Kenneth O'Keefe - Political Views

Political Views

On Iran's Press TV program, The Agenda, while speaking on the topic of "America: Is it a Civilized Nation?", O'Keefe denied the plausibility that the 9/11 Attacks were committed by Osama bin Laden and the 19 hijackers. He claimed it was an "inside job" and that the "US government and intelligence agencies, including Mossad" were responsible. He also alleged that the United States government, including the President, had prior knowledge of the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor during World War II, but allowed the attacks to go ahead in order to have an excuse to enter the war.

O'Keefe appeared, alongside Jenny Tonge at an Israeli Apartheid Week talk at Middlesex University on 23 February 2012, during which he stated, "Israel and Mossad were directly involved in 9/11" and that it "continues to foster false flag terrorism". He added later,

"Now, let's be clear, if it was possible, for an Israel to exist, in which it truly accepted all of the people of that region, especially the original inhabitants that were kicked out and murdered in masse, if it could somehow, legitimately recognise all of the people of that region, as brothers and sisters, and make sure that laws existed in which every last person was treated equally, then I would shift my wrath towards Israel to an opening of seeing if this nation could conceivably act with any human decency. But there is no indication that there is any genuine intention for anything like that at all, so, if Israel is inherently a racist state, if it is inherently an apartheid state, then I want no part of Israel, it has no place in this world. And it does in its current form, if you want me to use some inflammatory language, in its current form should be destroyed... Just like the UN in its current form should be destroyed, just like the American empire in its current form should be destroyed, just like the British empire in its current form should be destroyed, just like every corrupt, racist government should be destroyed."

A heated debate with supporters of Israel, who included Zionist Federation co-vice-chairman Jonathan Hoffman, followed O'Keefe's speech. The police later reviewed remarks made by O'Keefe at the meeting after allegations were made by two pro-Israel activists who had been in the audience that that they incited racial hatred by comparing Jewish audience members to Nazis (O'Keefe had said: "The Jewish state is acting on behalf of the Jewish people. You, like the Nazis, now have a special obligation. The decent Germans of World War Two, what did they do when the Nazis came to power and instituted their policies? Did they do enough to stop the Nazis? No, they didn't. What are the Jewish people doing right now? Are you doing enough to stop your racist, apartheid, genocidal state?"). After looking at submitted video and media material, the police came to the opinion that no criminal offences had been committed and no further action was taken. Six student societies alleged to represent the Palestine solidarity movement released a statement condemning O'Keefe's remarks as anti-semitic, stating that such opinions had no place in their struggle "against all forms of racism". However, the Middlesex University Student Union awarded the Free Palestine Society for O'Keefe's speaking event with the 'best society event of the year'.