Pro-Palestine Jewish activists rallies support ahead of trial

Left-wing Jewish activist Tony Greenstein’s trial date has been set for 5 January.

He faces charges for comments he has made in opposition to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and in supporting of Palestinian’s right to armed resistance in the context of military occupation — a right enshrined under international law.

This is not the first trial of its kind. Jersey peace activist Natalie Strecker who stood trial on charges of inviting support for a proscribed organisation, was acquitted last week. According to former Derby North MP Chris Williamson, the jury was reported told to over look international law. Nevertheless, the presiding judge was careful not to challenge the government’s decision to bring charges against the activist.

In contrast to Natalie Strecker who asked for a ‘quiet show of support’ outside her trial, the outspoken Greenstein is not holding back. His supporters will be able to attend a webinar organised on the day of the trial to express their solidarity. In a recently published article, Greenstein addressed Strecker landmark acquittal and his coming trial:

The Prosecution will say that it is a crime to support the resistance of Palestinians to the genocidal Israeli army because Hamas is a terrorist organisation. Using this ‘logic’ it would have been a crime to support the French Resistance, whom the Nazis also termed terrorists. My response at 6.30 a.m. was just 3 words ‘this is Orwellian’…

What the Met are doing is supporting British foreign policy which is giving support to the genocide in Gaza. Having received no less than 9 complaints from Zionists like @Heidi Bachram, they decided to spare no expense in arresting me. Ms Bachram was operating in the best traditions of Jews who had betrayed fellow Jews to the Nazis.

I was arrested initially under s.12(1A) of the Terrorism Act 2000 which makes it an offence to ‘express an opinion or belief that is supportive of a proscribed (i.e. terrorist) organisation.’

My Police interviewers did not understand when I told them that I would have supported the Devil himself against the IDF. I gave them the example of how, in 1944, over 200 Jews deserted from the Polish Home Army (AK) because they had been told by their officers that they would be shot in the back when they went into action.

A saying common in AK was that ‘’Every Pole has two bullets—the first for a Jew and the second for a German’. It caused a major scandal when Tom Driberg MP raised it in the House of Commons, against the wishes of the Board of Deputies. Anti-Semitism was rife in AK so it is unlikely that I would have supported it.

However when AK led the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 against the Nazis then of course I would have supported it. The same with Hamas. I support it against a genocidal army but not against its own people.

Greenstein has organised a webinar for 11 December at 6pm, titled ‘Freedom of Speech and Protests Against Genocide are not Terrorism’. He plans of rallying his supporters to demonstrate outside the courtroom during his trial, and to campaign against the Starmer regime’s criminalisation of pro-Palestinian speech and independent journalism:

Because my trial is imminent I am organising a webinar around not only my case but the attack on Palestine solidarity activists. Natalie Strecker is awaiting a verdict in a similar trial in Jersey and her charges are similar to those facing me. The trial of the first six of the Filton 24 has already begun. Richard Medhurst who is speaking also faces the prospect of being charged. Despite being a journalist he is the ‘wrong type’ of journalist.

Please register and join us and also get involved in the campaign against the persecution of Palestine solidarity activists. I am calling for a demonstration outside Kingston Crown Court on January 5^th at 9.30 and for people to attend the trial which is estimated to last a week. It is important that the movement makes its presence felt.

You can join Thursday’s webinar by registering here.

Featured image via Tony Greenstein/YouTube