Foreign Ministry out to expose 'anti-Semitic lies'
Campaign launched by ministry aims to reveal 'lies and distortions' made by MPs during debates on recognition of Palestinian statehood.
Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Saturday instructed Israel's ambassadors to Europe to distribute a document containing what he termed as the "lies and distortions" voiced by European Parliament members during debates on the recognition of Palestinian statehood, in an attempt to show that such discussions are infected with anti-Semitism.
A recent example of such statements was the remarks made by Independent TD Mick Wallace during the Irish parliamentary debate on Palestinian recognition: "People might forget but, in 1948, the Jews expelled, massacred, destroyed and raped in Palestine… The war in Gaza was a massacre, with Hamas firing toy rockets."
The debate included particularly harsh statements against Israel. Other MPs condemned the "racist Zionist state," and called for sanctions against Israel.
The head of the Foreign Ministry's Europe division, Sammy Revel, compiled a list of the statements in a document, which Lieberman said should be brought to the attention of global audiences.
"The amount of lies and distortions in debates on the recognition of Palestinian statehood in the Irish and Swedish parliaments, and fabrications employed by respected members of parliament is another chapter of the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion.'"
Lieberman continued, saying: "One is amazed at how allegedly respected people make things up and lie through their teeth, during very complex debates. You would expect some kind of depth or at least knowledge."
The documents also include statements made by member of the Plural Left parliamentary group Joan Josep Nuet, during the Spanish parliament debate: "Israel does not respect the UN; it invades Palestinian land and kills its people, therefore a clear position is necessary, because the recognition of a Palestinian state constitutes the planting of a seed of peace. "
The Foreign Ministry instructed all its embassies in Europe to keep track of anti-Israel statements by local parliament members. "These remarks," Revel wrote, "reflect ongoing efforts by certain politicians and pro-Palestinian public opinion makers to destroy Israel's image and present it in a false light."
Revel further added: "It is important to raise awareness of this trend as the above statements demonstrate that the top priority of certain individuals in parliaments across the continent is to harm Israel's relations rather than promote peace in our region."
During the conference with the Israeli ambassadors in Europe, Lieberman said: "The behavior of countries like Sweden and Ireland is reminiscent of the conduct of European countries in 1938 with the Munich Agreement, when the Europeans abandoned Czechoslovakia, their closest ally. Their entire policy towards Israel is one of moral anarchy. Despite the fact that Israel is the only country representing western values in the Middle East – they are abandoning us."
"The Oslo Accords collapsed," Lieberman added. "The second approach of 'sit and don't do' or maintaining the status quo at any price – that collapsed, too. And so, the great challenge today, as far as we're concerned, is to come up with an initiative that first and foremost considers Israel's interest.
"The greatest challenge for Israel's foreign policy is the West, particularly Western Europe. We will have to be very creative. There is a great deal of injustice towards Israel. Western Europe's attempt to tie bilateral relations with Israel to the Palestinian issue only empowers the anti-Semitism.
Lieberman urged his audience to rally Israel's natural allies in Europe, including Jewish organizations, friendship societies, Christian organizations, etc.
"We will have to present the true Israel -- Israel as a start-up nation with all the innovation. And we will have to initiate more activities, more meetings and discussions on the topic of innovation. We must take advantage of the fact that we are marking 50 years of Israel-Germany relations this year. Germany is the main anchor in our cooperation with Europe, and we should use that milestone to promote positive activity with the academy, students, and the youth."
