June 2011 Blog Archive

• Communities Secretary Calls For Equalities Investigation Into UCU

  30 Jun 2011 by CST

  Today's Jewish Chronicle carries a strong article by Communities and Local Govt Secretary, Eric Pickles, in which he denounces the current and past behaviour of the University and College Union (UCU). It ends with this declaration When seen in this context, the latest resolution [in which UCU rejected the…

• Sheikh Raed Salah Detention

  29 Jun 2011 by CST

  CST welcomes the detention by UK Borders Agency, late last night, of Sheikh Raed Salah. Salah is leader of the Northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel. He had entered the UK despite having been reportedly banned from coming into the country, and is now very likely…

• Antisemitism: Norwich to Westminster & 800 years.

  23 Jun 2011 by CST

  Tonight, BBC 2 will show a documentary entitled, "History Cold Case: The Bodies in the Well". It concerns the remains of 17 skeletons found at the bottom of a medieval well in Norwich. The skeletons date from the 12th or 13th centuries and were found in 2004 during construction works. 11 of…

• Blogger, heal thyself

  21 Jun 2011 by CST

  Inayat Bunglawala has written a predictable blogpost attacking the government's new Prevent strategy; predictable in that he blames "Zionists" for influencing the government's new position. There is one line in his article which, although almost an aside, caused me to catch my breath. He writes: As I argued in my…

• From UCU to MEMO and "Israel's British hirelings"

  16 Jun 2011 by CST

  Of the many depressing features around the University and College Union's (UCU) trashing of the European Union Monitoring Centre's Working Definition of Antisemitism, perhaps the worst one is the basic denial of the decency and humanity of those expressing concerns about antisemitism. In this, the UCU…

• CST Elections Report 2011

  14 Jun 2011 by CST

  Last month, over 300 British National Party candidates stood for election in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Only two won, both in English local council elections: several existing BNP councillors lost their seats as the party's electoral decline and organisation collapse, which began last year, continued. Next month the party's…

• On hating Israel and hating Jews

  13 Jun 2011 by CST

  A lot of stupidity (and even more hypocrisy) has been spouted in over-eager defence of the University and College Union's banning of the European Union Monitoring Centre's working definition of antisemitism. I am not, however, aware of any UCU defenders having referrred to the…

• UCU, EUMC and the need for context

  10 Jun 2011 by CST

  The Engage website has a typically excellent recap of the resignations and exchanges of letters that have brought about the current controversy between many Jewish communal groups, Engage and the University and College Union. The article should be read here on Engage. It is premised upon…