The U.S. envoy to Belgium, Ambassador Howard Gutman, tacitly defended Muslim anti-Semitism on Friday when he said “A distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned, and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.”
According to Amb. Gutman’s words anti-Semitism in the Muslim world is legitimate so long as Israel and the Palestinians have not made peace. This is wrong and it ignores the true reasons for anti-Semitism.
This statement legitimizes racism against Jews and blames Israel for at least one of the ills prevalent in Muslim societies.
Anti-Semitism, like any form of racism, is an indication of what is wrong with those who are discriminating, not the people who are being discriminated against.
The truth is, many countries that have extreme anti-Semitism are ruled by brutal regimes who fail to provide opportunity for their people and blame their failure on Israel, Jews and the West.
Anti-Semitism is racism and no form of racism should be acceptable under any circumstances. Legitimizing racism in any way is simply wrong. It goes against our national interests and the values the State Department is supposed to represent abroad. Rationalizing racism is completely unbefitting of a U.S. ambassador.
Ambassador Gutman was apologizing and excusing rank Muslim anti-Semitism, by saying it was a result of Israeli self-defense campaigns, and insisting that “old” European anti-Semitism didn’t exist any more, which is contrary to any and all recent research which indicates that anti-Semitism in Europe is growing both on the left and the right isles of the political spectrum. Worst of all, ambassador Gutman stated these dangerous opinions in a European forum as the face of the American administration.
Contact the State Department today to tell Secretary of State Hilary Clinton that legitimizing and minimizing anti-Semitism is unacceptable behavior for US Ambassador.
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Sample Letter:
(You may highlight/select and copy… paste into your message to Secretary Clinton)
Dear Secretary Clinton,I am writing to you today to express my dismay at Ambassador Gutman’s recent remarks legitimizing Muslim anti-Semitism and minimizing all other forms of anti-Semitism. It is wholly unbefitting of a representative of the US government to express such ill-conceived and erroneous views in an official setting.Racism, including anti-Semitism, is never the fault of the person being discriminated against and always an indication of the immorality of those who are discriminating. It is troubling that Amb. Gutman, as an official representative of the US Government and your prestigious and good intentioned State Department, fails to understand this basic truth and uses his position to promote his misguided views.In order to maintain the prestige of the State Department which you have successfully lead and to maintain American principles of tolerance and goodwill it is essential that you work to ensure that Amb. Gutman’s can no longer make use of the State Department’s good name to espouse hurtful messages. It is not in America’s interests to have an ambassador with such premature notions of racism and demand that you immediately remove Amb. Gutman from his post.
Your support and participation is deeply appreciated. Let’s all act together to end the scapegoating of Israel.