EU: Lieberman's Holocaust reference is inappropriate and offensive to Europeans

[azurnoir]

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton condemned the comments made by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, in which he compared the EU's policy toward Israel to the behavior of Europe toward the Jews during the period of the Holocaust.
..............................

In an interview to Israel Radio on Tuesday, Lieberman was asked to react to the EU foreign ministers’ decision on Monday to condemn Israel for advancing the plan to build in E-1.

In reply, the foreign minister launched into a fierce, and perhaps, unprecedented attack on the EU. “I can tell you what I am not satisfied with,” said Lieberman. “I am not satisfied with the position of Europe, which once again in history is ignoring calls to destroy the state of Israel ... Europe is keeping silent. The call yesterday [Monday], what we saw, is not a condemnation of Hamas' statements but rather a call to the heads of Hamas to refrain from incitement. We have already been through this with Europe at the end of the 1930s and in the 1940s.”

The radio interviewer asked Lieberman whether he is accusing the EU of anti-Semitism. “It isn’t an anti-Semitic motive but rather it’s a narrow motive of interests,” replied Lieberman. “They [the EU] are sacrificing all values in favor of interests. Then too, back in the 1940s. They already knew by the start of the 1940s exactly what was happening in the concentration camps, what was happening with the Jews and didn’t exactly act. Today they admit that even in the 1930s they prevented Jews for coming to the land of Israel.”

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/eu-lieberman-s-holocaust-reference-is-inappropriate-and-offensive-to-europeans.premium-1.484438#

[Alamuti Lotus]

1. "inappropriate and offensive" is the guy's cornerstone, that's the business plan

It's part of why I like him so much; almost nobody discredits his cause more than he does. People like him don't seem to notice that the more that a person shrieks and flings poo, the less anybody cares about the asshole it came out of.

[King_David]

2. 'not a condemnation of Hamas' statements but rather a call to the heads of Hamas .....

''not a condemnation of Hamas' statements but rather a call to the heads of Hamas to refrain from incitement''

Hes right there , Hamas should of been condemned like never before.

What Meshal said was hate hate hate.


http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/3671.htm

[azurnoir]

4. did you make that quote up so you could post that video?

'translated' for us by MEMRI (an organization founded by 'former' mossad and shin bet agents) ?

here is what the article really said

"Europe's commitment to Israel's security cannot be questioned," she said. "This was reiterated in the Council conclusions on Monday, as was our condemnation of inflammatory statements by Hamas leaders that deny Israel's right to exist."

really depending on that pay wall huh?

[King_David]

6. No i didn't nt

[azurnoir]

7. so can you pull it from the article for us no not just that sentence but the paragraph it appears in

along with cites?

[King_David]

8. in your OP ....

'Europe is keeping silent. The call yesterday , what we saw, is not a condemnation of Hamas' statements but rather a call to the heads of Hamas to refrain from incitement. We have already been through this with Europe at the end of the 1930s and in the 1940s.”

[azurnoir]

9. not what you quoted and debunked in any event

so in reality it was an excuse to post an OT video which you had also posted in a thread you promptly self deleted

[King_David]

10. Explain ? nt

[azurnoir]

23. here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113425569

both are MEMRI videos and to be honest it is hard for me to tell one antiPalestinian video from another

[King_David]

27. antiPalistinian ?

That's offensive .

Please refrain from labeling all Palestinians as Hamas or terrorists ... It's offensive!

[azurnoir]

28. clever not as Hamas is Palestinian

but it is indeed nice to know you differentiate between the two

[Scootaloo]

3. Oh look, a Kahanist belittling the Holocaust and using those dead and gone as political props

Stout words from a man who's been compared to Jean-Marie le Pen and Jörg Haider... by Marty Peretz, for fuck's sake.

[Purveyor]

13. Indeed! eom

[LeftishBrit]

5. Practically everything that Lieberman says or does is inappropriate and offensive to just about

everyone.

[Scootaloo]

15. Except Israeli voters, it seems

Given that "Likud Beitinu" is poised to sweep the elections.

[Violet_Crumble]

18. That's so clearly not true

All it takes is reading this thread to notice that

[holdencaufield]

11. I'm sorry if EU Bureaucrats find mention of the Holocaust offensive.

It wasn't much of a picnic for the Jews who lived through it either.

[azurnoir]

12. it was the manner in which it was mentioned that was offensive

but it seems you approve of Yvet's approach

[Scootaloo]

14. No, it certainly wasn't

But of course, Avigdor Lieberman was born in 1958. He's not among those people who lived through those horrors. But he still feels that he is privileged enough to use it as a plaything, a trivial little talking-point. Something to lob out casually to score some points against a condemnation of Hamas he doesn't personally feel is worded strongly enough.

No, it wasn't a picnic for the Jews who lived through it. But I don't think Mr. Lieberman is actually aware of that.

Maybe you should take umbrage at the guy who treats the Holocaust like "Shoahgate," some weekly tabloid scandal, instead of the people who are telling him that it's in no way acceptable that he has done so?

[holdencaufield]

16. I believe Minister Lieberman has a point ...

... given the huge amount of Jewish blood Europe (which includes his home country of Russia) has on its collective hands -- not just from the Holocaust but for nearly 2,000 years of violently anti-semitic policies.

Given that history, the EU is in no position to provide any moral authority where Jewish lives are at risk and should definitely not be taking sides in a conflict that involves Jews. Condemning Israel while being conspicuously silent about those who actively seek to kill Jewish civilians is a cheque that Europe has not moral capital to cash.

[Scootaloo]

17. Yes, I know you do.

You think it makes sense to hold a British woman born in 1956 responsible for the atrocities committed by the Nazis in the 30's and 40's, because ermagerd, the UK is part of Europe! By this logic, Avigdor Lieberman is just as responsible for the Holocaust and for the Gulags, being not just European himself, but also Soviet.

Do you also think using the Holocaust as a toy, a trivial plaything to trot out every single time you don't get your way, is a respectful approach to the mass destruction of humanity it represents? After all, that's what Lieberman's doing, and you think he has a point. Don't get the resolution you want in the UN? It's just like the Holocaust. Don't get a free pass on violating international treaties you signed? Gosh, that's what Auschwitz must have felt like. Run out of peanut butter? Just one more thing you have in common with Anne Frank, I guess! If you can't fathom why this is vile, well... you have no room to be talking about who has what "moral capital"

Lieberman has no point, he's simply making an especially grotesque attempt at the Chewbacca Defense. Don't carry water for him, it makes you look bad.

[geek tragedy]

19. No, let the people who agree with the racist Moldovan gangster out themselves. nt

[geek tragedy]

20. But the EU should fork over aid and trade privileges, right?

Standard Israeli response to criticism--stay out of our affairs (unless you're writing us a check!).

Reminds me of 13-year old girls who demand that mom stay out of their lives, unless they need ride to the mall.

[holdencaufield]

21. In fact ...

... the EU is the largest contributor of AID to the Palestinians at this point.

[geek tragedy]

22. Palestinians need it a great deal more than the affluent Israelis do. nt

[holdencaufield]

25. Yes ...

... those five-star hotels in Gaza for visiting dignitaries aren't going to build themselves.

[geek tragedy]

29. Oy, serves me right for debating Likudniks. nt

[holdencaufield]

30. Especially when you have no case

[geek tragedy]

31. If you need a case to be made that the Palestinians are in more need

of economic aid than the Israelis, you are ignorant, willfully or otherwise.

[bemildred]

24. Do Holocaust comparisons amount to Nazi comparisons?

The present juxtaposition of Lieberman's Holocaust comparisons and the Nazi/Israeli comparison thread got me thinking about that. Are not Hoiocaust comparisons also Nazi comparisons? Hence also violations of Godwin's Law? I think so, especially where the intent is to insult or cast slurs.

[azurnoir]

26. I hadn't thought of that but you're right

however I've been told that it means more when applied to some than when applied to others

[geek tragedy]

32. IOKIYARWI

It's Okay If You're A Rightwing Israeli