Israel Slams EU Official for Toulouse-Gaza Remarks
Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Tuesday condemned the EU's foreign policy chief for remarks she made drawing a parallel between Monday's Toulouse attack and the plight of children in Gaza.
"The minister felt that the declarations of Catherine Ashton were not appropriate and he expressed the hope that she would reexamine and reverse them," a statement from Lieberman's office said.
A gunman on Monday killed three children and a teacher at a Jewish school in the French city of Toulouse.
After the incident, Ashton paid tribute to children "who have been killed in all sorts of terrible circumstances," referring to a fatal coach crash in Switzerland, a massacre in Norway, the situation in Syria, the Toulouse shooting and "what is happening in Gaza and in different parts of the world."
Lieberman said there could be no comparison between the Toulouse shooting and the situation in Gaza.
"The minister affirmed that Israel is the most moral country in the world even as it is forced to fight against terrorists who act from within a civilian population," the statement said.
"The Israeli army does everything possible to avoid harm to that population, even though it supports terrorists," it added.
"The children Ashton should be talking about are those in the south of Israel who live in fear after the rocket attacks coming from the Gaza Strip."
Initial reports said all four of those killed in the Toulouse attack were dual French-Israeli citizens, but there were later reports suggesting the adult killed in the incident had lived in the Jewish state but did not hold Israeli citizenship.
The Israeli foreign ministry said on Monday evening, however, that the families of all those killed had expressed a desire to see them buried in the Jewish state.
Funerals were expected to take place on Wednesday for the victims, whose killer has yet to be apprehended.
Authorities in France said the attack appeared to be linked to earlier incidents in the same region where a gunman attacked several soldiers, killing three.
almost 13 years
I think it is time to assassinate Catherine Ashton, and blame it on Iranian terrorists.
almost 13 years
The comparison is clearly inappropriate. The gunman did not use a bunch of fighter jets to bomb the kids he killed.
almost 13 years
AhAh... Or should we cry... "the most moral country in the world even as it is forced to fight against terrorists"... You can cut and paste that sentence in a speech for Assad - no wonder why they are so supportive of his regime...
Double standard as usual, but not only from Israel. Did you notice that 1 military guy killed in Montaunan barely made it to the news... Then, 3 at a time made it - but nobody really cried. And then, what appears to be the same killer kills 3 kids and a teacher and it is a national catastrophy, Sarko goes to pray at the sinagogue, etc... Double standard, i say. Oh, you did not know: the 3+1 french soldiers were originally from... the Maghreb.
almost 13 years
i think aushwitz was,a fact that nobody can deny,but inflated and marketed as a big business
almost 13 years
Norman Finkelstein wrote a book on this theme, calling this marketing of World War Two events "the holocaust industry". That might not be the title of the book.
The thing is, if these people really cared about the Holocaust, they wouldn't be repeating it. Which people? Anybody who allows himself to get roped in as a supporter of the Jewish state. You're allowed to be neutral here. But if you toe the party line in the slightest way, you face this question: why is Israel repeating the Holocaust--is it mad, is it evil?
almost 13 years
واشادت اشتون بالشباب الفلسطينيين الذين "يواصلون التعلم والعمل والحلم ويطمحون الى مستقبل افضل رغم كل الصعاب".
i like this great statement. the strongest weapon of all is enthusiasm for progress.
almost 13 years
isreal is the biggest terrorist on this planet... you kill children every day and you call yourself civilized.. its not your fault though its all the sheep that believe you and leave people like you in power
almost 13 years
Israel lacks morals and ethics.
almost 13 years
I like the Israelis' one-way sentimentalism and one-way emotions. What a people! What a future!
almost 13 years
What can you do if you cannot control your tears when any innocent child gets killed? Perhaps the filthy Israelis should develop pill that makes one weep only if the child who gets killed is Jewish, and make it mandatory for the entire world to take it. The more you live, the more filth you discover.
Your radical Zionism has created more like you in the region, you dictate religion and radicalism including terrorism.