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5 comments from readers

unseen
29 October 2009 at 15:58

The full quote:

"There is no doubt that Kaminski is a strong friend of the State of Israel. He himself has spoken out against anti-Semitism on several occasions during the past decade."

I note you don't deal with the rabbi's comment about anti-Semitism at all.

This whole business is complex, as the Guardian and Observer's detailed coverage has communicated well. But the NS has does itself no credit when it takes a sentence out of context and uses it in this way.

Just Observer
29 October 2009 at 22:17

I dont think it has been used out of context. Being pro-Israeli and speaking against anti-semitism is definitely not the same thing. Anti-semitism is a racist sentiment against Jews which needs to be condemned. Criticizing Israel's abhorable policies and human right violations is not anti-semitic just because Israel also happens to be a Jewish state. Israel is capitalizing on the holocaust and this argument about anti-semitism to cover its atrocities.

It is the same senseless logic which people use to equate Pro-Islam with Pro-al qaeda. Israel and Al-queda have more similarities in their extremist outlook and violation of human rights that they deserve to be grouped together. Look at deeds to find similarities, not religion/race.

philiph35
30 October 2009 at 07:47

Just Observer starts off fairly but ends up equating Israel and Al-qaeda. The latter is a smallish organisation of presumably like-minded individuals. The former is a state of some 6 million people. Some may well be extremist but can this condemnation of an entire people be regarded as acceptable discourse? I should add that I find this line of reasoning much more frightening and dangerous than any flirtation with Kaminski - and I am Jewish

Just Observer
30 October 2009 at 15:17

I stand corrected - I meant Israeli politicians and their policies leading to human rights violations. I am not levelling them to the level of Al-quaeda because of the Jewish association - I am doing so because of the havoc and destruction that they have brought upon thousands of innocent lives. I am all for Jews but definitely against extremist Israeli policies. Holocaust does not give them any right whatsoever to commit the same holocaust like atrocities to a different set of people.

Just Observer
30 October 2009 at 20:40

I stand corrected and i agree that i should not generalize - I refer to the Israeli politicians and their policies that have lead to serious human right violations. The reason I see similarities to al-quaeda has nothing to do with the Jewish connection but only that in both cases, thousands of innocent lives have been taken to accomplish racist fundamentalist endeavours.

I am all for Jews (many of my close friends are Jews) but definitely not for Israeli extremism for the sake of a separate state. Holocaust has been used as an excuse to commit holocaust like atrocities against a different set of people. I do not think there is enough condemnation in this world happening around that point. People who are so unanimous about condemning al-qaeda support the extremist actions of Israel - how is that right? Does it matter if the victims of terrorism are whites, muslims, Jews or anyone else??