Jewish politician condemns invasion

01-19-2009 | AP

The Israeli assault on Gaza was not well received, even among some Jews

Panama Star LONDON. SIR Gerald Kaufman, has compared the actions of Israeli troops in Gaza to the Nazis who forced his family to flee Poland. Kaufman, a member of the Jewish Labour movement linked to Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s ruling party, also called for an arms embargo against Israel.

Sir Gerald, who was brought up as an orthodox Jew and Zionist, said: "My grandmother was ill in bed when the Nazis came to her home town a German soldier shot her dead in her bed.

"My grandmother did not die to provide cover for Israeli soldiers murdering Palestinian grandmothers in Gaza. The present Israeli government ruthlessly and cynically exploits the continuing guilt from gentiles over the slaughter of Jews in the Holocaust as justification for their murder of Palestinians."

He said the claim that many of the Palestinian victims were militants "was the reply of the Nazi" and added: "I suppose the Jews fighting for their lives in the Warsaw ghetto could have been dismissed as militants."

He accused the Israeli government of seeking "conquest" and added: "They are not simply war criminals, they are fools."

Meanwhile, after a three-week offensive in the territory, the Israeli army said on Sunday that it has begun withdrawing its troops from Gaza.

The move comes shortly after Gaza's Hamas rulers announced a one-week cease-fire.

The Israeli military would not say how many troops it is pulling out. But tanks were rolling out early Sunday and smiling infantry soldiers were seen walking toward the border.

Israel announced a unilateral cease-fire late Saturday. It says it will keep at least some troops in Gaza while arrangements are made to prevent Hamas from rearming.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert assured on Sunday he wants to withdraw Israel's forces from the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. But said he wants assurances that a new cease-fire with the Hamas militant group will be stable.