Netanyahu rebuffs Erdogan’s remarks on Zionism March 1, 2013 - 10:59 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has held his tongue for months in the face of Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s serial remarks against Israel, jabbed back Thursday, Feb 28, labeling Erdogan’s characterization of Zionism as a crime against humanity “sinister and mendacious.” According to The Jerusalem Post, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement saying Netanyahu strongly condemned Erdogan’s comments and “comparison of Zionism and fascism.” Speaking Wednesday before a Vienna forum of the Alliance of Civilizations – a UN framework for West-Islam dialogue – the Turkish prime minister said, “It is necessary that we must consider – just like Zionism, or anti-Semitism, or fascism – Islamophobia as a crime against humanity.” In his response, Netanyahu said, “This is a sinister and mendacious statement the likes of which we thought had disappeared from the world.” The White House condemned Erdogan's remarks on Thursday. "We reject Prime Minister Erdogan's characterization of Zionism as a crime against humanity, which is offensive and wrong," White House spokesman Tommy Vietor said in a statement. "We encourage people of all faiths, cultures, and ideas to denounce hateful actions and to overcome the differences of our times." Partner news  Top stories Amy Elliott, chief administrative officer of the Oklahoma medical examiner's office, said 51 were confirmed dead. An Islamist insurgency, once confined largely to the republic of Chechnya, has spread across the North Caucasus in recent years. Earlier, at least five Azerbaijan soldiers were killed and six seriously injured when their vehicle rammed into a tree and overturned. Among its provisions are bans on child marriage and the traditional practice of selling and buying women to settle disputes.   Partner news |  Latest news U.S. shuts down Guantanamo wi-fi over hacking threats  Army Lt. Col. Samuel House says the precautions were taken because of online threats to disrupt activities at the base.Oil prices rise as investors await Fed’s latest views on U.S. economy Brent crude, a benchmark for many international oil varieties, rose 21 cents to $105.01 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange in London.Nokia Siemens unveils tools for better mobile video performance The company says its new capabilities can reduce video stalling by 90% while also cutting demand for capacity by 25%.Russia has fair chance to avoid economic recession: PM “Perhaps, this is not very much. But, at the same time, it’s much better than Europe’s figures,” Dmitry Medvedev said. |
