From Rockets to Rolene, the war continues in the media as Israel remains under attack
Rolene Marks vs Naeem Jeenah – The showdown on Islam TV.
Lay of the Land co-founder, Rolene Marks was invited on the 27th May 2021 to debate Afro-Middle East Centre head, Naeem Jeenah in a panel discussion ‘AQSA is Calling’ on South Africa’s Islam TV (ITV), a programme featured in South Africa. The decades old adversaries engaged in a discussion that is certain to raise one’s blood pressure.
Following her friendly introduction from Modiin in Israel, where she resides, she was immediately jumped upon by her adversary, Naeem Jeenah, Executive Director Afro-Middle East Centre who said that where Rolene lives is “in violation of international law” and that she: “is talking rubbish”.
That set the tone but what followed soon revealed who really was “talking rubbish”.
Dismissing the over 4000 rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel’s civilian populations – a war crime in International Law – Jeenah opened up with the usual lies making the rounds of anti-Semites the world over of falsely and maliciously accusing Jews of behaving like the Nazis, thus suggesting that Jews are perpetrating a “Holocaust” on the Palestinians:
“What Israel is doing in Gaza is what they are doing in Jerusalem – ethic cleansing of the Palestinian people. They want to make it so uncomfortable so they will leave so they can take over entire Palestine. So please don’t come with this nonsense how great humanitarians Israelis are wanting to see development in Gaza. If that was the case, stop bombing and killing the children of Gaza.” He then went on to promote the only “way forward” was for a binational state – meaning the dismantling of the State of Israel.
With a world gung-ho for 2000 years of exterminating Jews and now set on exterminating its hard-fought for national homeland, Rolene would have none of this.
Watch Rolene Marks vs Naeem Jeenah –The showdown on Islam TV:
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I listened to the entire “debate” between Rolene Marks and Naeem Jeenah. In a microcosm, it reflects what’s happening today between Israel and Palestine. It’s as if there are two parallel worlds that are simply not connecting. Rolene trying desperately to be polite and balanced, using appropriate language, striving in vain to return to the focus of the debate and Naeem, using inflammatory language, stirring emotions with unfounded allegations and not wanting to focus on the theme.
What is heartbreaking to me, aside from the obvious human tragedy on both sides, is the fact that my young grand-daughter( 12 years old) growing up in Vancouver, Canada, thousands of miles away is quoting and using the language of Naeem ( not Rolene’s) as she informs her view of the world.
It’s like 1933- is happening again. What were young people listening to then?
Cecil
PS: Kudos to layoftheland for the important balance it provides to reporting.
Kol hakavod to Rolene for putting up a brave fight, but she should have interrupted Jeenah’s endless diatribe and lies, although, to her great credit, she held back till it was her chance.
Sheikh Jarrah: There is one fact upon which all agree: local Jews purchased a plot of arid, undeveloped land in Sheikh Jarrah in 1875 and held proper legal title. Following the 1948 Israel’s War of Independence, Sheikh Jarrah was controlled by the Kingdom of Jordan. Any Jewish people living in Jordanian-controlled territory were swiftly expelled and property owned by them became the responsibility of the Jordanian Custodian of Enemy Property. This organization was disbanded in 1967, when Israel assumed control of east Jerusalem and the West Bank, following the Six-Day War.Rolene should have had this information as it was most pertinent to this war.
International Law is bandied about by Jeenah as if he really knows it. A simple response would be to ask him to quote the law, when promulgated and by whom, what are the relevant clauses and sub-clauses. I would have told Jeenah he is regurgitating the usual Palestinian propaganda, most of which is not true and complete fiction.
The only way to deal with the ever glib Jeenah is to attack him.