Speak & Be Heard, Just Not on Palestine, OK?

The current round of Zionist bullying in the UK has hit a new low:

"A British Palestinian school girl, Leanne Mohamad of Wanstead High School, won the 'Speak Out Challenge' after giving this impressive performance to enthusiastic applause. But a day later, following complaints from extremist anti-Palestinian blogger Edgar Davidson, Leanne will no longer be sent through to the grand final of the public speaking competition. It seems that giving a personal account of the Nakba and a plea for an end to discrimination against Palestinians is not acceptable in the UK.

"Competition organisers Speakers Trust have removed the video from their website, Speak Out Challenge, and their YouTube channel.. The Speak Out Challenge is described thus: 'In each one-day workshop, students take part in games and exercises to encourage them to think on their feet in a fun, interactive and safe environment. The day culminates in a 'Speak Out' speech contest where students can speak on any topic they feel strongly about - using only their voices, their words and their passion. Notes are not allowed; they must use the techniques from the training.'

"The Free Speech on Israel network object to the undue influence that was imposed on Speakers Trust; 15 year old Leanne Mohamad should have been allowed to go through to the final..." (Speak Out or Shut Up? Schoolgirl's Nakba speech censored, freespeechonisrael.org.uk, 29/5/16)

As usual, however, in cases like this, it is not so much the bully that concerns me, but the sheer cluelessness and cowardice of those who facilitate them. Without their help, Zionist witch-finders would simply be left to stew, without the oxygen of publicity, in their own bile.

But first the bully, blogger Edgar Davidson. A simple glance at his scribblings by any informed individual would reveal that we are dealing here with nothing less than a hard-wired Zionist fanatic.

Davidson, for example, defines his blog as "Confronting anti-Semitism & Israel hatred." IOW, he conflates anti-Semitism with opposition to Israeli apartheid. A dead giveaway. Leanne's brave and heartfelt speech is thus written off as "full of ignorant lies and blood libels."

Then there's his linking to like-minded fanatics for whom the very existence of the Palestinians is anathema:

"Where ARE all those Palestinians, the proclaimed one million of them who lived in Israel before they were 'displaced'? Nowhere. Nowhere, because they never existed." (9,000 photos from 1800's [?] British Mandate of Palestine - with no trace of 'Palestinians', palestineisisrael.wordpress.com)

In fact, such is the madness on display in his post on Leanne Mohamad that a 15-year-old schoolgirl speaking candidly and movingly about Israel's relentless persecution of her people over more than six decades can lead him to conclude that "there is no long-term future for British Jewry."

Enough said about Davidson.

It's Julie Holness, the CEO of Speakers Trust (slogan: 'Speak & Be Heard'), however, that really has me riled.

Davidson published an emailed response he'd received from her in reply to his initial post on Leanne Mohamad's speech. And what an extraordinary document it is. Not only does Holness shows no sign whatever that she's dealing with a fanatic and a bully but bends over backwards to accommodate him:

"Thank you very much for your email... We take your concerns very seriously," she begins.

Neither a defence of the content of Leanne's speech, or of free speech in general, follows. Instead, she merely asserts that "There are... two fundamental rules that are made explicit during the training: - the speech must have a positive and uplifting message... - a speaker should never inflame or offend the audience or insult others and this... means that propaganda is ruled out absolutely from the outside," and assumes that Leanne's speech is guilty on both counts.

She then goes on to, in effect, blame the school for voting Leanne as "its most talented speaker," and "an independent panel of judges from the local community" for selecting her as "their regional winner."

This is followed by a reassurance that a Speakers Trust panel has met and decided "unanimously against sending Leanne Mohamad through to the next stage and she will not be speaking at the Grand Final."

Finally, Holness asks Davidson if he wishes her to forward his email to her school.

Pandering to Zionist trolls, of course, merely encourages them to engage in further excesses. Davidson is no exception, replying that "The lies and blood libels in Leanne's speech actually go far beyond what even the terrorist organisation Hamas claims."

He will, moreover, have his pound of flesh:

"I see that the video is STILL on your website... if it is left there, there must be a clear statement about how it has breached the rules, why it is so offensive and why nothing like that can ever be accepted in the future. There must also be a proper video response."

Davidson, hard-wired as I've explained, simply cannot help himself.  

As for Holness, however, what an appalling indictment of the UK education system it is that the nation which single-handedly created the Palestine problem almost 100 years ago can produce individuals such as Holness who are, seemingly, blissfully unaware of both the fact and its ramifications.