Conniving Comrades

Recently, as Britain was lashed by storms, a two-day Tube strike in London caused mayhem for four million passengers and cost the economy £200 million. But even as the strike loomed, union boss Bob Crow was far away in Brazil, enjoying a luxury £10,000 holiday. Not a terribly comradely act, but then while millions of needy Londoners remain becalmed on council waiting lists, Comrade Crow, who earns £145,000 a year, insists on retaining his own taxpayersubsidised house. “I was born in a council house,” explains this valiant soldier of socialism, “And as far as I am concerned, I will die in one.” From his lips to God’s eager ear. ufacturer, have in common? Both have faced the full fury of the anti-Israel lobby. In 2011, the BBC was forced to yank a live performance of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of that well known Zionist, Zubin Mehta, because anti-Israel thugs invaded the auditorium and repeatedly heckled the orchestra for their “shameless complicity” in “Israel’s crimes” against Palestinians. Strangely (or not, given the strength of the politically right-on brigade) these vandals were not prosecuted. They presumably decamped, much pleased, to plot further assaults on everyone else “complicit” in appreciating anything Israeli, whether its literature, art, cuisine or weather. Recently, the actress, Scarlett Johansson was attacked by the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Miss Johansson, you see, is the face of SodaStream, which has a factory in an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. Unfortunately, in her ineffable evil, she also served as a global ambassador for Oxfam. The Boycotters de- manded Oxfam “immediately sever ties” with Miss Johansson, so Oxfam immediately issued a statement saying that companies like SodaStream “further the ongoing poverty and denial of rights of Palestinian communities that we work to support”. Really? SodaStream gives the Palestinians a damn sight more practical support than Oxfam. It is the single largest employer of Palestinians in a region blighted by 40% unemployment. But Oxfam had spoken; now it was Miss Johansson’s time to tearfully withdraw from SodaStream, swearing never, ever again to consort with Palestine’s oppressors. But what’s this? Instead, Miss Johansson severed her association with Oxfam, telling them “respectfully” to get stuffed. Good for her.