I guess I am just not ‘mensch’ enough

By Roger Watson:

 

I spent the afternoon on Saturday at the Spiked Summit 2026 at Emmanuel House near Westminster in London. I used to be a regular reader and even a financial supporter but I gradually became disaffected regarding their provision of a platform for pro-abortionists and pro-vapers. The final straw, despite their clarity on all aspects of the Covid lockdowns and face masks, was their point-blank refusal to acknowledge the Covid vaccines were both ineffective and harmful. Spiked never publishes views contrary to their editorial line. I went into print in these pages with Niall McCrae and alone in TCW Defending Freedom on this issue.

Nevertheless, on some issues I still agree with many of those who write in Spiked and the line-up for Saturday included a few notable commentators (some may disagree) to whom I wanted to listen. I was aware – in common with Daily Sceptic – of Spiked’s relentless Pro-Israel perspective. I understand the pro-Israel view and, largely, sympathise with it. However, I acknowledge the Palestinians were there before the majority of current Israelis were and it is common knowledge that both sides encroach on each other’s territory – while all the time denying it.

The fact that both sides do this means, in addition to the Palestinians, the Israelis also do it. However, just saying that lands me right in the middle of the antisemitic camp. The Arabs tend to defend the Palestinian right to exist – in conversation – somewhat hysterically. I have had extensive experience in the Middle East and been exposed to this. I meet very few Jews, but their proxies, while not quite as hysterically (usually) will tolerate no contradiction to the view that Israel always acts within its rights.

So, I was fully prepared for a pro-Israeli-fest at the Spiked Summit and I was, largely, not disappointed. The session on Islam projected some very good sense on the issue of Islam and Muslims. But Brendan O’Neill, whose view on Islam and Islamification of the UK I am largely in accord with (banning the hijab and closing down mosques where preaching incites violence, for example) felt it appropriate to preface his speech with an expletive laden rant about pro-Iranian demonstrators. OK, some of these people are nutters, I have encountered them, but deal with the arguments. Denigrating people does not help; something on which the late great Tony Benn was always firm about.

However, nothing prepared me for what happened – to me – in one of the breaks between sessions. I went to the foyer with my grandson, a keen political observer and writer, and we were accosted by a lady carrying a poster with the word ‘Mensch’ in large letters written on it. She asked if either of us gentlemen were interested in becoming Mensch. Unaware of what the word meant, but wilting in the extreme heat in the conference centre, neither of us expressed much enthusiasm. We were asked if we knew what the word meant; again, not much enthusiasm was displayed…but we got an explanation anyway.

Mensch is regarded as a very high compliment to be paid within the Jewish community. According to The Jewish Chronicle it refers to ‘a person who can be relied on to act with honour and integrity’. Who would not want to be referred to in such terms? However, it rapidly became clear the accolade comes with many strings attached.

Sensing our lack of enthusiasm, the lady asked if I supported Israel in its war against its enemies to which I replied, while I happily recognised Israel, I did not support Israel in everything they did. The look of horror on her face said everything and, as if to placate her (I need not have bothered) I explained I had absolutely no issue with Jewish people. Her reply was: ‘well, as 90% of Jewish people support Israel…’ the sentence was not finished but I guess it meant – as pro-Israel groups on both sides of the Atlantic have been keen to do – any criticism of Israel or political Zionism is tantamount to antisemitism. And antisemitism is the worst label anyone can have applied to them. Therefore, I felt labelled…offended even!

There followed a series of well-rehearsed questions, each one beginning ‘what do you expect Israel to do…?’ I was asked just that for a start and replied: ‘not what they are doing now’. This was followed by: ‘what do you expect Israel to do when they are invaded and X thousands (I did not hear properly but she quoted a figure way in excess of the official 7 October deaths) of people are killed?’ I answered, quoting Peter Hitchens that ‘perhaps they could have done nothing’. 

Had I been allowed to continue, but in a pattern that was to set the tone  for the remaining duration of the ‘conversation’ I was not, I would have said this could have been an opportunity for Israel to say to the world, this is what happens to them when we don’t defend our borders properly (so many unanswered questions on that, of course) and wait for the world – including the more moderate Arab states (none of whom want any Palestinians within their own borders) – to put extreme pressure on Hamas to stop attacking Israel. Anything but the wholesale slaughter of innocent people: Muslim and Christian.

Next up: ‘what do you expect Israel to do when Hamas send missiles into their territory?’, to which I answered, in that case, I would expect Israel to defend itself. That was met with silence. She clearly was not interested in any individual points of agreement only that I agreed wholly with her. A familiar scenario when speaking to people on either side of the Israel-Palestine issue.

I was beginning to lose the will to live as, I expect, many readers will be doing…not much longer. She then asked: ‘what do you expect Israel to do when they take hundreds of hostages?’ to which I replied: ‘get them back, but not by bombing a country to its knees.’ Had I been permitted to continue I would have explained the traditional way to get hostages back – which is often used between these two sides – was to trade prisoners, not to prosecute action that by its very nature endangered the lives of innocent people and the hostages themselves.

But, once again, I was shouted over regarding the ‘hundreds of miles’ of tunnels in Gaza and did I expect the Israeli army to go in and try to fight their way through this? I was treated to a depiction of a soldier stalking about with a gun. I was going to say, perhaps they should as it would have reduced civilian casualties and, after all, the IDF was considered one of the best armies in the world and should be well up for a bit of street-by-street fighting.

But, once again, I was not permitted to speak. She then asked if I was a pacifist to which I replied I was not, I was ex-military. In that case, did I support Hamas and Hezbollah? I told her I detested both. Nonplussed, she asked me what England would do if Wales invaded us to which I replied, in the unlikely event, I would expect us to defend ourselves. ‘England would nuke Wales’, she shouted. I expressed my hope we would not and, having considered I had learned more about her hatred for the Palestinians than she did about my criticism of Israel, I told her I failed to understand why I was expected to support either side in this ghastly business. She walked away in disgust.

According to The Jewish Chronicle a mensch is also ‘someone who is kind and considerate’. However, it appears kindness and consideration do not extend to the innocent people of Gaza who have suffered so much at the hands of the Israelis and at the hands of Hamas. As for me – I am clearly not a mensch. But I won’t be losing any sleep over that.