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Support for Israel from a surprising source

I must admit to being a bit gobsmacked by this:

Israel and the Jewish people found an unlikely defender in Fidel Castro, the retired dictator of Cuba, on Tuesday, when he came out strongly against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s denial of the Holocaust and supported Israel’s right to exist.

22 comments to Support for Israel from a surprising source

  • After getting over my own initial gobsmackedness, I suspect two things that may sound contradictory: he is both sincere and is sticking it to Chavez (no idea why).

  • Nuke Gray

    Mazel tov! I bet this schmuck will ‘discover that Cubans are the lost tribes! And will Tel Aviv please give him some aid and sustainence- he’ll help them refill the emptying kibbutzim with cuban ‘volunteers’! Fidel = Vidal, already! Let’s kibbosh this, by moses!

  • Nuke: it’s Jerusalem, not TA:-)

  • The Pedant-General

    ????

    Firing government workers, acknowlegding that actual, the revolution hasn’t turned out to be quite so dandy and now this.

    Has Castro finally been drugged by the CIA?

  • John B

    It was indeed surprising. The leftist-post modern front breaking ranks?
    Perhaps it´s what happens when a collection of similarities begin winning, they start to fight among themselves for top spot?
    Perhaps he´s just a good old-time Soviet guy?
    Or did he come sufficiently close to death to peer through the curtain?

  • The current Castro-body-double is developing opinions of its own – not necessarily orthodox left-fascist ones either….there will be trouble-at-‘t’mill!

  • Bjarni

    I suspect that the CIA finally stopped lacing Fidel’s cigars with acid after he stepped down and he’s just now coming down from his four decade long high and realizing what he has done to Cuba on the longest trip ever.

  • It seems Castro has recent form in this vein.

  • Arny Handelman

    Let’s not be naive. Castro is talking out against Holocalust denial because Cuba’s trade and dealings with Israel are increasingly important to his beleaguered island. Dozens of Israeli companies have been active in Cuba and this trend is accelerating. It’s all kept low-key because of the American embargo. It’s a perfect opportunity for Israeli entrepreneurial skills and technology to help and make lots of money in the process.

  • David Deutsch

    Castro has a history of being less antisemitic than your average communist dictator. But he is not pro-Israel in any sense.

    He has also explained that his apparent concession, in that same interview, that ‘the Cuban system doesn’t work’ was just a misunderstanding by the interviewer.

  • manuel II paleologos

    Crumbs – I just looked at his site for the first time in about 6 years too; just have a look at the story “the new Mccarthyism”.

    It’s something that’s always puzzled me; when people go nuts, they always really go the whole way, don’t they? No-one ever seems to go just a bit barmy; you decide you like Obama, and for some reason you end up posting foaming-at-the-mouth rants about imaginary right-wing enemies.

  • manuel II paleologos

    Apologies – was talking about Andrew Sullivan there about a different thread.

  • Alasdair

    Could it be that Castro has started cramming for finals ? Making amends, started being truthful, etc ?

  • Moss

    What does it say when most Leftists are MORE insane than Castro?

  • Eric Tavenner

    Well, nobody can be wrong all the time.

  • Nuke Gray

    Oy Vey, Alisa! Are you saying I should update my 1960 guidebook to Israel? Do you know how many shekels that cost me? your parents should teach you manners! (Anyone want to buy a second-hand guidebook to Israel? I’ll throw in my mother-in-law!)

  • Nuke, my parents are long-dead – in fact, I haven’t even known them. Now, don’t you wish you could say the same about your mother in law?;-P

    Moss wins the Cohiba.

  • Nuke Gray

    so that’s your excuse for your lack of manners, young lady! G-d forbid that you should realise where my name really comes from!
    Ha-Nuke-ah Gray

  • Snag

    Pretty pathetic that allowing for Israel’s “right to exist” is considered support.

  • Paul Marks

    I was going to comment – but other people have said most of what I was going to say.

    An interesting quote, and one must remember that even evil people do not always say evil (or even wrong) things.

    For example, some of what Stalin had to say about practical mechanics is perfectly sound (he liked reading technical journals – a common thing in Russia before the Revolution)

    Also when a Marxist (unlike Karl Marx himself – who was an utter shit) denounces racism or anti semitism – that does not mean that they are either insincere or that racism or anti semitism are somehow correct.