Mohamed Morsi, no doubt advised by his more Western PR staffers to do something, anything, in order to cover his ass after being exposed for the bigoted Jew-hater that he is, told a Congressional delegation that when he said “these bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians, these warmongers, the descendants of apes and pigs,” he didn’t mean Jews, he meant Zionists. And even more specifically, the Israeli Zionist government.
The New York Times:
A spokesman for President Mohamed Morsi said on Wednesday that inflammatory comments that he made about Jews before taking office had been intended as criticism of Israeli policies toward the Palestinians but had been taken out of context. The spokesman said that Mr. Morsi respected all monotheistic religions and religious freedom.
The AP:
Comments on Jews made by Egypt’s Islamist president nearly three years ago and labeled by the White House as “deeply offensive” were taken out of context, aimed at criticizing Israeli policies, not Jews, a presidential spokesman said on Wednesday.
Isn’t it lovely to know that all you have to do is say your words were taken out of context to earn the forgiveness–grudging or not–of the elites in the media and politics, and get to keep your U.S. taxpayer dollars coming? And those nifty F-16 fighter jets? Just do a little tap dancing around the facts, blame Israel’s government and say you were just reacting to the horrible, horrible Israeli attack on Gaza–which was, of course, brought on by Hamas and other terror groups firing missiles at Israeli civilians. I’m actually shocked that the AP gives any context whatsoever. But don’t worry, the bolded paragraph disappeared quickly from any future stories covering Morsi’s anti-Semitic remarks. And note how all of the media outlets so blithely mention the rampant anti-Semitism in the Middle East. It’s so blatant and common that the AP feels comfortable covering up for it by saying Muslims just “slip” into anti-Semitism. Because it’s so easy to suddenly start hating, or something.
Morsi told them distinction must be made between criticism of what he called the “racist” policies of the Israelis against the Palestinians and insults against the Jewish faith.
Morsi also told them the remarks were part of a speech against Israeli aggression in Gaza and “assured them of his respect for monotheistic religions, freedom of belief and the practice of religions,” Ali said.
Despite the explanation, Morsi went beyond attacking “Zionists” to directly refer to Jews and used traditional anti-Semitic slurs like “pigs.”
But the explanation was a rare instance when an Islamist was forced to address criticism of what is routine rhetoric for the Brotherhood. They and other Islamists often engage in tirades against Israel, sometimes trying to stick to references to “Zionism,” the founding ideology of Israel, but often slipping into attacks on Jews.
The world simply truly does not care about anti-Semitism. Every time Israel’s enemies prove that at heart, it’s not anti-Zionism, it’s anti-Semitism, the media and political class shrug, ignore it, or cover for them. And the anti-Semites continue to get the aid they wanted, or the positions they wanted, before their Jew-hatred was publicized.
As for Morsi? Well, Egypt is going to get that aid, no question.
At a news conference after the meeting, the senators declined to characterize Mr. Morsi’s response. But they appeared to feel he had addressed the issue. The senators emphasized their support for Egypt’s transition to democracy. They also said they would press Congress to provide badly needed financial aid and urge American businesses to invest in Egypt, although they also said that Mr. Morsi’s inflammatory statements in 2010 made both requests tougher to sell.
But don’t worry, because Lindsey Graham is onto them now. They’d better be on good behavior!
“The Egyptian people are going to have to showcase your best behavior,” said another senator in the delegation, Lindsey Graham, Republican of South Carolina.
That’ll show Morsi what to do next time he’s caught on tape wishing for the death of Jews. Issue a statement saying he didn’t really mean it.
Some days, I really, really hate the world.
I’ve been absolutely shocked at the complacency with which the world accepts Morsi’s comments. And you didn’t even quote here the part where he says that the children must be fed the doctrine of hatred for the Zionists (or is it Jews). What kind of person thinks, let alone talks like that? And that person is the head of a key player in the mideast?
Yet, we get only a few feeble remarks from the White House and a few Jewish groups. And a small editorial in the NYTimes yesterday. I find nothing from the enlightened larger world community. Europe?
Yes, I believe that peace efforts must continue, but I also believe that we might just cut Israel a little slack when they “over-react” to attacks from their neighbors. I imagine it’s rather hard to remain sanguine and take the higher road when you’re reminded by those neighbors that you’re a descendant of apes and pigs.
Since Israel’s enemies seek the destruction of Israel, which carries with it the promise of, at the very least, “ethnic cleansing” for Israel’s Jews, and more likely genocide, I really do not see any difference between “anti-Zionism” and Antisemitism. The former isn’t even a very good fig leaf for the latter, let alone a distinction with a difference.
Anyone who doubts that the goal of Israel’s enemies is genocide should read up on what they say to each other, in Arabic or Farsi, when they think Westerners aren’t looking. MEMRI offers this opportunity. As far as Hamas goes, they don’t even try to hide that goal behind a fig leaf, as Fatah does.
“Palestinian nationalism” exists only as a diseased mirror image of Zionism. Look at their current campaign of lies that Jews never had anything to do with the Land of Israel. If Israel ceased to exist tomorrow, the Palestinian Arabs would also disappear in, at most, a few years. Every nearby state would jump in to try to seize what it could of the swag (which is what happened in 1948). They would include Iran and , I suspect, Turkey (at least eventually, if only to keep Iran out). Arab wars often tend to be exercises in the competitive slaughter of civilians, so between that and renewed refugee flight, the Palestinian Arabs would cease to exist. Those left would end up as second class subjects of whatever Muslim autocracy managed to steal the place where they live or flee to. The world will have no interest in them as refugees, because they won’t be able to blame their plight on the Jews anymore (they’ll try, but it will sound loopy even to the UN).
Israel should make no unilateral compromises or “gestures for peace” of any kind. The last one was the pullout from Gaza, which has worked out soooo well. There will be no peace for Israel until her enemies cease to lust for Israel’s destruction and the renewed genocide of the Jews. As far as I can tell, that will happen in the Greek Calends, that is when Hell freezes over.
Actually, according to Dante, the deepest level of hell (the realm of traitors) islready frozen over. The hatred will end only when G0d shows them what their fate will be in the world to come. Then those who hate already will realize what they have done to themselves and everyone else will be frightened away and try to get on the good side.
Of course, part of the punishment is that no-one will be able to lie – to others or to themselves.