PrintMarch 2, 2011
Back in vogue
What do the president of Yemen, the founder of WikiLeaks and Dior's chief designer have in common?
They pollute their surroundings with anti-Semitic poison.
Ali Abdullah Saleh, the president of Yemen and a supposed U.S. ally in the war against terrorism, told demonstrators that all the turmoil in the Arab world is instigated by Israel -- "From Tunis to the sultanate of Oman, the wave of protest is managed by Tel Aviv under the supervision of Washington."
In London, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange reacted to negative media coverage by charging that British journalists were engaged in a Jewish-led conspiracy to smear his organization.
In Paris, John Galliano, Dior's stellar fashion designer, was caught on a video spewing anti-Semitic rants at other patrons in a local bar, telling them "I love Hitler" and "people like you would be dead -- your mothers, your forefathers would all be gassed." Dior fired him but the consensus in fashion circles is that Galliano, because of his celebrity, will find other work and won't have to line up to collect unemployment checks.
It's an old story: If you're out of sorts and looking for a scapegoat, blame the Jews.
In Rome, however, Pope Benedict XVI seems to be trying to counter the anti-Semitic tide. He's out with a book that rejects the worst of all Jewish conspiracy tales -- that Jews committed deicide by collaborating with Roman rulers in the crucifixion of Jesus.
A welcome antidote. But a bit late, if you ask me.
