When politicians visit Israel, they stand next to the Israeli Prime Minister and address the nation, yet they almost always mention the Palestinians. It doesn’t matter who the politician is or what their purpose for visiting might be; the Palestinian issue inevitably intrudes.
No discussion about Israel in the UK Parliament is complete without references to the “Two-State Solution” or pledges for peace and security for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Israel is the only country on earth that is consistently denied the right to exist in its own right.
Recently, Coldplay’s Chris Martin demonstrated this phenomenon perfectly. During a concert, he invited two young women on stage. When they revealed they were Israeli, some people in the crowd booed.
Reacting to the tension, Chris tried to calm the atmosphere by saying: “I’m going to say this: I’m very grateful that you’re here as humans, and I’m treating you as equal humans on Earth regardless of where you come from or don’t come from. Thank you for being here. We’re grateful. And thank you for being loving and kind.”
The singer then said to the girls: “Although it’s controversial maybe, I also want to welcome people in the audience from Palestine, out of the belief we’re all equal humans.”
As soon as he mentioned ‘Palestine’ there were loud cheers in the audience.
The scene was a visible representation of what it’s like to be Israeli in a world that is growing in resentment for the Jewish state.
The Israelis were booed simple for existing. And they are not aloud to be seen as human beings in their own right without the Palestinians being brought into the picture.
This is not how any other country is treated. It is unique to Israel. And it reveals something uncomfortable: Israel and the Jewish people are denied the right to exist and be celebrated for who they are.
Israel is the world’s only Jewish state. It has a rich, deep, and unique culture that precedes most other cultures. Israel is the only country on earth where Hebrew is the national language and where Judaism is the main religion. It’s also the only country in the Middle East that is a democracy.
Shamefully, Israelis are the only people group on earth accused of “occupying” their own ancient homeland. Palestinians who worship at a mosque built on top of the rubble of a Jewish temple are the only people on earth who are described as “indigenous” when they built on top of an already existing culture. Meanwhile, Israelis are only people on earth accused of being foreigners in the land where they originated from.
Palestinian propaganda has successful framed the narrative to effectively hijack every mention of Israel. They are a constant thorn in Israel’s side, and Israel’s identity is rarely allowed to stand on its own without being defined by the Palestinians.
It also shows how the world cows to hatred.
Israelis are not allowed to exist without people hating them and cheering for the people who want to destroy them.
Polling shows that Palestinians overwhelmingly support the eradication of Israel ‘from the river to the sea’.
It should be pointed out that it is illegal in the UK to discriminate against people based upon their race, religion, or nationality. Yet, those Israeli girls were dehumanised because of their nationality. The crowd did not see them as individuals, but as a symbol of something they hate. Chris Martin validated that hatred by mentioning the Palestinians instead of calling out the discrimination.
When Chris Martin chose to “balance” the presence of the Israeli girls by welcoming Palestinians alongside the Israelis, he wasn’t seeing the girls for who they are, but for what they are.
Singling out Israelis and treating them differently to other people is antisemitism according to the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
To clarify, we don’t believe that Chris Martin was meaning harm in what he did. He was responding to the tension in the crowd and was trying to bring everyone together in unity. But his reaction highlights the ongoing problem: Israelis are never allowed to exist, to be respected, or appreciated, without Palestinians being inserted into the conversation.
Israel and Israelis should be recognised and celebrated for their unique history, culture and positive contribution to the world, outside of politics and conflicts. The identity of Israelis should not be overshadowed or defined by anyone else.
Israelis have the right to be seen as individuals without the Palestinian cause being used as an antisemitic slur against them.
