Video painting Palestine supporters as antisemitic made by company with close links to pro-Israel groups
Stephen Fry’s supposed ‘alternative’ Christmas video on Channel 4 has provoked outrage for its conflation of anger over Israel’s genocide in Gaza with the ‘ancient hatred’, antisemitism. Even previously committed fans of Fry quickly expressed their disgust:
Harsher critics condemned his speech as poor propaganda that seeks to make supporters of Israel the victims instead of the tens of thousands of murdered Palestinian civilians, around half of them children:
Fry’s video was produced, as Mintpress News (MPN) has highlighted, by a production company whose owners have close ties to a pro-Israel group that even acts as a channel for ‘tens of thousands’ of UK and other youth to join the IDF (or Israeli occupation force).
As MPN pointed out:
The producers of Stephen Fry’s controversial Christmas message were members of a Zionist youth group that funnels members into the Israeli military.
[Production company] Fulwell73 was founded by Leo Pearlman, Benjamin Turner, Gabe Turner, and Ben Winston. All of whom were members of the Zionist youth group B’nei Akiva, which runs pre-military programmes to enrol members in the Israeli occupation forces. They have also spoken at events for the Israel lobby group, the Jewish Leadership Council.
The B’Nei Akiva (The Sons of Akiva) website confirms the IDF link through its ‘Limmud’ programme, which states:
Mechina Olamit
The Mechina serves as the ideological Beit Midrash of Bnei Akiva. Through its learning programme, participants will deepen their understanding of our movement’s ideology, learn how to be leaders and gain practical hadracha skills.
The “Mechina” formula is a real Israeli success story. Each year tens of thousands of young Israelis join Mechinot around the country to prepare for the challenges of transitioning from school into the IDF. Many of them go on to leadership roles both within and after the army. Our Mechina Olamit programme applies this same successful formula for Limmud as they transition to university, community leadership roles, and their professional lives in the future.
MPN’s comment also notes that Fulwell 73’s founders have spoken at ‘Israel Lobby Group’ Jewish Leadership Council (JLC) events. The JLC website states that the organisation:
Embraces its historical and religious traditions, is engaged with Israel, nurtures its youth, and cares for its infirm, the elderly, and those on the margins
Fry has also signed letters for an Israeli lobby group, StandWithUs (also known as ‘Creative Community for Peace’) – and has called Israel’s actions in Palestine since 7 October a ‘necessary step’ – as musician and Palestinian rights advocate Lowkey pointed out:
Thankfully, Fry’s video was not the only one on offer. A genuine alternative Christmas message by Jewish comedian Alexei Sayle went viral on Christmas Day evening and has been watched by around two million people so far on Twitter and other social media platforms – and while Fry trended on Twitter for the outraged reaction to his comments, Sayle trended for the public’s massive and overwhelmingly popular reception.
Watch Sayle’s brilliant 4-minute video on YouTube here or on Twitter here. Don’t forget to share.
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I’ve worshiped Stephen Fry for my entire adult life.
Then more fool you
To hear him conflate antiZionism with antisemitism has shocked me
Really? Were you unaware of his (now previous, seeing as he caused a rightful stink) stance on rape/sexual assault victims??
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/stephen-fry-apologises-unreservedly-for-claiming-sex-abuse-survivors-should-grow-up-and-stop-pitying-themselves-a6983651.html
Yep, that – from the godawful, smug, self-pitying gobshite that complained about being raped when at school?
The same hypocrite that bragged on Twitter about going out for dinner with convicted nonce case jonathan king, not long after kings release from jail for raping young boys??
The same wrong un that got its play (one that supposedly made “entertainment” of child rape) pulled from the Edinburgh fringe festival?
Got wrong’un stamped all over him, that norfolkian wrong’un. Wonder what the REAL reason was when he pissed off and hid in Belgium that time? 🤔
I feel extremely let down by Fry. He has abused his position in a terrible way, such that he will always be remembered for it.
What was it you expected from him that you feel ‘let down’ on, Joe?
As for this position he’s meant to have abused, if people hadn’t over-indulged him in the first place (national treasure fer Christmas) then fry’d have been seen for what he is a long time ago by most people.
That said, a lot of folks still can’t see what’s actually in front of them when it comes to fry.
I suppose I feel let down by lots of folk who make a name for themselves in one sphere, then think it gives them the right to put forward their opinion in other matters, especially politics. I am thinking of shall we say, DJs and Good Morning presenters. They have made oodles of cash from the public purse and somehow believe that this gives them the right to hold forth on how folks should vote, when their level of income disqualifies knowing anything about the average persons lifestyles, let alone those of the poor, but are willing to trample all over everyone, anyway. And how the BBC can continue to employ a political stalwart after her deeply wrong lie that a Tory had been assaulted by a Corbyn supporter, I do not know!
Worth remembering that Fry gave positive PR reviews to the racist gibberish of David Baddiel.
Fry is not trustworthy on issues of religious fanaticism, race and colonialism.
Fry’s always been a bit of a smug bastard. I guess he’s weighed up the pros and cons- honesty and basic observational skills adjudged cons. Protecting his ‘given right’ to an inside lane on the neoliberal gravy train.
Small Fry compared to Israel’s normal level of disgusting propaganda and dehumanising language
Can we make something clear, no Jew could do that to another people
My problem is where are the left wing luvvies
I’m not sure how he would take being called a ‘luvvie’, but there’s Alexei Sayle for a start, and I see Miriam Margolyes OBE’s name on the list.
We could do with more, raising their voices, but that’ll do for a start.
If only Jeremy Hardy, Barry Cryer and Humphrey Lyttelton were still knocking about, they would have had a field day.
George Peel
You have to worry for Eddie Izzard, Sheffield or Brighton
A 2008 letter signed by leading Jewish academics and notables (including Stephen Fry!!) was sent to, and published by The G explaining why the anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel was not something to celebrate:
https://x.com/CockneyActivist/status/1739625133080224055?t=teieMyqL2Qs-FLw3Rl2x2g&s=08
Wonder what made him abandon his once principled stance?
Wonderful link Tea Sarah. Informative!
Fry’s turning, like theGuardian’s itself, is the result of powerful people (the CIA destroying the G’s wikileaks** computer in the case of the Guardian) bullying and threatening to ensure the target’s obedience and subservience to the Zionist-line.
______
** http://web.archive.org/web/20230608054200/https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2017/mar/07/wikileaks-publishes-biggest-ever-leak-of-secret-cia-documents-hacking-surveillance
This video…….
https://odysee.com/@TheGrayzone:c/what-is-wrong-with-israelis:f
……documents what those like Fry, Starmer, FOI et al represent. Each and every one knowingly acting as apologists for fascism.
“societal sickness….” Int there a ‘vaccine’ for that yet?
Great link at https://thegrayzone.com/ Dave H. Ta muchly.
*******
First they came for Julian Assange……., then for ‘the wrong type of Jews, then – with the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act 2022 – for the very democracy that makes us more than “useless eaters”.
We’re all Gazans to the neoliberal new world order
That was appalling. Thankfully there are some Israelis who don’t share such disgusting views. Unfortunately, in this case, the young man concerned gets sent to prison for renouncing such evil.
Israeli Draft Resister Tal Mitnick Is a Hero by Ben Burgess in Tribune
Eighteen-year-old Israeli Tal Mitnick has just been sent to prison for refusing to enlist in the army and participate in what he calls a “war of revenge” in Gaza. He’s a hero.
https://jacobin.com/2023/12/israel-draft-resistance-tal-mitnick-gaza-war-peace
Apologies for sounding like Herr Flick
But
The last poll 82% of Israelis thought the IDF should do more Genocide
Only 3% called for a Ceasefire
“…terrible loss of life on both sides…”
The ratio is something approaching 10:1