Thousands of demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the Israeli attacks
on Gaza in central Barcelona January 10, 2009. The signs read "Gaza yes we can".
Posted on 01/12/2009 3:08:14 PM PST by Tailgunner Joe
As Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos lands in the Middle East to support a proposed Franco-Egyptian peace plan, a minor diplomatic row has broken out between Madrid and Tel Aviv over the presence of Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero at an anti-war protest over the weekend.
On Saturday (10 January), Mr Zapatero addressed a demonstration in Ourense, Galicia, calling the Jewish state's actions "excessive" and saying: "It is my duty to call on Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire."
The rally, as with others throughout the country, had been organised by NGOs, trade unions and the prime minister's own Socialist Workers' Party, the PSOE.
At a similar demonstration in Madrid, the main banner read "We will stop the genocide," while some protesters later threw stones at the Israeli embassy.
The deputy general secretary of the PSOE, Jose Blanco, said that it had put "objections" to the wording of the banner, but that he "had to be present" nevertheless.
On Sunday, the Israeli embassy issued a statement regretting the presence of members of the governing party at anti-war protests and saying that people demonstrating applied a "double standard" to Israel.
Israel's ambassador to Spain, Rafael Schutz, on Monday criticised Mr Zapatero's words as "unfair," saying in an interview with Cadena Ser: "Nobody says anything" in Spain about rocket attacks from Hamas.
Mr Schutz however rejected the idea that the prime minister's words would result in a diplomatic conflict between the two countries.
The ambassador said that he wanted to separate relations with the government from what had happened during the demonstration in Madrid.
"Demonstrations are one thing and dialogue is another," he said, adding that he recognised that Mr Zapatero had maintained an "authentic preoccupation" with the situation prior to the launch of the offensive, and that he "truly wants to contribute a solution" to the conflict.
Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos, a former European Union Middle East envoy, landed in the region on Monday to push foward the Franco-Egyptian ceasefire proposal.
He was to speak to his Israeli counterpart, Tzipi Livni, in Tel Aviv, and later head to Cairo, Damascus and the West Bank.
Thousands of demonstrators shout slogans during a protest against the Israeli attacks
on Gaza in central Barcelona January 10, 2009. The signs read "Gaza yes we can".
A pro-Palestinian demonstrator shouts
'go back to the oven' to a small group
of Israel supporters during a confrontation
last week in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
"Emmanuel Lopez, who helped plan the event, one of many sponsored nationwide on Dec. 30 by the ANSWER (Act Now to Stop War and End Racism ) Coalition.
Lopez, a state coordinator for ANSWER, admitted there is a problem with anti-Semitism within his organization's ranks.
Protester Calls for Jews to 'Go Back to the Oven' at Anti-Israel Demonstration
Thursday, January 08, 2009
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,477450,00.html
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The "Party For Socialism and Liberation" is the organization now running the "peace" group A.N.S.W.E.R. When ANSWER was outed as a communist front for the Workers World Party in 2002, several WWP leaders split off to form the PSL and took control of ANSWER. WWP then started up a new "peace" group called Troops Out Now. -ETL
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The following is from Wikipedia (linked sources at site):
"The Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) is a Marxist party in the United States founded to promote revolutionary change.[2]
It was originally created as the result of a split within the ranks of the Workers World Party (WWP). The San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle and Washington, D.C. branches of WWP left almost in their entirety to form the PSL. The PSL has since established branches in several additional urban centers across the United States."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Party_for_Socialism_and_Liberation
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This is from the PSL (Party for Socialism and Liberation) website:
Tens of thousands take to the streets in solidarity with Gaza
http://www.pslweb.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=10833&news_iv_ctrl=1261
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From the Workers World Party website:
"Workers World Party values our close, comradely relations with the Workers Party of Korea very highly. We are proud to have known Kim Il Sung as a great leader and a comrade in the international communist movement. ..."
With comradely solidarity, Sam Marcy Chairperson, Workers World Party" (1994):
http://www.workers.org/marcy/cd/sam94/1994html/s940721.htm
___________________________________________________________
Workers World
55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011
Email: ww@workers.org
Subscribe wwnews-subscribe@workersworld.net
Support independent news
http://www.workers.org/orders/donate.php
International Action Center
55 W 17th St #5C
New York, NY 10011
212-633-6646
iacenter@action-mail.org
ndomtickets@safewebmail.com
www.iacenter.org
[http://www.iacenter.org/polprisoners/dom-2007.htm]
Troops Out Now Coalition
55 W. 17th St. #5C
NY NY 10011
www.TroopsOutNow.org
____________________________________________________
Photo of Charlie Rangel at the podium of a March 19th, 2005 Workers World Party/Troops Out Now rally in Harlem, New York. The occasion marked the 2nd anniversary of the start of the Iraq war. The photo comes from the Workers World Party website.
Also appearing at this "peace" rally with the demonRat Charlie Rangel, now chairman of The House Ways and Means Committee, were Saddam Hussein lawyer, Ramsey Clark and convicted terrorist enabler/attorney, Lynne Stewart. Clark, with Workers World Party, started up that other 'peace' group, A.N.S.W.E.R. Clark also heads the International Action Center and was actually once Attorney General of the United States under democrat LBJ.
Source for the photos: Workers World Party website (workers.org)
http://www.workers.org/march19/index2.html
After reviewing Senor Zap's contributions so far, the best I can suggest for further constructive dialogue is that he strap on one of Hamas's patented c4 insulated business suits, meet with the upper echelon of Hamas's executive power brokers, and personally deliver a dynamite solution to the conflict.
Thanks for the article & pics, TJ, our local snooze missed this angle.
Koran-kissing is a core principle of Spain’s Socialists, both in domestic and foreign policy.
He certainly wasn't expecting some kind of Spanish Inquisition.
Spain is once again Al Andalus.
As Spanish foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos lands in the Middle East to support a proposed Franco-Egyptian peace plan, a minor diplomatic row has broken out between Madrid and Tel Aviv over the presence of Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero at an anti-war protest over the weekend. On Saturday (10 January), Mr Zapatero addressed a demonstration in Ourense, Galicia, calling the Jewish state's actions "excessive" and saying: "It is my duty to call on Israel to implement an immediate cease-fire." ...At a similar demonstration in Madrid, the main banner read "We will stop the genocide," while some protesters later threw stones at the Israeli embassy... Israel's ambassador to Spain, Rafael Schutz, on Monday criticised Mr Zapatero's words as "unfair," saying in an interview with Cadena Ser: "Nobody says anything" in Spain about rocket attacks from Hamas.
Not surprised about what the Spanish government is doing. If you recall, the Spanish people wimped out right after the Madrid bombings and elected a much more leftist regime.
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