Forward published a piece Venezuela's Jews Defend Hugo Chavez which reveals an interesting dynamic. In a recent speech, Chavez apparently made a reference to "Christ-killers" but in a Latin American context, Liberation Theology has long depicted Jesus as a socialist and consequently speaks of gentile business elites as "Christ-killers."
The Simon Wiesenthal Center took the comment as anti-semitic and are asking Chavez to apologize. But local Latin American Jewish organizations, as well as other American Jewish organizations are defending Chavez and are accusing the Simon Wiesenthal Center of rushing to judgment by charging Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, with making antisemitic remarks.
So then that raises the question of whether the Simon Wiesenthal center is speaking in the interests Venezuelan Jews or speaking as an American organization which disagrees with Chavez's political stances?
The Simon Wiesenthal Center took the comment as anti-semitic and are asking Chavez to apologize. But local Latin American Jewish organizations, as well as other American Jewish organizations are defending Chavez and are accusing the Simon Wiesenthal Center of rushing to judgment by charging Venezuela's president, Hugo Chavez, with making antisemitic remarks.
So then that raises the question of whether the Simon Wiesenthal center is speaking in the interests Venezuelan Jews or speaking as an American organization which disagrees with Chavez's political stances?
3 comments:
Nail hit on head. Simon W. cares little for Venezuela or they would have been forefront in defending him against Bush AND kerry.
Although using the phrase 'Christ killers' when speaking to Jews is like using 'Crusade' when speaking to Muslims.
And I would suggest that for each phrase, there are times when the phrases are inappropriate and there are times when the phrases are not inappropriate.
Chavez perhaps should have shown better judgement but at least according to the article and the Jewish organizations defending him, "Christ-killer" was not anti-semitic.
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