Yasmin's prize

If one wanted to institute an occasional prize for the op-ed column displaying the neatest combination of stupidity and unpleasantness, you couldn't find a better name for it than the Alibhai-Brown Prize. This week's award of the prize goes to, why, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. In a piece of... er... stupid unpleasantness in the Independent, Alibhai-Brown contrives to dance one of the dances usual to her of wanting to be all over the place at the same time.

Even if it brings down on her 'the wrath of Moses' and 'accusations of anti-Semitism because I dare to raise the question', she's jolly well going to speak out. But, just to let you know, an accusation of anti-Semitism couldn't possibly be relevant because... 'I rang some of my Jewish friends'. You see? She has them.

The thing she's going to speak out about is Labour Friends of Israel. What about it? Well, read. You might think LFI is a lobbying group. Yes, but it attracts the support of 'top parliamentarians' and even prime ministers. It 'plays a part in shaping our foreign policies in the Middle East'. Obviously, there's something sinister about it. You might think that Alibhai-Brown was playing with the idea of a 'shadowy' Jewish conspiracy, but being an accomplished performer of the dance, she now effects a swift reverse step, saying that such goings on might '[encourage] fascist and Islamicist propagators of the idea of a worldwide Jewish conspiracy'. How awful if they should do that! And she'd have been the one who warned us of it, too.

You have to admire her daring, being willing to stick her neck out so. Even as I write Mossad agents are probably preparing a nasty surprise for the rug in her front room. That's to punish poor Yasmin for saying things that are now two-a-penny in polite company. (Thanks: IT.)