Romney, Gingrich call for firing of U.S. ambassador after anti-Semitism remarks

[Scurrilous]

<snip>

"Two of the GOP’s leading presidential hopefuls are calling for President Obama to dismiss his ambassador to Belgium after remarks on anti-Semitism made by the envoy last week at a European Jewish Union conference.

“President Obama must fire his ambassador to Belgium for rationalizing and downplaying anti-Semitism and linking it to Israeli policy toward the Palestinians,” former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney said in a statement Sunday.

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) also called for the resignation of the ambassador, Howard Gutman.

“Pres Obama should fire his ambassador to Brussels for being so wrong about anti-semitism,” Gingrich tweeted Saturday along with a link to an Israeli news report of Gutman’s remarks.

According to his prepared remarks, Gutman, who is Jewish, described two forms of anti-Semitism — one that he described as “classic bigotry” against Jews and a second type of “growing anti-Semitism” that is the result of the inability to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-gingrich-call-for-firing-of-us-ambassador-after-anti-semitism-remarks/2011/12/04/gIQA2cK0TO_story.html

[postok]

1. arianna fidgets

Check out arianna huffington at the twenty second mark of this video and tell me what's going on: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-12-04/politics/30473971_1_herman-cain-reality-show-arianna-huffington

[bluestateguy]

2. Help me out here.

What did this ambassador, who is Jewish, say that was anti-Semitic? I failed to see it.

[Jefferson23]

3. He didn't..he had the balls to point this out though:

"Growing global anti-Semitism is linked to Israel’s policy towards the Palestinians, the American ambassador to Belgium told stunned Jewish conference attendants in Brussels earlier this week.

Speaking Wednesday at a Jewish conference on anti-Semitism organized by the European Jewish Union (EJU,) Howard Gutman told participants he was apologizing in advance if his words are not to their liking. He then proceeded to make controversial statements about his views on Muslim anti-Semitism, Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.

A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, Gutman said. He also argued that an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism.

The American envoy, a lawyer by training, is Jewish and played a major role in fundraising for the Democratic Party. He was appointed to the post by President Barack Obama."
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4156355,00.html

[shira]

6. So presumably you must also believe hatred vs. Blacks is based on what Blacks do...

Same WRT Muslims.

Arabs.

Women.

Or is it just Jews?

[Jefferson23]

7. lol. n/t

[shira]

14. You think it's funny to blame antisemitism on the behavior of Jews? n/t

[Proud Public Servant]

8. If he'd really had balls, he would have said

"A distinction should be made between anti-Semitism, which should be condemned, and Muslim hatred for Israel, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The former is unthinking bigotry; the latter is a position that, while we do not endorse it, is nevertheless clearly an ideological response to a real-world political situation."

Still, good for him

[Scurrilous]

4. I'm still working on it.

I'll get back to you when I have an answer. :thumbsup:

[shira]

5. He said antisemitism is based on Israeli policy WRT Palestinians. NT

[aranthus]

9. He didn't, and they didn't say that he did.

What the Ambassador did was to address what he believed is the cause of Arab antisemitism. He said that it was only because of the conflict with Israel. He's wrong about that. While one would expect that six decades of war would cause hatred, there has been Muslim and Arab antisemitism for much longer than that. What Romney and Gingrich seem to be saying is that he should be fired for being wrong about the causes of antisemitism. It's pandering politicking, and as an American who is also Jewish, I find it offensive, insulting, and one more reason not to ever vote for either of them.

One further point. Jews have been wrestling with the causes of antisemitism for a very long time, and there are many opinions as to its ultimate cause. While what the ambassador said was incorrect, it was in no way antisemitic, or hateful. It certainly is no good cause for his firing.

[krucial]

10. Anti-Semites

Anything one says that is not about praising Israel,or saying that Israel is the perpetual victim of hate and ant-semitism,can be, and is defined as Anti semitism by many Republicans and Israeli supporters.
This simple statement here by me,was defined as anti Semitic on another site I got banned from the Site is called "Soda Head"

[Jefferson23]

11. Gutman:

US Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman on Sunday rejected claims that he “excused” ertain types of anti-Semitism, arguing during a gathering in Brussels that comments he made Thursday were misunderstood.

Nonetheless, Jewish organizations felt the distinction the ambassador drew between traditional and new forms of anti-Semitism accepted bigotry against Jews that stemmed from the Israeli-Arab conflict.

“I strongly condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms,” said the Jewish diplomat, whose father was a Holocaust survivor, in a press release posted on the embassy’s website.

“I deeply regret if my comments were taken the wrong way. My own personal history and that of my family is testimony to the salience of this issue and my continued commitment to combating anti-Semitism.”

http://blogs.jta.org/politics/article/2011/12/05/3090575/panetta-clinton-and-gutman-israel-tsuris-for-the-obama-administration

[oberliner]

12. Do you believe his comments are on the mark?

Excerpt:

"There is growing intimidation and violence directed at Jews generally as a result of the continuing tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories and other Arab neighbors in the Middle East.

Every new settlement announced in Israel, every rocket shot over a border or suicide bomber on a bus, and every retaliatory military strike exacerbates the problem and provides a setback here in Europe for those fighting hatred and bigotry here in Europe."

Agree?

[Name removed]

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