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All of a sudden nobody has anything to say, now everybody is afraid to say what they want. So please you don't have to be politically correct for this forum, as otherwise it is too F ing boring.  If somebody else doesn't like it start their own forum for only boring snobs.

Barbara Stevens ● 3d18 Comments

Mr Rose'I am happy to attest, Richard, that you you are not prejudiced against Jewish people.'Do you know Mr Carter personally for you seem to give him credit that to my mind his publicly stated opinions do not warrant.'Nor do I imagine for one moment that you are a a supporter of Hamas'.No one would admit to this publicly for legal reasons. But it does not preclude them from supporting Palestinians that do.'Where I disagree with you and many of the bien pensant critics of Israel is your one-sided approach to the conflict.'Spot on. I wonder why that is for Mr Carter refuses to tell. 'Sitting in Putney, where you are not threatened by abduction, rape and murder from Hamas or rocket fire from Hezbollah or (potential) nuclear attack from Iran, it is is easy to engage in high minded condemnation of Israel.'Luxury beliefs, claiming victimhood and flaunting sympathy for the 'downtrodden oppressed' are the sine qua non of middle class bien pensant leftists who in fact live the good life in the affluent parts of London such as leafy West Putney. Not satisfied, they still need 'a cause' to fill their time and satisfy their egos.I just wonder why it is Israel they choose as their bête noir and the Palestinians as the victims. Why not the Chinese and the Uyghurs or are they too big a challenge over which to show their self-righteousness and too dangerous.For here you hit the nail on the head - 'Critics of Israel such as yourself are very sensitive about accusations of anti-Semitism. But if you constantly criticise Israel in a one sided manner, if you repeat false and incendiary accusations of genocide against the Israelis, if you insist that the Israelis must withdraw from occupied land without any credible guarantees for Israel's security thereafter, you are in effect fuelling anti-Semitism however much you despise racism and furthering Hamas' cause however vehemently you condemn their aims and methods'.You will never get Mr Carter to give a detailed answer to the question of how the Middle East situation should be resolved and what the status of Israel would be in any resulting situation. Blind criticism, yes; constructive ideas for the future, no.To me 'fuelling antisemitism' is just a cowardly way of disseminating it directly.Don't want to be thought of as a pleb and Putney's own Tommy Robinson.

John Hawkes ● 2h

Mr CarterFor someone who rarely holds back in the comments he makes regarding Israel, you seem to be strangely sensitive on the matter of antisemitism.'Interesting. Do you also not condone the libellous suggestions by your friend, the odious (now 'poisonous' 💀Hawkes !), that any of us who have opposed IDF actions in Gaza are not only Hamas supporters but antisemites?'"Calm down dear, calm down".I note you have not felt obliged to moderate the tone of your comments in the light of Ms Holliday's plea for 'civility and respect' to be shown in comments on this Forum.Are you claiming that to describe someone as being antisemitic is libellous ?You are being disingenuous to claim that any critical views I may have of your opinions of Israel and its actions in Gaza are based upon the fact that you 'have opposed IDF actions' in that region.I base my view on the continual posts you have made calling out and condemning Israel's military actions which many see as legitimate responses to the genocidal pogrom carried out by Palestinians in October 2023; your repeated criticism of Netanyahu; the great efforts you go to point out some of the comments of the more extreme Israeli politicians that are not shared by the majority and your refusal to state your views as to whether Israel has the right to exist as a sovereign state on the territory it now governs.I have no idea whether you support Hamas per se and of course you could not say so as that would be a criminal offenceBut you do show unswerving support for the Palestinians, of whom 40% or so having been shown by survey, ironically but not unexpectedly, as being supporters of Hamas and what it did in October 2023. On this basis it is not unreasonable to think that there is some underlying cause for the nature and content of your posts that is more than their being based on your geo-political view of the Middle East conflict.If I am wrong I am willing to stand corrected.

John Hawkes ● 4h

I should apologise for using the word "odious"."Poisonous" is much more appropriate.

Richard Carter ● 20h

I am happy to attest, Richard, that you you are not prejudiced against Jewish people. Nor do I imagine for one moment that you are a a supporter of Hamas (though I can't say say the same for the Deputy Leader of the Green Party, who saluted the pogrom of October 7 as an act of Palestinian resistance). Where I disagree with you and many of the bien pensant critics of Israel is your one-sided approach to the conflict. Sitting in Putney, where you are not threatened by abduction, rape and murder from Hamas or rocket fire from Hezbollah or (potential) nuclear attack from Iran, it is is easy to engage in high minded condemnation of Israel. It is also easy to propose facile solutions such as the unilateral withdrawal by Israel from all Palestinian land, whether Gaza or the West Bank. Critics of Israel such as yourself are very sensitive about accusations of anti-Semitism. But if you constantly criticise Israel in a one sided manner, if you repeat false and incendiary accusations of genocide against the Israelis, if you insist that the Israelis must withdraw from occupied land without any credible guarantees for Israel's security thereafter, you are in effect fuelling anti-Semitism however much you despise racism and furthering Hamas' cause however vehemently you condemn their aims and methods.

Steven Rose ● 1d

Thank you, Gerry, though privately I wouldn't have expressed it quite so delicately).That someone can complain, who has repeatedly alleged that I am a Hamas supporter and called me an antisemite,  despite my repeated denials - and on the latter point, even his ally Steven Rose has testified that it is untrue - at being referred to as "odious", suggests either outright bigotry or extreme stupidity. Or quite possibly both.

Richard Carter ● 1d

Ms StevensWhat happened to Ms Holliday's call for 'civility and respect' to be shown in posts on this Forum.I don't think Mr Boyce managed to get the message 😁

John Hawkes ● 1d

How does that make you feel, hurrah a good old disagreement. Gets your brains working what to say next, before you fill your mouths with Sunday Lunch.

Barbara Stevens ● 1d

Mr Boyce'Jesus! What a dick!'Might have guessed you would step in with one of your typically thoughtful, reasoned, polite and erudite comments.Mr Carter must be pleased to have someone with an intellect as superior as yours to act as his spokesman.🥱😉

John Hawkes ● 1d

Jesus! What a dick!

Gerry Boyce ● 1d

Mr CarterAre you sure of your case for libel against you when all I have done is point out your propensity for continual and repeated attacks on actions by Israel in the war against Palestinians who have a declared aim of annihilating the country and the Jews that are its citizens ?And I have pointed out as well your attacks with similar frequency on Netanyahu, its democratically elected Prime Minister, as well as other Israelis who speak, sometimes intemperately, in support of their country. You may not support Hamas because that as you know is an illegal offence in the UK.However I cannot recall current criticism from you of the Palestinians that since the pogrom they carried out in October 2023 are still struggling to return the bodily remains of their victims to Israel, be they the corpses and even more foully, the body parts of those they tortured and killed. You call me 'odious'.Meaning I am 'extremely unpleasant and causing or deserving hate'.To ensure I do not feel I am being libelled and subject to a verbal non-crime hate attack by you, would you explain what I have done or said that I deserve such a description ?

John Hawkes ● 1d

Richard, let's cut out the obloquyy. A few days ago you described me as 'blinkered'. Now you are calling John Hawkes 'odious'. Is it necessary to attach epithets to contributors you disagree with? I have already stated my view, having known you for a long time, that you are not an anti-Semite in the sense of someone who is prejudiced against Jewish people.  And I don't equate criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism. But sometimes opposition to Israel crosses the line, namely: unrelenting criticism of Israel to the exclusion of other countries involved in ethnic conflict, judging Israel by standards which are not applied to other nations, minimising the trauma inflicted on Israel by the pogrom of October 7, ignoring the threat to Israel represented by countries like Iran which is developing nuclear capability and which arms proxies committed to the destruction of the Jewish State, making false and incendiary accusations of genocide against Israel, accusing the Israelis of weaponising the Holocaust, joining marches organised and attended by anti-Zionists aka anti-Semites, calling on Israel to institute a ceasefire without making similar demands on Hamas. These are just some of the things I object to. John Hawkes will have his own views, which may or may not accord with mine.

Steven Rose ● 2d

Spot on! I guess the two of them are out dressed up as  Randy Andy and Donald Trump, trick or treating around town!Good luck guys! Hope it pisses on the pair of you!

Gerry Boyce ● 2d

Interesting. Do you also not condone the libellous suggestions by your friend, the odious Hawkes, that any of us who have opposed IDF actions in Gaza are not only Hamas supporters but antisemites?

Richard Carter ● 2d

Mr Rose' am not bothered about the ignorant abuse, John, though insults are a poor substitute for rational arguments. But I do mind about the libellous suggestion that I condone the behaviour of Jeffrey Epstein in any way or that I find him 'humorous'.I am sure Mr Boyce will now respond with details of where he believes his accusation is substantiated.

John Hawkes ● 3d

I am not bothered about the ignorant abuse, John, though insults are a poor substitute for rational arguments. But I do mind about the libellous suggestion that I condone the behaviour of Jeffrey Epstein in any way or that I find him 'humorous'.

Steven Rose ● 3d

Ms StevensYou post - 'All of a sudden nobody has anything to say, now everybody is afraid to say what they want. So please you don't have to be politically correct for this forum, as otherwise it is too F ing boring.  If somebody else doesn't like it start their own forum for only boring snobs.'Below is perhaps evidence of the reason people don't post.Nothing to do with 'political correctness' more a question of not wishing to be addressed in a rude, vulgar and aggressive manner, referencing content that could not be substantiated as being posted by the accused.Posted by: Gerry BoyceDate/Time: 24/10/25 00:51:00Whatever Steve, you are not only pompous and smug but a complete amoral individual. I’m glad you find Epstein so humorous. I think you’re a twat.

John Hawkes ● 3d

Steven, I think what anybody puts on here once your fed up arguing you stop. Then another subject starts.

Barbara Stevens ● 3d

There is little incentive to post opinions on the Forum, especially on controversial topics, because  people are often unwilling to give a fair hearing to views contrary to their own and sometimes respond with vicious abuse.

Steven Rose ● 3d