Amnesty International Scum Bags

Frank Johansson, head of Amnesty International in Finland, has written that Israel is a scum state, and when asked has stood by what he wrote and refused to retract it. When asked further if there are other scum states in the world he was unable to offer any, though he did say that some Russian officials are scummy. Russia, just to note, is next to Finland and has a history of, how to put it, regrettable relations with Finland, so Johanssen isn't really looking that far away, unlike, say, Israel.

Meanwhile, at the international headquarters of AI, in London, a spokesperson quibbled:

Flood said that Johansson used the phrase “creep state” to describe Israel, rather than “scum,” as the initial English translation of the Finnish word found. Native Finnish speakers from Tundra Tabloids said the Finnish term used by Johansson to denigrate Israel is a “highly derogatory term,” and is frequently translated as “scum,” “scum bag” or “douche bag.”

Asked if he was an antisemite Johanssen said that of course he isn't, and cited his admiration of the Israeli organization Breaking the Silence as proof.

The founder of Breaking the Silence, Yehuda Shaul, is a neighbor of mine, and I happen to know that he doesn't say what Johanssen admires him so for saying, but that's a matter I'll have to discuss with Shaul. He makes statements in internal Israeli discussions which flatly aren't what international critics of Israel say he's saying, but he lets their comments stand because he doesn't care about the external discussion, only the internal Israeli one. I suppose this makes him marginally better than, say, Didi Remez and the Coteret gang, but only marginally.