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January 5, 2006
US: Wiesenthal Center Condemns Chavez's Anti-Semitic Comments
Before the story, a note on press coverage: I have known about this story from Spanish-language radio since Christmas day, but it took a complaint from the Wiesenthal center for it to make it to the press. I think there might be some undeserved pro-Chavez coverage in the American press. Hugo Chavez is an anti-Semite from conviction, but I guess this makes happy his buddies in Iran. Here is the story: SWC CONDEMNS ANTISEMITIC STATEMENTS BY VENEZUELAN PRESIDENT HUGO CHAVEZ - DEMANDS PUBLIC APOLOGY
The Simon Wiesenthal Center strongly condemned antisemitc statements by the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias, who had said that "the world has wealth for all, but some minorities, the descendants of the same people that crucified Christ, have taken over all the wealth of the world". Chavez made this statements during a celebration of Christmas, last Dec. 24, at a rehabilitation center.In a letter to Chavez, Shimon Samuels (Director for International Relations of the SWC) and Sergio Widder (Latin American Representative), stated that "in your words we find two central arguments of antisemitism: the canard of the deicide and the association of Jews with wealth. Both elements have been the perfect excuse to justify persecution and murder of Jews along two millenia".
The letter adds that "it is paradoxical that the president of the country which will soon host the most renowned meeting of progressive thinking, the World Social Forum, uses this medieval and reactionary language. Your words sound very similar to those by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad when he denied the Holocaust, thus causing the rejection of the overwhelming majority of the international community".
"Our Center condemns your antisemitic statements. Such offense to universal humanistic values demands an immediate and public apology. Your silence can only be interpreted as a reaffirmation of a racist conception", the letter concludes.
Just a couple of things about the SWC press release: Mahmoud Ahmedinejad is an ally of Hugo Chavez, and there is nothing paradoxical about hosting the World Social Forum and being an anti-semite; anti-semitism has made a comfortable home in the left, and it doesn't appear it will leave it soon.
Still, congratulations are due to the SWC for taking on Hugo Chavez, far too many people remain silent when attacked by this bully.
Posted by Ruy Diaz at January 5, 2006 4:05 PM
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