February 2005

Why Should He Apologise? Or Rather, Who Should Apologise?

Gilad Atzmon
http://www.gilad.co.uk

Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of the multi ethnic city of London, is asked to apologise after comparing an ‘Evening Standard’ reporter to a “concentration camp guard”. Like many other inhabitants of this colourful metropolis, I ask myself why should he apologise? As it seems, the answer is simple: he dared to insult a Jew. He neither referred to any Jewish characteristic the journalist may have had , nor did he refer to the reporter’s ethnic origin. The Mayor was just insulting a man who happened to be a Jew. In politically correct Britain this is unacceptable.

Mayor Livingstone wasn’t referring to the journalist as a Jew; he wasn’t even equating the ‘Jews’ with ‘concentration camp guards’. As a matter of fact, he was referring to a specific journalist and was referring to a very specific conduct.

And yet, this was enough to awaken the Board of Deputies of British Jews, an organisation that presents itself as the “voice of British Jews’. They now publicly demand the Mayor’s apology. We should ask why British Jews feel offended by the Mayor? Did he threaten any Jewish interests? Clearly not, and yet the Board of Deputies insist on presenting the Mayor’s comment as a racial assault. I would maintain that once again we are presented with a glimpse into the Jewish notion of brotherhood. Following the twisted logic of the Jewish Board of Deputies: offending one Jew is an assault against the entire ‘chosen race’. But it goes further; the incident makes it clear that in the eyes of the Board of Deputies, WW2 is in fact an internal Jewish affair. The fact that millions of non-Jews died in Nazi concentration camps is completely irrelevant for them, so is the fact that Britain sacrificed its best young men fighting Hitler. The Board of Deputies is very efficient in capitalizing on the Holocaust. For them, WW2 is an integral part of the Jewish history; no one else is allowed in. This applies of course to the Mayor’s usage of metaphorical language and to Prince Harry’s dressing code.

The Board of Deputies, demands the Mayor’s apology but apparently they are not alone. As disgusting as it may sound, another morally deteriorated political figure has joined their demand. This is what PM Tony Blair had to say today:"Let's just apologise and move on." For PM Blair an apology is a political manoeuvre. It is there to serve a political cause. In Blair’s world, an apology is merely a strategic act. If political survival is the ‘one and only’ goal, then every means is more than legitimate. But then, very much in contrast, Livingstone served us all with a far more dignified performance.

Livingstone insisted that he would not apologise because he didn’t believe that he should offer an apology. Here is what he said on Monday: "I could apologise but why should I say words I do not believe in my heart?”

Unlike the instrumental prime minister, who is suggesting using words tactically, the Mayor insists that apology is a sincere and meaningful act. On the face of it, sincerity and integrity are exactly the ingredients Blair and his cohorts are badly lacking.

We should ask ourselves why Mr Blair, once the leader of a social democratic party(he is still the leader but they are neither social nor democratic), joined the Jewish clannish demand. I argue that morally deteriorated leaders often ally themselves with Jewish and Zionist organisations. Allying yourself with holocaust victims has proved to be sufficient, political body armour. Being amongst the survivors makes one look better than Hitler. Yes, let’s admit, PM Blair is still far better than Hitler, but the fact is that he himself feels a need to emphasize it makes it clear that he owes us, and humanity a big apology.

http://www.gilad.co.uk

Britain's Jewish leaders called on Monday for the mayor of London to face an official probe

http://edition.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/europe/02/14/britain.livingstone.reut
February 14, 2005


LONDON, England (Reuters) -- Britain's Jewish leaders called on Monday for the mayor of London to face an official probe after he refused to apologize for Nazi jibes leveled at a Jewish newspaper reporter. The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it had lodged a complaint against
mayor Ken Livingstone for calling the Jewish journalist "a war criminal" and "a concentration camp guard" during a heated exchange.

"A week has passed since the remarks were made. If at this stage the mayor still does not feel that an apology would be a starting point or required, the matter needs further investigation," a spokesman for the Board of Deputies said.

The Standards Board of England will now consider the complaint against him. It has the power to suspend or ban Livingstone from holding public office.

Despite the growing calls for an apology from Jewish groups, backed by Holocaust survivors and a government minister, the flamboyant mayor again insisted he had no need to say sorry.

"I could apologize but why should I say words I do not believe in my heart? Therefore I cannot," he said on Monday.

In his defense, Livingstone said he had been the victim of a hate campaign lasting almost 25 years at the hands of the Evening Standard and its sister paper, the Daily Mail. He said to apologize would make him a liar.

"I have spent my entire life fighting against racism -- whether against Jewish people, black people, Asians or anyone else," he added.

The row erupted last week when London Evening Standard reporter Oliver Finegold approached Livingstone after a party. "Were you a German war criminal," Livingstone is heard on a tape recording saying to Finegold. When the reporter replied he was Jewish, Livingstone said: "Actually you are just like a concentration camp guard."

A colorful and outspoken character, Livingstone is no stranger to controversy. He was thrown out of Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labour Party for five years before being readmitted last year despite being an ardent opponent of the war in Iraq. His refusal to back down on the issue has already led London's major political parties to support a motion demanding he apologise and withdraw the remarks. "People in public life, like everyone, can make mistakes and should apologize accordingly," said Brian Coleman, chairman of the Greater London Authority, after the motion was passed on Monday.
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"Take Two Trips to Auschwitz and Call Me in the Morning''

Dear New York Times:
editorial@nytimes.com
Jan. 14, 2005

And as for the apology, is anyone keeping track of all the public people who have ''apologized'' to the Jews in recent years? Let's see, there was Brando, Billy Graham, Dolly Parton, Rep. Moran, Andrew Young, General Brown etc. ad nauseum. And while we are at it, can any one come up with the name of a single Jew who, as a Jew, has ever apologized to anyone for anything?

--joe
GiuseppeFurioso@aol.com