You can even find Jews to support David Miller

A group of over 200 Jews have signed a letter to support Bristol University professor David Miller.

This came as the House of Lords debated his antisemitic actions, including his accusing Jewish students of being part of an anti-Islamic, pro-Israel lobby group. Excerpts of the debate:

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con) (responding for the Government)

Universities are independent and autonomous organisations. Accordingly, the Government have not intervened directly in this case, but we consider that the University of Bristol could do more to make its condemnation of Professor Miller’s conduct clear to current and future students. Students also can and should inform the police if they believe that the law has been broken. Professor Miller has expressed some ill-founded and reprehensible views and the Government wholeheartedly reject them.

Lord Austin of Dudley (Non-Afl)

Academics do have freedom of speech, including to criticise Israel, but Professor Miller does not have the right to attack Jewish students as being part of an Israel lobby group that makes Arab and Muslim students unsafe. Bristol should not be employing someone to teach students wild conspiracy theories about Jewish people. His behaviour has resulted in Jewish students being subjected to weeks of harassment and abuse. Bristol must support its students and take this much more seriously.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)

The noble Lord gets to the nub of the issue with his questions. Academics of course have the right to espouse views that many might find offensive, perhaps even idiotic, and universities should be places where such views can be rigorously and vigorously debated. What makes this case concerning is Professor Miller’s comments about his own students, suggesting that their disagreement with his views is because they are political pawns of a foreign Government or part of a Zionist enemy, which has no place in any society. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism draws the important distinction between legitimate criticism of the Government of Israel and their policies and holding Jews collectively responsible for them. We are glad that the University of Bristol has adopted that definition and we hope that it will consider it carefully.

Lord Mendelsohn (Lab)

Miller's supposed anti-Zionism is indistinguishable from antisemitism. The most famous example is this chart created by his Spinwatch group that purports to show relationships between disparate Zionist and Jewish organizations in Britain, all allegedly controlled by Israel,  all to give the false impression that they are all part of a massive unified front - in Miller's case, to attack Muslims and support Israeli racism.

This the exact same logic that the antisemites when they enumerate all the Jews who are involved in the media or government, pretending that of course all Jews have the same underlying motivations to take over the world. 

Miller has another database of prominent Jewish and Zionist organizations that he considers part of the Israel lobby. Included in the list is Peter Beinart (where he is accused of promoting the Iraq war and is associated with AIPAC) and J-Street (whose crime is supposedly supporting sanctions on Iran in 2010.)

Sadly, I am not on the list.

Even the rabidly anti-Israel Jewdas noted how absurd Miller's Jewish conspiracy web is, noting, "The first thing to note is that David Miller is, to use the academic term, bad vibes. He is Director of the Organisation for Propaganda Studies, which has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories about the white helmets. His website Neocon Europe uncritically published the writings of a neo-Nazi. Miller’s writings on Jewish institutions contain few outright falsehoods, but they are embarrassingly conspiratorial, significantly overstating the influence and aims of various organisations."

The response from Miller's supporters was to assume that Jewdas has now joined the enemy:

This is as much proof as you need of the underlying antisemitism behind the defenders of Miller. If even the most anti-Israel Jewish group is uncomfortable with Miller, instead of thinking that perhaps there may be something to these accusations, the socialist Jews are all thrown into the same bucket as the most right-wing Kahanist.

It is embarrassing that there are so many Jews who are willing to loudly and openly support Jew-hatred. Unfortunately, nowadays it is not surprising. 

 

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