Too Complicated for Weekender Columnist

I have been frustratingly following Khadija Bradlow’s weekly, post-eloquent rants about Israel in the Weekender – the weekend version of the reputable South African daily, the Business Day.

I don’t mind that Khadija Bradlow writes about the ills of Israeli society; it is the sheer nastiness of her articles that frustrates me. I can’t whinge about anyone and everyone who sides with the Palestinians – but Khadija doesn’t just side with one side over the other - she stabs at the very personal character of Jews living in Israel, caricaturising them as insensitively lost amidst all of their excesses (the bejewelled beach goers, matrons with expensive-looking teeth (huh?) etc…).

Khadija makes it clear that she hates complexity. Perhaps she doesn't like to think. For her, the Israel-Palestinian conflict is simple – in fact it’s black (read Palestinian) and white (read Israel). Her latest diatribe Zion is not for all Jews offers us her version of the conflict in a nutshell

Brutish, army-fatigue clad, “whitish” Israelis putting the daily boot into meek, keffiyeh-wearing, sun-burnished Palestinians.

Her latest column purports to investigate the inter-Jewish racism of Israel (actually, it is not her investigation – it comes from some Israeli ‘rags,’ as she describes some of Israel's biggest dailies). “All Jews may be equal, but some are more equal than others,” she says.

To support her prejudices she, of course, has to refrain from reminding us of the lengths that Israel has gone to absorb so many refugees from nations that oppressed their Jews. She also has to turn her mind away from the recent Israeli decision to absorb hundreds of Muslim and Christian refugees fleeing the violent racism of Sudan.

Her articles show a determined resolve to exaggerate the darkest louses of Israeli society – completely devoid of any contextual analysis. Context and analysis would complicate things you see. Childish metaphors are simpler and easier. In an earlier article (Freedom Gifted at Birth), she returns to a day spent in the sun on an Israeli beach where she remembers the jellyfish that kept her from the water.

The jellyfish are an irritation to the many bathers and surfers trying to enjoy their time in the sun. I see many a jellyfish lying, tentacles up, beached on the sand. Another unfortunate medusa is being hacked to pieces by a group of children on the sand. “Why must they be so cruel; why can’t they just let it swim away?” asks my eight-year-old daughter innocently. A peroxided and bejewelled beach-goer in the adjacent deck-chair chips in, in a thick Brooklyn accent: “Because they are bothering the children — we have to kill them before they sting any more of us.” We are mutely and stupidly too fried by the sun to engage. Then she pauses: “But then again, they were here before us, weren’t they? It’s their home, too …” her voice trails off as the waves crash around us. It is only later in the day, driving back to dusty, checkpoint-strangled, fortified Ramallah, that the irony of that conversation truly sinks in.

Poetic isn't it? Did she really notice the irony only later in the day? Perhaps only a writer who would use such a contrived metaphor can get away with such a delayed reaction.

Simpler still is the reason for the radically diminishing number of Christians in Bethlehem and Beit Jalla (Ongoing Battle for Faith). It’s got nothing to do with Palestinian Authority policies and actions that prevent the Christians from selling land to non-Muslims (an offence punishable by death). It’s not the arbitrary confiscation of Christian land by Muslim rulers. It’s not the pressure of being coerced into following Islamic laws. It’s not about falling victim to radically inspired violence (2 Christian sisters were recently shot at point blank range in their Bethlehem home. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade claimed responsibility ‘saying they wanted to cleanse the Palestinian house of prostitutes’) and it’s not the ruthless suppression of public criticism either. So what is driving Christians out of Palestine? It the Israelis STUPID!

It’s the constant reminder that here, like in many places in so-called “self-governing” Palestinian territory, it’s Israel who’s the boss.

Her take on Shimon Peres, viewed by many as a man of peace, is equally puerile. In fact, it's as simple as her metaphors are child-like – Peres is a wolf in sheep’s clothing (here, many Israelis would agree, but for somewhat different reasons).

The image of a peacemaker is one Peres has carefully crafted and cultivated, particularly to the outside world. [...] Of course, there are those who do know better. Who, with a simple whizzing through the history books, will know that the role of peacemaker well suits a man in his twilight years who would have the world forget his past incarnations as anything but.

The only time Khadija can bring herself to say anything positive about Israel is when there is a direct benefit to herself.

And it should be noted at this point that it’s not often one thinks fondly of Israel. For in Israel, you are indeed in the Promised Land — the land of Jewish hair. Where you may strut around in all your bushy glory, your hair and its needs understood, appreciated, well catered for and perhaps above all — unnoticed….I’ve walked the streets of London, Paris and New York — all known for their style-conscious populace — yet never seen as many hair salons per square kilometre as one finds in Jerusalem. There are at least five on every block.

Then there is her article entitled “None so blind as…” Khadija tells us about her horrible experience at the Jerusalem Film Festival where a film on the life of women in Afghanistan was being screened. Rather than crediting the Jewish filmgoers for being broadminded enough to attend a film with such a unique take on Muslim women (the film highlights how some women are empowered in Afghanistan) she sneers at them as “eager for a glimpse into the life of that 'oriental other,' the Muslim women."

After the film, two well-scented matrons with expensive-looking teeth caught Khadija’s attention.

Two well-scented matrons in tight perms with expensive-looking teeth were conversing at the top of their voices in strong New York accents. “They made that scene up; you could see it; she practised,” the one was saying to the other, who nodded sagely.

To be honest, in isolation I could laugh at Khadija’s description of these New York Jewish women with their “expensive looking teeth" (wtf?). The problem is the pattern of Khadija’s nasty targeted abuse where she tarnishes the collective by focusing on the faults of individuals.

Khadija readily admits that she can hardly speak a word of Hebrew, but she finds expressions simple enough to impute bigoted motives. She concludes

Given my limited Hebrew, I didn’t pick up many other comments. But expressions don’t need a dictionary: they were nearly all the same. Needless to say there was a great deal of “Shame!” and “tut-tut”.

She also believes that Hamas’ rule will be good for the Palestinians. Here we see how she hacks through complexity in order to focus on what she wants us to believe.

I am fervently hoping for the onward march of the Green Menace: maybe now we’ll get to know what happened to all that money. And they have promised to deliver: this week Hamas officials told Arab news television stations they had in hand a stash of documents detailing just how much funds destined for indigent Palestinians were siphoned off by Fatah apparatchiks and their friends.

I wonder if she will ever report on how Hamas is cracking down on the press? Last week AP reported on how Hamas is pressuring the media.

"If a single picture is shown on TV, you know what will happen," one security man said, drawing his finger across his throat. Another tried to take a photographer's camera. "I identified myself as a journalist and showed him my card, my press card," Muhammad Abu Sido, a cameraman for a Palestinian news service said. "But they kept on beating me and took the camera." The Foreign Press Association, which represents the foreign media in Israel and the Palestinian territories, condemned the Hamas actions against news-gatherers, calling them "premeditated harassment". "We have received a steady stream of reports describing physical intimidation and arrests of journalists," it said in a statement. "These incidents have occurred in different places and at different times suggesting a coordinated policy by Hamas security forces."

Simple is as simple does Khadija.

Comments

[Mike]

Wow!. you really fixed her. Brillaint post

[Gary]

There is only one word for the way Khadija demonizes an enire people- Racism!
Leftwing Israel-haters have not stopped at even demonizing Israeli children as Khadija does here about the jellyfish, and as others have done about Israeli children writing messages on missiles which were being sent as a retaliation against Hezbullah (after these children had been terrorized by Hezbullah rockets).
This demonization can only be to prepare the world for genocide of Israel's Jews.
And the protestation by the Left that it is not directed against Jews but against Israelis does not mtigate this hate speech either.
It is like sayin you are not a racist because you only hate South african Blacks, you have nothing against the American Blacks.
Is nati-Israel race hate the only type of race hate welcome in the media?
What other entire nationa and people can one demonize with impunity?

[Gary]

Remember Khadija also wrote that peace demonizing Israeli girl soldiers.
This type of hate really is reminiscent of Nazi propaganda agianst Jews.
It is directed against Israel's people, down to the last child, not against any government,policy or even ideology.

[Brett]

The fact that such openly racist articles are published in mainstream and 'respected' publications such as Business Day, only illustrates how deeply anti semitic the broader e piece had South African population is. If the piece had been on any other ethnic group the public and media control bodies would be in a frenzy.
I hate to sound like a broken record but even you admitted that its stinks of pre-Holocaust Germany.

[Gary]

Here is the proof od the pudding.
If I acused Khadija of anti-Semitism, she would say she was not reffering to Jews, only Israelis.
If I asked her if she meant Isreali Arabs too, she would say that, no, she only meant Israeli Jews.
That is the answer: Anti-Semitism.
It is entirely in keeping in the character of Islamists or rabidly leftist anti-Zionists that they should carry a rabid hatred of Israel to the point of defending the killers of Israeli children. Author Jacques Givet , in his remarkable book 'The Anti-Zionist Complex' refers to the massacres of Israeli children at Ma'alot and Kiryat Shmona in 1974 by the Marxist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. The author points out how prejudiced and unfair condemmnation of Israel in the United Nations has led to deeds: 'For moral denigration encourages physical elimination; a few days after the adoption of the resolution of November 1975, challenging the very existance of Israel, a bomb killed six young people (all of them refugees from Arab countries) in Jerusalem. The PLO forthwith claimed the credit for this feat, justifying it by reference to the United Nations resolution..."

In more recent years, Irish poet Tom Paulin explicitly called for the killing of Jewish civillians in Israel. A few days later , a five year old Jewish girl, Danielle Shefi, was shot dead in the Jewish village of Adura, by Arab terrorists , as she cowered under her bed. They also shot her baby brother. Journalists on the far left website indymedia openly gloated over and celebrated this murder. In 2002 leftist anti-Zionist journalist , Richard Calland , wrote in South Africa's far left Mail&Guardian that he "quietly celebrates Israeli casualties". Charlotte Kates , a law lecturer at Rutger University in New Jersey and an 'activist' of the pro-terror 'International Solidarity Movement' has endorsed the killing of Israeli children by Arab terrorists, calling Israeli children 'fair game'.

The same way, that the demonization of Jews by Hitler Goebbels and Der Sterner laid the way for the holocaust, I believe that the purpose of anti-Zionist propaganda is to pave the way for the genocide of Israel Jews.

[Immanuel]

Resist Islamic Supremacism - laugh at ourselves

Tzom metaheir - have a purefying fast

[Immanuel Sutter]

The editor who publishes Khadija's attempts at agitprop is irresponsible - but journalism is a reactive profession - where scoops of resentment are dished up for daily consumption - I don't believe such writing changes any one's opinion about anything; for those predisposed to dislike Israeli her writing serves as ammunition - but anything would, for those who love Israel her words are irrelevant and those who aren't interested won't wade through her articles anyway...as in the film "The Secret" an obsessive preoccupation with the myriad instances of anti-Semitism help them to keep on manifesting, how about two weeks where only philo-Semitic stories are focussed on - believe me there are many

By the way I've decided not to pay my SABC license this year - why support a partisan organisation that practices ethnic profiling, is contributing to the emergence of a one party state, and is increasingly been run by neo stalinists and scoundrels?

[Steve]

I hear you Immanuel. But I don't support your decision not to pay your license even if your motivations are legitimate.

If you ever watch SABC then you have to pay your license.

[Immanuel]

Hi Steve

You are correct, although, of course, when dialogue fails - and admittedly it hasn't in this case, the jury is still out - then there is always a case for civil disobedience.

On another note, have you seen
http://www.joi.org/about/index.shtml

The Jewish Outreach Organisation does good work with intermarried couples, and is a pro-active and reasonable response to intermarriage.

Your posts continue to be well articulated responses to some of the crass nonsense out there. Franz Auerbach, zichrono livracha, always said it is important to challenge lies and misrepresentation with written responses

Gemar chatima tova

[Steve]

Thanks Immanuel,
Always look forward to reading your thoughts.

Will take a look at the link.

Gmar Chatimah Tovah