Tarik Azziz just screwed up...Royally! [Wont Answer E-V-I-L Jew Questions Alert]

Foxnews | Me

[VaBthang4]

Was just watching Vatican Press Conference with Tarik Azziz and a member of the Israeli media stood up and asked a routine question about Iraqi missiles and Tarik Azziz dismissed his question and said it wasnt his purpose to come and answer questions of the Israeli media.

Cat calls and sneers shot out around the room and then a German reporter asked Azziz if he'd answer the same question put forward from a German reporter. Many reporters walked out of the room...Foxnews pulled the plug.

MSNBC didnt.

[Catspaw]

From the Opinion Journal.  At best, one can call Lerner addlepated.

ON THE LEFT

The Antiwar Anti-Semites
Peace protest organizers tolerate no dissent.

BY MICHAEL LERNER
Wednesday, February 12, 2003 12:01 a.m. EST

SAN FRANCISCO--Imagine my surprise when I found out that I am banned from speaking at a peace rally here this Sunday. As editor of Tikkun, the largest-circulation liberal Jewish magazine in the world, I have been an outspoken critic of the proposed war in Iraq. I have also unequivocally condemned Saddam Hussein's brutality and called for the world community to bring him to justice for crimes against humanity. But we at Tikkun do not believe that this war--in which thousands of Iraqi civilians are likely to die--will bring democracy to the Middle East. Instead, it is bound to increase the threat of terrorism to American citizens and provoke more violence. It will also fuel American fantasies of world economic and political domination.

So why was I being blackballed over the peace rally?

My sin was publicly criticizing the way that A.N.S.W.E.R., one of the four groups sponsoring the San Francisco demonstration, has used the antiwar demonstrations to put forward anti-Israel propaganda. An A.N.S.W.E.R. spokesperson, speaking on the Brian Lehrer show on WNYC, said that they didn't want a "pro-Israel" speaker at their rally.

The other groups have said that while they disagree with A.N.S.W.E.R., they will honor an agreement giving each group an effective veto on speakers. Yet it is inconceivable that these antiwar coalitions would let A.N.S.W.E.R. ban a speaker if he accused that group of racism, sexism or homophobia. Why should anti-Semitism be treated differently, as the acceptable -ism?

It is outrageous that those of us who wish to protest against what we see as a fundamentally unjust war must be subjected to a barrage of slogans and speeches that are one-sidedly hostile to Israel. That is just as outrageous as some in the Jewish community claiming that our opposition to war makes us champions of Palestinian groups which use terror and violence against Israeli civilians.

There is a huge difference between criticism of Ariel Sharon's repressive treatment of the Palestinian people and a refusal to accept the fundamental legitimacy of Israel's existence. For years, those of us who want democratic rights for Palestinians have been dubbed "self-hating Jews" by right-wingers in the Jewish world. Now, some on the left insist that if we support human rights we must also uncritically support the violence of some Palestinian "freedom fighters" who make no secret of their desire to overthrow the Zionist enterprise.

That's why we recently created a new national organization supporting a "progressive middle path" that is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian. We call for an end to the occupation, the creation of a Palestinian state and reparations for Palestinian refugees. But we also call for reparations for Jews who fled Arab states, and for Israel's admission into NATO--or some other equally powerful military alliance--to give the Jewish state genuine security.

 

  The most painful thing has been watching other antiwar groups make unprincipled compromises with A.N.S.W.E.R. As a result, there is support on the left for self-determination for every group in the world except the Jewish people. Fellow progressive Jews, some anxious to speak at these rallies, have urged me to keep quiet about anti-Semitism on the left. After all, they say, stopping the war against Iraq is so much more important.

Why should we have to choose? Tikkun will be bringing thousands of our supporters to the demonstration Sunday. But just as we fought against the sexism and homophobia that once infected the left, we will challenge anti-Semitism and Israel-bashing on the left, even as we say "no" to a war with Iraq.

Rabbi Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine and www.tikkun.org, is the author of "Healing Israel/Palestine," to be published in July by North Atlantic Books. He is rabbi of the Beyt Tikkun synagogue in San Francisco.

[The Great Satan]

If you're saying that the article denies that Pius XII believed that his policies would do the most good

He meant well, IOW.

[Keme]

I could've sworn I heard somethere that Tariq Aziz's son is imprisoned by Saddam. Has anybody heard this? It would explain a lot about his behavior IMO.

Aziz is indeed a Christian, Chaldean Catholic. In fact that's not even his real name. It's Michael Yuhanna (arabic for John). I simply can't believe he's really the man we see.

I could be wrong.

[VaBthang4]

I thought he is a Coptic Christian...I could be wrong.

Eitherway...

His "religion" has little impact on his ability to be a respectable, well-reasoned human being. His relationship with God [The real one] or lack thereof does.

Also, he is an Arab. Reality is that the vast and overwhelming majority of Arabs actively maintain a deep and abiding racism against Jews.

Tough but true.

[Keme]

Nor exactly, Chaldean Christians are Assyrian converts to the Roman Catholic Church who maintain their rite.

The Assyrian Apostolic Church is what remains of the ancient "Nestorian" Church which once stretched from Syria to India to China.

Nestorius was the former Patriarch of Constantinople who was excommunicated and expelled by the Ecumenical Council of Ephesus for teaching that the Virgin Mary was not Theotokos (Birthgiver of God).

The whole fate of Middle Eastern Christianity was in some way or another tied into this conflict.

It's a fascinating history!

[jwalsh07]

This is a real good post VaB. I hadn't heard a word about it.

[Keme]

No, you might be thinking of Botros Botros Ghali. BTW BBG is married to a Jewish woman.

[SuziQ]

Regardless, the Church seems to have a history of not speaking up for Jews and for this I am ashamed.

the damage control emanating from the pope's apologists on this thread.

See post 162. Catholics need not be ashamed, as the quotes show. Many Catholics died at the hands of the Nazi, as did their Jewish brothers and sisters, simply for trying to hide them.

[ffusco]

I've been to the Vatican, great mental picture!

[aristeides]

That's what the article seems to me to say, and it matters if one is making a moral judgment of the man.

[ffusco]

I don't think the Vatican could sanction any war.

[jerri]

"The Iraqis are sand naxis. "

Please tell me what a naxis is.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Damn, how can I access that logo. That's cool...and very true too.

[ItisaReligionofPeace]

Most of these leftists hate Jews for whatever reason. Of course, most of the are mentally ill too.

[sarasmom]

Read the whole thread.

I think it odd that the devolution is almost complete, and it is no longer about an outragious and inexcusable comment by an Iraqi thug at a press conference.

Everything must go back thousands of years and consider long dead peoples and grievances.

As a citizen of the USA, I find the extent of generational religious hatred impossible to comprehend, to a western mind.

Everyone here does understand that this site is dedicated to the preservation and love of the constitution of the USA, do you not?

The founders of our country left the tyranny of clerics and kings, and started another path for humanity.It is called Freedom, and those of you still mired in the clerics vs kings disputes of previous generations, would have been better off to avoid involving the USA as the final arbitrator of ancient disputes.

We are forced to choose sides,once again, between barbaric peoples from whose countries our ancestors escaped by immigrating to Freedom, and our own future.

ENOUGH!

As the "clerics and kings" crowds have jointly insisted on our undivided attention,they now have it.I am not averse to killing you all, and letting your respective Gods to sort it all out.Fortuneately for some of you,our form of government is not as compliant to majority will, and is a Republic.

[Aarchaeus]

You know, the vision of the Vatican guy hosing the press conference was just a little unsettling.

I noticed that, too. I liked it.

[ARA]

Good point... Then he should come over to our side...

[Romulus]

I am dismayed that the Church would even consider hosting this jackass

Then you're the sorry sort of cultural Catholic who thinks of the Church as a political institution in fancy dress, not as the Body of Christ. Our Lord sat down to dine with sinners, and presented Himself as the Good Shepherd who goes in search of lost sheep. Should His vicar on earth be too fine and grand to follow the Savior's example?

We are all sinners, with more than a few jackasses among us. We need a forgiving Savior every bit as much as Hussein's loathesome errand-boy Tariq.

[Romulus]

Copts are Egyptians. The name "Copt" derives from the Greek word for Eqypt, a corruption of "ha-ka-Ptah" -- "house of Ptah".

[Terridan]

Yup, it was CNN where I saw it and imediately was cut off.
Not before I saw the exodus and booing....