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tv   BBC News  BBC News  May 21, 2024 10:30am-11:01am BST

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how they live in the world and how they should live on our streets. it is a classic anti—semitic trope to set the terms on whichjews will be accepted, safe, provided they live in the ghetto. safe, provided they don't get above themselves. safe, provided they don't contemplate the use of force in self—defence. until, of course, they aren't safe any more. history tells us the dismantling of the writer ofjews to live like others on their own terms leads inevitably to the destruction ofjewish lives, that is why we must take a stand. we have seen the unchecked growth of an senators and where it has lead in the past —— the unchecked growth of anti—semitism. we know what starts with the jew cars never ends with them, country descending into darkness are those which are becoming progressively more unsafe orjewish individuals on thejewish population. spain of the
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inquisition, the other of the 1900s, germany in the 30s, russia in the last decade. —— vienna in the 1900s. this countries in which thejewish community feels most safe at any time other countries where freedom and progress are most secure at any time. the netherlands of the 17th century, britain and the first decades of the last century, america in the second half of that century. when jewish people in the second half of that century. whenjewish people are under threat, all of our freedoms whenjewish people are under threat, all of ourfreedoms are whenjewish people are under threat, all of our freedoms are threatened, the safety of the jewish community is the canary in the mine. growing anti—semitism is a fever which weakens the whole body politic, a mark of a society turning to darkness and in on itself. i see that directly in my work tackling extremism in promoting community cohesion. there is one thing which increasingly unites the organisations and individuals which give cause for extremist concern. anti—semitism. it is the common
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currency of hate. it is up and talk out of their world view, whether it's the most, far right or hard left. —— whether it's the most. we have tended to bracket is the mists, the far right and extreme left as different causes for concern in the past and it is vitally important to be sites in the use of data and definitions. but increasingly we find those undermining democracy in society from different points on the extremist compass are all drawn magnetically to converge on anti—semitic tropes, language, ideas and agitation. far right figures like nick griffin, formerly of the bnp, mark college of an organisation called page rogic alternative, jayda fransen of britain first and jim dowson, a transatlantic hate preacher, have been invited to share space with islamist advocates and brokers from islamist platforms where the common focus of concern is
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jewish influence, thejewish state, the jewish threat. jewish influence, thejewish state, thejewish threat. on the extreme left at the mcduck —— academics and groups like the socialist worker party, the revolutionary communist party, jostle to share platforms with islamist groupings deploying aggressive language about zionists, sporting khalsa intifada and praising the resistance, a synonym for hamas, in terms ofjewish students say course in physical fear. an extreme —— and extreme islamist groups weaponised its growing anti—semitism to divide muslim from muslim. islamists demand that mosques become no—go zones for zionists, interfaith dialogue excludes anyjewish voices excludes any jewish voices sympathetic excludes anyjewish voices sympathetic to the existence of israel unbelievers show they are truly faithful by demonstrating their commitment in the fight against israel. by making aja against israel. by making aja against israel. by making aja against israel and hostility to jewish voices the litmus test of how good a muslim you are, it's lists
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polarise and divide muslim communities. that is why none of us can afford to be indifferent to the increasing prevalence of anti—semitism in society. there is a recent television series about the 19305 recent television series about the 1930s are called a lesson from history, a growth in anti—semitism is both a precursor of greater hate and an enabler of further extremism. anti—semitic tropes which encourage people to think that criticism of its well is neutered or censored by jewish control of the media feed into distrust of the msl. but leeds a greater willingness to believe in conspiracy theories under strong propensity to seek out alternative truth tellers, whether on it and sell message boards, anti—vax youtube channels, far right telegram groups all islamists podcasts. in both the common ground on which democracy depends is eroded. and the sometimes open assertion that the major political parties are in hock
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to jewish finance is also major political parties are in hock tojewish finance is also an effort tojewish finance is also an effort to divide and demonise. extremists will argue thatjewish money drives both foreign—policy and domestic decision—making in countries like ours in order deliberately feel disaffection with democracy and encourage a further fight. understanding and countering the rise in anti—semitism is central to the wider struggle against extremism, division and tate and the defence of democracy, freedom and civilisation. , ., , civilisation. this new development in the nature _ civilisation. this new development in the nature of— civilisation. this new development in the nature of extremist - civilisation. this new development in the nature of extremist activityl in the nature of extremist activity is also related to the changing nature of the time of anti—semitism. anti—semitism, as the late chief rabbijonathan sacks anti—semitism, as the late chief rabbi jonathan sacks once said, is a virus. in evil times it was a religious prejudice. in the late 19th and early 20th century the
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focus changed, the perverted notions of racial science and ethnic purity led the nazis and their collaborators to wish to enter jewish lives in order to eliminate the jewish people. jewish lives in order to eliminate thejewish people. anti—semitism now is increasingly focused on the jewish home, on israel. self—styled progressive opinion against orders sceptical of the nation state determined to make every conflict centred on privilege has been mobilised and charged. so now the focus is on the deal it due to my station and demonisation of the state of israel as a prelude to its dismantlement and destruction. that is what the cry from the river to the sea envisages. the erasure of the sea envisages. the erasure of the jewish people's the sea envisages. the erasure of thejewish people's home. bethlehem, nazareth and jerusalem to become unified. these protests may
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ostensibly be presented as against israel's actions in gaza but in reality they are directed against israel's continued existence. israel is denounced as an apartheid state conducting a genocide. the worst evils of the last eras, apartheid, genocide, are situated in one country, the jewish genocide, are situated in one country, thejewish home. the call for boycott, divestment and sanctions from the protesters are endorsing the campaign. the bds campaign, which i can see is explicitly anti—semitic, and evidence has been submitted to parliament making it clear that the founder and ideologue of the bds movement has repeatedly made clear his nonrecognition that israel exists and has opposed jewish state in any part. the end point is clear. the elimination of israel as we know
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it. being clear about what the bds campaign wants is very far from giving the israeli government, any israeli government, a free pass. it is legitimate, sometimes very necessary, to criticise the conduct of israel's government and that is why this government have continually since october the 7th stressed the need for aid to flow freely to civilians in gaza. we have worked at diplomatic progress towards peace and emphasised there has to be a two—state solution and we have argued that military action must always be governed by international, humanitarian law. but while it is necessary to be clear about why we may differ from the israeli government at any point, just as we differfrom otherfriends government at any point, just as we differ from other friends from time to time, it is even more necessary to time, it is even more necessary to be clear about what is going on here more broadly. we have to draw attention to the way in which israel, unique among nations, is so consistently treated differently from others. to consider why and to see what the impact of that is on
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the jewish see what the impact of that is on thejewish community here in britain. there are no bds campaigns directed against bashar al—assad in syria, the regime guilty of killing more muslims in living memory than any other. there are no student encampments are urging university administrators to cut all ties with china, given what is happening in hong kong or what happened in tibet. i know of no efforts to organise marchers in their thousands to demand immediate action to stop the persecution by me and my�*s government. i may have missed it, but agitation to end the war in sudan or the democratic republic of congo or mali or ethiopia does not seem to energise our campuses. and nowhere is there any suggestion, apart from in israel, that the errors or even crimes of the country was but leaders should necessitate the end of the country's independent existence. myanmar should be
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dismantled and deconstructed. that is why the argument, that cry from the river to the sea, or calls for the river to the sea, or calls for the globalisation of the intifada, or demands for the victory of resistance are not really anti—semitic are so disingenuous. they are cry is targeted against the reality of collective jewish experience. they are denials of the reality of collective jewish suffering. they are calls for the end of collective jewish suffering. they are calls for the end of collectivejewish existence. we should all remember what those who have endured anti—semitism at its worst have asked for when they were last free. a safe home. and the british army when it liberated bergen—belsen in 1945, the survivors in that camp marked the end of their persecution with a song of salvation. it was the sort that has become israel's national anthem. as
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long as thejewish spirit is yearning deep in the heart with eyes turn towards the east, looking towards zion, then our hope, the 2000 year old hope, will not be lost. to be a free people in our land, the land of zion and jerusalem. those voices could not be crushed 80 years ago, but there are a growing number who want to silence that song today. and nowhere is that camp a more visible today than on the campuses. the encampments which have sprung up in recent weeks across universities have been allying israel rhetoric and they have been intimidatory tojewish students and others. it did not appear in a vacuum. the encampments and the slow climbs, programmes and demands reflect the prevailing intellectual fashion, decolonisation. the radical left, the extreme left, rejects the idea whether it is the uk, korea, the us,
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orany whether it is the uk, korea, the us, or any european nation can't prosper because of free markets, liberal parliamentary it property rights and so on. the hard left finds it impossible to acknowledge that higher material living standards and indeed greater human flourishing in some states rather than others is better explained byjohn locke, better explained by john locke, edmund better explained byjohn locke, edmund burke and karl popper, rather than karl marx. that historic fact is unconscionable for the dedicated activists of the radical hard left. so they argue that the prosperity of states such as the uk, us, france and spain and even australia or canada must be built on exploitation and empire. that argument is my colleague kemi badenoch has shown, is inherently flawed. but these ideas are deeply congenial to those auto authoritarian states who are
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ranged together against us. from iran, china, and even russia, the decolonisation narrative is meat and drink. the idea that the success of liberal western nations is built on plunder and domination, and that our attachment to freedom is me hypocrisy, is central to their efforts to advance their goals. that is why forces within those powers seek to influence the debate in our country. they want to weaken our collective resolve in support of democratic values and fellow democracies. and they know that if they can undermine support for israel by encouraging a broader lack of self—confidence in the west's values, they will have secured a victory. it is no mere coincidence that iran, russia and china are sources and spreaders of anti—semitic and anti—israel narratives. they know that those intellectual currents erode our shared defences. and they know that if the decolonisation narrative and
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the delegitimisation that follows it can be in the case of israel, it would be a profound breach in the west was back collective defence because nowhere is the narrative more illogical than when it comes to israel. they know if they undermine israel. they know if they undermine israel the other dominoes will fall. why is delegitimise israel so important? because israel is transparently successful because of its democratic values, not exploitation. israel has next to no material resources, it has been surrounded by enemies since its creation and those enemies sought to strangle it at birth. it is a land of refugees and asylum seekers, built by those fleeing persecution, not enacting it, and israel was itself a nation reborn after imperial subjugation under the ottoman empire which injured for hundreds of years. so israel in 1948 was a poor commission, embattled and fragile child of empire and yet
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israel succeeds. why? because of its values, beliefs belief courage, enterprise and endeavour. a belief in the worth of every individual soul, a robust democracy, a market economy, a commitment to liberty. but for a section of the extreme left to acknowledge that would be to admit that their ideology is wrong, that decolonisation theory is refuted by fax on the ground, that the real route to prosperity and progress lies through free markets and free peoples in strong, liberal nation states. israel's success must be delegitimise, is example dismantled. it has to be branded as a settler state, a racist endeavour. it has to be found guilty of the greatest sins of empire, apartheid and genocide. now, if these arguments were restricted to the seminar room in thejournal arguments were restricted to the seminar room in the journal article, that might be one thing. but as
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history reminds us, ideas have consequences. young minds can become entranced and ideologies can lead to actions. indeed, some of those advancing these ideas have subsequently celebrated the most terrible actions. there were voices in academia who described the pogrom of october the 7th as decolonisation in action. assistant professor in human rights and politics at the lse responded to the hamas massacre by saying that decolonisation, quote, is not a metaphor. an associate professor at mcmaster university in canada, emilejezza, occupy the same intellectual terrain. post—colonial, anti—colonial anti—colonial, not just words you heard in your edi workshop, and the effect of that rhetoric and those views and that celebration of resistance has been felt byjewish students as hostile and intimidating on the campuses here in the uk. leeds university earlier this month graffiti claimed
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that the faculty were funding, a quote, effing genocide. it went on, israel is harvesting palestinian organs. there is a direct implication of one of the oldest and most vicious anti—semitic tropes. on bristol university the encampment posters claim that our media and politicians are lying because they are, quote, zionist funded. another anti—semitic trope, the all—powerful jewish conspiracy. at the school of oriental and african studies, part of london university, there is a declaration on, quote, full solidarity with the palestinian resistance, ie hamas, and a proclamation that the student union is, quote, and historically anti—zionist space with duty to uphold bds. yet again telling jewish students they are not welcome unless they deny their own identity.
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anti—semitism repurposed for the instagram page. alongside these student demonstrations academics from the far left who advance decolonisation narratives... michael gove giving — decolonisation narratives... michael gove giving a _ decolonisation narratives... michael gove giving a speech _ decolonisation narratives... michael gove giving a speech in _ decolonisation narratives... michael gove giving a speech in north - decolonisation narratives... michael | gove giving a speech in north london warning about the fact that he says britain risks descending into the darkness if it fails to tackle growing anti—semitism on the wake of the 7th of october attack. he said the 7th of october attack. he said the safety of the jewish community in the uk is a canary the safety of thejewish community in the uk is a canary in the mine forthe in the uk is a canary in the mine for the health of the whole political system. whenjewish people are under threat all of our freedoms are under threat all of our freedoms are threatened and the safety of the jewish community is the canary in the mine. we will have more analysis on the speech a little later. breaking news to bring you from reuters news agency. they are reporting that britain unlawfully gave police a wider powers to impose conditions on peaceful protests which have caused more than minor disruption to the public. that ruling just in from the high court
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in london. civil rights group liberty took the government to court over changes to public order laws made last year which it says gave the police almost unlimited powers to shut down protests. they ruled in the group's favour, finding that the regulations granting the new powers were unlawful. that news just into us. britain unlawfully gave police wider powers to impose conditions on peaceful protest which caused more than minor disruption to the public, according to the high court. the civil rights group liberty took the government to court over changes to public order laws made last year which it said gave the police almost unlimited powers to shut down protests. regulations which lowered the threshold for police intervening in protests were unlawful. liberty brought the legal action against the home office, saying protest regulations passed by statutory instrument last year where the
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government measures to lower the threshold for what it considered serious threat to community life from prolonged to more than minor, which allowed police officers to take into action any relevant cumulative disruption of repeated protests. the regulations came after the government tried to introduce the government tried to introduce the same changes and public order bill went through parliament. they were rejected by the laws at the time by 254 votes to 240. we will get more on that story and analysis of what it means a little later.. new research suggests electric pulses along with physiotherapy can help restore some movement in people paralysed from the neck down. a clinical study of 60 patients found that 43 showed some improvement in their hand movements. our science correspondent pallab ghosh has spoken to one of the first patients to try it. this is before the treatment — a patient finds it hard to pick up a small plastic ball. he lost most of the movement in his hand after he broke
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his neck 12 years ago. now see what happens after, when pulses of electricity are sent to the damaged nerves. wow. not all the patients showed this dramatic improvement. some didn't improve at all, but nearly three quarters of the 60 patients that tried it had some benefit. this is how it works. the brain sends instructions to move arms and legs through nerves in the spinal column. if there's a break, those signals are weakened. but the signals are boosted by electrical pulses from electrodes around the damaged area, when coupled with physiotherapy. so this is the device that the patients use. it sends pulses of high frequency electricity to these electrodes, which are attached to the patient�*s spine. and these are attached here and here. they're return electrodes to complete the circuit. tell me when you're ready.
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ok. go. melanie reid had her injury a long time ago in 2010. she could hardly use her left hand since then. but two months with the device, combined with intensive physiotherapy, has led to small improvements that have made a big difference, even without the device. i can undo my seat belt with my left thumb. i can pick up small things. i use it for scrolling on a smartphone or a tablet. how significant a development is this? there are no miracles in spinal injury, pallab, you know that. there are no miracles. but if this device is able to allow someone with tetraplegia to lift their arm, to put food in their mouths or to have a drink, that is life—changing. melanie's doctor has helped test the device. she says it's a combination of the physiotherapy and the pulses
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that have led to the improvements. this device has been proven to be safe and result in some benefit to chronic patients. so you've never known anything like it? i haven't. no, i haven't. the results, published in the journal nature medicine, have been sent to regulators to see if they think that the treatment is safe and reliable enough to be used widely on patients in hospitals. pallab ghosh, bbc news, glasgow. breaking used to bring you on the duke of sussex�*s phone hacking case against news group newspapers. we have heard prince harry cannot amend his lawsuit against rupert murdoch's british tabloid newspapers to include allegations involving his wife megan, nor claims against the media mogul himself. that is just in
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from the high court in london. the prince and more than 40 others are suing news group newspapers over accusations of unlawful activity by journalists and private investigators. the sun and the now—defunct news of the world from the mid—19 90s until 2016. in march prince harry sought to amend his lawsuit to include new allegations, including the sun ordered private investigations to target his then girlfriend, now his wife in 2016. however, in a ruling today the judge refused him permission to do so and also to include allegations dating back to 1994 and 1995 involving his late mother princess diana. the judge also rejected an application to include allegations against rupert murdoch himself and other senior executives. however, prince harry was allowed to alter his case to include allegations that the papers had bugged his landline phone and to make accusations against
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furtherjournalists and to make accusations against further journalists and and to make accusations against furtherjournalists and private investigators. a spokesperson for news group newspapers said the court in itsjudgment today news group newspapers said the court in its judgment today has thoroughly vindicated the news group newspapers per position and did not give permission to introduce large proportions of the amendments. just that breaking news into us in the past few moments from london possible high court, that prince harry cannot amend his lawsuit against rupert murdoch's british tabloid newspapers to include allegations involving his wife megan, nor claims against the mogul himself. that ruling just into us. the prince and more than 40 others have been suing, or are suing, news group newspapers over accusations of unlawful activities byjournalists and private investigators for the sun and the now—defunct news of the world in the mid—19 90s until 2016. in march prince harry sought to amend his lawsuit to add new
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allegations including that the son ordered private investigators to target his then girlfriend and now wife megan until 2016. now some of the day plasma at the news. they were once close to extinction in britain, but now the population of bitterns, a rare and shy bird related to the heron, is now thriving in somerset due to conservation efforts. twitchers from all over the country are travelling to see the rare bird including our reporter, ross pollard. people flock here in their numbers, and there's one attraction they all want to be lucky enough to see. well, they're difficult to spot, obviously, they hide in the reeds and also hearing them is quite an experience. boom, boom, boom. very, very deep. we haven't seen any. yeah, but the group, the other group with us did see them and they've got photographic evidence. so they're going to show off when we get catch up with them. if you come down early - in the morning, you're almost guaranteed to hear them down here. can't see guarantee, can you?
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but you know what i mean. bittern calls. after they almost died out altogether, it seems the bittern has chosen somerset as a place to thrive. when i was growing up as a young birder during the 1970s, i never saw a bittern. i went to all the places they were meant to be in east anglia and never saw one. and so to see them here or hear them here particularly is such a privilege. this has become a sort of wildlife tourism hotspot. 41 male bitterns were recently recorded in this area of the somerset levels alone. it's entirely down to the fact that this habitat has been created and it has been created. 30 years ago or so, these were peat diggings, so they were an industrial site full of lorries digging up peat and they look pretty awful. and they started planting reeds here and recreating the habitat and then obviously nature takes over. and so now, 30 years later, we have this wonderful habitat
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in the shadow of glastonbury tor. and it's quite clear that people are coming out more and they're looking for these kinds of experience, and after all, it's free as well. and this is a chance for people very much new to nature to get an experience they probably wouldn't get anywhere else in the country. so it's very welcome in all sorts of ways. we saw three bitterns flying around for three or four minutes, which is very unusual. yeah, absolutely amazing. you know, we've actually been kind of looking for the bitterns all day and this was just about the last five minutes here, to see three bitterns like that, it'sjust stunning, beautiful. ross pollard, bbc news. you are watching bbc news. stay with us.
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live from london, this is bbc news. breaking news this hour — a greek court drops all charges against nine men accused of causing the deaths of hundreds of migrants at sea. the high court rules prince harry can't amend his phone hacking lawsuit to include allegations involving his wife. the bbc hears accusations of israeli mistreatment of palestinian detainees from gaza — one medic says it amounts to torture. we've got a special report. and a room without a view —
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why they're building this barrier injapan to stop tourists taking too many photos. hello, i'm sarah campbell. we start with some breaking news — in the last few minutes, charges against nine egyptian men have been dropped over a deadly migrant shipwreck in international waters off pylos in greece in june 2023. judges said they lacked the jurisdiction for the case because the ship sank in international waters. the trial —— it's feared more than 600 people drowned lastjune when the overcrowded fishing boat called the adriana sank on its way to europe from libya. straight now to our europe
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correspondent, nick beake in kalamata in greece.

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