After Auschwitz visit, Pence accuses Iran of Nazi-like anti-Semitism

[rooster59]

After Auschwitz visit, Pence accuses Iran of Nazi-like anti-Semitism

By Robin Emmott and Lesley Wroughton

 

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen accompanied by Poland's President Andrzej Duda, White House adviser Jared Kushner and museum director Piotr Cywinski visits the former Nazi German concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz II-Birkenau, near Oswiecim, Poland, February 15, 2019. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel

 

MUNICH/BRUSSELS (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Mike Pence accused Iran of Nazi-like anti-Semitism on Friday, maintaining his harsh rhetoric against Tehran just a day he attacked European powers for trying to undermine U.S. sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

 

After visiting the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland, Pence said the Nazi death camp had made him more determined to confront Tehran, saying it was "breathing out murderous threats, with the same vile anti-Semitic hatred that animated the Nazis in Europe."

 

Iran's ancient Jewish community has slumped to an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 from 85,000 at the time of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, but is believed to be the biggest in the Middle East outside Israel.

 

Pence, who said he was deeply moved by his Auschwitz visit, cited Iran's stated desire to destroy Israel as justification for singling out the country, rather than focusing on anti-Semitism across the Middle East.

 

Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami, deputy head of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in January Iran's strategy was to wipe "the Zionist regime" (Israel) off the political map, Iran's state TV reported.

 

"For me it simply strengthens my resolve ... to stand strong against Iran," Pence told reporters on his Air Force Two plane before arriving in Munich.

 

The United States is seeking to isolate Tehran and reimposed economic sanctions last year after pulling out of the landmark 2015 Iran accord with world powers that prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.

 

However, the tougher stance comes as the European Union is trying to keep the nuclear deal alive and has developed a mechanism to open a channel to continue to trade with Iran, bringing sharp criticism of Brussels from Pence on Thursday.

 

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the EU's top diplomat discussed global conflicts but largely avoided the issue of Iran on Friday.

 

Pompeo's meeting with Federica Mogherini, the European Union's foreign policy chief, was scheduled before Pence's rebuke of European powers, during a Middle East peace conference in Warsaw on Thursday. Mogherini missed the Warsaw conference, citing a scheduling conflict at NATO.

 

Mogherini shook off a question seeking her reaction to Pence's Thursday speech. State Department spokesman Robert Palladino said the vice president's remarks were not raised during the hour-long meeting, which he said was friendly and constructive.

 

They also did not talk about the Iran nuclear deal, although they did discuss Iran's "destabilising activities and the need to counter them," he said.

 

A spokeswoman for Mogherini said the talks with Pompeo had focused on Venezuela, Syria, Afghanistan, the Korean peninsula, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.

 

Pence's unusually tough words on Thursday for allies Germany, France and Britain reflect Washington's strategy of isolating Iran, and are likely to further strain transatlantic relations.

 

In a speech on Friday evening in Munich with European and U.S. officials, lawmakers and diplomats, Pence said: “I bring you greetings from the 45th president of the United States, President Donald Trump.” He paused for applause. The room was silent for a very long moment.

 

ISOLATING IRAN

 

Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Tehran accepted curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions.

 

On Thursday, speaking at NATO before Pence's comments, Mogherini said upholding the deal was vital to European security because it prevented Tehran from developing a nuclear weapon.

 

European countries say they share U.S. concerns about Iran's involvement in wars in Yemen and Syria but that withdrawing from the nuclear deal was a mistake. They have promised to try to salvage the deal as long as Iran continues to abide by it. In practice, European companies have accepted new U.S. sanctions on Iran and abandoned plans to invest there.

 

France, Germany and Britain have agreed on a new channel for non-dollar trade with Iran to avert U.S. sanctions. That will likely take months to open, however, and is expected to be used only for smaller trade such as humanitarian products or food.

 

Mogherini and German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas on Friday defended the nuclear accord with Iran at the Munich Security Conference despite Washington's repeated attacks against the bloc for keeping to the deal.

 

France's Foreign Minister questioned Washington's policy in northeastern Syria saying it contradicted its tough stance on Tehran because a U.S. withdrawal would only reinforce Iran.

 

"We hate what Iran is doing in Syria. We hate what Hezbollah is doing in Lebanon. We hate what Iran is doing with the Houthis in Yemen and militias elsewhere. We hate what they have been doing in Europe and we're extremely preoccupied with its ballistic missile programme," said a European official.

 

"We're very lucid and extremely vigilant on all that, but Iran has kept its side of the nuclear deal and isn't building a nuclear weapon and that is vital to all our security interests."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-16

[pgrahmm]

[bristolboy]

Dies anyone else see something odd in Pence invoking Auschwitz and anti-semitism against the Iranians just after departing a conference where the US aligned itself with the Saudis?

 

 

[Tug]

Interesting point Bristol 

[PremiumLane]

Disgusting how he is using the Holocaust to ramp up the rhetoric for more wars.

Guess he doesn't know much about US involvement in overthrowing democracy in Iran and starting this shit show to begin with

[Topdoc]

Does anyone else see something odd in the way Piotr Cywinski is staring at Pence?

[Emdog]

Uh, Mr Pence... have you heard about concentration camps China has built for Muslims? It's well documented....

[bristolboy]

31 minutes ago, hyku1147 said:

If the boycotting of Jewish businesses, as well as public harassment, is occurring in Iran - it needs to be stopped before it escalates to property seizure, rape, and murder(Einsatzgruppen).

 

 

Do you have a shred of evidence that this is the case? And does this prescription apply only to Iran or to any country that persecutes Jews?

[bristolboy]

7 minutes ago, milwaukeeboy said:

Stories like this are plentiful when you consider who owns Reuters and the rest of the media.

Follow the money. They will never let us forget how more equal they are than the rest of us.

What exactly in this story do you find that favors Pence's claim? In fact a lot of the story was about Europe's negative response to Trump's Iran stance. Like all bigots, you suffer from a peculiar kind of blindness.

Edited February 16, 2019 by bristolboy

[Briggsy]

38 minutes ago, car720 said:

and we see all of these tear jerking photos at every turn but we never see anything of the 45 million souls that Mao killed.

The Nationalist Socialist German Workers' Party lost. The Chinese Communist Party endures to this day.

 

The Holocaust deaths primarily occurred in camps. The Great Leap Forward and ensuing famine deaths mainly occurred in villages throughout the length and breadth of China.

 

The Jews were put to death with gassing being the notoriously well-known method. The Chinese were simply starved and deprived of any medical care.

 

I take your point though. There are a number of books detailing the era in China. Hungry Ghosts is perhaps the most well-known.

[Saladin]

The main cause of any growing anti-semitism at present is due to Israel's disgusting stand-over man treatment of the Palestinians and America's unquestioning support.

[bristolboy]

14 minutes ago, Saladin said:

The main cause of any growing anti-semitism at present is due to Israel's disgusting stand-over man treatment of the Palestinians and America's unquestioning support.

It may be a cause but the fact is that just because you're Jewish doesn't mean you support Israel. In fact, Netanyahu is quite unpopular with American Jews. On the other hand, those defenders of Israel who equate criticism  or boycotss of Israel with anti-Semitism aren't doing Jews any favors, either.

And you're disregarding the the lightly disguised use of anti-Semitism by several European governments who are very pro-Israel.

Edited February 16, 2019 by bristolboy

[Stargeezr]

My simple question is.  How much land does Isreal claim today, compared to the past?

More or less? Just asking!

Geezer

[Cory1848]

1 hour ago, milwaukeeboy said:

Stories like this are plentiful when you consider who owns Reuters and the rest of the media.

Follow the money. They will never let us forget how more equal they are than the rest of us.

Regardless of what one might think of Pence's visit to Auschwitz and what he said there, the fact that he went is news, and it will be reported by Reuters and other media outlets. Who are the "they" you mention in your post?

[farcanell]

49 minutes ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

My simple question is.  How much land does Isreal claim today, compared to the past?

More or less? Just asking!

Geezer

More or less, depending on the year/decade/century/millennium.

 

probably more now, than in the last 2000 years ..... (prior to judas’s Rebellion against Rome.)

Edited February 16, 2019 by farcanell

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed.  

[dexterm]

That's a cheap shot, Pence. Using the murder of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust to score a few foreign policy points.

 

OP: Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami, deputy head of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in January Iran's strategy was to wipe "the Zionist regime" (Israel) off the political map, Iran's state TV reported.

 

So who at Reuters doctored Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami's quote with the parenthesis    ...."(Israel)"?

He didn't say Israel, he said "the Zionist regime"

 

And I agree with him. Why on earth do Pence and the current US admin support the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism? 

 

Why is the US admin supporting the minority Israeli Jewish population having preference over the majority non Jewish population?

Edited February 16, 2019 by dexterm

[sanemax]

Just now, dexterm said:

OP: Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami, deputy head of the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said in January Iran's strategy was to wipe "the Zionist regime" (Israel) off the political map, Iran's state TV reported.

 

So who at Reuters edited Iranian Brigadier General Hossein Salami's quote with the parenthesis    ...."(Israel)"?

He didn't say Israel, he said "the Zionist regime"

 

And I agree with him. Why on earth do Pence and the current US admin support the racist supremacist ideology of Zionism? 

 

Why is the US admin supporting the minority Israeli Jewish population having preference over the majority non Jewish population?

As Iran does not recognise the existence of Israel , the Country doesnt exist , they can not use the word "Israel" , so, they use the words "Zionist regime" instead of saying "Israel"

  Both mean the same thing though

[dexterm]

14 minutes ago, sanemax said:

As Iran does not recognise the existence of Israel , the Country doesnt exist , they can not use the word "Israel" , so, they use the words "Zionist regime" instead of saying "Israel"

  Both mean the same thing though

Semantics.

 

Everyone recognized South Africa as a country, but many did not recognize its apartheid regime.

 

Iran knows very well that Israel exists. They make a deliberate significant difference. They've agreed along with all Arab countries to recognize Israel if it makes an acceptable (to both sides) peace deal with the Palestinians.

 

They object, as I do, to the racist supremacist ideology of the current Zionist regime.

Edited February 16, 2019 by dexterm

[BestB]

7 minutes ago, dexterm said:

Semantics.

 

Everyone recognized South Africa as a country, but many did not recognize its apartheid regime.

 

Iran knows very well that Israel exists. They make a deliberate significant difference. They've agreed along with all Arab countries to recognize Israel if it makes an acceptable (to both sides) peace deal with the Palestinians.

 

They object, as I do, to the racist supremacist ideology of the current Zionist regime.

And yet , 2 million something arabs live in Israel while 10000 Jews live in Iran and zero in other Arab countries .

 

got to love your typical double standard irony 

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, dexterm said:

Semantics.

 

Iran knows very well that Israel exists. They make a deliberate significant difference. They've agreed along with all Arab countries to recognize Israel if it makes an acceptable (to both sides) peace deal with the Palestinians.

 

They object, as I do, to the racist supremacist ideology of the current Zionist regime.

No, Iran does not recognise the existence of Israel 

LOL , yes they know that there is a place there called Israel , but they dont acknowledge that or accept Israel as being a country or refer to Israel by its name

[dexterm]

9 minutes ago, BestB said:

And yet , 2 million something arabs live in Israel while 10000 Jews live in Iran and zero in other Arab countries .

 

got to love your typical double standard irony 

No double standards.

So why not also give the vote to the 4.5 million other Palestinians that Israel has been occupying for the last 50 plus years?
Upset the phoney majority demographics?
That's why Zionism = apartheid. And that's why I and Iran object to it. Pure racism.

Edited February 16, 2019 by dexterm

[marqus12]

Disgusting nonsense !!!
Iran after the lifting of sanctions began to grow rapidly,Israel got scared
and Americans want to cut off the Chinese from oil (Venezuela first and

now this) ... Iranians are Persians, not Arabs

[marqus12]

 

[Greenhill]

46 minutes ago, dexterm said:

No double standards.

So why not also give the vote to the 4.5 million other Palestinians that Israel has been occupying for the last 50 plus years?
Upset the phoney majority demographics?
That's why Zionism = apartheid. And that's why I and Iran object to it. Pure racism.

You really have NO idea what you're talking about!!

Where are the 4.5 million Arabs that you are talking about?    If you mean the Arabs in Gaza, they do not live in Israel, they do not recognise Israel's right to exist and have NO rights or wishes to vote in Israel.    There are at least 2 million Israeli Arabs, who live within the 'Green Line', they have the vote, there are Arab members of the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) and they are judges in the Israeli judiciary.   The Iranian clerics hate anybody who is not a Shia Muslim.   Maybe you're unaware of the 8 year war they waged against Iraq - mainly because they are Shiites.    They hate Jews & Christians and Gays, of course.   Thank goodness, there is a thriving Christian, Muslim & Gay communities in Israel, along with Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Bahai's etc - all living and worshipping in the ONLY state in the Middle East who allows them to.    Please study the issue a little more carefully before you spew your unfounded racist remarks which have no basis in reality.

[BestB]

58 minutes ago, dexterm said:

No double standards.

So why not also give the vote to the 4.5 million other Palestinians that Israel has been occupying for the last 50 plus years?
Upset the phoney majority demographics?
That's why Zionism = apartheid. And that's why I and Iran object to it. Pure racism.

Why should Israel give vote to non Israelis ? And Islam is what? Freedom?

 

tell me again how many Arab brothers has any of the neighboring Arab states have taken in and granted  rights? Last time I checked third generation Palestinians born in Jordan remain in refugee camps with no rights what so ever .

 

And to your objection is just as anti Semitic as your double standards. 

 

Racist? Arabs behead people for being non Muslim and he talks about racism????????????

 

[BestB]

55 minutes ago, marqus12 said:

Disgusting nonsense !!!
Iran after the lifting of sanctions began to grow rapidly,Israel got scared
and Americans want to cut off the Chinese from oil (Venezuela first and

now this) ... Iranians are Persians, not Arabs

Iran started to grow rapidly ? You mean building rockets? Yes a truly peaceful nation 

[simple1]

6 hours ago, BestB said:

Iran started to grow rapidly ? You mean building rockets? Yes a truly peaceful nation 

One has to take account Iran's prior experience of unprovoked attacks by a Sunni dictatorship and others. From an Iranian POV one would think both offensive and defensive capability is essential. Of course the bigger issue is whether the Israelis, Shias and Sunnis can learn to live in peace at some point in the future. Currently not looking good, more likely continuous warfare in the region whilst the religious hardliners are dictating to the rulers.

Edited February 16, 2019 by simple1

[dexterm]

8 hours ago, BestB said:

Why should Israel give vote to non Israelis ? And Islam is what? Freedom?

 

tell me again how many Arab brothers has any of the neighboring Arab states have taken in and granted  rights? Last time I checked third generation Palestinians born in Jordan remain in refugee camps with no rights what so ever .

 

And to your objection is just as anti Semitic as your double standards. 

 

Racist? Arabs behead people for being non Muslim and he talks about racism????????????

 

>>Why should Israel give vote to non Israelis ? 
...Because if you colonise, occupy and control 100% the lives of the majority indigenous Palestinian population for more than 50 years without giving them the same rights as Jews who live there you are practising apartheid. That's what Iran objects to, and that's the racist supremacist regime that Pence is hypocritically supporting. 

 

Simple: end the occupation or give Palestinians equal rights. Can't have it both ways.

Perhaps Pence should be listening to one of the main challengers to Netanyahu in the forthcoming Israeli elections 

"Gantz: Israel should not be ruling over another people"

https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5458973,00.html

[joecoolfrog]

Disgusting to use the holocaust to make a political statement. I visited Auschwitz a couple of years back and it was a deeply humbling experience , I cannot concieve what kind of scumbag would seek to make capital from it.