The new head of The Israel Project emails the Jerusalem Post about Switzerland’s refusal to fall into line on comprehensive oil/banking sanctions against Iran.
[Josh] Block said the overall Swiss position toward sanctions shows they are continuing their behavior during World War II. “Just like they continued to trade with Nazi Germany as that heinous regime slaughtered Jews and terrorized the people of Europe, by aiding Iran today the Swiss government embarrasses its people and itself,” he said.
Remember that Saddam Hussein was repeatedly compared to Hitler ten years ago. Thanks to Scott McConnell.
From the Jpost article:
Jonathan Kreutner, general secretary of Switzerland’s 18,000-member Jewish community, wrote to the Post on Thursday; “In contrast to the EU, the Swiss have not prohibited oil trade and its financing” with Iran, rather the Swiss government has only made registering such trade obligatory……
He continued, “We are of the opinion that only sharp sanctions against Iran can prevent an escalation in the Middle East.
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So, there are more Jews in Iran (around 25k) than there are in Switzerland (18k)
Funny that no one from this crowd (Block and Co.) seem to give even half a shit about the Iranian Jews who will surely suffer from these sanctions – do Iranian Jews know something these western cats don’t, why aren’t they screaming out for sanctions and regime change?
@ Dan Crowther
Regarding “why aren’t they [Iranian Jews] screaming out for sanctions and regime change?”, it depends on whom you’re referring to specifically. Topics such as sanctions, regime change, Israel and Zionism are on the red lines of the Iranian gov’t, which cannot be crossed by its citizens (in words or deed) w/o severe punishment. So official statements from representative organizations of Jews in Iran always reflect the gov’t position on such issues; we can’t be sure if it’s a genuine reflection of that community’s views. However, some segments of Iranian Jews in the US have taken the AIPAC position on such issues. In my comment below (@ 2:05 pm EST) I link to Rabbi Wolpe’s views. Wolpe’s congregation is largely of Iranian descent, as he alludes to in his MSNBC interview.
i wonder if the The European Jewish Parliament (EJP) has heard about this? never heard of the EJP? me neither till i read this. link to ejpress.org
they elected two members from Switzerland. Blank Michael and Hazanov Youri
link to eju.org
Just back from London and a quick visit to the SOAS bookshop. Just to mention that there’s a very new and up to date book by David Patrikarakos about Nuclear Iran, claiming that Obama ‘has used his unclenched fist to smack Ahmedinejad round the face’ – quite a turn of phrase – and that Iran is almost on its knees as a result of economic sanctions.
The specter of a nuclear-armed Islamic Third Reich is being raised as the single issue for the upcoming presidential election. Rabbi David Wolpe, who made the unexpected “capital city of Jerusalem” remark during his DNC benediction last month,
link to blogs.jta.org
sermonized his congregation at LA’s Sinai Temple in that vein on the 1st day of Rosh Hashana, 9/17/12:
link to sinaitemple.org
Wolpe had earlier expressed similar sentiments on MSNBC:
link to msnbc.msn.com
SLosh Block is on the ball sharing his particular mix of wisdom & keen sense of timing with a few scotch and sodas, so it is reassuring to know he stands’s firm against hardline Swiss who must be stopped at the border to prevent further Future(s) hostilities!
Block’s policy development has been likened to the Hatters habit of 6pm Tea with little regard for loooking nervous and confused. Block when pressured to comment belched “nevar, nevar, the Swiss must be stopped.” Swiss officials brokered agreement to have a quick lunch out of town so as to avoid a scene and further tensions at Swiss Border.
Seriously: embarrasses? More like Josh Block embarrasses hasbarists everywhere with his weak-ass propaganda. I thought he was supposed to be a professional.
It’s some small consolation to see Blockhead himself ghettoized at The Israel Project, since he was responsible for forcing out Israel critics from Dem-allied groups. Now, at least, his “Israel First” true nature is on stark display, without his earlier vague “Democratic consultant” camouflage.
It seems like Zionist messaging was a lot more effective back in the ’70s and ’80s. Now it’s gotten ham-handed and hysterical, post 9/11, with over the top people like Block and Geller (of course Christian Zionists) involved. These people just don’t do subtlety.
Josh Block is spouting a load of bollocks – in 1939, Nazi Germany had almost certainly the most potent military of any single country in the World. The event up until the middle of 1942 support this.
When it comes to the present day, I can think of about twenty countries with a more potent military than Iran and we mustn’t forget that the United States alone spends (according to SIPRI) almost one hundred times what Iran spends. Israel spends twice as much on “defence” as Iran does on defence, while even shitty little impoverished Greece spends more than Iran according to SIPRI.
“Josh Block likens Iran to Nazi Germany”
The exasperating thing is that Iran doesn’t bear the faintest resemblance to Nazi Germany. This isn’t to praise it — but there’s just no particular resemblance. You might as well decide a duck is like a badger.
On the other hand, there’s a good case to be made for Israel in quitea few respects.
It’s astonishing the number of times “Israel” is misspelled as “Iran”.