows, God Forbid they may come back with a positive impression of a great country with good people. Now wouldn't that be a shame for you. ;)

      Ultimately the one thing we should be able to agree on is we both want peace, security & freedom for all in that part of the world. I believe the only way to achieve this is to support both peoples and not to alienate or pick sides. As to do so only continues the very hatred & intolerance that fuels this whole awful mess.

      You may choose to reply to this you may not. Personally I hope you choose not to for the reason I stated earlier. In that I don't want to get into a massive debate here as like the conflict it's never ending. + many better minds than ours have tried & failed to find a suitable solution.

      So I reiterate & finish with this thought. All anyone should be supporting is for peace & security for all. I won't discriminate & neither should any decent thinking human being.

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  22. One last thing - Here's a tweet from a fellow flag waver - Are you happy to be associated with this kind of scum Roger?

    Frontier Psychiatrist "The world's oldest gold artefact has been discovered in Bulgaria and surprisingly not in the closed fist of a long dead jew."

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  23. Please explain sabra and chatila where Israel was found to be complicit in the massacre of hundreds of civilians, the numbers are different but the crime remains the same, Please explain why Israel totally ignores international law at every opportunity regarding illegally occupied land,and illegal settlements, please explain the 60 + laws that have been identified as racist by UN bodies, please explain how keeping millions, 2.8 million in the west bank and 1.8million in Gaza of people under military rule is acceptable, you can't, israel is a disgrace, the fact that is is not as bad as others does not make it acceptable, yes racism and racists are the scum of the earth, and I condemn all racists, unfortunately that includes the state of Israel, which should really know better.

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  24. Please explain sabra and chatila where Israel was found to be complicit in the massacre of hundreds of civilians, the numbers are different but the crime remains the same, Please explain why Israel totally ignores international law at every opportunity regarding illegally occupied land,and illegal settlements, please explain the 60 + laws that have been identified as racist by UN bodies, please explain how keeping millions, 2.8 million in the west bank and 1.8million in Gaza of people under military rule is acceptable, you can't, israel is a disgrace, the fact that is is not as bad as others does not make it acceptable, yes racism and racists are the scum of the earth, and I condemn all racists, unfortunately that includes the state of Israel, which should really know better.

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