I've never understood why people take Jenny Tonge seriously. Even most LibDems share my view of her. Yesterday she was at it again at a fringe meeting...
"The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they have probably got a certain grip on our party"
In January 2004 Tonge was was sacked as a front bench Liberal Democrat spokesperson after expressing support for Palestinian suicide bombers. Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel, Board of Deputies of British Jews, the Jewish Leadership Council and BICOM are nbow calling for her to be sacked from the Liberal Democrat parliamentary party (she's now a Peer).
Gavin Stollar a spokesperson for the Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel said: "Jenny Tonge's original support for suicide bombers in Israel got her sacked from the frontbench. I think her vulgar repetition and rhetoric means that her position within the party needs to be seriously reviewed.”
Jeremy Newmark, Chief Executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, said: “Two weeks ago an independent Parliamentary Inquiry warned of linkage between this kind of discourse and themes common to antisemitism. Jenny Tonge has provided shocking evidence that the Inquiry was right to be concerned. Conspiracy theories of this nature provide a breeding ground for the politics of hatred. The Liberal Democrat leadership must take action.”
Ben Novick, a BICOM spokesperson said: "Unfortunately, we are not surprised by Jenny Tonge's comments, but we are still shocked. At a time when suicide bombing and terrorism is affecting many liberal democratic societies across the world, it is truly shocking to hear a Liberal Democrat parliamentarian espouse such sentiments.”
I think any comment from me is superfluous. But feel free to fill in the blanks. Jenny Tonge is a ******* ****** *** ***.
30 comments:
Amazzing comments. I don't think it needs the comments of friends of Israel or anyone else. These comments of hers sink on their own.
Still, it is nice to know that in the world where people look under their beds for the enemy that there is at least some variety in who the enemy is.
Isn't she entitled to her opinion? Why do people rush to condemn her for saying what she thinks and accuse her of anti-semitism just because they disagree with what she says? I would respect the people who criticise her more if they would say what their arguments are, rather than indulging in personal abuse. It must take considerable courage for her to say what she thinks knowing she is going to be met with such a barrage of vicious prejudice. If I wasn't on her side before she was attacked I am inclined to be now.
Lib Dems are environ-mental, senti-mental and also just plain ordinary mental.
What's the Lib Dem IQ level? Maybe a poll on that would be indicative of the problem.
Tapestry - don't be so stupid. Most Lib Dems, myself included and Lib Dem Friends of Israel condemn her nutty rhetoric.
Lucky you haven't got any idiots in your party, eh? Oh wait...
Philip,
Firstly, surely the onus is on her to provide evidence for her bizarre conspiracy theory?
Secondly, claiming that the Jews as a collective body are furthering their agenda through financial control of media, politics or other sources of power is a classic anti-semitic conspiracy theory. If she was just complaining about Israels policy toward the West Bank you might have a point.
Thirdly, I don't agree that making unpopular statements is, in itself, a sign of courage.
philip walling ...knowing she is going to be met with such a barrage of...
Actually, I think that she is too stupid to realise quite how offensive, ignorant and repulsive her comments actually are.
To paraphrase you: if I didn't think she was a raving idiot before she was attacked I am now certain that she is.
philip walling said - 'If I wasn't on her side before she was attacked I am inclined to be now.'
Go on, admit it: you held those views before the Tonge uttered them.
AC
Freedom of speech entitles Jenny to say these things, and for others to say that they disagree with them.
The only problem is her status as a LibDem peer.
Can we start by getting her comments posted in full so that they can be read in context. Then can we have a sensible discussion instead of Yah Boo.
The answer to both these is doubtless and sadly, "no".
Enjoy your prejudices, all of you.
We all know 90% of politicians are twats. But it's ok because they know it too. It's the nudge-nudge part of politics.
However, every now and again you get a super-tw*t who actually believes the rubbish they come out with. Tonge is one of these.
It's kind of pointless to slag her off because she doesn't understand the real world.
I know we criticise some politicians as 2nd-rate for fun, but this cookie is really off the scale. I'd call her dangerous but that implies influence. There is something seriously not right about her.
Anonymong 9:56 - How the hell is context going to make a blind bit of difference? She perpetuated the great anti-semitic conspiracy theory of the modern era: 'Jews control the media, oh yes, and the banking system too'. I don't give a damn about 'context', she could have said it whilst standing on her head for all I care. She is a vicious, rabid jew-hater and should be sacked. Immediately.
Oh dear Ed, you make my point better than I did myself.
Charlie Hellfire said, "Jenny Tonge, as far as I'm concerned is spot on. The Jewish lobby can whinge all they want but the facts speak for themselves. Banking, big business, Hollywood, government AND the media in general are run by the Semites, the reason we are in Iraq is down to them. They have way too much power."
C'mon Charlie, you can do better than that. Has no-one pointed out to you Warren Mitchell's Jewish ? Your either taking the piss (the same reason Mitchell took the role of Alf Garnett), or you're an anti-semitic, half-baked, ignoramous (you'll have to ask Jenny Tonge for reasons people take that role).
I need help with Iain's asterisks. Is that two three letter words at the end?
That's a pretty balanced cross section of views you've got there. Noting a pro-Israeli bias is hardly a sacking offence.
It seems to be a knee jerk response of the pro-Israel lobby that any criticism of Israel is anti-semetism. It's nothing of the kind.
I know full well that it isnt the Jews we should be worried about...
...its the Squirells! Have you noticed - they are everywhere - peeking from behind trees - nibbling your nuts!
THEY ARE THE REAL ENEMY!!!
Anti-semitic - what does that mean?
If you say Israel killed a lot of innocent people in Lebanon is that anti-semitic?
If you say jews control Hollywood is that anti-semitic?
I would be amongst the first to say what happened to the Jews under Hilter was vile and evil but that doesn't give give them carte blanche to do whatever they want in this world.
There's can be no doubt whatsoever that Aerial Sharon is a war criminal - does saying that make me anti-semitic? I think it makes me anti-war criminal,
Her views on a particular topic don't come into it. She is a fool, irrespective of whether she's pro- or anti- Israel.
charlie hellfire - could you tell us which members of the media are Jewish-owned, please? Which newspapers? Which magazines? Which TV companies?
Which members of the government (the government? tony blair's lot of chancers?) are following a Jewish agenda?
Tonge is as ignorant as the Blairina, who thinks that immigrant self-detonators are depressed by the state of the Palestinian refugees, and that is going it some.
Quite frankly, anyone who shocks the pro-Israeli lobby deserves applause rather than vilification.
Oh, and tapestry: having read your blog, if your standards of literacy are anything to go by, you wouldn't pass the entrance test for the Lib Dems.
The point is that Tonge is factually wrong- I can't think of many Jewish cabinet ministers, the media moguls off the top of my head I can think of- Murdoch etc aren't Jewish etc. Beyond that many of the Jews I know are actually anti Isreal- Jews like British people have different views on different issues. Tonge just doesn't seem to know what she is talking about.
Furthermore by stating those inaccurate comments she is feeding a feeling which is not merely inaccurate but dangerous. Like any comment which says that all Muslims are terrorists: a comment which says that the reason the world is not a great place is that the Jews lie behind it reinforces a dangerous inaccuracy and antisemitic hatred of Jews. The truth is that Jews no more lie behind the policies of the British government, the media or the Libdems than Muslims are all terrorists.
Sure Dynamite but unlike the LD's, Conservatives keep the nutters off the Platform.
Oh man, nearly 60 years have passed by since Hitler and his nasty ideas were culled, and this illiterate people-hating rubbish is still peddled.
Can anyone be 'de-peered' yet?
Well done tapestry, wrong again. She was speaking at a meeting of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign not any Lib Dem "platform".
Yes, that's the same PSC that your own Lord Gilmour is a patron of.
So I have to choose between three options then, Iain? I can be pro-Israel, pro-Palestinian or pro-debate?
'In January 2004 Tonge was was sacked as a front bench Liberal Democrat spokesperson after expressing support for Palestinian suicide bombers.'
Strange my recollection was that all she said was she could understand why someone would become one not that she condoned it?
This BBC report seems to back up my memory: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3421669.stm
Jenny Tonge is the Lib Dems Michael Meacher. To be fair to them anybody choosing to join knows that they are choosing a path which will not automaticaly lead to office. She had to make do with the Lords.
Gracchi and other commenters here seem to mistake the word Jewish for the word pro-Israeli. There is a fundamental difference.
"The pro-Israeli lobby has got its grips on the western world, its financial grips. I think they have probably got a certain grip on our party"
Over at Harry's Place she's become known as Kaboom Tonge. It kind of rolls off the tongue.
Let's face it, antisemitism is becoming increasingly acceptable on the left. Fortunately they are so politically irrelevant that they only have fools like Kaboom and Catman to lead them. Still the fact that this form of racism is defended by anyone is still very concerning.
offensive, ignorant and repulsive comments, but they're probably 100% correct.
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