Over the weekend, Palestine Action marked 107 years since the Balfour Declaration, by taking two sculptures of Israel’s first president, Chaim Weizmann, from its display case at University of Manchester. The group also sprayed Cambridge University and targeted two leading Zionist organisations in London: Britain Israel Communications and Research Centre (BICOM) and the Jewish National Fund (JNF).
However, it was the ‘theft’ of the Weizmann sculptures which caused Zionists and the pro-Israel lobby to lost its shit – in yet another display of faux-outrage.
Palestine Action take action
Palestine Action actionists took the Weizmann statue during the early hours of Saturday 2 November:
The group also targeted BICOM in London:
It also redecorated the JNF:
Zionists losing their shit
Consequently, pro-Israel lobbyists the Community Security Trust weighed in. It couldn’t say that Palestine Action’s ‘actions’ were antisemitic – because it knew they weren’t:
CST is appalled by the disgraceful graffiti and vandalism at buildings in Hampstead, Hendon and Manchester, located in areas with a high Jewish population or where there are many Jewish students.
This damage has been claimed by an extremist group that uses violence and…
— CST (@CST_UK) November 2, 2024
Zionist extremist Tracy-Ann Oberman compared what Palestine Action did to living in Nazi Germany:
Comparing the vandalising of the registered address of an (explicitly non-Jewish) Israeli lobbying organisation (BICOM) to Nazi Germany is absolutely abhorrent.
Disgraceful.
Oberman is utterly shameless. pic.twitter.com/P7m2XD0PaT
— jewdⒶs // ייִדהודה (@jewdas) November 2, 2024
Meanwhile – anyone for a scam?
These abhorrent acts of antisemitism have no place in our society and we will not tolerate them.
We remain in close contact with policing and community partners to ensure our Jewish communities feel safe. https://t.co/r4UPl509Yj
— Dan Jarvis MP (@DanJarvisMBE) November 2, 2024
Just seen about the daubing of buildings housing Jewish charities in Hendon. Absolutely and completely unacceptable. I will not tolerate this despicable hatred. I have reported the incident to the @CST_UK and @metpoliceuk & I hope they pursue this to the full extent of the law.
— David Pinto-Duschinsky MP (@DavidPintoD) November 2, 2024
Even the usually-OKish Andy Burnham got in on the act. As Manchester Evening News reported:
Andy Burnham described the theft as an ‘appalling act of vandalism’ as he called on Greater Manchester Police to carry out the ‘fullest possible investigation’ into last night’s theft.
BICOM itself clearly is mates with John ‘Walney’ Woodcock – as Palestine Action are now ‘domestic terrorists’, apparently – FoR sPrAyInG sOmE pAiNt AnD sMaShInG wInDoWs:
We are appalled by the attacks on Friday night on our registered office and on Jewish charities in north London.
These cowardly, violent acts of domestic terrorism do nothing to support the situation in the Middle East; and only threaten and endanger British citizens. We call…
— BICOM 🇬🇧 🇮🇱 (@BritainIsrael) November 2, 2024
Hopefully, you don’t need the Canary to tell you all these Zionists whining about Palestine Action are essentially chatting shit. But if you do – here’s why.
Weizmann helped start what we see in Gaza today
Arthur James Balfour, a known antisemite, met leading Zionist Chaim Weizmann in Manchester, where they both then lived, in the first decade of the 20th century. Over several meetings, Weizmann who described Palestinians as “the rocks of Judea, obstacles that had to be cleared on a difficult path”, lobbied Balfour into assisting the Zionist colonisation of Palestine.
In 1917, a year after Balfour was appointed UK foreign secretary, he penned the Balfour Declaration, promising a ‘Jewish homeland in Palestine’. The public pledge by Britain came in the form of a letter dated 2 November 1917 to Lord Rothschild, a close friend of Weizmann. On behalf of Britain, Balfour promised away the land of Palestine – which he never had the right to do.
After the declaration until the Nakba in 1948, British soldiers killed, arrested, and raped Palestinians. During their colonial mandate, the British introduced home demolitions as collective punishment to repress Palestinian resistance and burnt down many indigenous villages. During this time, Weizmann was President of the World Zionist Organisation.
The Nakba never ended
The Nakba (great catastrophe) saw British trained and armed Zionist militia force over 750,000 Palestinians into exile, destroy over 500 villages and occupied those who remained. As a result, Chaim Weizmann became the first President of ‘Israel’.
The ongoing Nakba has culminated in the genocide today. For over a year, Palestinians in Gaza have been subject to daily bombings, the slaughter of their families and destruction of their homes, hospitals, schools and civil infrastructure. Israel’s bombing campaign has extended to targeting densely populated areas of civilians in Lebanon.
From the Balfour Declaration to today, Britain remains an active participant in the genocide, colonisation and occupation of Palestine. Cambridge University is an example of one complicit British institution — which educated Balfour.
So, students sprayed the university’s Institute for Manufacturing red over the ongoing links with weapons companies arming Israel and trainings with the Israeli police:
Meanwhile, the Zionist lobby also remains active in Britain.
Don’t believe the Zionist lies over Palestine Action
BICOM was described by the Guardian in 2009 as “Britain’s most active pro-Israeli lobbying organisation – which flies journalists to Israel on fact-finding trips and organises access to senior government figures”. The organisation has received millions of pounds in funding from billionaire Poju Zabludowicz, whose fortune was made through the manufacture of Israeli weapons.
The JNF enjoys UK charity status in order to raises funds in order to build settlements on top of stolen Palestinian land – a recognised war crime. On their website, the JNF list ‘The Prime Minister of Israel’ and the ‘President of Israel’ amongst their honorary patrons.
So, when Zionists tell you that Palestine Action is being antisemitic – ignore it.
What the group is doing is targeting organisations that are either actively engaged in Israel’s ethnic cleansing and genocide of the Palestinian people, or that prop it up. And stealing a couple of statues? If that was such a dreadful offence, then cops better get to the British Museum, quick.
The Canary sends our solidarity to Palestine Action.
Featured image and additional images via Palestine Action
