| NY Daily News Editorial December 21, 2001 Oui, Oui, Oui, All the Way Home he alarming anti-Semitic remarks attributed to the French ambassador to Britain will cast a pall over the entire French government unless the envoy is promptly removed from his post and summoned home. At a dinner party Friday, Ambassador Daniel Bernard referred to Israel as "that shitty little country" (pardon our French) and wondered, "Why should we be in danger of World War III because of these people?" "These people" being those pesky Jews. The ambassador didn't intend his words to become public. But they did. And now his government has a problem. It claims that "the ambassador does not remember if he used those words." Perhaps Monsieur Bernard should lay off the Beaujolais nouveau. Elan Steinberg of the World Jewish Congress commented, "I come from Brooklyn, and if you say you can't remember saying something, you said it." The French do concede that their representative had been talking about the Mideast. Apologies, however, are not forthcoming. Les docteurs de spin announced: "The ambassador said we were facing a geographically limited problem, a small area, which has disproportionately huge consequences for world peace. He is not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel." Mais non, he is just stupide. The explanations continue: "The ambassador was pointing out the paradox that although Israel is a tiny country, it had repercussions worldwide totally out of the proportion to its size. He was talking about geography. It was nothing to do with anti-Semitism." Geography? What map labels the land between the Jordan and the Mediterranean as "the shitty little country"? Bernard's remarks might be just more evidence of the patronizing French view of the world — except for the nasty streak of anti-Semitism running through French history. Despite what they'd have you believe, not every Frenchman was a heroic member of the Resistance during World War II. There were far more cowardly collaborators than some care to admit. France betrayed its own legacy of liberty, equality and fraternity and handed 76,000 Jews over to the Nazis to be murdered. Unlike Bernard, the world has a good memory. When a Frenchman casts aspersions on Jews and Israel, there are overtones and undertones of which such a high-ranking official should be aware. This is deadly serious stuff. L'Affaire Bernard is already prompting suggestions of a boycott of French goods. That would get the attention of Paris. Better that France act now. A certain envoy deserves to be sent home with his tail between his legs. |
The Case Agianst Israel's Enemies by Alan Dershowitz 
Coming from England and particularly from the BBC, MUST BE SEEN VIDEO! ANOTHER MUST SEE VIDEO |