U.K. teen who took on far-rightist: Jews, Israel don't want BNP support
Joel Weiner confronted leader of extreme-rightwing party on flagship BBC news show last week.
By Max Julius Tags: Jewish World Israel newsIsrael and the Jewish people do not want the support of the British National Party, a British teenager who confronted the leader of the extreme-rightwing on a flagship BBC news show told Haaretz on Sunday.
"[Nick Griffin] said his party was the only party in the U.K. which backed Israel against Gaza in the war last year," said 17-year-old Joel Weiner. "In my opinion, the people of Israel and the Jews don't want an ounce of his support."
Weiner, whose father is a rabbi, prompted laughter at Griffin?s response to his question on Holocaust denial on the show, Question Time.
"This was a very important issue to me, and I wanted people to be able to hear about it from someone who has it in their family history," Weiner told Haaretz.
"I also wanted to just hear what he had to say about Holocaust denial - because there was really no way he could answer the question."The BBC has come under heavy criticism for granting Griffin a platform on which to air his views; his party has claimed to have signed up another 3,000 members following the show.
But Weiner cast doubt on the claims, saying he supported the BBC decision to have Griffin on Question Time.
"I think that the program revealed what they actually believe; people in Britain have enough common sense not to fall for it," he said.
During the show, the north London student told Griffin: "Winston Churchill put everything on the line so that my ancestors wouldn't get slaughtered in the concentration camps. But here sits a man who says that that's a myth, just like the flat world was a myth. How could you say that?"
Griffin's answer - that he was no longer a Holocaust denier, but European law prevented him from answering - was met with disbelief and ridicule.
Weiner told Haaretz on Sunday that he felt very nervous as he put the question to the far-rightist. "But after I said it," he added, "I felt really good about what I said."
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If, by your snide and sarcastic comment you mean Lieberman, well - he is the foreign minister and far more innocuous than some would try to paint him, though he is not the greatest diplomat. Meanwhile in the UK, the Scottish National Party gained significant ground in the Parliamentary by-elections, and are expected to do even better in the general elections by cynically tapping into the Left-wing anti-Conservative public opinion in Scotland. Wonder how self-satisfied and sarcastic you'll be feeling then, Paul.
The Church did not prosecute anyone for claiming that the earth was flat, because it was already known from late antiquity that the earth is spherical, and Christian theologians from Augustine to Isidore of Seville to Thomas Aquinas all indicated in some form or another that the Earth is round. On the other hand, Galileo Galilei was censured by the Church for proposing a heliocentric model, rather than geocentric model, of the universe - not the same as what you wrote.
Why should Weiner "leave the Brits to their own devices"? He is, after all, British! Most UK Jews are normal patriotic citizens of this country, as are most UK Catholics, Protestants, Muslims and atheists.
Ken Livingstone was voted out of office and Galloway is a parliamentary party with one member. Both major parties are deeply concerned with Islamofascism -- that's why the UK is in Afghanistan and Iraq side by side with the USA. Islamophobia is very widespread in the UK and might even be feeding any radicalisation, although the evidence is unclear.
"the BNP has in the past (and perhaps in the present) maintain some unsavory views, but they are the ONLY political party openly speaking out against Islamofascism and the Jihadism spreading througout the UK among its increasingly radicalizing muslim community." This really doesn't ring any alarm bells? The fact that the only political party speaking out about the danger posed by the Muslim community was not too long ago talking of the "danger" posed by the Jews? That really doesn't suggest anything to you?
on most topics. with all due respect to young mr. weiner, the ideal he projects of israel does not exist.
"NO ONE has come to defend the Jews against Islamofascist attacks whether physical or verbal- in fact, the left, like Ken Livingston and Gollaway, actually encourage attacks against israel and Jews." Nadav, this is a lie. You are badly informed. The left was against the indiscriminate and criminal attack by Israel on Gaza. The left has been against the unjust and racist treatment of the Palestinian by elements of Israeli society. The left does not support attacks on the Jews. If you remember your history, which I doubt, Israel was, during many years, the darling of the left. The actions of successive Israeli governments eroded that support. The left would be very happy to see Palestinians and Jews living side by side in peace. Read your history, then open your mouth.
The Second World War wasn't fought to save the Jews. Indeed, however philo-Semitic and pro-Zionist Churchill was (very much so), he didn't do much to save the Jews of Europe and to open the gates of Palestine to them. I don't care about Griffin's Holocaust denial in the past - today he wants to kick Muslims in the face, and that's quite enough for me.
""I think that the program revealed what they actually believe; people in Britain have enough common sense not to fall for it," he said." Unfortunately they'll still vote for such madmen, like for Netanyahu and Lieberman in Israel, or Wilders in the Netherlands
of course we dont want this support, but lets not forget..if Israelis were a little bit more right wing in their own politics, Israel wouldnt be in such a mess today.
The railway lines were not bombed. The Extermination Factories were not bombed . Survivors of Auschwitz tell how they used to watch Allied Planes flying over the Camps on the way to OTHER targets and how they cried and prayed that Auschwitz would be bombed. Today the UK population is Anti Israel and dare I sayit , not a little AntiJew.
The uk did not put everything on the line for the jews but for their own survival. They refused to bomb rail lines, carrying concentration camp victims,on their way to other bombing runs. They tried to prevent jews from reaching israel.
Congratulations to Mr. Weiner for tackling the truly perfidious new slice of Albion, and shame on talkbackers like me who could have done it too but didn't.
The Holocaust is arguably the most well documented event in history. The only problem that exists is it would require you to read. You know, books, those things that scare you? You'd have to crack one open...
to go and live or volunteer in the IDF for a while and leave the Brits to their own devices - they all privately (and sometimes publicly) hate the Jews, Zionists and Eretz Israel.
"just like the flat world was a myth." There was a time when people were physically hanged for questioning the "fact" that the Earth was flat - as advocated by the very powerful Christian Church of that time! The only way to disprove that myth was to allow scientists and researchers to provide unquestionalble data to prove that our Earth was not flat! Had the Church remained in charge, and continued to punish people who challenged its "facts", we would still believe that the Earth is flat and eventhough there would be people who knew otherwise they will be so afraid of the consequences of their challenge that they would remain silent. Let people challenge all myths without the fear of persecution! The truth will eventually come out.
Thank God Griffin isn't our foreign minister, like some other far rightists.
the BNP has in the past (and perhaps in the present) maintain some unsavory views, but they are the ONLY political party openly speaking out against Islamofascism and the Jihadism spreading througout the UK among its increasingly radicalizing muslim community. NO ONE has come to defend the Jews against Islamofascist attacks whether physical or verbal- in fact, the left, like Ken Livingston and Gollaway, actually encourage attacks against israel and Jews.
While the beliefs of Griffin and the BNP are disgusting, they need to be shown on mainstream outlets like the BBC. It is easy to dismiss them as cranks, but Holocaust deniers are developing a following on the Web, and many are unaware that such a movement even exists. The more folks like Griffin are exposed, the less influence their movement will have.