Pastor Sizer: crossing the red line of anti-Israeli discourse

There is nothing terribly wrong in being anti-... (substitute you own country of choice). At least where some specific feature of a country is concerned. To give you an example close to home: I am anti-Argentine inclined, but only where football is involved (it's rather a long story for another time).

Now, you would probably agree that in anti-... tendency we should keep to some basic rules of civilized discourse. For example, it's OK to say that Diego Armando Maradona is a cheat and during his career was known to display some unmanly traits. It will be hardly credible and/or civilized, though, to claim that Mr Maradona catches, dismembers and barbecues little children. Alluring as the thought could be, one would be better off not voicing it.

Well, you probably don't remember the good pastor Sizer, the one with some exceptional power over British police. If you don't, you could do worse than going for the last link. It's an exciting story.

But back to anti-Israeli discourse. As I hinted, it's OK with me when a person bashes Israel where Israel deserves bashing. Mind you, being of a somewhat mercurial temper, I am known to indulge in this pastime myself from time to time. Using some un-parliamentary expressions too.

Of course, one would look strange if one were bashing one single country exclusively. Pastor Sizer, for example, has only two kinds of people who are the target of his (rather permanent) displeasure: the Christian Zionists and the State of Israel. You shall see which are his preferred targets almost immediately when browsing his site. And he is kinda obsessive in repeatedly directing his copious streams of fire and brimstone at the two. It could be unhealthy, I guess, but one doesn't argue with an obsession.

Recently, though, our good pastor have overstepped the lines of civilized anti-Israeli discourse, going straight into the twilight zone where one's enemy catches these proverbial kids and... (see above). It started with a site named Allvoices, where a person named Mohamed Abd el Fattah who "is based in Cairo, Kairo, Egypt, and is Anchor for Allvoices" published a news item, ostensibly picked up from Israeli Yediot Ahronot. According to it, Saif al-Islam, son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, visited Israel to get some military assistance for his daddy.

This news item (written in especially atrocious language, I have to add) was quickly outed as a hoax. To make sure, I have checked Yediot Ahronot English and Hebrew sites too - it is still a hoax. This fact didn't (still doesn't) bother our good pastor, who immediately posted an article on the subject under a telling headline The Ties that Bind: Israel to Libya.What you wouldn't see in this (modified) version of the article, though, is the following, later modified, text (the omitted part is emphasized):

It should come as no surprise that “Saif al-Islam, son of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi” made a surprise visit to Israel last week to buy more weapons for his dad.

He goes to Israel regularly because, according to a senior Middle East Ecclesiastical source, both his mother and aunt are Jewish and live in Israel.

Blood is indeed thicker than water. Perhaps this is why the US is reluctant to impose a ‘no-fly’ zone over Libya.

Thanks to Harry's Place and the ever watchful Seismic Shock fellow, the text was rescued and kept for posterity here. There are also some conclusions re Mr Sizer's somewhat obsessive behavior too...

Of course, the rumors about Jewish roots of the good colonel are not new. However, being a senior Ecclesiastical source himself, pastor Sizer should know that being a Muslim precludes the colonel from being able to carry this second membership card. Oh well, it probably doesn't matter to him. Pastor Sizer was hell-bent to make a point. And, in his righteous zeal, he didn't notice that he is already way past that thin red line...

Blut ist dicker als Wasser indeed. It should also carry some oxygen that feeds, between other human organs, the brain. It seems that our good pastor is lately not exercising enough, depraving his valuable gray cells from this essential nourishment.

Too bad.

Hat tip: Israel News.