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U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Blames Israel for Anti-Semitism

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Blames Israel for Anti Semitism | Howard Gutman

U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman (Image source: U.S. State Department)

The U.S. ambassador to Belgium is under fire for comments he made appearing to blame Israel for anti-Semitism among Muslims.

Howard Gutman made the remarks Wednesday at a Jewish conference on anti-Semitism, reportedly apologizing to the audience in advance if his words were not to their liking, according to Israeli news site YNet News.

Gutman said “a distinction should be made between traditional anti-Semitism, which should be condemned, and Muslim hatred for Jews, which stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians,” reported YNet, which appeared to paraphrase his comments.

YNet said legal experts in the audience were “visibly stunned” by Gutman’s comments, and the next speaker gave a “scathing rebuttal” to his remarks.”

Gutman was a Washington D.C. attorney and major fundraiser for President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign. Obama nominated Gutman to his post in 2009.

The Obama administration sought to distance itself from Gutman’s remarks Sunday, with White House spokesman Tommy Vietor telling ABC News, “We condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms and believe there is never any justification for prejudice against the Jewish people or Israel.”

Gutman, who is Jewish according to YNet, issued his own statement apologizing if his comments were taken the wrong way.

“I strongly condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms. I deeply regret if my comments were taken the wrong way. My own personal history and that of my family is testimony to the salience of this issue and my continued commitment to combating anti-Semitism,” Gutman said.

Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich reacted to Gutman’s remarks in a message on Twitter Saturday, writing “Pres Obama should fire his ambassador to Brussels for being so wrong about anti-semitism.”

Comments (155)

  • JustMel71
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:42am

    Oh my, this is very troubling if it is true. Poll: Barack Obama rising with Jews – in Israel

    A majority, or 54 percent, now say they have a favorable view of the U.S. president — a year ago, just 41 percent of those polled viewed Obama in a positive light.

    http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1211/69643.html

    or

    http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2011/1201_israel_poll_telhami.aspx

    Report Post » JustMel71  
    • nuchsh
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:06am

      it’s a Saban Center for Middle East Policy poll. witch is an extreme left organization for example Hillary Clinton blasted Israel as an anti democracy state just yesterday at the SABAN forum and Israeli officials were really pissed of by her

      http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150363#.TtuHmmDYtZ8

      Report Post »  
    • paperpushermj
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:34am

      @TWISTIN
      I’m seconding what you say about this bogus poll and I have no Doubt the only demographic in Israel asked where Leftist.

      Report Post » paperpushermj  
    • Skybottle1
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:22pm

      You reference two pols which are far left, what do you expect????????????

      Report Post »  
    • nuchsh
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:40pm

      SKYBOTTLE1
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:22pm
      You reference two pols which are far left, what do you expect????????????

      it’s the same poll two different websites its from the SABAN forum a hardline leftist organization witch invited Hillary Clinton do bash Israel last night if u read the israeli blogs or comments on all news sites u know that the poll is wishful thinking

      Report Post »  
    • MTCOWBOY711
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 2:48pm

      Louis Farrakhan and Reverend Wright conducted the poll.

      Report Post » MTCOWBOY711  
    • Sparky101
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 4:01pm

      The ambassador’s views, like Hillary’s, come from their leader. It is Obama’s culture from whence those words come, directly from the culture he has established as President.

      Report Post »  
    • SurhanSurhan
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 5:01pm

      Of course you guys doubt the poll because it doesn’t fit your agenda.

      Report Post »  
    • JustMel71
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 5:08pm

      @NUCHSH I found another site from the American Jewish Committee surveyed back in September of this year that still have Obama with 45% of Jewish adults approving of him. Either they don‘t vote or don’t care but his numbers are still quit high. When his numbers hit the single digits with the Jewish voters then I’ll believe they are waking up. Sometimes we don’t vote in our own best interest but have to keep the faith that his numbers will continue to decline.

      Here’s the link from the Sept. 2011 survey numbers.

      http://www.ajc.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=ijITI2PHKoG&b=846741&ct=11229303

      Report Post » JustMel71  
    • smackdown33
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 5:52pm

      I guess we were practicing anti-Japanesism after they attack us. Israel is a belligerent nation that oppresses the majority, just like South Africa once was.

      Report Post »  
    • smackdown33
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 5:55pm

      Biggest threat to peace… Israel.

      http://www.jewishfederations.org/page.aspx?id=50080

      Report Post »  
    • AOL_REFUGEE
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 6:56pm

      An EXCELLENT point, JUSTMEL71.

      I guess I’ll start worrying about Israel again when the Jews start, too.

      NO BO 2012.

      Report Post » AOL_REFUGEE  
    • nuchsh
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 7:22pm

      @JUSTMEL71
      http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-EdContributors/Article.aspx?id=229779

      @SMACKDOWN33
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1dvwgjDAT8
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TmI-_h-jzg
      and btw if u wanna boycott Israel as an orthodox jew i fully support you and here is how enjoy ur life without Israel
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kc6LE6FXcQ

      Report Post »  
    • Patrick Henry II
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 8:07pm

      OOOOPS. Jewish people might have heard this. If Jewish people Never Remember then it is really going to be a rough road to hoe. I Don’t think Obama is going to win FL. B.S. poll only trying to influence FL vote.

      Report Post » Patrick Henry II  
    • nuchsh
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:14pm

      Clinton Also Criticized Israel’s Foreign PolicyIn her remarks at the Saban Forum, Clinton criticized Netanyahu for not apologizing to Turkey over Marmara incident.

      http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150391#.Ttw2ymDYtZ8

      Report Post »  
    • 1654American
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:20pm

      Propaganda polls. Politico and Brookings are both left ideologically. Politico is less credible than MSNBC, and here is the Brookings mission statement from its website: http://www.brookings.edu/about.aspx

      “The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:

      Strengthen American democracy;
      Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans and
      Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.”

      –“American democracy”. In fact, America’s Constitution set forth a Republic.
      –”economic and social welfare, aka social justice, aka socialism, Marxism
      –open international system, aka Soros open society and new world order.
      These groups are enemies of the U.S. Constitution. We have to repel, destroy and defeat those who are actively destroying our country.

      Report Post »  
    • Ruler4You
      Posted on December 5, 2011 at 10:59am

      I can’t believe what passes for an intellectual in this world today.

      Report Post » Ruler4You  
  • Rational Man
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:40am

    “stems from the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians”

    And who’s fault is that you idiot!

    Here is a great video that explains the truth of the Palestinian conflict in a way even a soup for brains waffle maker like you can understand…..MAYBE!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAuBc_cbXo0

    Report Post » Rational Man  
  • vorpal
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:40am

    nice glasses…this guy is a clown…

    Report Post » vorpal  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:31am

      Howard Gutman is the son of a Holocaust survivor, lawyer & a life long Democrat.

      He raised money for Al Gore’s & assisted in Al Gore vs Bush 2000 Court Case. He raised money for Obama’s campaign & thus was appointed ambassador, which is a conventional way of becoming ambassador.

      He is popular with the Belgians or so some newspaper says. But there never has been a partisan newspaper in the history of the world. In the Grand Scheme of things presenting the final award for the Belgian Music Industry Awards is super important. Well at least it gets you face time with the party hearty crowd (ants).

      My problem with him is that he is a lawyer. I mean what is his training & experience in engineering, farming or military matters. As a lawyer he probably has none like most lawyers . As a result he is most likely a bigot, narrow minded.

      His failing grasp of history is extremely poor. Israel was attacked 1st in 1948 by four Arab countries.

      Report Post »  
    • SpitFU
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 2:25pm

      Why would someone go through the trouble of photoshop’ing the red glasses. I could tell in my simple windows photo editor that the picture is photoshopped.

      Report Post »  
    • shariah_dies_in_America
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 4:48pm

      It’s the same photo in wikipedia, I doubt wikipedia photoshopped his glasses! Those are really that dopes glasses!

      Report Post »  
  • Daveed
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:40am

    I think Israel has been pretty patient considering all the Muslim rockets lobbed over the border killing Israeli women and children.

    It would be wise for the Muslims to make peace with Israel instead of keep poking them. Of course Muslims are not known for their wisdom, just their ranting demands.

    Israel has the right to defend themselves and only Israel knows when the time is right to nuke or not to nuke. I pray for the Salvation of the Jewish people and the Muslims.

    I don’t think that everyone in the world has the right to build a nuclear bomb/missles. I agree that some folks just should not be allowed to do that. The Muslims fall into this category, at the top of the list. Didn’t they call a jihad on Mickey Mouse? Aren’t these the same ones who behead their own women and children? What’s to like about them? They better start cleaning up their act. One has to think how peaceful it would be without this group always screaming death to everybody.
    They are the bullies of the world, without any power or credibility, it is all of their own making.

    Report Post »  
  • UlyssesP
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:29am

    Reptilian Owl worshipers have taken over America’s ice cream trucks and are disseminating radioactive cell-phones inside ice-cream sandwiches to the stray dogs roaming the white house.
    I read it at InfoWars.

    Report Post » UlyssesP  
  • AnAmerican111
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:28am

    Mohammud is similar to Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton……….
    ….All are useless!

    Report Post »  
  • AnAmerican111
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:27am

    Hey Israel!
    How’s that OBUMA thing working for ya?!!!!!

    …in case you had not figured it out yet….every once in a while you see OBUMA’s true feeling toward you……….instead of the lies he normally spews!

    Keep voting for this moron and soon there will be no Israel!

    Report Post »  
    • mottdahoop
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:47am

      It ain’t the Israeli Jews who voted for Obama. It is those self-loathing American Jews who hate who did. I’m a Christian and I love Israel and the Israeli people more than the American citizens who claim to be Jewsih do. It’s frustrating as can be!

      Report Post »  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 3:46pm

      unfortunately many Jews in American have fallen away from the Torah and it’s principles and replaced it with the doctrine of Government Giving as I call it, the wisdom of God’s word has been replaced by the knowledge of this world which they receive in secular universities. For the record I am an American Jew, also a follwer of Yeshua.

      Report Post »  
  • keaton
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:24am

    20 years in Rev Wright’ anti-semetic church. Who is surprised that Obama would appoint an anti-Semite to speak for him?

    Report Post »  
    • majasdad
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:29am

      How can a Jew be anti-semitic?!

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:47am

      How can a Jew be anti-semite ??.. a self loathing one can. Look at New York … they are full of them that voted for Obama. I would wish that they would wake up .. before history repeats.

      TEA!

      Report Post »  
    • conbones
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:59am

      prej·u·dice
         /ˈprɛdʒədɪs/ Show Spelled [prej-uh-dis] Show IPA noun, verb, -diced, -dic·ing.
      noun
      1.
      an unfavorable opinion or feeling formed beforehand or without knowledge, thought, or reason.
      2.
      any preconceived opinion or feeling, either favorable or unfavorable.
      3.
      unreasonable feelings, opinions, or attitudes, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group.

      Report Post » conbones  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:12pm

      majasdad
      Easy. Some people are self hating. It is no stretch from there to believe some people generally like themselves, but hate their ethnicity or some portion of their ethnic group.

      Report Post »  
  • normbal
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:19am

    The so-called palestinians, primitive muslim fanatics kicked out of every decent country in the middle east, inflicted upon israel, if they would just go BACK where THEY came from, Israel could go back to selling oranges and shabbas candles to the EU and just go about their business.

    Report Post » normbal  
    • majasdad
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:31am

      I’d brush up on my Middle Eastern history if I were you.

      Report Post »  
    • twistin
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:04am

      Moron, Majasdad, why don’t YOU go learn a little history? It’s idiot, pedantic, imbeciles like you that cause ALL the trouble. Listen, when push comes to shove and nobody cares any more about “political correctness” or politics, you will go down the drain of history. Study that, animal lover.

      Report Post »  
    • saranda
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:06pm

      Pretty sure native Americans had the same desire for the early settlers. If they would just go back to where they came from.

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:24pm

      Saranda

      Yes the native peoples of the Americas were more pure than the Europeans. There are just some many examples of genocide. But hey keep it up. Why would you keep it up? To make a point & bend public discourse to your view. Here is rubbing your nose in it.

      “The Caribs are believed to have migrated from the Orinoco River area in South America to settle in the Caribbean islands about 1200 AD, according to carbon dating. Over the century leading up to Columbus’ arrival in the Caribbean archipelago in 1492, the Caribs mostly displaced the Maipurean-speaking Taínos, who settled the island chains earlier in history, by warfare, extermination and assimilation.”

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:37pm

      Saranda

      It is very amazing that current Indian tribes do not want any archeology done. Such archeology shows that they were not the 1st ones there. That they wiped out other tribes to exist in the lands they now occupy. What is really interesting is the narrow skulls that have been found that looks as though they are not ancestor of current Indians. The Americas were populated in waves. And maybe one wave wiped another out. Of course if they were Indians doing the wiping, then it is kosher is it not?

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:39pm

      Saranda

      Have you ever considered that maybe Columbus was not the 1st European to “find” America & thus spread smallpox. Maybe it was the Basques.

      Report Post »  
  • brianoflondon
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:19am

    If Muslims only hate Jews because of Israel, why did Muhammad have to cut off the heads of so many Jews?

    http://www.israellycool.com/2011/12/04/how-much-did-that-ambassadorship-cost-you/

    Report Post » brianoflondon  
    • AB5r
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 11:53am

      And it must just be a wild coincidence that the Koran and Hadith contain MORE anti-semitic hate speech than Hitler’s Mein Kampf. This clown ambassador would likely condemn Mein Kampf but praise the Koran for it supposedly being the foundation of The Religion of Peace.

      Report Post » AB5r  
  • dchetak
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:18am

    A distinction should be made between a truly intelligent person and a fool who pretends, by his position and formal education, to be intelligent.
    Liberals, by definition, are fools.

    Report Post »  
  • Bitter_Klinger
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:17am

    we are surpirsed an obama appintee speaks like this? BTW what are the ‘unique qualifications’ to be an ambassador? no diplomatic skills are needed,… usually all one needs is to be rich and big campaign donor to whoever is in power at the time. this dweeb gets so respect from me

    Report Post » Bitter_Klinger  
    • HorseCrazy
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 3:48pm

      the biggest concern in this story to me was not the standard liberal antisemitism but the fact that Obama gives away jobs to his largest donars. what else should we expect from him. It must be good to be “king”

      Report Post »  
  • Lloyd Drako
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:16am

    Muslims were anti-Semitic (meaning anti-Jewish) from the moment Jews refused to follow Muhammad. Generally their anti-Semitism did not take the murderous forms it took among Christians, who had the additional motivation of blaming the Jews for Jesus’ crucifixion. Still, it was there, and, as Gutman in so many words points out, it was mot mitigated by the planting of an explicitly Jewish settler-state right in the midst of lands that had been Arab and Muslim for centuries.

    Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
    • gramma b
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:28am

      Muslim (or Arab) hatred for Jews began at the time of Abraham. Read Genesis. Sarah, Abraham’s primary wife and the mother of Isaac and the Israelites, threw Hagar, a lesser wife and the mother of Ishmael and the Arab nations, out into the wilderness. Hagar and Ishmael’s lives were miraculously spared. This is a foundational story of Islam. The Muslims reenact Hagar’s wandering in the wilderness every year at the Hajj. It is as important to them as if it had happened yesterday. They still call Jews “birthright stealers.” The Koran contains passages telling them that Allah intends that they kill the Jews. Other stories in the Koran attempt to place the Arabs, not the Jews, at the center of God’s dealings. For example, their most important feast, Eid, celebrates the story of Abraham being told to sacrifice his son, with an angel sparing the son at the last moment. Only, in the Koran, the son is Ishmael, not Isaac. Add to this centuries of jealousy as the Jews have prospered and the Muslims have remained backwards.

      For this guy, Gutman, to say what he said shows that he is deeply, deeply ignorant. But, if he weren’t ignorant, he could not be an Obama supporter.

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 1:01pm

      The Banu Aws, a Jewish tribe, fled from Mohammed. It must of been because things were going well.
      Jews have always lived in Palestine since Roman times. It is just a matter of how many, the percentage. The Romans expelled them from Palestine but did they get them all? And how many came back within a century or so.

      If you are a Jew anywhere in the Middle Easy, who has been persecuted & relegated to a lower class status, why wouldn’t you band together & make your own state. The same goes for the Jews in Europe. Napolean liberalized the laws towards Jews. As soon as he was defeated many of the laws were rolled back. As a consequence it is no surprise that Jews would meet & figure out where they can go in the world.

      We make look a census of the Ottoman Empire & look at ethnic demography. We can also look at treatment of Jews in the Ottoman Empire & see how ell Jews did or did not live.

      After the Jews are gone the Muslims will quickly go after heretic Muslim sects, syncretic religions mixing Islam (Alawite, Yazidis, Bahai,…), Christianity & older religions & every other religion.

      there is not only violence in the center of the Middle East “all the fault of the Jews (as some would say)”. As some have pointed out the Fringes of Islam are bloody. Look at where the Sahara meets equatorial Africa. Look at the India Pakistani Border.

      I mean what is the Common denominator between Jewish/Muslim, Hindu/Muslim, & Christian/Muslim conflict?

      Report Post »  
    • Lloyd Drako
      Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:26pm

      Gramma:
      Strictly speaking, in Abraham’s time there were as yet neither Jews nor Muslims.
      How do we know the Bible is right and the Koran is wrong?

      Report Post » Lloyd Drako  
  • MinutemanOnTheBorder
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:16am

    New program to assist ranchers and farmers in their fight against drug cartels. http://www.americanborder.blogspot.com for info.

    Report Post » MinutemanOnTheBorder  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:14am

    Is it any surprise that a member of the obama administration would voice obama’s anti-Israel, anti-Semitic views? It is well known that obama is a flaming anti-Semite a sworn enemy of Israel, and he has surrounded himself with like-minded individuals who are more than happy to march lock-step with him against Israel and Jews worldwide.

    Report Post » Tri-ox  
  • TheCenturion
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:10am

    Without even reading the article, I bet he’s an Obama appointee.

    Communists gave no religion, and if you think Obama is a Muslim, you don’t know the world of nefarious dictators.

    Report Post »  
  • lynnissmart
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:08am

    I guess my recent comment won’t appear because I called this guy a self-hating Jew s c h m ___ and a left wing nut…..O started up this anit-semitism by dissing BiBi……Also, I heard that Panetta told Israel to make peace with the thugs in the ME…….Are you kidding me???? What’s next, what’s next, what’s next.

    Report Post »  
  • Frodo RinosBane
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:05am

    ..and if your kid DARES defend himself from the school bully… YOUR KID is the problem. Been there, done that.

    Report Post » Frodo RinosBane  
    • conbones
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 12:16pm

      I know what your talking about.
      i always wandered why i to was in trouble
      for not letting someone treat me like puncing bag.

      Report Post » conbones  
  • lynnissmart
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:03am

    Here we go again….a self-hating Jew left wing schmuck…..I also heard that Panetta lectured Israel to make peace with the P people….Are they kidding me???? The O administration has heightened anti-semitism by dissing the Israeli PM!!!! What’s next, what’s next, what’s next????

    Report Post »  
  • drago
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:03am

    It’s past time to bury these anti-American, anti-Isreal commies in this country once and for all…….and i do mean bury……

    Report Post »  
  • Stoic one
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:00am

    Flip / flop… this administration’s position on Israel .

    YEA, obama has done the most on Israel’s security…. if you count destroying it.

    Report Post » Stoic one  
  • Uechi
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 10:00am

    So what is this AH trying to tell us that there is bigoted hatred of Jews and justified hatred of Jews and the justified is their fault? I guess hatred against Black people is their fault because they are a different colot and make up a disproportionate number of inmates in prison. Typical Obama follower.BS What is amazing is the guy is Jewish. I guess he would have condoned Hitler‘s actions during the 1930’s. What a friggin moron.

    Report Post »  
  • TXPilot
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 9:57am

    Yet another left-wing idiot appointed by our traitors in Washington.

    Report Post » TXPilot  
  • nuchsh
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 9:55am

    ISRAELI officials Tell Clinton to ‘Mind your Own Business’
    Clinton switched from foreign to domestic issues to put down Israel, and MKs suggest the Secretary of State mind her own business.

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150363#.TtuHmmDYtZ8

    Report Post »  
  • nuchsh
    Posted on December 4, 2011 at 9:54am

    Obama in Hot Water Over Envoy’s Anti-Israel Remarks

    http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150360#.TtuHk2DYtZ8

    Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on December 4, 2011 at 3:34pm

      President Bill Clinton sent one of his veterans campaign aides to Israel on the 1990s to assist left of center party in elections. What is sauce for the goose is sauce for the Gander. If Israel doesn’t like a know-nothing like Billary Clinton (She did not make that stock trade for cattle futures $1,000 to $100,000. The stock broker made for her & screwed a Joe Public. Point is she is not that smart.), Israel can send people here to campaign in the Jewish community so that the Jews don’t vote for the Demoncats.

      Report Post »  

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