According to Chi Tribune: Jewish Leaders fear Butz's statement. WHY?????

According to a story in the Chicago Tribune Jewish leaders -- who, with the exception of the head of the Holocaust Foundation of Illinois, remain unnamed and unquoted -- are concerned that Butz's statements expressing support for the Iranian proposed conference on the Holocaust will "lend credibility" to the Ahmadinejad's statements.

I find this hard to believe. Why would anyone think that a professor of Electrical Engineering's comments about a historical event -- comments which have been thoroughly discredited -- would buttress Ahmadinejad's credibility?

I am inclined to think that:

1. Either the reporter added this statement about Jewish "leaders" to give the story a sense of urgency.

2. Or after getting this comment from one head of a local Jewish organization, he heard from some other Jews and dubbed them "leaders."

3. The fact is that this is a situation which calls for some common sense. Instead of crying "Dear Me, the sky may fall", the proper response should be: "This is a man who is totally discredited. No one takes him seriously. Of course, he would side with Ahmadinejad, who is also totally discredited."

4. By worrying about what people might think about Mr. Butz's statement -- instead of pointing out how discredited he and his so called research is -- this reporter and his so-called "leaders" have, it seems to me, helped Mr. Butz [k'shemo kyn hu] regain a bit of credibility.

If they saw him as the Court Jester -- which he indeed is -- there would be no reason to be terribly concerned about what he says.