Fwd: "Amnesty International Slams Reported U.S. Push to Label it Antisemitic" (HAARETZ)
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: John V. Whitbeck <jvwhitbeck@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, Oct 22, 2020 at 8:38 AM
Subject: "Amnesty International Slams Reported U.S. Push to Label It Antisemitic" (HAARETZ)
To: <whitbeck-blog@googlegroups.com>
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TO: Distinguished Recipients
FM: John Whitbeck
Transmitted below is a brief HAARETZ news item on the apparently imminent intention of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to reward Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam for their advocacy of human rights by formally labeling them as "antisemitic".
Of course, there is a certain tortured logic at work here. Roughly half of America's state legislatures have adopted laws promoted by the Israel-First Lobby which characterize as "antisemism" any criticism of Zionism or Israeli government policies. Within this conceptual and legal framework, with support for Zionism and Israeli government policies requiring a belief in human inequality and selective superiority based on race and/or religion, anyone who genuinely and consistently believes that all people "are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights" must be "antisemitic".
Mike Pompeo is clearly preparing for a personal run for the presidency in 2024. At a press conference yesterday (see the photo below), he grinningly touted the presumably imminent diplomatic recognition of Israel by bullied and extorted Sudan and proclaimed that he hopes and has been working for the recognition of Israel by all countries. Indeed, it appears that, for some considerable time, he has been doing nothing else.
One might wonder in these circumstances what country Pompeo believes he is being paid to represent and to what country he owes his primary allegiance if the answers to those questions were not so dazzlingly obvious.
It is a very public humilation for all Americans that virtually all candidates for high political office in the United States (including all four candidates on this year's two major-party presidential tickets) believe that electoral success requires that they proclaim allegiance to a foreign country and unconditional support for ethnic cleansing, racism and apartheid.
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-amnesty-international-slams-reported-u-s-push-to-label-it-antisemitic-1.9254057
HAARETZ
Amnesty International Slams Reported U.S. Push to Label It Antisemitic
Following report that U.S. plans to make such a declaration over group's criticism of Israel, Amnesty slams 'attempt to silence and intimidate' human rights organizations.
October 22, 2020
Amnesty International USA slammed U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's reported push to label the organization as antisemitic on Thursday, saying his "baseless accusations are yet another attempt to silence and intimidate international human rights organizations."
Politico reported on Wednesday that the State Department was considering declaring Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Oxfam as antisemitic and declare that U.S. policy is not to support the groups. According to the report, the announcement is expected to come in a report from the office of the White House's antisemitism czar, Elan Carr, which would allege that the groups support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.
Amnesty's statement said that the group is "deeply concerned that conflating antisemitism with legitimate criticism of Israeli government policy is detrimental not only to ending serious crimes under international law, but also to efforts to address and end antisemitism – and it may encourage other countries to make such baseless claims."
It further asserted that the group condemns settlements as illegal and that its research has shown a close correlation between settlements and violations of Palestinians' human rights.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at a news conference at the State Department in Washington, DC, U.S. October 21, 2020. Credit: Nicholas Kamm/Pool via REUTERS"We know that the governments of many countries, including the United States', would rather not have their human rights violations exposed," read the statement. "It is concerning to see Secretary Pompeo join the list of people and governments that use accusations of antisemitism to try to sweep human rights abuses under the rug.
"Any process aimed at a just and sustainable peace in Israel and the State of Palestine must include an end to systematic human rights abuses, dismantling of illegal Israeli settlements, and justice and reparation for victims of crimes under international law," the statement concluded. "This is what international norms demand, whether Secretary Pompeo likes it or not."
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