US Slams Honduran Radioman's anti-Semitic Remarks

[Behind the Aegis]

Source: THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) -- The U.S. Ambassador in Honduras has condemned anti-Semitic remarks by a local radio news director who has been an outspoken opponent of the coup that ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

Ambassador Hugo Llorens sent a letter to Radio Globo owner Alejandro Villatoro expressing ''astonishment and incomprehension'' over the Sept. 25 remarks by station director David Romero.

Commenting on the rumors alleging Israeli involvement in the crisis, Romero referred to the ''famous Holocaust'' and added that ''I believe it should have been fair and valid to let Hitler finish his historic vision.''

''Hitler's concentration camps and Holocaust constitute one of the most shameful acts of human history. How can it be that your station employs as its news director a man who does not understand this?'' Llorens said in the letter sent Monday. ''Mr. Romero's commentary makes a mockery of any pretense he may have of solidarity with people who struggle against injustice.''



Read more: http://www.times.com/aponline/2009/10/06/world/AP-LT-Honduras-Anti-Semitism.html

[Ozymanithrax]

1. There are many people who can not separate Israel from Judaism...

They guy in his radio station is not alone.

[JI7]

8. it's because they are just anti Jewish

[EFerrari]

2. Romero is getting pummeled by the resistance and their supporters

over this. He should be fired.

[Wilms]

10. Is he? All I have here is an AP story. So I admit to being leary.

Meanwhile, some of the context includes this:

Toxic gas attack at Embajada Brasil, Honduras
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x379295


Where you find this:

Israeli Firms Sell Toxins to Honduras Putschists
http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/september/27/ca02.htm


Sort of ironic. :(

[EFerrari]

14. President Zelaya deplored the comments. Al at NarcoNews

wrote an excellent post about this. Here:

http://narcosphere.narconews.com/thefield/3501/against-anti-semitism-right-left-or-media-induced

[provis99]

3. obviously the coup plotters were justified after all.

It is clear from this that Zelaya is an anti-semite, and should be overthrown.

[Wilms]

9. How does this guys comment make Zelaya an (drum roll please) "anti-semite"?

And radio commentators are fired, not overthrown. Choice of words speaks volumes.

[Forkboy]

4. Jeez, a real charmer.

:puke:

[Selatius]

5. I wonder how widespread anti-semitism is across Latin America.

The war in Europe did not directly affect them the same way it affected the United States.

[proteus_lives]

6. Strong Catholic traditions.

Passion plays and blood libels.

[Ozymanithrax]

16. Strong Christian Traditions...

A traditon of anti-semitism runs throughout historical Christianity. Only since the Holocaust has US Christianity tried to turn away from that rabid concept.

[EFerrari]

20. Even later than that. I was taught blood libel

in the mid-50s as a matter of course in my religious training.

[proteus_lives]

7. What an ignorant prick.

He should be yanked off the air for that garbage.

[Judi Lynn]

11. For those attempting to stretch this incident to include Pres. Zelaya, his open letter response:

Open Letter from President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales in Relation to the Jewish Community in Honduras
“I reject all anti-Semitic postures and attacks and I urge all Hondurans do the same”


By Manuel Zelaya
Constitutional President of the Republic of Honduras
October 5, 2009

With respect to some distortions of information, put out by some communications media, referring to my position as President with respect to the Jewish community, I communicate the following:

It would be worthwhile to consult the Government Secretaries of my cabinet about the accusations that I have anti-Semitic positions. When the Honduran people elected me President, I received criticism from some anti-Semites, because I named, among other religions, some very talented and qualified Hondurans who practice Judaism, as members of the Government Cabinet.

I named as Government Secretary in the Offices of the Presidency, the one who would be my right hand in the government, Yani Benjamin Rosenthal; who gave me strong support in managing the Economic sector, this close collaborator invited me to the Bat Mitzvah ceremony of his daughter. I also named Mr. Leo Starkman as Minister of Foreign Investment and on another occasion, Minister of Energy. I also named Engineer Moises Starkman as Minister in charge of Bio-Fuels. He reminded me on one occasion of the suffering of the Jewish people in the Nazi concentration camps. This close collaborator also informed me of the significance of the expression Shabat Shalom, a greeting used by Jews to honor their sacred day of the week. Also in my government I named Mr. Jacobo Regalado Weitzembluth General Manager of the telecommunications company.

I believe that we should give respect to people who practice religions different from our own. I as a Catholic Christian receive much inspiration for the work that I have as President from the doctrines of the religion that I practice. I profoundly respect people who practice other religions; not only Jews but also evangelicals. It is worth mentioning that the Muslim sacred month of Ramadan has just concluded and Jewish people just finished celebrating the most sacred day of their faith, Yom Kippur. We are all equally Hondurans.

In society many people make the mistake, including some of my opponents and some who support me, of falling victim to anti-Semitism. I reject all anti-Semitic postures and attacks and I urge all Hondurans do the same. Jews, Arabs, Asians, Indigenous People, Garifunas, Afro-Hondurans, and Miskitos, all are Hondurans who have helped to build this nation, and if turns out as hoped, will continue to forever.

Honduras is divided along political lines, but never will we be divided on the issue of freedom of religion. We are all Hondurans and our country is only able to exist with the equal participation of all.

As a human being and as President, I make a call to all Hondurans to abstain from making anti-Semitic comments or any other type of statement that implies discrimination. Today, when obtaining my peaceful return for the Restitution of Democracy Against the Coup d’état, I make a call for dialogue to all sectors. The Honduran People have the support of the international community until we are able to restore democracy.

September 29, 2009

José Manuel Zelaya Rosales

Constitutional President of the Republic of Honduras

http://narconews.com/Issue60/article3855.html

Originally linked by a diligent DU'er Tuesday.

[WriteDown]

17. How can you trust anything he says?

His mind has been affected by the high-frequency radiation weapons and mind altering gas supplied by the Israelis? :shrug:

[struggle4progress]

12. ADL slams ousted Honduras president amid Jewish conspiracy claims

... Among the remarks criticized by the ADL is a statement by David Romero, news director of Radio Globo, which supports Zelaya ...

Romero apologized for the remarks Sunday in an interview with The Associated Press, saying that they were "stupid" statements made in the heat of the moment and that don't reflect his real views.

He said his grandfather was a Jewish immigrant from Czechoslovakia who came to Honduras to escape persecution in Europe.

"I apologize to the Jewish community here and throughout the world," Romero said ... http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1118910.html

His original comments, of course, were asinine and inexcusable

[EFerrari]

15. Why is ADL slamming Preisdent Zelaya? Oh, brother.

Nothing like making a bad situation worse.

[struggle4progress]

18. Explanation is in the link above: based on Miami Herald interview,

in which Zelaya apparently claimed Israeli mercenaries were involved in harassment of the Brazilian embassy

Since anti-semitism is a major focus of ADL, and since anti-semites often smear together a number of general words (such as "Israeli" or "Jewish" or "Zionist") that should properly be distinguished in meaning, ADL may naturally react defensively when any such words are used -- but in general, a proper response may be to regard ADL complaints seriously

I don't know enough about current Israeli policy towards Latin America to decide whether or not Zelaya's accusations might have some general credibility: it is however true that Honduras has sometimes been a major Latin American customer for Israeli arms sales. Zelaya apparently did care enough about the offense he caused to try to clarify his original comments

[EFerrari]

19. ADL is behaving irresponsibly.

Zelaya was misquoted and spun by the Miami rag AND Isreali firms are supplying chemical weapons to the coup. ADL has a responsibility to do better than that if they are to remain credible.


http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/september/27/ca02.htm

[Chulanowa]

13. Now if only the US could find time to "slam" its own racist radio hosts

[Vidar]

21. Zelaya has disavowed his supporter's remarks. Story over.

[Kurska]

22. Haha, oh wow. Move along move along, nothing to see here!

Don't look at the central/south american anti-semites behind the curtain.

[No Elephants]

23. The radio guy was abominable. But, should an ambassador try to get

a local fired, especially when the U.S. has worse on the air?

I am not sure how to feel about this. I guess I come down on the side of the ambassador, but I wish he had not mentioned employment.