The following quote is taken out of context intentionally, and the emphasis is unashamedly mine.
Israel considers...
An English translation of the Knesset session obtained by the Herald is revealing for the frankly expressed views of MPs.
Shaul Yahalom, of the Mafdal Party which represents the religious Zionist movement, said of the Israeli Foreign Ministry's public response: "The fact that these things were carried out in the legal way, only while denying everything even though they probably had recordings - as was at least made public - only caused more anger, diplomatic anger with the New Zealand Government that could have been avoided.
"There is no doubt that an effective intelligence service of the state of Israel, which is supposed to penetrate countries that are hostile to Israel, should be there. It cannot be done with an Israeli passport.
"I think the Israeli intelligence services can find solutions with the help of friendly intelligence services and have it done in a friendlier manner than the way it has been done so far."
Said Abd-Elmalek, of the Ra'am Party (United Arab List): "The state of Israel has its own ways. It wants to do killings, it wants to hurt leaders, and this is obviously opposed to any international legitimacy and it hurts especially countries that are friendly.
"There was no problem in obtaining American passports. Israel could get them very easily. It gets them. It probably would not serve their purpose in this case. Just as in order to live in Amman and kill a Palestinian leader it was necessary to use Canadian passports.
"Somebody was supposed to be in another Arab country and kill somebody over there, and having a New Zealand passport was considered to be the best."
"Americans are now under suspicion in the Arab world. They are not liked. Anybody knows that. The British are not liked either, not even regular Europeans who, following the invasion of Iraq, already have a negative image in the Arab work, and this is why they looked for a country that does not have this kind of image."
Hemi Doron, from the right-wing Shinui party, claimed that two months before the Israeli passports incident, a Russian intelligence agent was caught in New Zealand.
"The Russian Government apologised. This man was deported from New Zealand and that story was over.
"They did not intent to hurt us and treat us differently than they did with that Russian agent. All we have to do is learn some humility and admit mistake."
An MP from the ruling Likud faction, Magli Vahaba, said he would not take advantage of an "operational mishap" - if indeed it had taken place - to criticise Israeli intelligence. But he wanted a Knesset committee to study the issue.
Other MPs implored Foreign Minister Shalom to own up and apologise for Israel's actions.
Hmmm, “All we have to do is learn some humility and admit mistake”. Now I might expect words like that from a left of centre NZer, but an extreme right wing Israeli? NEVER! Hemi Doran, I admire your honesty and thank you.
The second is the first of three written by Herald’s Editor. Fran O’Sullivan is an “ex” politician. Her stakes as both journalist and Editor are tops with me given the picture that she writes here…
Fran O'Sullivan's point of view...
OK, so it is more the kind of writing that one might expect to see in a blog or personal website.
One of the questions that always surfaces whenever one is critical of the Israeli state is that of anti-semitism. There have been occasions when this label has been thrown in my direction (quite falsely I think but TIJMHO) for saying things like “Israelis are as much terrorists as the Palestinians.” At the time of the original incident, the label was given to the NZ Government. In the first of the two quoted articles, it is pointed out that – for example the last resolution concerning Israel’s “wall” had NZ voting as one of some 150, against 16 in Israel’s favour.
Again, as that article points out, only two nations have consistently voted on Israel’s side – Israel of course, and the United States of America.
Cut now to a different source – the little debate over in The Sciolist’s corner - The Sciolist again...in "matter of fact" mood
Irrespective of the validity of bin Laden’s “Letter to America”, there is no doubt about the link between U.S. – Israel support and the messianic hatred of extreme Islam for the United States.
You know, I can not help wondering what might happen should the U.S. vote in the U.N. once, just once, across the floor from Israel on a matter pertaining to that country…
Hemi Doran, you rock!!
1 comment:
In the United States we have three distinct problems in regards to Israel. First, there is the extreme Political Correctness movement that will hunt you down even if it sounds like you MAY have said something that could hurt somebody's feelings. Anything remotely anti-semetic riles the whole lot of those folks.
Secondly, the Religious Right sees Israel as the Christian Holy Land. They think of that area being better off in the hands of Jews instead of Muslims. They will support anything that keeps the Muslims out of there.
Finally, when a Palestinian straps a bomb to himself and blows up something in Israel, the news here talks about a terrorist. The citizenry here automatically hates that and sees all Palestinians as terrorists. They never see Israel razing entire communities of the indigenous people. They never see the artillery landing in Palestinian slums as retribution for the acts of a few.
LibertyBob
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