Eric Levy anti-war protester and Julian Assange supporter passes away- he leaves a legacy of fighting for just causes

Tributes flooded social media on Thursday, July 21 after the death of Eric Levy, a passionate and dedicated supporter of Julian Assange, who passed away at the age of 93.

The announcement of Eric Levy’s death was made via the WikiLeaks Twitter page, which read: “Rest in Power Eric Levy, a staunch advocate for Julian Assange, who sadly passed away today aged 93.”

Rest in Power Eric Levy, staunch advocate for Julian Assange, who sadly passed away today aged 93 https://t.co/cy7CLTHnTc pic.twitter.com/B8v3kEHba0

— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) July 20, 2022

Although, more recently known for his support for the WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange –  whose extradition to the US was recently approved by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel – he was also famously known for going to Iraq as a human shield to oppose the US-led invasion in 2003.

At 92 Eric Levy was ‘ARRESTED’ outside Westminster Magistrates’ Court as Julian Assange was DENIED bail.

Eric Levy, who was well-known as an anti-war campaigner, was arrested for allegedly breaching COVID regulations.

At the time there was much concern over the 92 year olds health.

Mr Levey once acted as a human shield in Iraq (before, during and after the invasion/occupation in 2003, his history of protesting for peace and justice is well documented.

The importance of protest.

Eric Levy talked about protesting and his anti-war stance in 2010 when he stated: I’ve always believed their campaign is the most important of demonstrations because by visibly, physically, directly confronting the British Parliament, it is a continuous reminder, to all decent people of the Government’s ongoing crimes against Humanity, particularly in Iraq, Afghanistan, and also by its political, military, economic, social and ideological support for the Zionist state of Israel’s settler colonisation of Palestine.

A 2010 letter gave a deep insight into Eric Levy and his motivation to continue to campaign for peace and justice. Although he will always be rightfully remembered as a staunch Julian Assange supporter and being arrested at 92 while demonstrating that support, he should also be remembered for his lifetime of protesting against war and injustice and the difference his voice made to the thousands of others that followed those just causes.

The government are acting in diametrical opposition to democracy.

As a human shield in Iraq (before, during and after the invasion/occupation in 2003) and having just returned for the fourth time from Palestine,…I’ve been asked by Barbara – who like Brian has been such an inspiration – to make these few comments: The Palestinians’ cause is eminently just!

At no time have I ever heard any Palestinian say anything against “Jews”. On the last of the regular Friday demonstrations I attended, our Palestinian spokesman explicitly said and elaborated that point, to the faces of the Israeli soldiers blocking our march to reclaim the land with its olive trees stolen (yes illegally) by Israeli settlers.

Nowhere on Earth should there be room for a Master Race….as a chosen people. The best proposal I’ve heard of is the creation of a secular state, a democratic Palestine, multi – ethnic, though mainly populated by Arabs, since regionally it’s in their part of the world – and which would be Moslems, Jews, Christians, and people of any other or no religion.

Isn’t that what one should expect a modern country to be like ! – rather than a religious state belonging to the past and hence an anachronism.

Well, are Islamic states to be exempted?

Only provisionally, perhaps. I feel while their societies remain semi feudal, principally because of what modern supposedly “civilised” countries ruling classes have done to them, by holding them back preventing them from developing and then calling them “backward” and “underdeveloped”, (an accurate term is de-developed, as some of them were more advanced socially and economically, not just artistically than the West).

Furthermore, given to-day’s rampant Islamophobia reminiscent of yesterday’s anti-semitism (unlike the Semitic Arabs, the Semitic Jews having been for no less the past half century mostly “off the hook”) isn’t it realistic to foresee that when Muslims are no longer denied and deprived of equal rights and opportunities, they too will have no need (however imaginary) for a religious state !

Viz Iraq..prior to the Anglo American mass – murdering invasion/occupation, a relatively modern secular state albeit with a Muslim President (Saddam Hussein) and his Christian deputy (Tariq Aziz) . That country was leading the struggle for Arab Unity and thus staunchly pro – Palestinian, giving practical financial aid in solidarity with its Arab neighbour’s families whose homes had been demolished, trees bulldozed etc.. but without actually discriminating against their own Iraqi Jews..although most of these chose to leave and settle permanently in a comparatively prosperous foreign land – it is necessary for us to identify as Occupied Palestine and to know that these Iraqi nationals were able to do so merely on the basis of their religion !

Finally, from personal experience as one who’s not religious but of Jewish descent, whose parents were from Egypt, where I lived as a child…I’d like to model my last words on the famous statement of the anti – racist, political and boxing champion, and anti – imperialist hero Muhammad Ali, who gained universal recognition for his entitlement to be regarded in many significant respects as “The Greatest”: “No Vietnamese ever called me a n….r”

Right on ! And I say “No Arab ever called me a ….Dirty Jew”

In both cases – and those of innumerable others – we were only insulted in this way …in the West.

However, I realise that here too, negative attitudes towards Jews are largely outdated and infrequent.

We must be objective and live in the present. ‘Third World’, Black people, Arabs, Muslims now still bear the brunt of the selfish, land – grabbing, ignorant and unduly “frightened” privileged classes and nations !

We must fight for today’s oppressed and exploited peoples…as Brian and Barbara are doing, so marvellously and unselfishly.

To the Israeli Jews in Palestine …including the Zionists whose dogma “God gave us this land” cannot be maintained historically, politically, socially, economically….and neither rationally – nor even (for long) emotionally…. We can and should say what encouraged and emboldened so many people during the last World War (1939 – 1945) against fascism, “There’s (you’ve) nothing to fear but fear itself.”

Eric Levy
December 2010.