WIS News 10 - Columbia, South Carolina |Sen. Hollings defends column labeled "anti-Jewish" by some
(Columbia-AP) May 19, 2004 - Senator Ernest Hollings is defending statements he made in a newspaper opinion article he wrote that said President Bush went to war with Iraq to protect Israel and appease American Jews. Read it on the senator's web site
Hollings, a Democrat, refused to talk with The State newspaper in Columbia about the article on Tuesday, but his office released a letter the retiring senator sent a constituent as a statement.
Hollings wrote that he could provide quotes from Jewish leaders in the United States and Israel to support his position. Hollings says characterizations of his comments as "anti-Jewish" are ridiculous.
Hollings column appeared in three South Carolina newspapers earlier this month.
Abraham Foxman, president of the Anti-Defamation League, asked Hollings to retract his comments.
updated 3:39pm by Chris Rees
