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Last update - 09:11 19/02/2007 Mitt Romney, blood libel, and that old time Jew hate By Bradley Burston It may just be a bad dream. Or it may be the future. In the space of a week, we have had a professor from an Orthodox-oriented Israeli university argue that some medieval blood libels against the Jews were based in fact. We have had Muslim clerics declaring that the Jewish Temples of antiquity never existed, that there is no evidence that they ever did, that the Jews' insistence that they did was "the greatest fraud crime in history," that the Western Wall is a Muslim site, that the Jews' reverence for it - and for Jerusalem - is a relatively recent and politically-motivated phenomenon. Not coincidentally, we have had Egyptian legislator Mohammed el-Katatny of President Hosni Mubarak's ruling party informing parliament "That cursed Israel is trying to destroy al-Aqsa mosque," and that "Nothing will work with Israel except for a nuclear bomb that wipes it out of existence." And now we have Mitt Romney. On Tuesday, the former governor of Massachusetts is set to formally launch his campaign for the Republican nomination for the presidency. He has chosen as the venue a museum which bills itself as America's Greatest History Attraction, the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Named for America's greatest anti-Semite. Named for a man revered by Adolf Hitler, who awarded him the Grand Service Cross of the Supreme Order of the German Eagle. Named for the U.S. publisher of the "Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" and "The International Jew: the World's foremost problem." Perhaps unfortunately, perhaps inevitably, the first to take Romney to task for the decision was the National Jewish Democratic Council. The council's executive director Ira Forman said the group was "deeply troubled by Governor Romney's choice of locations to announce his presidential campaign." "Romney has been traveling the country talking about inclusiveness and understanding of people from all walks of life," Forman continued. "Yet he chooses to kick [off] his presidential campaign on the former estate of a well-known and outspoken anti-Semite and xenophobe." According to Forman, Romney's "embrace of Henry Ford and association of Ford's legacy with his presidential campaign raises serious questions about either the sincerity of Romney's words or his understanding of basic American history." Petty? Maybe. Partisan? Certainly. Or maybe these things are just becoming second nature. After all, the Romney campaign says it's sticking by its decision, and that the campaign kickoff will continue as planned. "Governor Romney believes our country needs to put innovation at the forefront if we are to ensure a stronger, safer and more prosperous America," said Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom said. "The Ford Museum embodies that bold, innovative spirit." There's something bold and innovative about that old-time Jew hate as well. When it comes back, after being gone so long, its adherents have that feeling of freshness, of renewal. What's next? Accusations of bubonic plague? ___________________ Recent blogs: Save the Temple Mount - Lupolianski for PM Al-Aqsa Mosque is good for the Jews Who will bring peace back from the dead? When did Ehud Olmert turn into George Bush? ___________________ The guiding principles of the talkback forum for this article will be mutual respect and openness to dialogue. Participants, even if they rule out, dismiss or oppose coexistence, must, within the confines of this forum, practice it. Censorship will be unapologetic. Political orientation will have absolutely no bearing on whether a comment is posted or rejected. The following will be grounds for deletion: 1. Racist remarks, as well as slurs on the basis of religion, ethnicity and gender. 2. Use of the terms Nazi, Hitler, to describe the actions and policies of Israelis, Palestinians or other parties to the Israel-Arab conflict. 3. Disparaging remarks, personal attacks, vulgarities and profanities directed at other participants in the forum. 4. Advocacy of violence against individuals or religious, ethnic or racial groups, including statements which may be construed as urging attacks on leaders, officials, security forces or civilians. Bookmark to del.icio.us   Kitler Cat Germany's Green Party uses a cat resembling Hitler to criticize extreme rightists. Sorrymania Israel is reportedly planning to apologize to ex-Beatles for banning a concert in 1965.   1.   romney 09:27  |  keith 13/02/07   2.   Actually... 09:30  |  Yosemite 13/02/07   3.   THE ETERNAL PLAGUE 1800 YEARS OF ANTI SEMITISM 09:31  |  paul harris 13/02/07   4.   Peanuts: read what Italian Chief Rabbi`s son Ariel Toaff writes 09:41  |  Fortuna 13/02/07   5.   Irony 09:50  |  Eli 13/02/07   6.   you plagerized a Washington Post article 09:53  |  the truth 13/02/07   7.   Mitt Romney 09:58  |  John Hull 13/02/07   8.   oppression leads to loss of humanity on both sides 10:10  |  Khalid 13/02/07   9.   Romneys campaign is over before it even started..... 10:15  |  Swiss (Dino) 13/02/07   10.   Missing the point ENTIRELY 10:16  |  Joanna 13/02/07   11.   Romney most likely appreciates and loves the Jewish people 10:34  |  Rhapsidiomite 13/02/07   12.   Truth stranger than fiction 10:44  |  Joseph 13/02/07   13.   whoa bradley... 10:44  |  rick 13/02/07   14.   Have we lost touch with reality? 10:54  |  Joe 13/02/07   15.   Common sense and common decency? 11:02  |  Sherlock Holmes 13/02/07   16.   Romney is a joke, Biden will clean his clock. 11:25  |  Devin 13/02/07   17.   Don`t worry 12:01  |  TM (Jewlicious.com) 13/02/07   18.   As a Jew... 12:09  |  Zev 13/02/07   19.   Calm down, people 12:17  |  John 13/02/07   20.   FORD???? 12:36  |  Brant 13/02/07   21.   Ford owners 12:46  |  David Howard 13/02/07   22.   Ford apologised for `Protocols`, was industrial icon 13:41  |  Zkharya 13/02/07   23.   Education!! John Hull, Joanne & Khalid 13:46  |  Reality Check 13/02/07   24.   No excuse too bizar 13:52  |  Edith 13/02/07   25.   Mitt Romney 13:57  |  CHGODMK 13/02/07   26.   Brant in SC 14:06  |  CHGODMK 13/02/07   27.   It`s all about the Jews? 14:34  |  Janet 13/02/07   28.   Henry Ford, the antisemite, not the great industrialist 14:41  |  Clickfool 13/02/07   29.   Isreal: Threat to the World Peace 14:43  |  Mark 13/02/07   30.   ditto the truth # 6 14:47  |  american 13/02/07   31.   Hysteria in High Gear! 14:49  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/02/07   32.   Click...Fool #28 14:56  |  CHGODMK 13/02/07   33.   antisemitism? 14:58  |  dubious 13/02/07   34.   Ford dealerships in Israel 15:02  |  janmarie 13/02/07   35.   Much ado about nothing, people. 15:07  |  albert amato 13/02/07   36.   c-fool how do yu make it thru the day 15:17  |  ross 13/02/07   37.   For CHGODMK # 32, on conquering antisemitism 15:18  |  Clickfool 13/02/07   38.   If The World is Antisemitic... 15:23  |  Ronnie Wolman 13/02/07   39.   Welcome back, Click # 28 15:34  |  SusieQ 13/02/07   40.   #33 anti semitsm is never dead dubious THAT IS THE ETERNAL PROBLE 15:37  |  paul harris 13/02/07   41.   At least Romney`s Relgion is not an issue for Burston 15:39  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/02/07   42.   Click...The Fool #37 15:41  |  CHGODMK 13/02/07   43.   Member of a religious cult 15:46  |  Mark Lincoln 13/02/07   44.   US Grant 15:47  |  Harold 13/02/07   45.   The Ford Legacy 15:52  |  Corinna Hasofferett 13/02/07   46.   First Time David Howard Agrees With Me (Post 21) 15:58  |  Johnny Weintraub 13/02/07   47.   #28 CLICKFOOL for once I agree with you!! 16:07  |  Psalm 13/02/07   48.   #41 Sullivan 16:15  |  Psalm 13/02/07   49.   yaakov #41 - use it or lose it 16:18  |  american 13/02/07   50.   Stop picking on...... 16:19  |  Choni Davidowitz 13/02/07   51.   So What if Rommey turned out to be anti-semite? 16:21  |  Psalm 13/02/07   52.   IN THE CLIMATE OF DELEGITIMIZATION 16:37  |  B 13/02/07   53.   Romney 16:51  |  reuven 13/02/07   54.   THE ETERNAL PLAGUE PAUL HARRIS & CAPSLOCK 16:56  |  PHIL 13/02/07   55.   Most Ridiculous Post Ever by Burston 16:58  |  David B. 13/02/07   56.   #52 B---Replacement theology 17:00  |  Psalm 13/02/07   57.   not buying it, choni #50 17:01  |  american 13/02/07   58.   Paranoid 17:01  |  Cyrus 13/02/07   59.   Khalid doing his happy dance 17:05  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/07   60.   A difference David Howard, between Ford cars, and Ford the man 17:11  |  Jacob Blues 13/02/07   61.   meanwhile, imagine . . . 17:11  |  JW 13/02/07   62.   old time Jew hate 17:23  |  Shmuelshachor 13/02/07   63.   A series of bad jokes about anti-semitic cars 17:26  |  George W 13/02/07   64.   psalm on the protestat sectarians #48 17:27  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/02/07   65.   Mitt Romney clarification 17:43  |  BJ 13/02/07   66.   #@54 PHIL S OWN BIBLE TELLS HIM THAT 17:44  |  paul harris 13/02/07   67.   For CHGODMK # 42 17:47  |  Clickfool 13/02/07   68.   babble ? #66 17:58  |  phil 13/02/07   69.   Clickfool #67 17:58  |  CHGODMK 13/02/07   70.   psalm on the protestant sectarians #48 18:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 13/02/07   71.   Mitt`s No Anti-Semite 18:06  |  MassMedium 13/02/07   72.