Belgian Jewish Leader: Israel Committing War Crimes
*******************************************************************

Courtesy of: Zaman.com
By Selcuk Gultasli
Thursday, July 27, 2006

Jewish associations have begun to react against the Israeli offensive into Lebanon. Head of the Union of Belgian Jewish Progressives (UPJB) Dr. Jacques Ravedovitch stated that Israel is committing war crimes.

In an interview with Zaman in Brussels, Ravedovitch said that while former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon committed indirect war crimes, current Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is unquestionably a war criminal.

Dr. Ravedovitch said it was a shame that Jews who were once exposed to the holocaust are doing the same evil things against another nation today.

According to Ravedovitch, anti-Semitism is from time to time misused by Israeli statesmen, and the recently intensified Israeli offensive into Lebanon has increased hatred for Israel.

The UPJB demands that both the EU and Belgium bring the Israeli attacks to an end.

UPJB, an active Jewish association in Belgium, accuses Israel of committing war crimes despite the statements issued by the EU and US.

Some Jews still have dreams of "Great Israel," Ravedovitch noted, adding that the Israeli government is absolutely against negotiations and is acting aggressively to impose its own interests as a solution.

Seen as a traitor to the Diaspora cause, Ravedovitch said:

"Peace will not be secured without the return of Israel to its pre-1967 borders. Israel should stop destroying Lebanon. It should leave Eastern Jerusalem to the Palestinians and accept that Jerusalem is the common capital; they should sit at the negitiation table for talks."

Calling the Israeli attacks shameful, Ravedovitch said:

"Resistance in Palestine and Lebanon is Justified. Israel is an invader. I do not approve of Hamas killing innocent people, but I defend that if there are invaders there will be resistance at the same time. What Israel is doing in Lebanon is terror."

Accusing the West, and particularly Europe, of fearing to criticize Israel, Ravedovitch said:

"The EU keeps saying that they treat Israel and Palestine equally, but how can we behave equally towards both invader and invadee? We asked the EU to suspend the Partnership Agreement with Israel, but they didn't answer."

Ravedovitch said the EU's attitude indicates Europe still feals guilty about the holocaust, but that Israel is exploiting anti-Semitism.

He pointed out that anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism are different concepts.

"Anti-Zionism is a political stance. For instance, when a person criticizes Britain, he shouldn't be called a racist or anti-British. Similarly, when people criticize Israel, they do not become anti-Semites."

Last point Ravedovitch compared the situation to the US's failure in Vietnam, and suggested that its impossible for Israel to attain its objectives in Lebanon as the latest attacks into Lebanon only increased the hatred against Israel tenfold.


Soure:
http://www.zaman.com/?bl=international&alt=&hn=35131