Tuesday 16 February 2010

The rise and fall of Baroness Jenny Tonge A True Friend of Palestine

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Sunday, 14 February 2010 08:49 Added by PT Editor maysaa jarour

Jenny-Tonge-001UK, February 14, 2010 (Pal Telegraph) - It is with great sadness that we see a staunch supporter of the Palestinian people removed from her position as Health Spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. This is a clear sign of the political power that the Pro Israeli Lobby have over all political leaders and their party. This does not stop here in the UK but also extends throughout the US and the EU. So what caused such a dramatic response from the Lib Dems?

I guess dear Jenny has been fighting the traitors of all political parties for some time especially those who appear to pay more attention to their election campaign funds tha keeping a moral and ethical stance in the Houses of Parliament. They appear to protect those that financially prop them up in return for support or favour of anything that aids the Pro Israeli cause. The Friends of Israel are certainly not a group to be taken lightly and should you cross swords with them you can expect severe repercussions as Jenny has now found out.

Some time ago I wrote about who controls the power of politics in the west and I was shocked to see the amounts of money involved in this devious manipulation of our so called democratic political system. Let's just briefly look into the sinister game of "I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine." Lets first look at the three main political parties and see how it all comes together in order for potential candidates to gain a seat in the House of Commons or the House of Lords. All three mainstream parties have a specific organisation that protects them financially and at the same time promotes good PR for Israel. If one reads the speeches made it is easy to see that even if you are the devils advocate Israel can get away with brutal executions or mass killings as long as they deposit sufficient donations to cover candidates election costs.

The Conservative friends of Israel (CFI) consist of around 80% of all Conservative MP's who provide money for their respective election campaigns which obviously comes with pre conditions! One can relate to such pre conditions when Rt Hon David Cameron MP, Leader of the Conservative Party at the Conservative Party Conference, 3 October 2006 said the following:

"The Conservative Party is a true friend of Israel because we look at Israel and we see a democracy, we see a democracy that has a right to exist and a right to defend itself and that is a force for good in the world, and I want to say that as clearly as I possibly can."

It was David Cameron who appeared before the CFI lunch some months after Cast Lead and said nothing to denounce the actions of the Israeli Government in actual fact complemented Israel by say "Israel strives to protect innocent life" he also went on to say that "If I become Prime Minister, Israel will have a friend who will never turn his back on Israel."

The Ambassador of Israel, HE Zvi Heifetz, who attended a conference once said: "I know from experience that I can rely on the members of CFI to put Israel's case... The Conservative Party has long been the home of some of Israel's most outstanding advocates. For that you have my deep appreciation and my thanks."

As you would expect the following headline appeared in the CFI weekly briefing on the 22nd of October 2009: "Conservatives back rejection of UN Resolution on Goldstone Report" No doubt this attracted more funds for the upcoming elections in 2010!

Let's now look at the Labour Friends of Israel (LFI). On their website we can read the following: LFI seeks to promote a strong bilateral relationship between Britain and Israel. We work with the Government, Parliamentarians, advisers, and activists throughout the Labour movement. LFI also strengthens the bond between the British and Israeli Labour parties, organising meetings in both countries between senior figures, officials and the grassroots. "We are fundamentally sympathetic to Israel's position as a liberal democracy facing constant security dilemmas and existential threats."

It is clear that both the CFI and the LFI both benefit from huge donations whilst at the same time having the ability to respond in the right way to the donors. What is incredible about the political scene in Britain and that of the US is that if you say the wrong thing your wallet will suffer with even the possibility of being removed from office by those that hold the power. In that context one can say that the entire system is totally corrupt. Isn't it ironic that Obama, Brown, Cameron and Clegg were very critical of the Afghanistan Government in the area of corruption and yet their own palms are brushed with gold, as and when required!
All parties benefit greatly from this relationship......they are flown to Israel on a regular basis and live a life that most of use would be embarrassed by. They are basically paid to leave behind their ethical duties as MP's and continue to support Israel at whatever the cost. One would have thought that the highest priority for our chosen leaders is to address the issues our own country first. If politically speaking, one objects to the action of another country, you are free to be as critical as you wish. Democracy is all about free speech and having the ability to say what is morally or ethically wrong. The main issue with this type of funding is that it comes at a price and therefore restricts both you as an MP and your party to carry out its true purpose which is to be representative of your people

Finally lets get down to the Liberal Democrats who have bitterly attacked Jenny Tonge on other occasions and yet she has not said anything that any other responsible citizen would have said. It is clear in a democratic society that if someone is accusing you of a wrong doing then you call for an inquiry to dismiss such accusations. But before we go into those issues let just look at the Lib Dems and their relationship with Israel.

The LDFI main objectives are:
1. To Maximise support for the State of Israel within the Liberal Democrats and Parliament.
2. To develop a relationship of mutual trust and respect between the Liberal Democrats and the Jewish Community.
3. To support and promote policies which lead to peace and security for Israel in the context of a comprehensive and lasting Middle East peace settlement.
4. To encourage a broad understanding of Israel's unique political position as the only democracy in the Middle East.

Let's also take a look at its aims:
1    To influence the Party's Middle East policy so it places a high priority on Israel's right to peace and security.
2.     To ensure Liberal Democrat parliamentarians are aware of the up-to-
date situation in the Middle East.
3.     To provide parliamentarians with briefing material for parliamentary
debates, questions to Ministers and public appearances.
4.     To rebut attacks on Israel in the media, Parliament and the Party.
5.     To liaise with Israeli politicians and Government.
6.     To maintain a dialogue with other parliamentary groups having an
interest in the Middle East.
7.     To ensure that the British Jewish Community are aware of the activities
of LDFI
8.     To develop and maintain a broad based LDFI membership inside and
outside of Parliament.
9.     To arrange and accompany LDFI delegations to Israel.
10    To organise fringe events at Party conferences
11.   To keep in regular contact with the Embassy of Israel.

As we can see from the above this corrupt system is firmly embedded in the politics at Westminster and huge sums of money exchange hands, especially as we near a new election in May/June. One can see all these political figures running around the Pro Israeli Lobby Groups to earn "Brownie Points."

If we cast our mind back to 2006 we saw Jenny Tonge highlighting this very fact in at a Lib Dem Conference back in 2006 when she said: "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."  The Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel leapt on the remarks when Ming Campbell said "I have acted with the maximum powers at my disposal at this time. I have written to Baroness Tonge dissociating myself and the party from her deeply offensive remarks and what I believe to be their clear anti-Semitic connotations. I have asked for a review of the disciplinary powers available to the Liberal Democrat leaders in both the House of Lords and Commons." I am sure that when Ming Campbell made this announcement his party funds would have been boosted significantly.

Back to the current time poor Jenny again got herself into deep water in relation to the many allegations made by the media that the Israelis had been taking organs whilst in Haiti. One would normally expect that if anyone is accused of such allegations over a period of time one would dispel such comments by carrying out some sort of enquiry and that is what Jenny was trying to point out when she made the following comment to the Jewish Chronicle "To prevent allegations such as these - which have already been posted on You Tube - going any further, the IDF and the Israeli Medical Association should establish an independent inquiry immediately to clear the names of the team in Haiti."

In a statement released on Friday evening, Nick Clegg said the allegations were "highly offensive". "The comments were wrong, distasteful and provocative and I recognise the deep and understandable distress they have caused to the Jewish community," he said. "While I do not believe that Jenny Tonge is anti-semitic or racist, I regard her comments as wholly unacceptable. "Jenny Tonge apologises unreservedly for the offence she has caused."

It is not the first time that Baroness Tonge has been dismissed from a party post.
In 2004, when she was still an MP, then Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy asked her to quit as children's spokeswoman following remarks she made about Palestinian suicide bombers. She told a pro-Palestinian lobby group: "If I had to live in that situation - and I say that advisedly - I might just consider becoming one myself."

She retired as an MP after the incident, but entered the House of Lords.

One has to look deeper into the comment made in 2004 and evaluate what she was trying to say. If you and I had our land taken from us, our house bulldozed, maybe also witnessed the shooting of your mother or father and in some cases lost your entire family.....if then you had further daily on going intimidation and humiliation...what is left for you to live for? It is at such moments that you turn to your only hope left which is that of your religion and pay the ultimate price in becoming a Martyr and taking with you those that caused you so much misery.  If one looks at such events from this perspective then maybe one can understand exactly what Jenny was trying to say.

Baronness Jenny Tonge was truly a highly moral and ethical lady and a true friend of Palestine. She now has made the eternal sacrifice in speaking from her heart whilst all the other senior political palboyfigures grovel around for Pro Israeli funds to prop up their election campaign. I feel that Jenny should now run as an independent

candidate in the next election as I am sure someone with her courage would do extremely well with having any donations from those that try to manipulate politics.

Bless you Jenny and for all what you have done for the people of Gaza and Palestine.
Peter Eyre - Middle East Consultant - 13/2/2010
River to Sea
 Uprooted Palestinian

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