De Israelische Terreur 90

Over Israelische oorlogsmisdaden kan door Westerse politici niet gesproken worden. Hoe machtig de pro Israel lobby is blijkt onder andere uit het volgende:

'Voicing criticism of Israeli government policy is generally regarded as a career-ending move for anyone aspiring to high political office here in the US. Which is why it doesn't often happen. But maybe things are different in Canada.

Canadian Press
Weds, October 11, 2006
Campaign organizer abandons Ignatieff over war crimes comment
Joan Bryden, Canadian Press

OTTAWA, Oct 11 (CP) -- Another controversial comment by Liberal leadership front-runner Michael Ignatieff has cost him the support of his Toronto campaign co-chair.
Thornhill MP Susan Kadis withdrew her support for Ignatieff on Wednesday, after he accused Israel of committing a "war crime" during its bombardment of Lebanon last summer.
"Michael is an intelligent person and I would think that he would have a better handle on the Middle East given his years of experience on human rights and international law," Kadis said in a written statement.
Kadis was reacting to Ignatieff's appearance on a French-language television program Sunday, in which he said that Israel's bombing of the Lebanese village of Qana was a war crime. Dozens of civilians died in the attack.
Ironically, the controversy erupted as Ignatieff was attempting to explain a previous gaffe about Qana.
Last summer, Ignatieff told one newspaper that he was "not losing sleep" over the civilian deaths in Qana - an insensitive remark which he later admitted was a mistake.
In an apparent bid to over-compensate for that initial gaffe, Ignatieff said Sunday that he should have shown more compassion for the Qana victims.
"I was a professor of human rights and I am also a professor of the laws of war and what happened in Qana was a war crime and I should have said that. That's clear," he said on a popular Quebecois talk show.
Kadis condemned Ignatieff's remarks, echoing concerns by Jewish groups.
She said she found Ignatieff's "unprovoked comments very troubling," given that Israel's attack on Qana was a response to the "brazen kidnapping" of Israeli soldiers and missile attacks by Lebanese-based Hezbollah guerrillas.
"This was an attack intended to root out a recognized terrorist group who were raining down thousands of missiles on Israel," she said.
Ignatieff issued his own statement, in which he said he "deeply regrets" Kadis' decision to abandon his leadership bid.
"I think I understand, and respect Susan's decision," Ignatieff said Wednesday during a news conference at his Toronto campaign office.
"Susan is a personal friend and a valued caucus colleague, and her decision causes me pain, but I understand and respect it."
He yet again clarified his position on the conflict, calling himself a "lifelong friend of Israel" and stressing his support for Israel's right to defend itself.
Ignatieff repeated his assertion that war crimes were committed, although without naming either side in the conflict.
"I believe that war crimes were committed in the war in Lebanon, I don't think there's any question about it, and war crimes were visited on Israeli civilians and they were visited on Lebanese civilians," he said.
"We've got to be determined as Canadians to do whatever we can to make sure that military solutions are not sought in this conflict because the consequences are just more civilian death."
The Middle East has brought political grief for a number of the Liberal leadership contenders.
Joe Volpe's campaign manager, Toronto MP Jim Karygiannis, quit over Volpe's unwavering defence of Israel.
Gerard Kennedy was forced to distance himself from one of his supporters, Toronto MP Borys Wrzesnewskyj, who accused Israel of engaging in "state terrorism" and called for Hezbollah to be removed from Canada's list of terrorist organizations.'
Wrzesnewskyj resigned as the party's associate foreign affairs critic over those remarks.'