‘Free Palestine' exposes the poisonous hypocrisy of our Western elites
They're burning Jews again. This time not in the killing factories of Belzec or Chełmno but in the shopping district of Boulder, Colorado, and not in the name of Aryan supremacy but that of the most progressive cause of all: Palestine.
That is what the alleged attacker reportedly shouted after firebombing a vigil for Israeli hostages at Pearl Street Mall: 'Free Palestine'. Eight people have been injured, including an 88-year-old, and a suspect taken into custody.
It comes almost two weeks after the fatal shooting in Washington DC of Israeli embassy staffers Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim. The accused in that incident is also said to have shouted 'Free Palestine' as he murdered the young couple.
It is more than a slogan of solidarity with the people in Gaza or a demand for another Arab state alongside Israel. 'Free Palestine' has become a rallying cry for violent, homicidal anti-Zionism across Western cities, an incitement to and justification for aggression and attacks on Jews, their property and their religious and cultural symbols.
Civil authorities in the United States and Europe will have to come to terms with the grim new reality that a segment of their citizenries have been recruited, via a mixture of foreign-funded anti-Israel propaganda and highly ideological domestic reporting, to a violent, homicidal cause whose locus is no longer to be found only in the Middle East but in American and European cities.
That cause has long been the meeting place for righteous victimhood and murderous terrorism, the ambit under which Palestinian nationalists and Islamist fanatics wage war on the Jews and their tiny, embattled state.
Now that war is being waged on Western soil, where the tactics of Hamas and its ilk are replicated by people convinced they are taking a noble stand for an oppressed people. These are not isolated incidents, they are part of a pattern. The intifada has been globalised, anti-Semitism weaponised, and Western citizens radicalised.
What happened in Boulder will happen again, what happened in Washington will happen again, and when it does bystanders will report hearing cries of 'Free Palestine', for that is what you now shout if you want to maim and murder but are too progressive to yell 'Kill the Jews'.
This is the inevitable consequence of the moral hollowing out of Western elites by post-modern, progressive doctrines. Universities inculcate the young in radical anti-Zionism, the mainstream media demonises Israel as a barbaric coloniser, and political leaders pander to sectional voting blocs within their communities rather than standing with a sister democracy against those who would incite and venerate the murder of Jews in the language of 'freedom'.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
31 minutes ago
- Hamilton Spectator
New German leader plans to discuss Ukraine and trade with Trump in Oval Office visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — Germany's new leader is meeting President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday as he works to keep the U.S. on board with Western support for Ukraine, help defuse trade tensions that pose a risk to Europe's biggest economy and further bolster his country's long-criticized military spending. Trump and Chancellor Friedrich Merz have spoken several times by phone, either bilaterally or with other European leaders, since Merz took office on May 6. German officials say the two leaders have started to build a 'decent' relationship, with Merz wanting to avoid the antagonism that defined Trump's relationship with one of his predecessors, Angela Merkel , in Trump's first term. The 69-year-old Merz is a conservative former rival of Merkel's who took over her party after she retired from politics. Merz also comes to office with an extensive business background — something that could align him with Trump. A White House official said topics that Trump is likely to raise with Merz include Germany's defense spending, trade, Ukraine and what the official called 'democratic backsliding,' saying the administration's view is that shared values such as freedom of speech have deteriorated in Germany and the country should reverse course. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to preview the discussions. Merz will want to avoid an Oval Office showdown of the kind that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa experienced in recent months. Asked about the risk of a White House blow-up, Merz spokesperson Stefan Kornelius said on Monday that the chancellor is 'well-prepared' for the meeting and that he and Trump have 'built up a decent relationship, at least by phone' and via text messaging. Keeping Ukraine's Western backers together Merz has thrown himself into diplomacy on Ukraine, traveling to Kyiv with fellow European leaders days after taking office and receiving Zelenskyy in Berlin last week. He has thanked Trump for his support for an unconditional ceasefire while rejecting the idea of 'dictated peace' or the 'subjugation' of Ukraine and advocating for more sanctions against Russia. The White House official said Trump on Thursday will stress that direct peace talks must continue. In their first phone call since Merz became chancellor, Trump said he would support the efforts of Germany and other European countries to achieve peace, according to a readout from the German government. Merz also said last month that 'it is of paramount importance that the political West not let itself be divided, so I will continue to make every effort to produce the greatest possible unity between the European and American partners.' Under Merz's immediate predecessor, Olaf Scholz, Germany became the second-biggest supplier of military aid to Ukraine after the United States. Merz has vowed to keep up the support and last week pledged to help Ukraine develop its own long-range missile systems that would be free of any range limits. Military spending At home, Merz's government is intensifying a drive that Scholz started to bolster the German military after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In Trump's first term, Berlin was a target of his ire for failing to meet the current NATO target of spending 2% of gross domestic product on defense, and Trump is now demanding at least 5% from allies. The White House official said the upcoming NATO summit in the Netherlands later this month is a 'good opportunity' for Germany to commit to meeting that 5% mark. Scholz set up a 100 billion euro ($115 billion) special fund to modernize Germany's armed forces — called the Bundeswehr — which had suffered from years of neglect. Germany has met the 2% target thanks to the fund, but it will be used up in 2027. Merz has said that 'the government will in the future provide all the financing the Bundeswehr needs to become the strongest conventional army in Europe.' He has endorsed a plan for all allies to aim to spend 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure. Germany's economy and tariffs Another top priority for Merz is to get Germany's economy , Europe's biggest, moving again after it shrank the past two years. He wants to make it a 'locomotive of growth,' but Trump's tariff threats are a potential obstacle for a country whose exports have been a key strength. At present, the economy is forecast to stagnate in 2025. Germany exported $160 billion worth of goods to the U.S. last year, according to the Census Bureau. That was about $85 billion more than what the U.S. sent to Germany, a trade deficit that Trump wants to erase. The U.S. president has specifically gone after the German auto sector, which includes major brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Americans bought $36 billion worth of cars, trucks and auto parts from Germany last year, while the Germans purchased $10.2 billion worth of vehicles and parts from the U.S. Trump's 25% tariff on autos and parts is specifically designed to increase the cost of German-made automobiles in hopes of causing them to move their factories to the U.S., even though many of the companies already have plants in the U.S. with Volkswagen in Tennessee, BMW in South Carolina and Mercedes-Benz in Alabama and South Carolina. There's only so much Merz can achieve on his view that tariffs 'benefit no one and damage everyone' while in Washington, as trade negotiations are a matter for the European Union's executive commission. Trump recently delayed a planned 50% tariff on goods coming from the European Union, which would have otherwise gone into effect this month. Far-right tensions One source of strain in recent months is a speech Vice President JD Vance gave in Munich shortly before Germany's election in February, in which he lectured European leaders about the state of democracy on the continent and said there is no place for 'firewalls.' That term is frequently used to describe mainstream German parties' refusal to work with the far-right Alternative for Germany , which finished second in the election and is now the biggest opposition party. Merz criticized the comments. He told ARD television last month that it isn't the place of a U.S. vice president 'to say something like that to us in Germany; I wouldn't do it in America, either.' ___ Moulson reported from Berlin. Associated Press writer Josh Boak in Washington contributed to this report. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US vetos UN Security Council resolution on Gaza
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at de-escalating the Gaza war, saying it would strengthen the Palestinian Islamist militia Hamas. Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea blocked the legally binding decision of the UN's most powerful body against all 14 other member states who voted in favour of the resolution. She decried the statement's failure to condemn Hamas in an unusually sharp statement. "Engaging in this performative process – at a time when serious questions are being asked about the utility of the UN, its funding, and use of resources – is shameful," Shea said in a statement. "This Council should not be used in this way. This Council must hold itself to a higher standard." The text, proposed by the 10 non-permanent members of the council, would have legally required an immediate ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid for the 2.1 million people in need in the Gaza Strip. US: Resolution would have emboldened Hamas The US argued that passing the resolution would strengthen Hamas and enable further attacks like the one on October 7, 2023, which started the current conflict, when Hamas and others invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostage. Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire would also be undermined by the resolution, she argued. The lack of condemnation of Hamas made supporting the resolution impossible, the US said. The US also criticized the resolution for failing to address issues with the current UN-led aid mechanism for the Gaza Strip. The negotiations over the text were reportedly rushed, and key amendments were not considered. However, sources within the Security Council suggested that the US had demanded the resolution support the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). This organization, backed by Israel and the US, bypasses the United Nations in distributing humanitarian aid, which, according to the UN, endangers civilians and violates established standards of neutral assistance. Washington isolated – 'parallel realities' The UN Security Council consists of 15 members, five of which are permanent and hold veto power: the US, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. The council has repeatedly discussed the Gaza war, with the US consistently vetoing resolutions calling for an end to hostilities and an expansion of humanitarian aid restricted by Israel. Washington is considered isolated in the Security Council on this issue. Security Council diplomats have repeatedly expressed frustration with the US position in recent months, particularly as the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened due to withheld aid. A diplomat from the council remarked that the US and the rest of the council "live in two parallel realities."
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gaza aid centres to reopen after security upgrades
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) said it plans to reopen its aid distribution centres in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, though operations are expected to begin later in the day than they did earlier this week. The centres were closed on Wednesday for what the foundation described as "renovation work." The decision followed repeated reports that Israeli forces had killed people near food distribution sites in Gaza, prompting the GHF to improve security measures. The GHF said in a statement on its Arabic-language Facebook page that efforts were under way to ensure food parcels could be distributed as safely as possible despite challenging conditions. It urged all Palestinians travelling to the centres to use routes designated by the Israeli military for their safety. The announcement did not specify which centres would reopen or provide exact opening times. The foundation said it would share further details once "maintenance and repair work" is complete. The Times of Israel noted that the lack of clarity could make it difficult for Gaza residents to plan the often long journeys needed to collect aid. The GHF had launched its distribution network just over a week ago after Israel, under international pressure, allowed limited humanitarian access following nearly three months of blockade.
