WhatsappAuthor’s Note: This op-ed was first published in German on Achgut.com and then in the English original on Israellycool.com. Soon after publication on Israellycool, Eve Barlow, Amber Heard’s apparent girlfriend and her notorious defender, as well as a self-proclaimed Zionist, complained to the editor that it is defamatory and harmful to abusers, of which it is neither. Her appeal succeeded, and the editor of Israellycool took down the post. Barlow is on a social media rampage against vocal Depp-supporters. She had been thrown out of the Depp-Heard trial for texting and tweeting alongside Heard’s counsel, thus interfering with the case. She also provided false evidence to torpedo a Depp-friendly witness. These interfering and silencing tactics are like the ones used by BDS (Israel boycott) supporters, only proving the analogy between Heard and “Palestine” further.
Amber Heard’s tactics and psychology and relationship dynamic with Johnny Depp are analogous to another “war” playing out in the broad public: the war between Israel and “Palestine.” Whoever sides with Johnny Depp, should side with Israel. Here’s why:
In her Washington Post op-ed, Heard states that she is the powerless: she is David to the Goliath. Depp, she claimed, is protected by society’s patriarchy. She is representing the “helpless.” However, she would never have gotten as far as she did without Depp. As he describes in his testimony, he helped her in her first major role alongside him in Rum Diary. She thrived through him and his hard-earned success–a success she mocked him for in the excruciating recorded arguments played at the trial.
Palestinian Arabs also love to represent themselves as the underdogs even though most major governments support them and shower them money. Truth is, no one would pay attention to the Palestinian Arabs if they lived alongside (or within) any other nation aside from the strong, powerful Israel which got as far as it did literally through blood, sweat and tears. After all, we never hear about “Palestinian mistreatment” in Jordan or Lebanon which discriminate against their Palestinian Arab population.
Depp describes his generosity to Heard and her friends; he let them crash at his various homes for free. Meanwhile, Heard hoarded the over $7 million divorce settlement but lied on Danish television by saying she “donated” half to the ACLU and half to the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She’s like the Palestinian Authority, pocketing millions of aid that is supposed to go to helping the people. Phony.
Heard’s only real chance at bringing her man down was to lie. The #FreePalestine movement’s only chance at bringing Israel down is to lie. “Apartheid!” they shout. “Wifebeater” she shouts. They piggyback on crimes that are generally despised by the general public to gain sympathy, thereby minimizing the actual crimes of apartheid and domestic violence, respectively.
They often do this by staging scenes. For example, Heard was caught doctoring photos of supposed “injuries.” Palestinians are infamous for “Pallywood.”
The war is one of truth in the public eye: It was clear from the testimony that Heard didn’t rely on actual truth to win her case, but perception of truth she could create. She miscalculated. But she assumed that a left-wing media which drove the #MeToo movement would back her up and cover for her. The Palestinians likewise assume that a left-wing media will back them up, as they did with the case of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh. Until today, no one can prove how she died, but the media was right there to support Palestinian Arabs claims that the IDF shot her.
The testimony describes mutual abuse between the two ex-lovers. They hit each other, cursed at each other, emotionally abused each other. But it was so clear that Heard was the instigator, and Depp’s actions were retaliatory. He described how she slowly changed from a sweet, beautiful gal into a verbally abusive, manipulative person. He gave into the “cycle of violence” and fought back with her lowlife tactics until he could no longer take it anymore and tried to leave and disengage. Israel once tried to „walk away“ from the Palestinians through the 2005 Disengagement from Gaza. The Palestinians, however, did not stop terrorizing Israel.
Israel and the Palestinians are locked in a mutually abusive relationship, but unlike the Palestinians, Israel admits to imperfections in how it handles its difficult geo-political position. The Palestinians fight back with both emotional, verbal and physical terror, and Israel has no choice but to respond. It can’t easily sit back during a “cycle of violence” that murders its citizens.
Depp was much more sympathetic in his testimony because he admits to his imperfections; he was not an angel of a husband at times, despite his best intentions. Meanwhile, the Palestinians hardly ever admit to any wrong. Heard would never humble herself and say she was wrong. They are always the victim, always righteous.
Heard’s war and the Palestinian war against Israel are fought not by or on behalf of real people, but professional activists. ACLU claimed it wrote Heard’s infamous op-ed. The Palestinians have a network of left-wing NGOs, supported mostly by European governments, working to undermine Israel.
If Israel could present her case to a jury, with as dynamite a lawyer as Depp’s Camille Vasquez, the Jewish state would win. But Israel doesn’t get a fair chance. Israel is mostly presented by a hostile media as quick to promote the #metoo movement as it does the #freepalestine movement. But the ordinary citizen, as represented by a jury, would understand that justice is on Israel’s side–that Israel is the victim of defamation and abuse.
Just as women largely didn’t sympathize with the lying ingrate Heard, I wager most Palestinians don’t even sympathize with the #FreePalestine movement. They want to live in peace with Israelis, but #MeToo and #FreePalestine alike are represented by professional activists and NGOs who care nothing about the people they’re pretending to defend.
If the Israeli government fought back with the same ferociousness as Heard’s lawyers, Israel would fare much better in the eyes of the world. But Israel too often appeases the Palestinians in its quest to seem righteous and fair. Depp’s defense did not spare Amber Heard any niceties. They portrayed her as the liar and manipulator that she was. Time for Israel to do the same for the “FreePalestine” movement.
