It has been noticed among many Jewish residents of the UK that the visit of Israeli President Shimon Peres passed unreported in most of the media. This came as no surprise to any observer of the UK media's current attitude to Israel. Anything even vaguely negative about the Jewish state is siezed upon with alacrity; while the many positive achievements are consigned to the Trash file.
The surprise is that Peres was invited at all. Unlike France, whose President's first official visitor was the Israeli head of state, Britain now seems to be the repository of all the worst representatives of self-hating Jews, anti-Semites, anti-Zionists that Europe has to offer. In France, a functionary writing an anti-Israeli diatribe can expect (and one got) instant dismissal. Boycotts of Israel spring up from every quarter of British life; in Paris my local market proudly displays, as best quality, Israeli produce.
No wonder that even British TV drama portrays the Israelis as thugs; this caters to the Spirit of the Times as fostered by the BBC and, unlike their news broadcasts, the defence that « After all, this is only fiction, it's not meant to be true » works better – although often accurately applicable to the news too.
On passing our Paris Town Hall I was gratified to see a giant poster of Gilad Shalit (« Liberez Gilad Shalit » see picture) which will surely stay there until his liberation. And why not? This only replaces that of the Colombian hostage Ingrid Betancourt who, on her release, urged freedom for the Israeli.
It would be hard to imagine any town hall throughout England, and even less, Scotland or Wales, emulating such a gesture.
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