Senior U.K. diplomat said arrested over anti-Semitic tirade

[oberliner]

A senior diplomat in the British Foreign Office has been arrested for inciting religious hatred after he launched into an anti-Semitic tirade at a London gym, the Daily Mail reported on Monday.

Witnesses told the British newspaper they heard diplomat Rowan Laxton shouting "f**king Israelis, f**king Jews" while watching a TV report of Israel Defense Forces operations in Gaza from the seat of an exercise bike.

He also reportedly shouted that IDF soldiers should be "wiped off the face of the Earth.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1062752.html

[anonymous171]

1. Wow. Just wow. nt

[shira]

42. Imagine a diplomat shouting, f-cking Mugabe, n***er, at a TV screen

and this bombshell has not yet made the MSM.

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/02/10/seventeen-articles/

[here_is_to_hope]

2. Glad I do not live in the UK. n/t

[LeftishBrit]

5. Err, antisemitism at high levels isn't EXCLUSIVE to the UK

Didn't you have a Republican cabinet minister not long ago who said "Fuck the Jews; they don't vote for us anyway!"?

I'm not proud or delighted that we have these twits in the UK! But one CAN have theme anywhere!

[here_is_to_hope]

8. I think you misunderstood my post...

Fuck the IDF and fuck the Israeli Government.
I do not blame the people of Israel, just the right wing shitbags.

[LeftishBrit]

10. Only what he said wasn't 'fuck the Israeli government'!

And he would not have been arrested if he'd said that.

If you would say *exactly* what he did, then frankly I too am glad that you don't live in the UK.

[here_is_to_hope]

16. Oooh, how snarky, you must an ex-pat...

A true Brit would have nailed it.
Besides, my teeth are too good for the UK.

[LeftishBrit]

21. I was born here, thanks!

And my teeth are OK. (I'm tempted to say what I might feel like doing with them; but I won't!)

[oberliner]

9. The poster seems to be saying that he would've made the same comments that got that man arrested

Thus, he is glad he does not live in the UK, otherwise he would've been arrested too.

[azurnoir]

11. And you seem to be accusing the poster of

antisemitism a good 47 minutes after he posted explaining himself

[LeftishBrit]

12. deleted as replied to wrong post.

[oberliner]

23. His explanation matches mine

He cleared up exactly why he made the comment about being glad he isn't in the UK - and it was not because the UK has too much antisemitism.

[here_is_to_hope]

14. And you 'seem' to be

so hard line pro-Israel (not that you can spell 'Israel' lol, I recall you posting some pro-murder shit just yesterday where you misspelled Israel I don't know how many times) that you would fuck the US over in favor of Israel.
I have been hearing about poor little Israel and her war mongering and killing of innocents since I was 7 years old.
I am now 50.
Done with them.
Love the people, hate the State.

[LeftishBrit]

17. Whaaaaaattttttttttt???

Show me where the bloody Hell Oberliner has EVER said he'd 'fuck the US over in favour of Israel'. That is such a vile accusation against one of the most peace-loving people on the forum (and by the way, if you actually read his posts instead of kneejerking, you could have seen that he's against both the Occupation and the Gaza invasion; he just doesn't like Hamas or see Israel as the devil incarnate or something).

And on a more trivial point I've never noticed him misspell 'Israel'.

Perhaps you're confusing him with someone else, though I can't think of anyone else who's said the sort of things that you allege either! Or if you are simply assuming that anyone who disagrees with you is a traitor who would 'fuck over the US' then maybe you aren't all that much of a progressive.

[oberliner]

25. Here is to hope!

I do love that screen name, btw.

Anyway, I don't think I've ever misspelled Israel, but if I did, it was a typo.

I have no idea what "pro-murder shit" you are talking about. I completely oppose the Gaza invasion and support the withdrawal of the settlements and a two-state solution.

Also no clue where the "fuck the US over in favor of Israel" comment comes from. Not even sure what that could mean.

My hope is that Israelis and Palestinians can reach a peace agreement as soon as possible.

What is your hope?

[here_is_to_hope]

29. My hope is...

That my child never has to hear or read...

"...more Palestinian innocents were slaughtered today when the IDF shelled yet another house because some kid threw a rock at a soldier..."

[oberliner]

32. I share that hope

I also never would want my child to have to read about Israeli children being killed or maimed by Palestinian attacks either.

[Howardx]

34. "you would fuck the US over in favor of Israel."

of course you could link to that right? please do.

[here_is_to_hope]

36. As soon as I see a star next to your user name...n/t

[Howardx]

38. i thought not

i would watch the unsupported accusations if i were you.

[here_is_to_hope]

43. And you are not me so

you get to wallow in your own greatness, eh?
The thread I was referring to was locked and sent down the memory hole, I suggest you chase it and then see for yourself.
Will there be anything else for you today?

[Howardx]

46. very convenient for you n/t

[here_is_to_hope]

48. Unfortunate yes but it will happen again.

This forum gets more threads locked and more posters TS'ed than any other.
Why?
Because its so easy to throw out 'anti-semite' and then get caught up in the same rage that drives the IDF.
Fuck the whiners.

Anything else for you?
Need something to suck on?
Perhaps a towel to wipe off your face?
A job?
I have some common sense to spare, need some?
See ya.

[Howardx]

50. another internet tough guy

just what the world needs, yet another of lifes losers taking it out on the world because he can afford an internet connection. :boring:

[here_is_to_hope]

53. And I can donate to DU...oh sorry...

Maybe you could find some change in your ashtray to do the same.
Or not.
Parental discretion is advised.
You internet tough guy you.

[customerserviceguy]

3. Arrested, no, but fired, yes

He doesn't sound like much of a diplomat.

[Shaktimaan]

4. LOL, seriously...

what a crap diplomat!

[LeftishBrit]

6. I think something went wrong with the selection process when this bloke got appointed!

Anyone LESS suitable for a diplomatic career would be hard to imagine.

I suspect that he's either a Hooray Henry type who had the right connections so that merit didn't matter; or an ambitious hack who pushed himself to the fore by ruthlessness rather than competence. At 47, he's just the age to have had his university education and started his career at the height of Thatcherism - I'm a similar generation and had some fellow-students a bit like him, I'm afraid! (I don't necessarily mean specifically antisemitic, though one or two obviously were; but generally thinking that aggressiveness and intolerance are your key to success, and wanting the privileges of the 'elite' without the responsibilities.)

He's probably destroyed his career by his own 'Macaca Moment' to use a great DU expression; and serve him right!

[Idealism]

7. "A diplomat is someone who can tell you in a nice way to go to hell" ...?

[bemildred]

13. So, ummm, why are these guys not arrested too:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x258889

---

The youths, ages 16-18, many of them good friends from school, had stood for a long time before the event began at the intersection near the hotel, waving Israeli flags and shouting "Death to the Arabs" and "No loyalty, no citizenship" at passing cars.

[Behind the Aegis]

15. Are you suggesting the UK should arrest Israeli teens in Israel?

[bemildred]

19. More along the lines that Israeli police should arrest them for hate speech.

Not too many UK police in Israel.

[Behind the Aegis]

39. So you are suggesting Israeli law and British law should be similar if not the same?

[bemildred]

45. Can you read?

I am suggesting "that Israeli police should arrest them for hate speech."

[Behind the Aegis]

51. I can and I did.

Perhaps the problem lies with your writing.

[bemildred]

52. Well good then. I appreciate your interest.

I'll try to clarify. I'm suggesting that:

a.) Hate speech is a common, indeed universal problem.
b.) Certain subsets of it, particularly incitements to violence, ought not be tolerated.

So when I read about this fellow saying the IDF should be wiped off the face of the earth, it made me think of these other fellows saying "Death to the Arabs". I was generalizing the problem.

I wasn't really trying to address the issue of whether UK and Israeli law ought to be brought into conformity with each other. It seems like a bizarre idea to me really. Israel has no monarchy. The UK is not a Jewish state. There are many such differences.

I would agree that both of them ought not tolerate hate speech in the way I mentioned, but that would not be specific to them.

[LeftishBrit]

18. Well, they should be...

but it's two different countries.

If someone ran around shrieking anti-Arab or more likely anti-Muslim or otherwise racist slogans in the UK you can bet they'd risk being arrested; just as with regard to Jews.

[bemildred]

20. Yes, I know, the UK is actually much better about these things.

Wasn't always that way, but things have improved a lot.
:thumbsup:

[oberliner]

22. If everyone who shouted "Death to the Arabs" or "Death to the Jews" were arrested

The prison population throughout the Middle East would swell considerably.

[bemildred]

24. So you feel it should be ignored?

Or what should be done about it, evenhandedly or course?

[oberliner]

26. What happens in the US if you shout either of those statements?

Can you be arrested or no?

[bemildred]

27. Do you feel it should be ignored?

For the record, I do not think it should be ignored.

[oberliner]

28. Ignored, no - Result in a prison sentence?

Not sure how I feel about that.

[bemildred]

30. Well. OK, but I just said "arrested".

How do you feel about them being "arrested"?

[bemildred]

31. Maybe we could "interrogate" them for a while, but not give them a "prison sentence". nt

[oberliner]

33. Statements like that should not be tolerated

What the punishment ought to be I do not know.

[bemildred]

35. Thank you.

I would favor a stiff fine, I think, but vigorously applied.

[Shaktimaan]

40. Are you serious?

You would honestly favor criminalizing "hate speech" in America? Even beyond the current laws that criminalizes speech which instigates violence?

If you don't mind me saying so, I think that's just an awful, horrible thing. One of America's greatest strengths has always been its commitment to freedom in all its forms, none more so than the freedom of speech. I'm not just defending it from a romantic, idealistic POV either. I've always believed that restricting hate speech is to give it power. The best way to counter it is with more speech.

I realize that the supreme court recently ruled against some forms of hate speech being protected by the first amendment, such cross burning for example. I actually think that's a truly depressing ruling. The ramifications of restricting speech is serious enough that it shouldn't be considered unless there are serious, tangible threats that result from it.

Remember the kkk rally in NYC a few years ago? In the end it proved itself to be the best anti-propaganda possible.

[bemildred]

47. Yeah, I agree with the USSC.

In the sense that public calls for "Death to human-group-of-your-choice" should have legal consequences. Other than calls for violence though, I am remarkably tolerant of loons running their mouths in public.

[shaayecanaan]

37. "Israel and Australia are white sisters amongst the yellow race of Asia..."

that was a remark from the Israeli ambassador to Australia.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/774471.html

He was summoned back to Israel, chastened, and then returned to his post; however, he was eventually replaced.

Apparently the problem of political appointees affects Israel just as much as it does other countries.

Such a quality bunch:-

http://www.theage.com.au/news/world/bring-out-the-gimp/2007/03/13/1173722468001.html

[shira]

41. The MSM is eerily quiet about this

http://www.hurryupharry.org/2009/02/10/seventeen-articles/

Yesterday, it was reported that a senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office diplomat and Middle East expert, had delivered a disturbing and racist “Fucking Jews” diatribe in a gym. Unable to quieten Rowan Laxton down, staff called the police, who arrested him.

He is still in post.

This story is significant, because it indicates that at least one senior British advisor holds profoundly anti-semitic views.

Only seventeen stories have been written about this event. They are as follows:

- The Atlantic (Jeffrey Goldberg’s blog)

- Haaretz

- The Times

- The Australian

- Fox News

- Jewish Telegraphic Agency

- Ynet

- Jerusalem Post

- Haaretz (again)

- Digitaljournal.com

- The Telegraph

- Metro

- Press TV (where he is arrested for “criticising Israel”)

- Arutz Sheva

- First Post

- This is London

- Spectator (Melanie Phillips Blog)

It hasn’t been picked up by any of the news wires.

Nor has it been reported in any organ of the liberal press, including the Guardian and the BBC.

[LeftishBrit]

44. On the other hand, he was arrested - it's being taken seriously

Most of our media is not really that interested in what a diplomat has to say; they'd be much more interested if it was Prince Harry! I don't think there'd have been much media discussion if he'd said it about another racial group either. (Unless the Daily Hate-Mail decided that the evil minorities and PC authorities were threatening Laxton's freedom of speech).

Diplomacy is, considering its importance, not a widely-reported profession for good or bad. I realize that I hardly know the name of a single British ambassador, or foreign ambassador to Britain - and I pay more attention to international politics than most people do..

[bemildred]

49. A slight hint of bias in British foreign policy on Israel

---

"The Daily Mail said Laxton continued the tirade even after he was approached by other gym users."

Haaretz adds that "Laxton, who married a Muslim woman in 2000 and has lived in both Pakistan and Afghanistan, is considered an expert on the Middle East."

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/02/10/a-slight-hint-of-bias-in-british-foreign-policy-on-israel.aspx