The White House reaffirmed its commitment to Israel after its ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman, kicked up criticism over the weekend by offering his thoughts about the motivation behind some Muslim anti-Semitism.
“This administration and the United States condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms and believe that there is never any justification for prejudice against the Jewish people or against Israel,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters Monday. “Ambassador Gutman has expressed his regret, noting that he, quote, ‘strongly condemns anti-Semitism in all its forms.’”
Mr. Gutman is Jewish and his father survived the Holocaust. He told a Jewish gathering in Brussels last week that some of the antipathy towards Jews has its origins in Israel’s treatment of the Palestinian people.
State Department Mark Toner Monday also told reporters that Mr. Gutman would not resign, adding that his views while delivered as ambassador, reflected his personal beliefs.
