Ironic, because Sacks is anti-Zionist and was opposed to the Afghan and Iraq wars. If you think about it, he has a point. A woman I work with on a voluntary basis fled here from Afghanistan. She knows of several members of the Taliban regime who now live within a few hours drive of her - men responsible for horrific crimes against humanity. The asylum system doesn't protect asylum seekers, which makes me think there might be something wrong with it.

Susan H: "Sacks is anti-Zionist and was opposed to the Afghan and Iraq wars."

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Reeeaaaallllyyyyy?

That ain't the way the BBC is calling it ...

Check out the following article:

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Rabbi fears anti-semitism rise
Dr Sacks says Israel is "a nation under siege"
 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1934000/1934612.stm

Britain's chief rabbi fears that anti-semitism is on the rise in response to Israeli action in the West Bank.

Professor Jonathan Sacks told the BBC he thought Jews were suffering a backlash in Britain because Israel's suffering was not fully understood.

And he defended Israel's incursions into Palestinian territories as based on the same principle as the US-led war on Afghanistan.

The rabbi's comments come ahead of a rally he is due to attend in London on Wednesday evening to promote Israeli solidarity.

By and large as a community, we feel that Israel has been very unfairly treated in the media

Dr Jonathan Sacks,
Chief Rabbi

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said there had been many attacks on synagogues in mainland Europe.

Dr Sacks, who heads the Jewish community in the UK and the Commonwealth, said: "It's not that bad in this country, but when you challenge Israel's right to exist then you are certainly calling into question the right of the Jewish people to exist collectively.

"And I'm afraid we've had a certain whipping-up of anti-semitism even in this country."

Figures from the Community Security Trust, which provides security advice and services to British Jews, showed there were 15 anti-Semitic incidents in England in the first 10 days of April.

These included eight physical attacks. Two people needed hospital treatment.

But Dr Sacks described Britain as one of the most tolerant countries in the world and added: "I don't want to be alarmist or suggest that we're suffering from a major wave of anti-semitism in this country."

Blair message

Israel has been the subject of international condemnation for its occupation of Palestinian territories, but it insists it is defending itself against suicide bomb attacks.

Dr Sacks said Israel had been a "nation under siege" since September 2000, suffering 12,500 terrorist attacks - one every hour.

"What's happening now is the direct equivalent of what America is doing in Afghanistan," he said.

"If you support the latter, then you have to understand the former. They are the same policy."
Israel has been urged to withdraw from the West Bank


He condemned the British media for its "unfair treatment" of the issue and for not portraying the Israeli suffering.

And he denied that the charge of anti-semitism was being used to shout down any opposition to Israeli action, arguing "legitimate criticism" was not a problem for British Jews.

The rabbi will be among the speakers at a Zionist Federation rally at Wembley Conference Centre.

Part of the federation's annual exhibition, the event marks 54 years since the creation of the state of Israel and will feature a pre-recorded address from the country's premier, Ariel Sharon.

There will also be non-political message from the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair read out to the rally.

The Israeli ambassador to the UK, Dr Zvi Shtauber, will also speak.

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) criticised the Chief Rabbi's remarks, describing them as an attempt to deflect attention from Israel.

The MCB's secretary general, Yousuf Bhailok, said: "Britain's two million Muslims are alarmed at the intimidatory and scaremongering tactics from the pro-Israel lobby.

"We find it strange that just when the Israeli army's murderous rampage in the West Bank and its defiance of the United Nations is causing consternation throughout the world, and even Jewish MPs such as Gerald Kaufman describe the Israeli PM as a `war criminal', the Chief Rabbi uses this moment to try and deflect attention away from Israel."

 http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/uk/newsid_1934000/1934612.stm

Problem - dispossessed
Reaction - intolerance
Solution - Concentration Camps

"You cannot separate politics from religion" (Sternberg). A surprisingly honest admission, from a sky pilot.

The whole concept of Israel is founded on the right of a state to be racist, or religionist. The huge jew-only roads must be a racist manifestation unique even in this dreadful world. Not even South Africa at its worst went that far.

The Israeli position is probably quite well expressed at

 http://amichai.com/war/process/arabriots.html which tells us:

"It is the arabs against Israel, and only one side can win. Those who are for the arabs, should ask themselves who they are. Because I know what Israel is and I know what my people are. There can be no agreements as long as the arabs fight Israel and are antagonistic towards the existence of my nation. And arabs cannot live in Israel, for the people of Israel must follow the Laws of G-d. There are many arab countries, but there is only one Israel. And trying to make Israel like any other nation, overcrowding its Land with foreigners and foreign thoughts, has the same affect as an attack against Israel, as both would lead to the destruction of my nation. Israel must defend itself. And it is against these things that Israel must be defended. "

Do justice to the BNP, wouldn't it ?

what a pretty boy you are:

take one view off the web - connect it to a whole nation. On that basis, then compare them to a British fascist party.

That'll solve things, help us understand the complexity of the situation, put the fire out...

Start running Carruthers, your thought process is fast catching up with your mouth (I hope and pray)...

I could produce dozens of links worse than the one I quoted.
Try this one from earlier this week ( I bet you don't read it)

 http://www.israelnn.com/article.php3?id=2453

This belief that there is an all-powerful spiritual being who is partial in his support for just one race is one of the most dangerous and racist ideas which has wide currency in the world today.

That it should have substantial support in, and influence on the policies of, a state which claims membership amongst the civilised western democracies is almost beyond belief.

A testimony to the power of the endless cry of "anti-semitism" which has silenced world criticism for so long.

Just two quotes from the link above (an article on a reputable Israeli news site):

"....but as far as the ideological question of whether a particular location belongs to the Jewish people or to another nation, that question transcends governments, for the answer to that question was provided by the Master-of-the-Universe....

....Uprooting a Jewish community is a terrible crime with no parallel throughout Jewish or world history. All the more so that establishing a foreign state in the very midst of our own country is a national crime, which surpasses all the bounds of reason and ethics...... "

Remember how apartheid South Africa was castigated by the world community - and marvel !

"This belief that there is an all-powerful spiritual being who is partial in his support for just one race is one of the most dangerous and racist ideas which has wide currency in the world today."

It's testimony to your bias and lack of intelligence that this better describes Islam, the religion of Arab imperialism and supremacism, than it does Judaism. Furthermore, it has precisely nothing to do with Israel, which is not a 'Jewish state'. Comparing Israel to apartheid South Africa is not only untrue but childish when Arab Israelis sit in the Knesset and study at university alongside Jewish Israelis.

I expect you'll again try to distract attention from your intellectual failings by producing a rabidly anti-semitic rant to support your patently false claims, eh carruthers?

....you dont help your case (or indymedia) by descending to such personal abuse.

bias ? lack of intelligence ? childish ?

I hold to my assertion that "God says we are racially superior" is an appalling thesis. If you are right, and Islam asserts this too, then I condemn that equally. But I would like to see some supporting links that this is indeed related to ancestory, rather than religious choice. From my reading, until this political dispute over a "land-grab" came up, Islam was pretty tolerant to other races and religions, as evidenced by their treatment in areas where Islam was in power(eg Spain). Judaism hardly ever has been in power over other peoples anywhere until recently, so we can only judge it practically on its record in relation to the new Israel, which is not good.

I am puzzled that you say Israel is not a "Jewish State". If I had time, I am pretty certain I could find official links saying exactly the opposite. Can you back your assertion with a link to something reliable ?

My comparison of Israel to South Africa is based on a variety of similarities. These cannot be eliminated by quoting one dissimilarity. Moreover, the quality and genuineness of Israeli democracy is open to dispute.

We cannot discuss everything here. But, you know, we could at least accept that differing viewpoints exist, and show mutual respect, without abuse of the type you have chosen to post.