GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - SEPTEMBER 18: Celtic fans banner during a UEFA Champions League match between Celtic and SK Slovan Bratislava at Celtic Park, on September 18, 2024, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Rob Casey/SNS Group via Getty Images)
Celtic has enemies. That is not exactly news. The enemies of this club are not beyond any smear they can use against us, and because the Robbie Keane story is starting to generate headlines outside Scotland, it is only natural that some of those enemies, outside Scotland and within it, will come at us with every weapon in the arsenal.
One of the most potent weapons in the political sphere today, one that seems to cow almost everybody, is the charge of antisemitism.
Let me be clear from the start.
Antisemitism is real. It is vile. It should be confronted wherever it appears. Jewish people should not be held responsible for the actions of the Israeli government. That distinction should not be difficult. Yet some people pretend it is.
I have always been clear where I stand.
I regard Israel as a rogue state, run by a despotic war criminal. That is not a unique position I reserve for Israel. I regard Russia under Putin in the same way. I regard the United States under Trump the same way. For a time, under Tony Blair and the Iraq War, I considered this country to be in that horrific little club.
My criticism of Israel goes back a long way and runs deep because I was a former trade unionist. I marched for Palestinian rights. I campaigned for Palestinian causes. I care about the Palestinian people.
None of that makes me antisemitic.
It makes me opposed to occupation, oppression and war crimes.
Everywhere in politics, those who criticise Israel are accused of antisemitism. Some people over the years who have faced that accusation have been afraid to properly challenge it, perhaps out of fear of drawing more attention to it.
I am not one of those people.
If someone wants to call me an antisemite, they had better lawyer up. I am not afraid to take that on. I am not afraid to shout back. I am not afraid to challenge it and tell them exactly where they can ram that heinous charge.
I will continue to criticise Israel. I will continue to regard the current Israeli government as despotic. I will continue to say that what is happening in Gaza is indefensible. And I will continue to argue that UEFA’s failure to treat Israel as it deservedly treats Putin’s Russia is a stain on the organisation.
Those who want to smear everyone who says this as antisemitic do themselves no favours.
Because antisemitism used to be a very specific charge. It used to have a very specific meaning. The way it has been conflated with criticism of Israel and Israeli policy has reduced the impact of the charge in the wider world.
That is dangerous. It is dangerous because antisemitism is real and serious, and serious words should not be cheapened by being thrown around as a shield for a state.
Even the IHRA working definition, which is often cited in these debates, makes clear that criticism of Israel similar to that levelled against any other country cannot be regarded as antisemitic. That matters.
Because this charge is now being thrown at the Green Brigade and other Celtic fan groups who are vocally opposed to the appointment of Robbie Keane.
But those levelling it do not know this club very well. They do not know our support very well. Opposition to Keane has nothing to do with Judaism. How could it?
He is not Jewish. He’s not an Israeli. So how exactly is it antisemitic to say you do not want the guy appointed at Celtic?
The argument collapses under the weight of its own stupidity.
Celtic fans have been very clear about why they do not want Keane.
The objection is not that he worked with Jewish people. The objection is not that he managed in Israel as an abstract concept.
The objection is that he chose to remain manager of Maccabi Tel Aviv during the Gaza war, at a time when many of Keane’s fans, even in his native Ireland, regarded that as morally intolerable. That is the issue. Not Jews. Not Judaism. Not antisemitism.
Israel. Maccabi Tel Aviv. The Gaza war. Keane’s choice.
And their argument is that a man who made that choice does not fit with Celtic’s values. That is the argument.
I am also concerned that Keane went on to work at Ferencváros, a club with well-documented links to Viktor Orbán’s political project, through Fidesz-connected president Gábor Kubatov.
So, this is not a single-issue objection. It is about judgement. It is about associations. It is about what Celtic should, and should not, be willing to ignore in pursuit of a managerial appointment.
I believe Russia thoroughly deserves its ban from UEFA and European competition, and that the ban should continue as long as it is engaged in its war against Ukraine.
I also believe, by the way, that UEFA should ban Israel, and its failure to do so exposes the moral hypocrisy of the organisation.
But my support for their policy on Russia does not make me anti-Russian. It makes me anti-Putin.
It does not make me anti-American when I condemn Trump’s American governments for illegal wars, drone strikes, regime change and threats against other sovereign states.
It makes me opposed to his gangster government.
It did not make me anti-British when I marched against Blair’s Iraq War. It made me opposed to a blood-soaked criminal act carried out by the British state.
So, spare me the idea that opposition to Israeli policy is automatically hatred of Jews.
That is lazy. That is dishonest. That is a smear.
Celtic fans do not like genocidal war criminals. They do not like people associated with them either. The Green Brigade protested John Reid every single day he was chairman of Celtic. Reid was part of the Blair cabinet during the Iraq War. That protest had nothing to do with religion, ethnicity or identity. It was about politics. It was about war.
It was about conscience. It was about what Celtic supporters believed the club should not be associated with. Tony Blair will be remembered by many of us as a blood-soaked bastard until the day he dies. when I am sure private quarters in hell, next to Thatcher, are already prepared and waiting for him.
The point is simple.
Accusing Celtic fans of antisemitism because they do not want a man who managed Maccabi Tel Aviv during the Gaza war to take charge of Celtic is incoherent. It is historically illiterate. It is politically lazy.
If you are going to level charges at Celtic supporters, at least try to understand who Celtic supporters are and what they trace back to.
Most of us detest the current Israeli regime. That is not the same as detesting Jewish people. It is not even the same as detesting the State of Israel itself, and let’s get that clear too. Many of us hate the British state far more, for its own diabolical litany of sins going back even longer than Israel’s persecution of the Palestinians.
In fact, the British state is a large part of the reason we ended up here.
So those who want to level this accusation can spare us the false charge. Those who want to push this line can eat it. It bears not the slightest resemblance to the truth. It is a lazy smear which pops out of mouths without any thought behind it.
And the fact that we are being accused of antisemitism for being opposed to an Irish Catholic coming to work here shows what a nonsense charge it is in this context.
So those who want to level the accusation should be aware of how they sound. They do not sound like noble defenders of a people or a cause.
They sound like people doing deflection.
Since the context here is so far outside anything that should allow the charge to stick, they do not sound particularly smart about it either.
In fact, they sound like idiots.
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Totally agree with you here about the antisemitism nonsense
Who exactly is making these accusations?
It has been a fallback protection for the state of Israel since its foundation. Use the antisemite accusation anytime anyone condemns them. After WWII everyone has been shit scared of the accusation in case they look bad in the eyes of the world. I have known many Jews and Muslims during my long life and can call them all friends. I have English friends even after the horrors perpetrated by British troops in the north of Ireland. But just because I despise Israel, Iran and Britain does not mean I am anti my friends. And no one would accuse me of it except Israel. That shows they know that what they are doing is wrong but they dont give a damn.
“For a time, under Tony Blair and the Iraq War, I considered this country to be in that horrific little club.”
The UK is not a country. And nor is Britain. That’s the kind of language used by Unionists and British nationalists.
I read your article with great interest James, and the phrase they “better lawyer up” comes across as a threat to the fellow Celtic fans who do not agree with you and the other fans regarding the Robbie Keane issue. Maybe they don’t fully realise the implications of what they are saying so surely you, being the educated man that you are, should take the time to clarify the situation to those people, in other words, educate them don’t threaten them.
Just like you I was involved in the Trade Union movement since a teenager, more than 50 years. I became a Senior Shop Steward and fought many battles for my members as well as taking part in various marches for various causes. Also, as an employee of a multi national company I was elected to serve on the European Works Council, where I met with fellow Trade Unionists throughout my travels in Europe. I never met an anti semetic rep, but I did meet many anti Israeli Government reps, which is totally different. Maybe the people you are criticising are not fully aware of the difference, so it’s not totally their fault it’s just a matter of educating them, which I think you are well equipped to do. I know it’s not your responsibility to do this James, but as a Trade Unionist, education is part of our remit.
May I also say that I have read the Catholic Bible, the King James Bible and the Quran. I have been unable to fully cover Judaism, but have some knowledge. I was baptised a Catholic but have not practised for many many years, as I no longer believe in organised religion. It is my belief that religion has caused more wars and deaths than any other issue, so I have discarded them all. However, I’m still a Christian, believe in God and pray every night before I go to sleep. One thing that is always in my mind is Jesus saying “let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Are you without sin James, because if you are then you’re second only to Jesus? I know that I’m not. The point I’m making is that none of us are innocent, we are all guilty of some wrongs in life, so we should not be too quick to condemn those we disagree with.
Keane should be judged on his managerial career to date and that’s what doesn’t qualify him to manage Celtic.
Whatever he did decide and the reasons he remained in Isreal are down to him.
Should he be the Celtic manager?
In a word NO.
The more people push against him the more ammo we are giving the idiot press and bringing bad publicity to our club.
Sometimes we need to think before we act.
United Nations: Artists who played in Sun City during the Apartheid times – Julio Iglesias, Shirley Bassey, Elton John, Malcolm McLaren, Cliff Richard, Rod Stewart, Bernie Taupin, Bonnie Tyler, Beach Boys, Glen Campbell, Ray Charles, Cher, Chicago, Rita Coolidge, Chick Corea, Liberace, Barry Manilow, Johnny Matthis, Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, Linda Ronstadt, Neil Sedaka, Frank Sinatra, George Benson, Curtis Mayfield, Tina Turner, Olivia Newton-John and Queen.
Go figure.
One more for your shitlist: Nick Cave the Israeli apologist. Can’t stomach the guy now.
Cgreen – that’s easy to figure. One word – money.
The furore over Keane is ridiculous. The man was a football manager, not a politician. Isreal was committing crimes in Gaza when Abada and Bitton was here. We didn’t sack them. And so can Rodgers never return to Celtic or any UK club due to Saudi’s human rights, especially to women and the bombing of Yemen. Not hearing much on that! Keane was 100% football and had no control over what was happening. Do we ban USA for invading multiple countries? Do we cancel the world cup due to the invasion of Iran? We can’t pick and choose
Again, many fine articles and associated comments regarding the possibility of R Keane becoming the next Celtic manager, and the associated fallout if that scenario becomes reality. Also, our enemies looking at any angle to come at us, and throwing antisemitism jibes, is unsurprisingly obtuse, as per usual !
If we look at hiring Keane from a moral perspective, then it is pretty obvious that it would be a no go.
Modern football is full of mercenary, unprincipled, Machiavellian individuals who couldn’t care less about what horrors may be going on around them. They’ll take the money and move on to the next best offer.
Whether people agree or not, with regard to a lot of our fanbase being empathetic towards the Palestinian people and their oppression…we cannot deny that this Israeli government have already booked their places in hell, with their actions.
Same can be said of all those involved in persecution & mass slaughter worldwide…from Russia to Iran, Syria to Yemen et al.
We live in a horrific world, and I suppose it takes us all our time to switch on the daily news programmes.
Celtic is a football club founded to alleviate poverty amongst the Irish immigrant population in Glasgow’s impoverished East End.
It’s always had a strong charitable and social mission, in an attempt to bridge cultural and religious divides. None of us should or ever will forget that !
That’s never changed and god bless all the good work from our fans, that’s done here and internationally, to help those less fortunate then ourselves!!
Bottom line, it should be straightforward for the majority of Celtic fans, even those that do just want to go to games and see success, that empathy and compassion are part of our worldwide, multi cultural fanbase’s DNA.
Personally speaking, R Keane could well indeed be a nice fellow, but I’m sure he is intelligent enough to realise that at this time, Celtic FC should not be his next job, due to the current uproar and fallout.
Whether DD agrees with that, remains to be seen but it beggars belief that a majority shareholder cannot listen to the fans, on at least one occasion. Maybe he shall, but there should be an extensive managerial list rather than 2-3.
For reasons I’ve already listed, our club and fans are hugely inclusive, diverse, cosmopolitan, global. and multicultural.
For those reasons alone, we should never be tarred with any tags relating to antisemitism!
I pray that our club can come together again to save further division. This next managerial appointment will have a huge bearing on that ! HH
In all this – In all of fuckin this…
Who the fuck is caring about CELTIC !
Bloody hell we all talk about Sevco players being under pressure from their ridiculous, demanding and spoilt children type fans…
But the biggest gift of all to Sevco FC at the minute are fuckin Celtic supporters or a significant amount of them…
Everyone can have political ideology’s – Bloody hell I’ve got plenty on Scotland and even more on Ireland but I can do fuck all about that Labour (and by dint Butchers Apron loving bastard) current chairman…
But I’m not gonna take a banner to the match about him, as that’d probably be detrimental to the team – not that I turn up these days anyway but ya get ma drift…
This should be one of our happiest summers EVER as Celtic supporters given the self inflicted carnage and the awesome end result thanks to Martin…
He did namecheck the tennis balls protest after his victory speech outside Parkhead on Saturday 23rd May…
Meanwhile Sevco who should be suffering the summer from hell have their fans gloating about ‘Timmy on Timmy’ and ‘Fenian Civil War’
We need to stop giving them this chance…
Because as sure as night follows fuckin day the Americans won’t get it wrong this time around…
They’ve showed that with Shankland…
Any Celtic supporters feeling the need to get at The Butchers Apron Man, Lucan or Sly McKay please don’t do it at Parkhead, get the point over to them in the street !
Clach, some good points ! We should definitely be on the crest of a wave after winning the double dramatically and against all odds ( those with an anti Celtic bias, of which there are many !) It’s time for unity if that’s at all possible!
Clachnacuddan and the Hoops:
You are spot on sir! More power to your elbow, your posts are very concise whereas I just can’t help waffling on! I think it must be the old union rep in me, can’t use one word when ten will do!
Keep up the great work!!
Every supporter cares about celtic. You’re directing your ire at the wrong people. The board are the ones who have created this mess. They would love your post.
James, a very thought provoking article, I agree a stand should be taken against the current Israeli government. I have to say I dont know much about the situation in Hungary.
The thing that concerns me regarding this and Celtic is the tunnel vision. Everybody knows that saudi is a state where being gay is punishable by death. Half the population are 2nd class citizens. The Saudis are involved in a massive genocide in yemen. Why does this not even register with the fan base? Why are players and managers taking the sportswashing money in saudi, not even on the radar, and welcome back with open arms?
Ive recently read on the comments on these threads that Saudis atrocities dont matter, like the Israel situation, to the Celtic support because we dont identify with it.
I cant accept this.
I dont consider Celtic fans antisemitic but it is the perception of jews that matter, not you or me. It is whether jews would want to play for Celtic that matters. Can we no longer sign an Israeli player?
Mr Mojorisin @ 5.23pm…
We probably can’t sign an Israeli player…
I don’t know enough about it to be honest…
From something I DO know about…
Could we sign a loyalist player…
Well we have done since our inception…
As – was it the great Willie Maley – Said… “We judge a player, not by his creed nor his colour, but with the ability of his skills with his football boots on”
Celtic = Club Open to all !
Clach, I agree completely with this. Unfortunately I think you are going to find many players and managers will not be available to us from now on.
I honestly don’t know if Robbie Keane was offered the job but I if I was him with a wife and young family and the Celtic board offered me the job this morning, I wouldn’t have taken it and I dont think he would have either in the cold light of day.
We have had many jews play for us in recent years. Abada being the last one. Possibly the last one in our lifetimes.
This makes me sad.
I certainly dont consider the club to be antisemitic but it is not what I think that matters. The thoughts of the Jewish community on this are important.
dickyme @ 2.16pm…
Unfortunately wheather we like it or not it’s the tired old grey fuckin men that will determine who gets the job…
Supporters will never get that choice and really can’t as we’ve got a million different candidates for it…
My own opinion is if they appoint him we probably need to back him even through gritted teeth to begin with anyway as anything else will just lead to anarchy like last season and the only beneficiary where it counts will be Sevco on the field of play…
They might try Martin as DOF to take a bit of the heat off, which may or may not work – Goodness knows…
But the whole fuckin shitshow that appears to be rapidly escalating out of control to a divided Celtic support only benefiting Sevco FC…
Both the board and Celtic fans simply have a choice here…
PUT CELTIC FUCKIN FIRST !!!
Not ideology (fans) nor pontificating and point scoring (Board) !