By ,
Published May 08, 2017
And now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine...
Not Kosher
President Obama's ambassador to Belgium is under fire for comments suggesting that some anti-Semitism is because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Howard Gutman -- who is Jewish -- spoke at a conference organized by the European Jewish Union, when he made a distinction between what he called classic anti-Semitism and -- quote -- "hatred and...growing intimidation and violence directed at Jews generally as a result of the continuing tensions between Israel and the Palestinian territories and other Arab neighbors in the Middle East."
The White House has distanced itself from those comments and Gutman says he was misunderstood.
At least two Republican presidential candidates have called on the president to fire the ambassador.
Biting the Hand that Feeds
Some Occupy Wall Street protesters are on a hunger strike, in what appears to be a case of biting the hand that feeds.
The Occupiers want access to a vacant lot owned by Trinity Wall Street Church in downtown Manhattan.
The New York Observer reports the church has been letting protesters use another property along with free internet, power sources, and indoor facilities for over two months.
The church says the lot in question is not available or suitable for large scale assemblies.
No Pets Allowed
Finally, Turkmenistan's president is apparently neither a cat, nor a dog person.
Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, say that three times, reportedly has a long hatred of domesticated animals.
The New Zealand Herald reports a man accidentally walked his dog into an area restricted to the president's motorcade and was quickly arrested.
He was given the option of jail or having his dog shot.
He chose to serve two weeks behind bars. A leaked Diplomatic cable from last year says the president fired a security official, because he believed a cat that ran in front of the motorcade was part of an assassination attempt.
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/grapevine-occupiers-biting-the-hand-that-feeds