Little Green Footballs alerts us that Hollywood actor (and incarnate Tibetan Buddhist lama, according to him) Richard Gere is urging Palestinians to vote ("Vote or Die"?) in the fortcoming election. The problem is that he is willing to share the stage with some murderous villains:

Gere's co—stars in this public service announcement, presumably also speaking for the entire world, have previously urged Palestinians to wipe out Israel and finish the work of Adolf Hitler:

Joining Gere in the announcement are Sheik Taissir Tamimi, the head of the Islamic court in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Atallah Hanna, the spokesman of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem.

In the broadcast transcript Tamimi said, 'To the Palestinian people, it is a vital process, national necessity and religious obligation.'

'We want democracy in our country, a place with freedom, and freedom of speech,' Hanna said in the ad. ...

Even though he evidently is not familiar with Hollywood superstars, Hanna has his own heroes, according to the Jerusalem Post, which quoted him as praising suicide bombers: 'These martyrdom freedom fighters are the heroes of the people and we are proud of them. We categorically reject suspicious attempts to cast suspicion on their deeds. They are not suicidal, as some are claiming. Nor are they terrorists, as others are claiming. They are resisting the occupation.' According to the report, he also called for the liberation of Palestine 'from the [Mediterranean] sea to the [Jordan] river.'

One of Gere's co—stars, Sheikh Tamimi, was quoted in 1994 as saying: 'the Jews are destined to be persecuted, humiliated and tortured forever, and it is a Muslim duty to see to it that they reap their due. No petty arguments must be allowed to divide us. Where Hitler failed, we must succeed.'

It never fails to amaze me that Hollywood folk can get themselves worked up over claims to see non—existent anti—Semitism in Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ, and yet remain silent when one of their own consorts with those who wish to finish the job Hitler started.

Hat tip: Ed Lasky

Thomas Lifson  1 04 05