A tale of two Independents, reporting on Palestine and BDS

Today the Independent on Sunday (UK) published an excellent article titled: “Israel is new South Africa as boycott calls increase.” The article reports on Madonna’s concert for “peace” in Tel Aviv and on the growing movement for BDS against apartheid Israel. After consultation with PACBI (Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel) and various other groups involved in the BDS campaign, Jonathan Owen wrote a comprehensive and informed piece which makes a clear correlation between South Africa and Israel.

The article quotes Omar Barghouti from PACBI and also Saeed Amireh, a peace activist from Nilin in the West Bank: “We don’t have freedom of movement. They don’t want peace; they just want us to disappear. They are suppressing our very existence.” Saeed and his brother made this excellent video showing how they couldn’t get to Madonna’s concert because of Israel’s discrimination against them as Palestinians.

Owen’s piece has been shared widely on social media and is one of the most viewed, shared and commented on pieces in that newspaper. It is indicative of BDS becoming increasingly mainstream. That the article is unusual for actually consulting with Palestinians and listening to their voices is an indictment of media in general. In the recent media storm in Ireland about the Dervish cancellation and the BDS camapign, Palestinian voices were absent, and the fake Israeli narrative about boycotts harming people was privileged.

I have no doubt that the Zionists will attack the Independent on Sunday and the journalist but their hysteria will only vindicate the campaign and the piece. If BDS was as ineffective as they keep telling us, they wouldn’t go to such great lengths to try to thwart it.

In stark contrast to the London Independent piece, the Irish Sunday Independent appears to have a concerted agenda to support Israeli apartheid, vilify BDS supporters and either dismiss or tell outright lies about the Palestinian people. There have been numerous articles attacking the IPSC and BDS, as well as gushing opinion pieces on the wonders of Israel. There have also been personal attacks on IPSC Cultural Liaison Boycott officer Raymond Deane, such pieces are  badly written drivel and beneath contempt.

The ‘Sindo’ agenda is clear but it has taken a step up with today’s review of Madonna’s concert in Tel Aviv. Is it usual for the Independent to send one of its top columnists abroad to review gigs? Well, Barry Egan was sent to apartheid Israel to attend the Material One’s travesty against peace.

His piece manages to stick rigidly to his paper’s policy of totally bypassing the Palestinian people and ignoring their BDS call, they are not mentioned once. Did Barry not realise that this was a concert for “peace”?? He also manages the impressive feat of being both sycophantic and insulting to Madonna with misogynistic comments about her bum. Oh, the Sindo – racism, sexism…. they’ve got the lot.

As Israel, through its racism and increasingly fascist behaviour, exposes itself, the BDS campaign will become more successful and Palestinian voices will be heard more often. The apartheid analogy has moved into the mainstream and is used more and more often to refer to Israel, truth will always out.

What artists will want to be associated with such a vile regime when they could align themselves with the vibrant, positive, rights-based Palestinian BDS campaign? Those that do will join the roll of shame of those who played in apartheid South Africa and newspapers like the Irish Independent will go down as having actively supported Israeli apartheid.

Israel is the new South Africa? Damn right it is, and just as that apartheid fell, so will this. Free Palestine, BDS is unstoppable!