"Rev. Jeremiah Wright apologizes for statements in Daily Press".
Daily Press | 10:35 AM EDT, June 12, 2009
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has posted a statement on his Facebook page apologizing for controversial statements he made earlier this week to Daily Press columnist David Squires.
Wright's comments, in which he blamed "them Jews" for keeping him away from President Barack Obama, created national headlines and became a hot topic on talk shows and blogs.
On his Facebook page, Wright posted the following statement today:
"I am extremely disturbed and deeply saddened that once again my comments as reflected in the June 10, 2009 Daily Press article has resurfaced a divisive debate about my relationship with President Barack Obama. I love President Obama as my son, and support and honor him as the President of the United States America and leader of the free world. I apologize to the Jewish community and all others who were offended by the way in which I framed my comments. I misspoke. I meant no harm or ill-will to the American Jewish community or the Obama Administration. My great respect for the Jewish faith and the foundational (and central) part of my Judeo Christian tradition are unquestionable and I pray that all whom I have hurt accept my sincerest apology."
Wright's jeremiahwright.com Web site links to the Facebook statement.
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WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Rev. Jeremiah Wright said he misspoke when he said Jews are keeping him from talking to President Obama; he meant Zionists.
"I misspoke," said Wright, Obama's former pastor, on Mark Thompson's Sirius satellite radio show. "Let me just say Zionists."
"I am not talking about all Jews, all people of the Jewish faith," he continued, according to a transcript of the interview from The Associated Press. "I'm talking about Zionists."
Wright was responding to questions about an interview he gave earlier in the week to the Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Va. in which he said, in reference to Obama, "Them Jews aren't going to let him talk to me. I told my baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office."
Wright said in the newspaper interview that "ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza" and “ethnic cleansing [by] the Zionists is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel.”
He also said that “the Jewish vote, the A-I-P-A-C vote, that’s controlling him -- that would not let him send representation to the Darfur Review Conference, that’s talking this craziness on this trip, 'cause they’re Zionists -- they would not let him talk to someone who calls a spade what it is."
In the radio interview, he noted two books by Jewish authors criticizing Israel's treatment of Palestinians and said, "I'm talking about fact, historical fact. I’m not talking about emotionally charged words."
Obama broke with Wright a year ago during his campaign following revelations that Wright had blamed U.S. policies for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and had associated with Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam.
Sources: Daily Press | JTA
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright has posted a statement on his Facebook page apologizing for controversial statements he made earlier this week to Daily Press columnist David Squires.
Wright's comments, in which he blamed "them Jews" for keeping him away from President Barack Obama, created national headlines and became a hot topic on talk shows and blogs.
On his Facebook page, Wright posted the following statement today:
"I am extremely disturbed and deeply saddened that once again my comments as reflected in the June 10, 2009 Daily Press article has resurfaced a divisive debate about my relationship with President Barack Obama. I love President Obama as my son, and support and honor him as the President of the United States America and leader of the free world. I apologize to the Jewish community and all others who were offended by the way in which I framed my comments. I misspoke. I meant no harm or ill-will to the American Jewish community or the Obama Administration. My great respect for the Jewish faith and the foundational (and central) part of my Judeo Christian tradition are unquestionable and I pray that all whom I have hurt accept my sincerest apology."
Wright's jeremiahwright.com Web site links to the Facebook statement.
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WASHINGTON (JTA) -- Rev. Jeremiah Wright said he misspoke when he said Jews are keeping him from talking to President Obama; he meant Zionists.
"I misspoke," said Wright, Obama's former pastor, on Mark Thompson's Sirius satellite radio show. "Let me just say Zionists."
"I am not talking about all Jews, all people of the Jewish faith," he continued, according to a transcript of the interview from The Associated Press. "I'm talking about Zionists."
Wright was responding to questions about an interview he gave earlier in the week to the Daily Press of Hampton Roads, Va. in which he said, in reference to Obama, "Them Jews aren't going to let him talk to me. I told my baby daughter that he'll talk to me in five years when he's a lame duck, or in eight years when he's out of office."
Wright said in the newspaper interview that "ethnic cleansing is going on in Gaza" and “ethnic cleansing [by] the Zionists is a sin and a crime against humanity, and they don't want Barack talking like that because that's anti-Israel.”
He also said that “the Jewish vote, the A-I-P-A-C vote, that’s controlling him -- that would not let him send representation to the Darfur Review Conference, that’s talking this craziness on this trip, 'cause they’re Zionists -- they would not let him talk to someone who calls a spade what it is."
In the radio interview, he noted two books by Jewish authors criticizing Israel's treatment of Palestinians and said, "I'm talking about fact, historical fact. I’m not talking about emotionally charged words."
Obama broke with Wright a year ago during his campaign following revelations that Wright had blamed U.S. policies for the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and had associated with Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam.
Sources: Daily Press | JTA