The Jerusalem Post on Casa Sefarad-Israel's study about anti-Semitism in Spain.

The Pew Research Center published a report about anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Spain, Poland, Russia, Germany, France, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The report dates from 2008 and showed that 46% of the Spaniards had unfavourable views towards the Jews; concerned about this fact, the Spanish Government made Casa Sefarad-Israel to study the problem, releasing the data contained here.

The Jerusalem Post's response to the report can be read here (in English).

Público on others' double standard, but not on its own double standard.

Público has published an article by Daniel Basteiro, correspondent in Brussels, on Wednesday, October 27, 2010, under the title El doble rasero de Bruselas (Brussels' double standard). The article deals with what Público perceives as a double standard by the European Union regarding its human rights policies, which are not as harsh with China, Myanmar, Honduras, Morroco, the United States, Russia and Mexico as with Cuba. The article relies on statements made by left-wing Members of the European Parliament and an Amnesty International official, who attribute E.U.'s attitudes to the economic ties with countries like Morroco and China and the fact that the right-wing parties hold a majority in the European Parliament.

Maybe this Público's denounce is correct, but the reality is that it fails to denounce its own double standard when it comes to one country: the State of Israel. Just read here, here, here, here and here to understand what I'm referring to.

Eugenio García Gascón on Israel's nuclear capabilities.

Público has published an article by Eugenio García Gascón on Friday, October 15, 2010, under the title Israel y la bomba (Israel and the bomb). Excerpt from the article below (translated as accurate as possible, between quotation marks):

"Of course, to allow Iran to build the bomb must be avoided (although to obtain nuclear energy for commercial purposes should be allowed). And the same should be told about Israel. There are trigger-happy politicians in the Israeli cabinet, like the Foreign Minister, Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman has expressed himself recently in an aggresive and bellicose manner, even regarding those Arab countries which signed peace with Israel. It would be right to take the bomb away from him and the West shoud be working to achieve it."

What I think is that there are trigger-happy Arabs and muslims who prompted Israel to arm itself. Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has stated publicly that Israel must be destroyed, and Arab countries attacked Israel in the past with the purpose of achieving such a mission. Iran and Syria also supply Hezbollah and Hamas with rockets. Egypt tried to achieve nuclear capabilities during Nasser's regime, employing nuclear scientists who had worked for the nazi regime before.

The question here is: would Israel have armed itself with nuclear weapons if its enemies hadn't attacked and threatened Israel before?

An example of an unbiased report on Israel.

Incredibly, it has happened. It's the first time since weeks or even months that I have watched a Spanish TV report on Israel which can't be considered biased. And the most extraordinary fact is that the report was broadcasted by laSexta Noticias and that it was made by Sal Emergui. In spite of this fact, Israel is neither criticized nor denounced in the report.

The report focuses on a rabbinical ruling regarding female Mossad agents engaging in sexual intercourse when necessary to achieve a mission. According to the ruling, such activity doesn't constitute a sin according to the Jewish religious laws.

More information in English about the issue, here.

Was Spanish activist Manuel Tapial shot?

According to an article published in ideal.es: El cooperante tiroteado Manuel Tapia[l] presentará la película 'Vals con Bashir' (The shot activist Manuel Tapia[l] will present the film 'Waltz with Bashir'). The truth is that Manuel Tapial was not shot when the Mavi Marmara was raided by the Tzahal.

Again, the Gaza flotilla has been defined as a "humanitarian aid flotilla for the Palestinians", in spite of the proofs against the activists and the lack of evidence against the Israeli soldiers who assaulted the vessels.

Casa Sefarad-Israel on anti-Semitism in Spain.

The Pew Research Center published a report about anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Spain, Poland, Russia, Germany, France, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The report dates from 2008 and showed that 46% of the Spaniards had unfavourable views towards the Jews.

Worried about the results of the report, the Spanish Government made the Casa Sefarad-Israel (an institution centred on the study of Jews and dedicated to foment Spanish-Israeli relations) to take on the issue. Finally, a new report was published, which found the following results:

1.- 58.4% of the Spaniards think that the "Jews have much power because they control the economy and the media". Among university students this attitude encompasses the 62.2%, and among people "interested in politics" this attitude encompasses the 70.5%. All of this means that anti-Semitism in Spain is highly worrying and intolerable, due to its level and to the fact that it's higher among educated and informed people.

2.- 34.6% of the Spaniards have unfavourable or totally unfavourable opinions about the Jews. This attitude encompasses 34% of the far-rightists (who rate the Jews with 4.9 points in a scale from 1 to 10) and 37.7% of centre-left-wingers (who rate the Jews with 4.6 points in a scale from 1 to 10). This case is unique in Europe because far-rightists show less unpleasantness towards the Jews than centre-left-wingers.

3.- Among those who admit to be "unpleasant towards the Jews", 17% of them attribute this attitude to the "Middle East conflict"; 29.6% of them attribute this attitude to "their religion", "their customs", "the way they are", etc.; others among them attribute this attitude to "general unpleasantness", "the power" and "the money"; 17% of them attribute this attitude to reasons they don't know. This means that only a small percentage of the Spaniards show unpleasantness towards the Jews due to "the State of Israel and its policies".

Jewish religious traditions and history left out by laSexta Noticias.

On Thursday, September 9, 2010, laSexta Noticias broadcasted twice a news report on one of the most important Jerusalem's Holy Places: the one known as Har haBayit or Temple Mount by the Jews, and as al-Haram ash-Sharif or Noble Sanctuary by the muslims.

The report was first broadcasted at lunchtime. Helena Resano, the anchorwoman, made an explanatory introduction before the actual report by Sal Emergui was broadcasted. During the introduction, Helena Resano commented on the fact that this Holy Place is the Noble Sanctuary, sacred to muslims, but ommitted the fact that it also is the Temple Mount, sacred to Jews. She also reported on Ariel Sharon's visit to the site on September 28, 2000, as the main cause of the Second Intifada.

The actual report by Sal Emergui was then broadcasted. Only at the end was mentioned the fact that the site is also a Jewish Holy Place. But once this was explained, an interview with Muhammad Ahmad Hussein, current Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, was shown, in which he clearly denied the Jewish historical and religious ties with the site. Any single spokesperson of the rabbinical authorities has been interviewed by Sal Emergui.

The report was broadcasted again at dinnertime. Again, an explanatory introduction was made, in this case by Mamen Mendizábal, the anchorwoman. Again it was told that the site is the Noble Sanctuary, excluding the fact that it also is the Temple Mount.

Then was broadcasted the actual report by Sal Emergui. This time other words were used and the Jewish historical and religious ties with the site were excluded, while the aforementioned interview with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem was shown again. And again, any single spokesperson of the rabbinical authorities was interviewed.

This is the way laSexta Noticias has left Jewish religious traditions and history out.