Friday, May 09, 2008

Bush, Harper : "Criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic"

Some criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic: U.S.
By RON KAMPEAS, JTA
Thursday, 17 April 2008

"WASHINGTON — The Bush administration has taken the ground-breaking step of identifying some virulent criticism of Israel as anti-Semitism, as it warns that anti-Jewish attitudes and incidents are on the rise worldwide.

“Anti-Semitism has proven to be an adaptive phenomenon,” the report said. “New forms of anti-Semitism have evolved. They often incorporate elements of traditional anti-Semitism. However, the distinguishing feature of the new anti-Semitism is criticism of Zionism or Israeli policy that – whether intentionally or unintentionally – has the effect of promoting prejudice against all Jews by demonizing Israel and Israelis and attributing Israel’s perceived faults to its Jewish character.”

U.S. diplomats and other officials will be expected to take their cues from this forceful language in how they deal with political groups and individuals overseas.

“I hope this keeps it on the radar screen and lets other governments know that the U.S. sees this as an important issue that needs to be taken seriously,” LeGendre said."


And right on cue.....

Criticism of Israel is anti-Semitic, Harper says
MIKE DE SOUZA, Canwest News Service
May 9, 2008
"Some of the criticism brewing in Canada against the state of Israel, including from some members of Parliament, is similar to the attitude of Nazi Germany in the Second World War, Prime Minister Stephen Harper warned yesterday.
"I guess my fear is what I see happening in some circles is (an) anti-Israeli sentiment, really just as a thinly disguised veil for good old-fashioned anti-Semitism, which I think is completely unacceptable," Harper said in an interview with CJAD radio."

Steve takes the Bush message of "some criticism of Israel" and uses it to bash "some members of Parliament".
I suppose we can expect rather more of this since we signed that "Homeland Security Pact" with Israel in March.

H/T Lagatta at Bread 'n Roses for the CannedWest link.
Lagatta says : "I wonder if people who criticise Canada's mistreatment of its Aboriginal population are "anti-Canadian"? "

3 comments:

West End Bob said...

Good grief.

How is stevie going to walk without stumbling once his leg is released from the lock-step harness upon bush's departure next January ? ? ? ?

Anonymous said...

Harper and Bush are just stating the obvious.

Re MPs, here’s a name: Bloc Québécois MP Réal Ménard, who is the co-chair, with Liberal Quebec Senator Lucie Pépin, of a parliamentary association for Palestine.

Menard led a demonstration in downtown Montreal last June supporting the Jew-hating terrorist organization Hezbollah while defaming Israel as an “apartheid” state.

Along with Canada, Israel is one of the most multi-cultural countries in the world. About 20% of Israelis are Arabs, who vote, have political parties, sit in parliament, sit in the governing cabinet, act as ambassadors, fight in the armed forces, and sit as judges in Israeli courts all the way up to Israel’s supreme court.

Of course Israeli Arabs also play for Israeli soccer teams get elected as Israel’s beauty queen for the Miss World pageant, appear as television personalities etc.

The large majority of Israeli Arabs are Palestinians, and they know Israel's not perfect. But they know they’re citizens of the only liberal democracy in the Middle East, want nothing to do with any future Palestinian state.

Half of Israeli Jews come from Muslim countries all over the Middle East and beyond in Africa and Asia, having been expelled by the Muslim majorities. Thus for example, the last President of Israel was an Iranian.

The remaining Israeli Jews (comprising about 40% of the population) are of European descent, having fled European Jew-hatred to return home to Israel.

Happy birthday Israel!

Anonymous said...

why can't people grasp that critisizing israel is critisizing their draconian GOVERNMENT and the people who continue to allow the conservatives there to rule?

it's a big 'duh'....just like when bush and admin are responsible for something, it's viewed internationally as 'the united states has said it will.....'. ?!?!?!

every reference to first nations and genocide is correct....that was the biggest holocaust the wolrd we live in has seen, and the genocide continues.....harper contributes to this big time with his flanagan based dogma.

steve, get a job!

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