Newt Gingrich calls on US ambassador to Belgium to be fired

[J. J.]

...over some remarks on Israel and the causes of anti-semitism.

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/obama-fundraiser-and-ambassador-blames-israel-anti-semitism_610946.html

(Wow, the Weekly Standard is worse than I'd have imagined)

I actuallly have had the opportunity to hear ambassador Gutman speak in person on several occasions, and it should be noted that he's a very charismatic speaker and comes across as a sympathetic person. Also, the Weekly Standard might very well imply that he's a huge Obama supporter, but the guy served on Mark Warner's exploratory commitee (or something like that). He's quite popular over here, as well. Most people know who he is and, unlike the last piece of swift boating scum you guys sent us, those people don't hate his guts.

And isn't Gutman a jewish name, anyway?

I think he's wrong about the causes of Antisemitism, especially since a large portion of Muslims in the world are Semites.  I also think you can be anti-Israel and not be an anti-Semite, and vice versa. 

[J. J.]

I think he's wrong about the causes of Antisemitism, especially since a large portion of Muslims in the world are Semites.  I also think you can be anti-Israel and not be an anti-Semite, and vice versa. 

Please spare us the idiotic word play.  Yes, it is a bad choice of phrase, but anti-Semitism is a synonym for anti-Jew, not not anti-Jew or Arab.

The guy is a diplomat; he's not suppose to make "a bad choice of phrase."  It's like talking about Montezuma's revenge in front of the president of Mexico.

Further, he's wrong on the substance.

[J. J.]

Montezuma's revenge, huh?  Did you just compare the negative feelings stirred up by the enormous loss of Palestinian life with a case of traveler's diarrhea?  I guess we pretty much know what you think a Palestinian life is worth.

No, I'm recalling Jimmy Carter's remarks to the President of Mexico.  Diplomatically, it does not help.

The man is the son of a holocaust survivor who is speaking to other relatives of holocaust survivors and trying to show them a diplomatic way of looking at the situation that may put all parties involved on the path to a solution.   I can't believe you of all people are condemning this guy for speaking very eloquently to his people about a possible solution to their problem.

Like I said, wrong on substance.  You can be critical of Israel and not be an anti-Semite, or anti-Jewish (and I hope the ambassador is not anti-Jewish).  Those are two different issues.

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So if you sit out the civil rights movement and then spit on black people in front of a white audience you are presidential material, but if you try to get your own people to see the middle east situation from a Palestinian point of view you should be fired?  Pretty incredible J.J.  You've really out done yourself on this one.

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Sorry you don't understand.  As I just pointed out, you, well maybe not you, can disagree with Israel's policies, and still not be anti-Jewish; as pointed out, some Jews disagree.  You can agree with Israel's policies, and be anti-Jewish.  I would hope that an ambassador of the United States would understand that.