New "Anti-Semites" Week of Sept. 5 - Sept. 12 2007

WHO: Yonatan Bassi, Orthodox Jewish Israeli official
WHY: because he was in charge of overseeing the the Israeli "Disengagement" from Gaza: "And, Yonatan, you should know that there is no escape from the simple truth: whoever participates in the deportation of the Jews of Gush Katif and northern Samaria - participates in an anti-Semitic act, and will be remembered as such, for everlasting shame."
FOR THE RECORD: Speaking about Disengagement from Gaza: "Arik Sharon told me when I met him that he needs a person for this job who feels empathy for these people's suffering, who knows agriculture and comes from a farming background but also someone who believes this is a necessary step for Israel. I fit in both cases so I didn't hesitate. I think this is the right decision for Israel. And I think it's not easy to do. But sometimes, difficult steps must be taken." Dan Ephron, "'This Is the Right Decision'," Newsweek, 29 September 2004
SOURCE: David Ben-Ariel, "Free Speech Under Attack in Israel," the print lalonde, 12 September 2007

WHO: Participants to the World Conference on Racism at Durban, South Africa in 2001
WHY: For condemning the racist ideology of Zionism as being racist.
FOR THE RECORD: Obviously since Zionism demands to impose a "Jewish State" on a land half composed of non-Jews (assuming you reflect the reality and recognize Israel Proper and the Occupied Palestinian Territories as a single entity, which it has been for 40 years), most of whom are denied any say so in the government that rules them, it is a fundamentally racist concept in practice.
SOURCE: Anne Bayefsky, "The UN launches Durban II," The Jerusalem Post, 8 September 2007

WHO: Al Sharpton, African-American civil rights leader
WHY: Apparently because of his "role in the Crown Heights riots, Freddy’s Fashion Mart incident, and Tawana Brawley scandal..."
FOR THE RECORD: Although Shapton is often confrontational, most agree that he is certainly not an anti-Semite, See: Richard Goldstein, "Al Sharpton’s Jewish Problem," The Village Voice, 14 November 2001
SOURCE: Bill Levinson, "National Jewish Democratic Council Asked to Denounce Petraeus Defamation," Israpundit, 12 September 2007

WHO: James Baker, former U.S. Secretary of State
WHY: No actual reason is given, but presumably because under the Bush Sr. administration he withheld US aid to Israel for a few months in an effort to prevent illegal Israeli settlement expansion.
FOR THE RECORD: Whatever passionate Republican attorney James Baker can be accused of, it isn't anti-Semitism. See, for example: Herb Keinon, "Israel should embrace, not fear, James Baker," The Jerusalem Post, 21 November 2006,
SOURCE: 'Red Wolverine,' "President Bush: Not Such A Lame Duck After All...," Copious Dissent, 11 September 2007,

WHO: Michael Scheuer, "author of the book Imperial Hubris and a man who spent 22 years with the CIA. From 1996 to 1999, he ran "Alec Station," the Osama bin Laden tracking unit at the CIA's Counterterrorist Center."
WHY: "He won't out-and-out claim he hates Jews, but everything he criticizes centers around Israel and the 'dual loyalty' of neo-cons. You would be smart to avoid using this man as a reference. Soon he will reveal himself to be the true anti-Semite he is."
FOR THE RECORD: Michael Scheuer has never said anything that could conceivably be considered anti-Jewish beyond agreeing with Mearsheimer and Walt in condemning the influence of the pro-Israel lobby in the U.S.
SOURCE: Michael Smerconish, "Head Strong | 'Anti-Semitic' label curbs talk about Israel," Philadelphia Inquirer, 9 September 2007

WHO: Rowan Berkeley, a student from North London
WHY: Because someone forged a blog posting in his name: The post, on the Mondoweiss blog, began: “My name is Rowan Berkeley… I accuse Jews of controlling both international finance and communism. But hey — I’m not anti-semite! [sic]”
FOR THE RECORD: "But Mr Berkeley, who is not Jewish but says that he has a great interest in Hebrew and Judaism, maintained he had not written it, and that it was faked by someone using his name. Mr Berkeley refused to speak to the JC by phone but in emails said that the posts were soon removed from the website “since the host admitted they were forged”, but he was still not allowed to return to the course."
SOURCE: Dana Gloger, "Spiro Ark caught in row with ex-student over blog," theJC.com, 7 September 2007

WHO: Pavel Horvath, A Czech footballer (soccer player) for "Sparta Prague"
WHY: For allegedly giving a Nazi salute during a game against another Czech (not Jewish or Israeli) team, Viktoria Zizkov.
FOR THE RECORD: "However the player denied any Nazi meaning in his gesture before describing it as 'unfortunate', in a press statement on the club website. He also claimed he was trying to calm supporters with his gesture.
SOURCE: Staff, "Horvath fined US$10,000 for Nazi salute," The Star (Malaysia), 8 September 2007

WHO: Inayat Bunglawala, Media Secretary of the Muslim Council of Britain
WHY: "Bunglawala is an open anti-Semite, who has praised Osama bin Laden as a freedom fighter and has said that Omar Abdel Rahman was 'courageous.'"
FOR THE RECORD: The comment that Abdel-Rahman was "courageous" was within the context of a satirical article in the British satirical magazine Private Eye in January 1993. However, he was involved in promoting the works of Osama Bin Laden prior to the 9/11 attacks in the U.S.
SOURCE: Adrian Morgan, "The Talibanization of Britain," FamilySecurityMatters.org, 11 September 2007