Tel-Chai Nation

Almost missed this one: the editor of Haaretz, David Landau (via Cosmic X), used extraordinarily obscene language when talking to secretary of state Rice:

(IsraelNN.com) Haaretz’s Chief Editor asked US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to “rape” Israel, using other unsavory terminology as well in his request for American pressure.

The comments were made during a confidential briefing by Rice on September 10, during one of many visits to the Jewish state. The meeting was attended by about 20 heads of the most senior Israeli think tanks and media leaders, including Landau, at the residence of US Ambassador Richard Jones. Some reported that Landau's remarks were greeted with "blatant discomfort" by some of those present.

Following the briefing, those present at the dinner offered their views and comments on the state of affairs in the Middle East.

Landau, who was seated next to Rice, referred to Israel as a “failed state” politically, and said that a US-imposed settlement is the only thing that can save it. He asked Rice to intervene, going so far as to say that the Israeli government wanted “to be raped” and that it would bring him much satisfaction to see this happen.

The comments were first revealed by Channel 2’s Arab-affairs expert Ehud Ya’ari, who refrained from naming who spoke them, but confirmed them with colleagues who were present and termed them “embarrassing” in his report. Former World Jewish Congress leader Isi Leibler then went public, saying it was Landau; he was joined by New York Jewish Week Editor Gary Rosenblatt, who criticized Landau in his weekly column.

“What is contested is not the raw language Landau used, but the context of his impassioned comments,” Rosenblatt wrote.

Contacted by the Jewish Week, Laundau confirmed the statements, but said his views had been delivered “with much more sophistication.” He admitted: “I did say that in general, Israel wants to be raped — I did use that word — by the U.S., and I myself have long felt Israel needed more vigorous U.S. intervention in the affairs of the Middle East.”

Landau, a British-born yeshiva educated Orthodox Jew, acknowledged his other crass remark as well, though said it was aimed at the experience of influencing US policy and not at seeing Israel be pressured to make concessions. “I told [Rice] that it had always been my wet dream to see this [US 'rape' of Israel] happen," Landau said, Makor Rishon reported.

I should have known. He was from the UK, and it's clear that it can have some monstrous influence on even ostensibly religious people there; that's what really makes this a frightening case. Make that another reason why to look upon Britain in disgrace and shame too.

This is also another reason why to keep away from the Haaretz newspaper. I went to a lecture tonight by Dr. Dore Gold (update: Greer Fay Cashman writes about it), and let me note that as I've learned, Gold was also present at that meeting with Rice and also made it clear that he did not agree with Landau's perverted remarks. More from Caroline Glick.

Labels: Israel, political corruption