I'm sure you won't like to hear this news Plain Ol'! --- already read it. Dutch newspaper report a reminder of American Jewish links with Geert Wilders US Politics Alex Kane
A Dutch newspaper report highlighted by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on discord between American Jewish organizations and the virulent anti-Muslim politician Geert Wilders has cast a renewed spotlight on organized Jewish support for Wilders. The Dutch publication De Telegraaf reported recently that American Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and the Orthodox Union (OU) were “furious” at Wilders’ support for a bill that would have banned “ritual slaughter” in the Netherlands. Though the bill passed, the Dutch Senate scrapped it in June. Wim Kortenoeven, a disgruntled former member of Wilders’ Party for Freedom, told the JTA that the ADL, OU and ZOA “may have helped Wilders out by organizing fundraising events here and there, and perhaps with some publicity.” Kortenoeven met with Jewish organizations earlier this month to sound the alarm on the Party for Freedom’s support for the ritual slaughter bill. All three organizations have denied raising funds for Wilders and his party. Wilders, too, has denied the Dutch report, telling the JTA that Kortenoeven’s statements were “nonsense and agitation by a spiteful former member” of his party. The report that the ADL has ties to Wilders is dubious and likely wrong, given that the ADL routinely blasts Wilders’ Islamophobic rhetoric. But while the ZOA’s head Morton Klein may be “‘shocked and disappointed’ to learn of Wilders’ positions on ritual slaughter,” (as the original JTA report stated), the ZOA has supported Wilders’ positions in the past. Other high-profile Jewish figures have as well. The ZOA’s executive director told JTA that “it is highly unlikely, if not impossible, that anyone officially connected to the ZOA raised money on Mr. Wilders’ behalf.” The ADL, OU and ZOA have not returned requests for comment as of this writing. There is likely no merit to the allegation that the ADL, ZOA and OU helped with funding Wilders. But the report is an opportunity to look at the proven, and disturbing, links between Wilders and right-wing Israel lobby groups. In contrast to 20th century far-right groups that were blatantly anti-Semitic, the new far-right focuses on the threat of Islam and strongly allies with Israel. Wilders has enjoyed the fruits of this relatively new alliance. Wilders is on record as saying that he “hates Islam”; that Islam is the “ideology of a retarded culture”; that the Koran, the Muslim holy book, is a fascist book; that “immigrant Muslims and their children should be deported if they break the law” or if they are “lazy”; that Jordan should be the site of a Palestinian state; that “Jerusalem is the main front protecting the West”; and more. Because of his anti-Muslim rhetoric and support for militaristic Zionism, he has been embraced by some right-wing Jewish figures. In a 2009 press release, the ZOA announced “its strong support for Geert Wilders” as he came under legal scrutiny after producing an anti-Muslim film. (Wilders was eventually cleared of charges of inciting hatred against Muslims.) ZOA vice-chairman Steven Goldberg said: “It’s an abomination that Geert Wilders would face prison for simply telling the truth about Islamic jihad. Wilders is a friend of Israel and the Jewish people, and it is incumbent on us to return his friendship in his hour of need. We must not remain silent.” It’s not only the ZOA that has supported Wilders. As Max Blumenthal reported in The Nation, Wilders spoke to a “rapt” American audience at the Gatestone Institute in April. The neoconservative institute had guests pay $10,000 a head to hear Wilders say things like, “Islam is the largest threat to freedom which the world is currently facing.” The Gatestone Institute was founded by one Nina Rosenwald, who has spent millions of dollars stoking the flames of hatred towards Muslims in the US. Rosenwald has served on the board of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. And Adam Hasner, a Florida Republican running for office and a member of the “Jewish Americans For Mitt Romney” coalition, invited Wilders to a “free speech” conference in 2009. Wilders referred to Hasner as a “friend,” and in his speech said: “We need strong leaders like we have here today, Allen West and Adam Hasner. We need strong men like that.” - See more at: http://mondoweiss.net/2012/08/dutch-newspaper-report-a-reminder-of-american-jewish-links-with-geert-wilders#sthash.QCHaUo3u.dpuf On Thursday, October 9, 2014 12:15:26 PM UTC-5, KeithInTampa wrote: > > I'm sure you won't like to hear this news Plain Ol'! > > Jewish watchdog slams Dutch politician Geert Wilders for work with foreign > rightistsWilders said hoping to form anti-European Union alliance that > includes parties in France and Austria labeled as anti-Semitic. > http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-news/1.589393 > > A Jewish watchdog group has criticized Dutch right-wing populist > politician Geert Wilders for working with ultranationalist parties in other > countries that have been labeled as anti-Semitic, such as France's National > Front and Austria's Freedom Party. > > "He has always said he will not join up with the extreme right but now > this is happening," Dutch News quoted Esther Voet, the director of the > Hague-based Center for Information and Documentation on Israel, or CIDI, as > saying. "It is a slippery slope." > > Wilders told the Telegraaf he is "not afraid" of being lumped together > with the extreme right and refused further comment, said Dutch News, adding > that Wilders is hoping to form an alliance of anti-EU parties, including > the French National Front and Austrian Freedom Party, after the European > elections later this month. > > The report said Wilders has taken a strongly pro-Israel line in the past > and has a good relationship with U.S. Jewish groups. Reuters reported > <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/09/10/us-dutch-wilders-us-idUSBRE8890A720120910> > in > 2012 that Wilders, who has spoken out against non-Western immigration and > bans on the construction of mosques, has received funding from the > Philadelphia-based pro-Israeli think tank the Middle East Forum. > > Wilders' Party for Freedom had previously been stopped from appearing in > photographs with National Front members because it would damage the Dutch > party, Dutch News said. It said Wim Kortenoeven and Louis Bontes, > legislators representing the party, confirmed that Wilders has changed his > position. > > The National Front party suspended > <http://www.jta.org/2013/09/10/news-opinion/world/frances-front-national-suspends-candidate-over-anti-semitic-posts> > one > of its candidates in September for posting anti-Israel photos and > anti-Semitic statements on his Facebook page, and a Freedom Party > politician posted <http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-19324613> a > cartoon on Facebook in 2012 that reprised anti-Semitic themes. > > On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 1:08 PM, Keith In Tampa <[email protected] > <javascript:>> wrote: > >> Hey Plain Ol'? >> >> Did you, yourself photoshop the Jewish star on Wilders, or did you pick >> that picture up from Stormfront, or another of your trusted research sites? >> >> On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 1:06 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected] >> <javascript:>> wrote: >> >>> The Dutch government would be foolish to arrest him, and they won't. >>> --- >>> speculation noted. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Thursday, October 9, 2014 11:47:59 AM UTC-5, KeithInTampa wrote: >>>> >>>> I doubt very seriously if Wilders believes he has any legal problems. >>>> Wilders has over a 73 percent approval rating in Holland, and all >>>> throughout Europa. The Dutch government would be foolish to arrest him, >>>> and they won't. >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 12:26 PM, plainolamerican <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> just letting you know about your brethren and his legal problems. >>>>> >>>>> On Thursday, October 9, 2014 9:44:48 AM UTC-5, KeithInTampa wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>> Not an American concern? Why are you posting this? >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Thu, Oct 9, 2014 at 9:58 AM, plainolamerican <[email protected] >>>>>> > wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> By Thomas Escritt >>>>>>> >>>>>>> AMSTERDAM, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Dutch authorities moved closer toward >>>>>>> prosecuting far-right politician Geert Wilders on Thursday, naming him >>>>>>> as a >>>>>>> suspect and summoning him for interrogation over alleged racist remarks >>>>>>> he >>>>>>> made in March. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Wilders will be questioned on suspicion of insulting a group on the >>>>>>> basis of race and inciting discrimination and hatred, prosecutors said >>>>>>> in a >>>>>>> statement. If convicted, he could face up to a year in prison or a fine >>>>>>> of >>>>>>> up to 7,400 euros ($9,400). >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Wilders, whose controversial brand of anti-immigration, anti-Muslim >>>>>>> populism has propelled his Freedom Party to second place in opinion >>>>>>> polls, >>>>>>> provoked widespread condemnation when he called for "fewer Moroccans" >>>>>>> at a >>>>>>> campaign rally in March. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Interrogating a suspect is the final step in the process of bringing >>>>>>> charges, prosecutors said. A spokeswoman stressed no decision had yet >>>>>>> been >>>>>>> taken about charging Wilders but said there was a "significant chance" >>>>>>> he >>>>>>> would end up in court. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "I'm furious ... that I am being investigated by prosecutors and >>>>>>> will probably end up in court," Wilders told journalists in parliament >>>>>>> after learning of the summons. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Prosecutors received over 6,400 complaints and several of his >>>>>>> party's most prominent lawmakers resigned from the party after Wilders >>>>>>> asked supporters at a rally in The Hague if they wanted "more or fewer >>>>>>> Moroccans in this city?" >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The crowd chanted: "Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!" Wilders smiled and >>>>>>> responded: "We'll take care of that." >>>>>>> >>>>>>> In a later interview with broadcaster RTL Z, he said "Moroccan scum" >>>>>>> should leave the Netherlands. Moroccans were over-represented in crime >>>>>>> statistics and in the number of people receiving social benefits, he >>>>>>> argued. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Wilders, who has lived for many years under 24-hour police >>>>>>> protection after receiving death threats because of an anti-Islamic >>>>>>> film he >>>>>>> made, called the decision to interrogate him "incomprehensible". >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "I'm combative and angry. I said what millions of people feel," he >>>>>>> told reporters. "It's a scandal that when the world is in flames, >>>>>>> prosecutors choose to focus on a lawmaker who points out problems." >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Prosecutors should focus on the phenomenon of Dutch citizens going >>>>>>> to fight in Syria, "more than three quarters of whom are Moroccans," he >>>>>>> added. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Wilders has a history of statements that upset Muslims and Eastern >>>>>>> European migrant workers. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> He was prosecuted for hate crimes and discrimination in 2007 for >>>>>>> calling Islam a fascist ideology but acquitted four years later when a >>>>>>> judge ruled that criticising a religion was not the same as racism. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "This time the remarks were directly aimed at a certain population >>>>>>> group - all Moroccans are put in the same box," said prosecution >>>>>>> spokeswoman Nicolette Stoel. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> The Netherlands, which long prided itself on its liberalism, >>>>>>> admitted millions of immigrant workers from Morocco and Turkey to fill >>>>>>> jobs >>>>>>> in an expanding economy after World War Two. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> But attitudes have hardened as growth has slowed and jobs have >>>>>>> become scarce, propelling a string of anti-immigration politicians to >>>>>>> the >>>>>>> top of opinion polls over the past decade. (Reporting by Thomas >>>>>>> Escritt; >>>>>>> Editing by Tom Heneghan) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> -- >>>>>>> Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. >>>>>>> For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum >>>>>>> >>>>>>> * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ >>>>>>> * It's active and moderated. 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