Monday, April 19, 2010
This is just a quick link to follow -- an "aside." These are links to interesting things that, for one reason or another, I didn't place into a full posting. Click the link to visit the full article. Go to the blog index for a regular listing of posts.
UK: Lib Dem Lords deputy leader causes Board walk out - 'Lord Wallace, the Liberal Democrats' deputy leader in the Lords, has defended Baroness Tonge's "over-emotional approach" to Palestinian rights in a wide-ranging address to the Board of Deputies on Sunday. He explained that she has not been expelled from the party because "we do sadly find the current Likud Party very intolerant of all criticism". His remarks prompted a number of Deputies to walk out in protest...'
It's ironic that Lord Wallace says "unfortunately some people within the Israeli government and sometimes I think the Jewish Chronicle are not careful to distinguish between criticism of the Israeli Government and its policies and antisemitism and it's very important to keep those things distinct..."
Ironic, that is, because he himself confuses Jews and Zionists quite freely in his own comments. He refers to his conversations with Jewish members of the House of Lords, for example, as though they were informal spokesmen for Israel.
Yes, he has a valid point that criticism of Israel is not necessarily antisemitism. But he's not the one to make that point, in re Jew-hatred vs. hatred of Israel, when he himself has trouble telling the difference.
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
Wow. Talk about proving the point.
He was also open in referring to the double standard - well that is refreshing in a sense but on the other hand it reflects bigotry both toward Israel and the so-called "uncivilized" countries of the 3rd world.
Unbelievable. The Raj lives. Who knew?