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Palestinian rescuers search the Daloo family house in Gaza City, which 9 members of the same family died in an Israeli air strike. Source: AP
In light of the criticism on Israeli policy and actions often elicited by this writer and seen in this space, I felt it necessary to put that criticism in fuller perspective.
But there are certain things that must be said so there is no misunderstanding.
First the atrocity of exterminating 6 million innocent Jews committed by Hitler and the Nazi's during the Holocaust was an unspeakable crime and must never be forgotten. Holocaust denial is unacceptable; the evidence irrefutable.
When a President Ahmadinejad of Iran denies the Holocaust and calls it a hoax and says Israel has no right to exist shows the man's utter ignorance. His hatred is steeped in anti Semitism and needs to be seen as such. But he has no ultimate power and decision making authority in Iran so his utterances should be kept in perspective and not made into the official policy of Iran.
Anti-Semitism is like racial hatred and deserves to be condemned as such.
That said branding anyone who criticizes present day Israeli policy and actions as being anti-Semitic is an unjust accusation. It's a ruse to deflect all honest criticism, a camouflage to hide behind that wrongfully defends Israel from being legitimately criticized.
Such tactics are used by the likes of AIPAC, the America Israel Public Affairs Committee who are ready to brand any criticism toward Israel as being anti-Semitic.
It is why most members of Congress, Republican or Democrat, beholden as they are to AIPAC driven campaign funding, will not openly criticize Israeli policy and action.
Any member of Congress that strays from the AIPAC party line is threatened of being labeled as anti-Semitic.
This is why Congress and ALL U.S. administrations are and have been one sided is support of Israel over the Palestinians.
As former President Jimmy Carter wrote in his book "Palestine, Peace Not Apartheid", Israeli apartheid is a fact. It is as untenable as the white apartheid government that once ruled in South Africa.
The continuing Israeli military air campaign over Gaza is aggression. It needs to be seen and condemned as such.
That's not anti-Semitism. It is the truth.
