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The Mask Comes Off: Israeli minister threatens "Holocaust" in Gaza
The future of Palestine?
From the Times (UK):
An Israeli minister gave warning today that the Gaza faces a “holocaust” if Islamist militants there do not end their daily barrages of home-made Qassam rockets, and their increasing use of Iranian-built Grad missiles.
“The more Qassam fire intensifies and the rockets reach a longer range, they will bring upon themselves a bigger holocaust because we will use all our might to defend ourselves,” Matan Vilnai, the Deputy Defence Minister said.
The use of the term "holocaust" is usually restricted to descriptions of the Nazi genocide of the Jews in Europe in the Second World War, and many Israelis resent its use in any other context. Mr Vilnai’s deployment of the word appeared to show Israel’s growing frustration that Hamas and other militant groups in Gaza refuse to curb their attacks, despite heavy tolls inflicted in Israeli air strikes and tank raids.
As Israeli media relayed his controversial comments, Mr Vilnai’s spokesman was forced to issue a clarification. “The minister used the Hebrew term 'shoah' which means 'catastrophe' and in this context does not refer to the 'the Shoah' - the Holocaust,” he said.
So Vilnai is now saying that he intended to convey a nuanced, non-inflammatory message? That he didn't think that anyone would connect "shoah" and the Holocaust?
Everything has to be understood in context. The context for Vilnai's remarks is an ongoing policy of Apartheid and ethnic cleansing by the state of Israel. In light of the escalation of hostilities, and in light of the growing influence within the Israeli government of flagrant racists like Avigdor Lieberman, it's hard to see how Vilnai's comments can be seen as anything other than a call to kill Palestinians.
(cross posted at Liberal Avenger and appletree)
posted by gordo at Friday, February 29, 2008
4 Comments:
Criticize your own government or anyone elses and that's fair enough, but criticize any Israeli government and ...... argh!!!!
Anti-Semite!!! Nazi filth !!! Jew hater !!!!
Well, here's one bloke who won't be frightened into silence no matter how loud I'm screamed at. It seems you and Richard are made of the same stuff too, Gordo.
This has long been the plan, of course. I have such trouble with all of it, being a friend to both survivor-of-the-Holocaust Jews and Palestinians who have escaped these horrific encampments.
I have often thought, at the risk of vile anti-semite blastings that of all countries on the face of the earth Israel could lead the way in compassion.
No, never-ending terrorism from all powerful countries is the raison d'etre.
For shame.
XO
WWW
It's all one big circle jerk where US, UK and Israel is concerned . And it isn't going to change.
The End of the "Guilty Israeli" by Yossi Klein Halevi.
Oh, and the old saw that criticism of Israel is anti-Semetic is a rather old saw. Israel is a country like any other and better than most, though not without flaws or sin.
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