Chas Newkey-Burden's Blog, page 37

Remembering September 11

I was having lunch with a friend in Kentish Town, near where I worked at the time. He got a call from a friend, giving him a early, sketchy account of what was unfolding in America. We finished eating and I walked back to the office. As I did so, I passed a pub that [...]

Great Email Disasters

Manchester City FC chief Garry Cook finds himself in the centre of an email storm today – and he's in good company. As I discovered when I researched my book Great Email Disasters, email is a highly-dangerous tool. With an ill-considered click of the mouse you can humiliate yourself in front of millions, lose your [...]

A light unto the Gooners

Losing 8-2 to Manchester United: awful. Signing the captain of Israel: awesome. Welcome to Arsenal, Yossi Benayoun.

The goy is back in town

So, where were we? Oh yes, Israel. Five years ago this week I was preparing for my first visit to Israel. I remember the day I left. As I walked through the gate at Heathrow I saw the huge Magen David emblazoned over the EL AL plane's tail and felt so excited. I sat next [...]

Gilad's smile

The most recent sign of life we have had of Gilad Shalit was in the autumn of 2009, when Hamas released a video of him in return for the release of over 20 Palestinian prisoners. Among the many emotions I felt as I watched was a wonder at the fact he smiled during it. It [...]

The Hilltops

'It would be so much easier if we were mean and ugly and violent – but we're none of those things.' I just watched The Hilltops, by Igal H. It is a beautifully-shot and thought-provoking documentary about the settlers in Judea and Samaria. Admirably, it manages the unlikely feat of being fair and quietly even-handed [...]

Guest post: 'The boycott law disgusts me'

This is a guest post by Joel Weiner, responding to Jonathan Hoffman's comment about the boycott bill Jonathan, much as I usually have respect for your unreserved and unending support for the State of Israel, which is so lacking in many other people who should have it, I simply can't agree with you here. I'll [...]

Enough already!

I'm stopping blogging, for a while at least. Thanks for all the support over the years.

'I fully endorse…erm, what were they called?'

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd has a track-record of embarrassing himself when he makes posturing statements against Israel. He recently posted a short video, in which he attempts to speak about the boycott bill issue. It takes him to new depths. Waters says the issue will 'probably not be reported anywhere else in the world [...]

Eleven, by Mark Watson

This is not a book review. It's more a thank-you note to Michael Plosker, who reads this blog. Michael recently suggested that I try the novel Eleven, written by the comedian Mark Watson. I think it might be the best literary recommendation I've ever received. How I've loved my mornings reading it in the sun, [...]