Belgian Jewish Leader: Israel Committing War Crimes

[mhgaffney]

INTERNATIONAL 07.28.2006 Friday - ISTANBUL 07:56

Belgian Jewish Leader: Israel Committing War Crimes

By Selcuk Gultasli
Thursday, July 27, 2006
zaman.com

Jewish associations have begun to react against the Israeli offensive into Lebanon. Head of the Union of Belgian Jewish Progressives (UPJB) Dr. Jacques Ravedovitch stated that Israel is committing war crimes in Lebanon.

In an interview with Zaman in Brussels, Ravedovitch said that while former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon committed indirect war crimes, current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is unquestionably a war criminal.

Dr. Ravedovitch said it is a shame that Jews who were once exposed to the holocaust are doing the same evil things against another nation today.
According to Ravedovitch, anti-Semitism is from time to time misused by Israeli statesmen, and the recently intensified Israeli offensive into Lebanon has increased hatred for Israel.

The UPJB demands that both the EU and Belgium bring the Israeli attacks to an end.

UPJB, an active Jewish Association in Belgium, accuses Israel of committing war crimes despite the statements issued by the EU and US. Some Jews still have dreams of a “Greater Israel,” Ravedovitch noted, adding that the Israeli government is absolutely against negotiations and is acting aggressively to impose its own interests as a solution.

Seen as a traitor to the Diaspora cause, Ravdeovitch said: “Peace will not be secured without the return of Israel to its pre-1967 borders. Israel should stop destroying Lebanon. It should leave Eastern Jerusalem to the Palestinians and accept that Jerusalem is the common capital; they should sit at the negotiation table for talks.”

Calling the Israeli attacks shameful, Ravedovitch said: “Resistance in Palestine and Lebanon is justified. Israel is an invader. I do not approve of Hamas killing innocent people, but I defend that if there are invaders there will be resistance at the same time. What Israel is doing in Lebanon is terror.”

Accusing the West, and particularly Europe, of fearing to criticize Israel, Ravedovitch said: “The EU keeps saying that they treat Israel and Palestine equally, but how can we behave equally towards both the invader and the invadee? We asked the EU to suspend the Partnership Agreement with Israel, but they didn’t answer.” Ravedovitch said the EU’s attitude indicates Europe still feels guilty about the holocaust, but that Israel is exploiting anti-Semitism.

He pointed out that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are different concepts.
“Anti-Zionism is a political stance. For instance, when a person criticizes Britain, he shouldn’t be called racist or anti- British. Similarly, when people criticize Israel, they do not become anti-Semites.”

The last point Ravedovitch compared the situation to the US’s failure in Vietnam, and suggested that it’s impossible for Israel to attain its objectives in Lebanon as the latest attacks into Lebanon only increased the hatred against Israel tenfold.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Belgian Jewish Leader: Israel Committing War Crimes

I can just see the confusion creeping over W*GS' face...

"Um, can I call this Belgian guy a 'radical leftist Jew-hater,' or not?

Help me, Jesus! Help me Karl Rove!"

(Picture W*GS as Will Ferrell in that soon-to-be-released NASCAR comedy - except, instead of the Wonder Bread logo, W*GS' helmet sports the NRA, GOP, and Exxon Mobil insignias.)

[elsid13]

That fine for him to oppose the war, but he is sitting safely in Belgium. Wonder what he would think is he and his family was under the threat of rocket attacks?

NPR was reporting that currently in Israel that well over 80% of the population were in favor of the actions. In fact, one of father of slain soldier, who belong to a Israel peace party, is strongly support of current PM actions.

[defenseman]

Originally Posted by elsid13

That fine for him to oppose the war, but he is sitting safely in Belgium. Wonder what he would think he and his family was under the threat of rocket attacks?

NPR was reporting that currently in Israel that well over 80% of the population were in favor of the actions. In fact, one of father of slain soldier, who belong to a Israel peace party, is strongly support of current PM actions.

Every poll take the israeli's by a large majority support the action. And you are correct, IF he were in israel , with his family at risk day in and day out, what would he think then? Agree with ya. His opinion will be noted and "canned" by the israeli's anyway. They will finish this when they feel they are permanently safe..dman

[Rohirrim]

I've always found the concept of war crimes interesting. Let's see: You can drop napalm, willy pete, or five hundred pounders on some village that you suspect might be harboring bad guys - and that's cool. But if you haul out a couple of villagers and shoot them, that's a war crime.

War is a crime.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by elsid13

NPR was reporting that currently in Israel that well over 80% of the population were in favor of the actions.

As Fighting Continues, Lebanese Author Says New Poll Shows Overwhelming Support For Hezbollah

Authors Amal Saad Ghorayeb and Robert Dreyfuss join us to talk about the origins of Hezbollah and Hamas. According to Ghorayeb, a new poll shows 87 percent of Lebanese support Hezbollah’s resistance against the ongoing Israeli attack.

http://www.democracynow.org/article..../07/27/1423248

Mission accomplished!

[NOLA Bronco]

Israel isn't trying to win support in Lebanon. They are trying to protect their own. If the Lebanese givernment felt the same, hezbollah might not be as powerful as they are.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by NOLA Bronco

Israel isn't trying to win support in Lebanon. They are trying to protect their own.

Targeting hundreds of innocent civilians, UN workers, and civilian infrastructure goes WAY beyond self-defense.

Israel isn't interested in simply defending itself - its goal is to destroy Lebanon as a state.

Originally Posted by NOLA Bronco

If the Lebanese givernment felt the same, hezbollah might not be as powerful as they are.

All Israel is doing is sending support for Hezbollah through the roof - just like Bush has driven countless Muslims into the arms of al Qaeda, et al.

[Spider]

Originally Posted by elsid13

That fine for him to oppose the war, but he is sitting safely in Belgium. Wonder what he would think is he and his family was under the threat of rocket attacks?

Kinda like the stay the course war supporters we have here ........ stay the course keep fighting , they chant from the comfort of home ........

[Spider]

Originally Posted by NOLA Bronco

Israel isn't trying to win support in Lebanon. They are trying to protect their own. If the Lebanese givernment felt the same, hezbollah might not be as powerful as they are.

are they ? was this the final straw or convient excuse to open up a can of whoop ass ?

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Originally Posted by elsid13

That fine for him to oppose the war, but he is sitting safely in Belgium.

Well, at least you didn't call him an anti-Semite.

[Spider]

and what is it the operation yelloe elephant crowd tells us when we bring that up ? ... oh thats right , it is all voulnter army , we dont have to serve to support , we send Chapstick and baby wipes ....... I guess the Belgian Jewish Leader can use the same excuse

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]

Elsid's "logic" is the same as the wingers who tell bajafan he has no right to comment on what Bush is doing because he's an American living abroad.

[W*GS]

Originally Posted by L.A. BRONCOS FAN

I can just see the confusion creeping over W*GS' face...

"Um, can I call this Belgian guy a 'radical leftist Jew-hater,' or not?

I can still call you a radical leftist Jew-hater, and that's simply a fact.

Your strident responses to the truth are quite telling. I musta hit a raw nerve.

[L.A. BRONCOS FAN]