Galloway speaks in front of Hamas logo in Amman, Jordan, 2009, after being refused permission to bring ‘aid’ to Gaza through Egypt
I’m going to devote today’s post to one of my least favorite humans, George Galloway.
My U.K. readers already know probably more than they want to about him, but it occurred to me that others, Americans in particular, don’t know who or what he is. So I’ll do my best to remedy that.
Galloway, 58, is a member of the British Parliament for Bradford West, located in Yorkshire in north-central England. He was elected in 2012 by a landslide, receiving 56% of the vote; his nearest competitor got only 25%. Galloway, formerly a garden-variety leftist, was kicked out of the Labour party in 2003 because of his aggressive attacks on Tony Blair over British participation in the Iraq war.
In 2004 he joined a new left-wing party called “Respect,” which he and his faction shortly came to dominate. Galloway was the first MP elected by Respect, whose official ideology seems to be a sort of leftish populism.
Galloway has made it more than that, adding elements to appeal to Muslims (Bradford West was 38% Muslim in 2001, and is probably much more than that now). The party began to downplay some of the traditional left-wing causes like women’s and gay rights, while emphasizing opposition to the wars in Iraq an Afghanistan. Galloway himself may have converted to Islam (he is coy about this, perhaps to keep the few non-Muslim working-class votes that he receives). But he makes no pretense about appealing to Muslim interests — and prejudices.
What distinguishes Galloway from other many other demagogues — even in the UK — is his particularly vicious hatred of Israel, which extends to support for the Jew-hating Hamas. In 2009, he played a leading role in the “Viva Palestina” convoy to bring ‘aid’ to Gaza, which resulted in his being deported from Egypt. He often speaks against Zionism and Israel on his several radio/TV programs — in the UK, on a satellite channel linked to Iran and Syria in Lebanon and the US (on Pacifica station WBAI New York).
Hizballah, too, meets with his approval. “Hizballah is not and has never been a terrorist organisation. It is the legitimate national resistance movement of Lebanon,” he tells us. Ideology isn’t important as long as someone wants to kill Jews.
Galloway is always good for a rousing stump speech on the evils of Zionism and that “little Hitler state on the Mediterranean.” Just search for him on YouTube.
In short, Galloway is a man who has built a political persona and a career on hating Israel. Since explicit racial or ethnic hatred for groups of people is unfashionable — at least, in some parts of the West, although it is making a comeback — he must focus on abstract objects of hatred, like Zionism and Israel. His supporters aren’t deceived, and neither am I.
Galloway’s latest thuggish expression of hatred came with very little provocation. In response to an Oxford student who called for a peaceful, mutually agreed upon two-state solution, he suddenly asked “are you Israeli?” When the student answered in the affirmative, Galloway announced that he doesn’t debate Israelis, he doesn’t recognize the state of Israel, and stomped off — followed at a respectful few paces by his wife.
Watch him stomp:
Technorati Tags: George Galloway, Israel
Are you giving this jerk more time and attention than he deserves?
Your articles are extremely valuable and insightful. You give me and a host of other pro-Israel readers new insights into the overall situation of Israel.
I wonder then with so much going on now ,if this particular hater is worth the attention.
I think the fact that he got 56% of the vote in a constituency that had always voted Labour is important. If the reason is the large Muslim population, then this tells us something about British Muslims.
It is also significant that he felt that he could refuse to speak to someone because of his nationality — and he is a Member of Parliament!
Finally, I think most Americans never heard of him. It’s important for Jews to understand who their enemies are and not to underestimate them.
The only thing worth mentioning about George Galloway is this;
Galloway’s uncanny resemblance to Haman.
Years ago when I first heard Galloway’s ranting against Israel I was struck with the sense “This is the face of Haman – this was how Haman looked”.
It is so fitting that this article appear at this time of Purim.
Are there more than just me who are convinced “Galloway wears the face of Haman�
George Galloway Aka “Haman Galloway†the way to the Gallows. Wow!