Written By: Justin K.P.
In my last article, I used Matt Taibbi’s recent hit piece on journalist Jeremy Scahill to make a broader criticism of the direction his writing has gone in recent years.
In this article, I will take on the substance of his most recent article and show how absurd and detached from reality it is.
Matt Taibbi’s argument seems to be that people are afraid to not support armed resistance against Israel.
Writing about journalist Jeremy Scahill pressing California representative Ro Khanna on Palestinians right to armed resistance against occupation, Taibbi writes,
Watching Khanna stay upright made me glad to no longer be talking to these people, but also brought memories of what it was like to be part of this community. The progressive press has developed remarkably poisonous tendencies. It makes its showiest displays of anger, and is at its most humorless and unyielding, with allies. Much of what it does is seek out people in its general circle and demand endorsements of movement verbiage amid threat of denunciation.
… Social media has accelerated a seeming love of group interrogation, but don’t be fooled. When you see three journalists of this type doing an interview and fifty more cheering online, it’s a pack of people afraid of one another making nervous shows of solidarity. Each knows how thin the ice is, how quickly a moment of hestitation (sic) will send friends racing to pull a Murder on the Orient Express routine with reputations, taking turns with the knife.
The dynamic is designed to move the group up a road of continually escalating rhetoric, and you won’t see a clearer example than this Drop Site dogpile.
Matt Taibbi is actually implying that the biggest problem in society is that people are afraid to oppose Israel’s enemies.
But let’s look at reality and what the consequences are for supporting armed resistance against Israel.
In the UK, it is illegal to say anything supportive of a proscribed terrorist organization.
Armed resistance groups opposed to Israel, like Hamas and Hezbollah, are officially designated as “terrorist” organizations in the UK.
Countless journalists and activists in the UK have been arrested, raided, and detained for even saying things that suggest Palestinians or Lebanese have a right to defend themself from Israeli aggression.
Investigative journalist Richard Medhurst was arrested and charged at London’s Heathrow Airport under the Terrorism Act, Sec 12, for “expressing an opinion that is supportive of a proscribed organization contrary to section 12 of the Terrorism Act 2000” over his reporting on Palestine. Journalists Asa Winstanley and Sarah Wilkinson had their houses raided and devices seized under similar charges.
Anti Zionist activists Haim Bresheeth, Natalie Strecker, and Tony Greenstein were all arrested in the UK under terrorism charges for speeches given at rallies in support of Palestine.
Former MP George Galloway and academic David Miller were both detained and questioned at the airport over their pro-Palestine activism.
The doctor Rahmeh Aladwan has been repeatedly arrested under terrorism charges for social media posts critical of Israel.
The situation got even worse in the UK after the direct action group Palestine Action was proscribed as a terrorist organization after pressure from the Zionist lobby.
Since the ban, over 3000 activists have been arrested in the UK simply for holding signs reading “I oppose genocide — I support Palestine Action”.
Now, even American citizens who go to the UK are beginning to feel the repercussions of Britain’s Zionist police state.
The well-known political commentators Cenk Uygur and Hassan Piker were both denied entry into the UK over their criticism of Israel.
Human Rights lawyer Dan Kovalik was most recently detained at John Lennon International Airport in Liverpool and questioned over his support of Palestine when he went to the UK.
The situation is not much better in other Western countries supporting Israel.
German authorities raided the house of German author and politician Jürgen Todenhöfer and seized his devices for his criticism of Israel.
The United Nations documented that :
Since October 2023, Germany has escalated and expanded restrictions with regard to Palestinian solidarity activism and protests even though actions have been overall peaceful and used to express legitimate demands, such as calling for halting arms exports to Israel, ending the genocide and the Israeli illegal occupation, ensuring humanitarian aid access to Gaza, the recognition of the State of Palestine, and accountability for those who have committed atrocity crimes.
During the past months, Palestine solidarity protesters in Berlin have been reportedly subjected to police violence, leaving some injured and requiring medical care. Dozens were reportedly arrested, some for simply chanting “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free”. This slogan is widely used by the global Palestine solidarity movement yet has been treated by German authorities as expressing support for Hamas, the experts noted. While some courts upheld fines or bans deeming the slogan as “condoning violence”, other courts recognised it as protected under freedom of expression. Moreover, the experts expressed concern that, during protests marking the two-year anniversary of the 7 October Hamas-led attack and the subsequent genocide in Gaza, arbitrary arrests, detentions, and police violence were reported, including officers punching non-violent activists in the face; while the police in Berlin reportedly imposed a last-minute ban on protests without evidence-based justification.
The EU placed sanctions on German reporter Hüseyin Doğru over his work on Palestine.
Canadian activist Yves Engler was arrested by Montreal police for his criticism of a pro-genocide Zionist activist.
Journalist Ali Abunimah was arrested by Swiss police in Zurich and detained over a weekend for his support for Palestine.
France attempted to pass a bill that would effectively outlaw harsh criticism of Israel or support for armed resistance.
Even the United States, with the fist amendment protections, is not much better.
The Trump administration has attempted to deport multiple legal residents for supporting Palestine, put sanctions on the UN’s special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, and more recently seized the devices of journalist Max Blumenthal for his reporting from Iran, attempted to extradite activist Fergie Chambers over his donations to Palestinian humanitarian causes, and put out a counterterrorism strategy that attempts to paint Palestinian activists as “threats equivalent to jihadi groups like al Qaeda and ISIS, or narco-traffickers.”
Supposed free speech advocate Matt Taibbi has covered almost none of these stories.
In sum:
The consequences of saying anything supportive of Palestinian armed resistance: The Israel Lobby will throw every lawfare tool it has on you, likely resulting in bogus arrests, raids, detention, seizure of devices, or deportations.
The consequences of opposing Palestinian resistance: You may be criticized by pro-Palestine journalists and activists with no power.
Matt Taibbi actually thinks the former is no big deal, while the latter is an actual problem.
He seems to imply that people are somehow more scared of facing tough questions in interviews or criticism online, rather than the numerous lawfare tactics of the Zionist lobby.
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One reason he has given for his “I will not take sides” is that he covers “the National desk”. Weak, as the U.S and Israel try to merge their militaries has he said anything regarding this? This is of the utmost importance to our sovereignty. Two things caused to me give up on him. First, I perceived a cynical tone to his commentary. Second, in his talk of Bari Weiss I sensed a jealousy; “that could be me.” Very few of us can stay the course, for most there is a point where we basically give up and lose our integrity.
Genocide is indefensible