When Criticism of Cluster Bombs is "Anti-Semitic"

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From COUNTERPUNCH.ORG:

The Israeli paper Ha'aretz reports that the head of Germany's Jewish community accused a minister in Angela Merkel's German government of "anti-Semitism" because of the minister's statement on Israel's use of cluster bombs. Development Aid Minister Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul had asked for a United Nations probe into Israel's use of cluster bombs in civilian areas of Lebanon.

--snip--

Charlotte Knobloch, president of the Central Council of German Jews, complained about what she terms a growing "anti-mood against Israel and the Jews" in Germany. Merkel, who made absolutely no criticism of Israel during the fighting, immediately met with Knobloch to "soothe Jewish ire" according to Deutche Welle

--snip--

The Zionist Ultras have been circling the wagons on this issue, not giving an inch. They hysterical statement by the German Jewish leader was typical of many.

Responding to a report by Human Rights Watch charging Israel with war crimes in its conduct of the war in Lebanon that was written by its director Kenneth Roth, Rabbi Avi Shafran of Agudath Israel has called Roth "loathsome." An editorial in the New York Sun accused Roth of "de-legitimization of Judaism" because his group condemned Israel's strategy as "an eye for an eye." Rabbi Aryeh Spero in Human Events Online referred to Roth as a "human rights impostor," and likened him to "Nazis and Communists." On Sunday, the Jerusalem Post published an op-ed by NGO Monitor's Gerald Steinberg titled "Ken Roth's Blood Libel." The fact that Kenneth Roth is Jewish and his father fled Nazi Germany makes no difference to the Ultras. If you are do not support Israel 110% you are a Jew-hater, a renegade, a self-hater, and a holocaust denier. Get it?

  In the room were gathered Jews, from all points in history, who wished to speak about anti-Semitism. The first told of the conversion at sword-point of the Spanish Jews to Christianity and of the Torquemadan expulsion (and worse) of those Jews who did not. The second, of the Shoah and of the horrors of the Nazis and life and death under the sword of ethnic cleansing and of extermination. By the end of just these first two accounts there were few present who did not have tears in their eyes or were not visibly shaken.

  A third speaker entered the circle around which the group had formed and told of the criticism of Israel for use of cluster munitions in civilian areas.

  A stunned silence fell across the crowd. And then a red-faced Rabbi cleared his throat and angrily began to speak...

PB

[Hav]

1. .

I read an article about that topic just yesterday and I'd only like to add that several Jews also made clear that these comments against the Minister were totally out of line und unwarranted.

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3. Of course this preposterous name-calling is in no-way...

...representative of the opinions of all Jews. In fact, as my commentary intended to indicate, if there were some celestial accounting of the history of anti-Semitism anyone adding to that list the criticisms of the conservative Israeli government would likely be thoroughly hided for their impudence.

PB

[Solo_in_MD]

2. Unfortunately most of those who criticize cluster bombs and scream

war crimes have no idea what they are talking about. It great weakens the effectiveness of discussions of what could be true war crimes.

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4. Actually this wrangling between the U.S. and Israel when it comes to...

...misuse of cluster bombs (use in civilian areas) has gone as far back as, IIRC, Carter, who put the same stipulations on the Israelis and which the Israelis broke in the last Lebanon war. Of course, by that time Ray-gun was president and likely saw it with...more approving eyes.

PB