Jonathan Cook Substack

After the Greens passed a motion declaring ‘Zionism is racism’, every establishment journalist is suddenly playing dumb about the most elementary of issues in international law Israel has no right to exist. That’s the position in international law. It has nothing to do with hatred of Israel or antisemitism. In fact, no state – none – has a “right” to exist, including states busy extolling their democratic credentials.

Jonathan Cook Podcast Listen: How the BBC sets a trap to make sure leftwing politicians never get a fair hearing 1× 0:00 Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -9:51 -9:51 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade.

There’s a reason why so few truly leftwing politicians are visible in public life. Because the media’s role is to weed them out, discredit them, place them beyond the pale Notice how the state and billionaire-owned media impose certain obligatory preconditions on politicians before they’re allowed to join the national conversation as respectable, and respected, participants. There are many examples, but let’s take two of the most obvious: 1. Do you condemn Hamas? 2. Does Israel have a right to exist?

Tucker Carlson, a strict isolationist, wonders what UK interest was served in fighting Hitler. If that sounds unhinged, wait till you hear what Lord Rees-Mogg has to say in response It has been salutary listening to liberals fawn over Britain’s ultimate rightwing nationalist toff, Jacob Rees-Mogg, claiming that in an interview at the weekend he “schooled” Tucker Carlson, the United States’ ultimate rightwing nationalist WASP.

Trump, nosediving in the polls and bristling over a disastrous war on Iran, needs a scapegoat – and the Israeli prime minister best fits the bill [First published by Middle East Eye] 0:00 -23:16 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Benjamin Netanyahu’s whirlwind visit to the United States last week to address the United Nations General Assembly was further evidence that the Israeli prime minister is now a universal pariah.

Jonathan Cook Podcast Listen: Reporting of the RAF Fairford arrests blows a hole in the idea of a ‘free press’ 1× 0:00 Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -9:47 -9:47 Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade.

When the establishment media deals with issues in which the West’s war industries are most heavily invested, it happily jettisons even the semblance of critical distance from the state It’s easy to forget that the western media – the so-called “free press” – likes to distinguish itself from media in authoritarian regimes on the basis that, unlike them, it asks critical questions of the powerful, reports facts objectively, and formulates its analyses dispassionately.

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Lots of journalists do disinformation. After all, it’s often their job: to get you looking in the wrong place or viewing events through the wrong lens. A good illustration is Tom Slater, editor of Spiked magazine. Tom isn’t dumb. But in his latest article, titled “The monstering of Ed Sheeran proves ‘Free Palestine’ has become a cult”, he does a very good job of pretending to be. Why? Because that’s the best way for him to keep his readership dumb. He’s far from alone.

Although my posts are freely accessible, they are reader-supported. If you liked this one or any of the others, please consider sharing it with friends and making a donation to support my work. You can do so by becoming a paid Substack subscriber, via Paypal or my bank account, or alternatively by setting up a monthly direct debit mandate with GoCardless. A complete archive of my writings is available on my website. I’m on X, Facebook and Bluesky.