[Peptobismol]

http://blog.z-word.com/2010/11/the-p...ain/#more-1799

The Power of Jewish Interests In Spain

Published by Eamonn McDonagh on November 5, 2010
A brief coda to this post. Enric González is the correspondent of El PaÃÂs in Jerusalem and he has just posted some rather dull (Islamophobia exists too you know!) reflections on antisemitism on his blog. What interests me here is how the post begins:Casa Sefarad, an entity financed by the government [of Spain] to defend Jewish and/or Zionist interests (sometimes they conincide, sometimes they don’t)…It seems that for González the Jews are powerful enough to get the government of Spain to set up and finance a special body the sole purpose of which is to defend their interests and Zionism.
I guess it shouldn’t be necessary to cite the English version of the Casa Sefarad-Israel’s website to see what it has to say about the purposes the organization was set up to serve but I will anyway. OBJECTIVES OF CASA SEFARAD-ISRAEL

Casa Sefarad-Israel was established in response to the commitment assumed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, the Autonomous Community of Madrid and the Madrid City Council to create an institution that would serve the following objectives:
Further the study of the legacy of Sephardic culture as an integral, living part of Spanish culture;
Foster a better understanding of Jewish culture;
Promote the development of the ties of friendship and cooperation between Spanish and Israeli societies
Casa Sefarad-Israel also aims to become a communal space and meeting place for Jewish communities and organizations in Spain and around the world. This communal space for Jews, Israelis and Spaniards will promote awareness of the rich historical Sephardic legacy and the political, economic, social and cultural reality of Jewish communities in today’s world, both in Israel and in Spain.
Casa Sefarad-Israel seeks to be an instrument of public diplomacy insofar as it completes the institutional network formed by Casa de América, Casa Asia, Casa �rabe and Casa �frica, thereby strengthening the frame of reference for Spain’s foreign relations.
Its creation will enable the involvement not only of public institutions, but also of civil society, in cooperative activities with the Jewish community, its organizations and the State of Israel itself.In case you’re wondering, the equivalent Spanish page on the website says exactly the same thing. In the opinion of Enric González, the correspondent of El PaÃÂs in Jerusalem, you can accurately sum all that up as “defending Jewish and/or Zionist interestsâ€Â�.