Sweeping statements

We can all make sweeping statements, mostly along the lines of exaggerating personal beliefs and extending them beyond our own little world and onto the national consciousness as a whole. This is normally fine for individuals and only occasionally leads to clashes with those who hold opposing views. Nowhere is this more apparent than the views people hold on the Israeli Arab/Moslem situation, despite it being basically none of our business other than possibly selling or trading with the nations and groups involved. It does become a problem however when politicians become involved. Cameron's comments in Turkey about the Gazan prison camp (manifestly untrue, but a dearly held belief by many) have drawn a reply from Shimon Peres which is also manifestly untrue, though as with Cameron's statement also contains elements of the truth exaggerated to the extent of Peres' own beliefs.

Telegraph.

Israel's president has accused the English of being anti-semitic and claimed that MPs pander to Muslim voters.

Some of us no doubt are anti-semitic, elements of both right and leftist thinking have a tendency to see the Palestinians/Arabs/Moslems as underdogs and Israel as the problem, this particular type of thinking goes on in the Foreign Office to a large extent, though many in England hold similar views, particularly those of the left.

Shimon Peres said England was "deeply pro-Arab ... and anti-Israeli", adding: "They always worked against us."

*He added: "There is in England a saying that an anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary."

No England is not deeply pro Arab, we more or less allowed the state of Israel to come into being, however recently our politicians and Foreign Office have appeared to criticise Israel more than those who oppose them, though the reasons are more to do with real-politik than any desire to undermine the Israeli state.
As far as I'm aware though there is no English saying of "an anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary." It's certainly a new one on me and I doubt it's Scottish or Welsh either just in case Mr Peres can't tell the difference between England and the UK.

"There are several million Muslim voters, and for many members of parliament, that's the difference between getting elected and not getting elected," he said.

"And in England there has always been something deeply pro-Arab, of course, not among all Englishmen, and anti-Israeli, in the establishment.

 This is possibly true and militant Islam is the most potentially dangerous threat to our security and we do appear through various government initiatives to allow a possible 5th column to live amongst us. Though most English I've found are more pro Israeli because of this, though of course I can't speak for all the English. Certainly elements of the establishment seem more prepared to pander to the militant Moslem extremists even to the extent of putting their supposed needs way above that the general population. This has backfired to a certain extent by a rise in support of groups like the EDL and to a certain extent the BNP, though they are a far more fair weather friend having only recently realised the greater threat of Islamic fundamentalism.
Not that anyone listening to the BBC for their views on England would grasp this as the BBC appear to be anti-Israeli to the core and balance in that conflict is unremittingly pro Arab. Perhaps this is where Mr Peres gains his mistaken views from.

Yes it was a sweeping statement from Shimon Peres, but there was and is an element of truth in it. It was a good counter to Prison Camp Cameron though and no more than Cameron deserved. There certainly are elements in English and UK society who would like little more than to see Israel driven into the sea and expunged from the Earth. They do however remain in a minority and mostly on the extreme left and religious fundamentalist Islamic groups. They do represent a danger via the BBC as their views are the ones most likely to be heard rather than the average Englishman's, even if we did air a view that the problems stem from both sides or that the Palestinians may be at fault we're inevitably howled down as being racist/islamophobic and the usual lies and half truths are dredged up to support such claims.
Personally I'm of the view that we should just tell both sides to get on with it and we'll negotiate with the eventual winners. But then that's just me, I suspect wiser heads wont do this, simply because they expect such a conflict to expand across the globe, or in certain cases suspect the Arabs would lose.

* The saying "An anti-Semite is someone who hates the Jews more than is necessary" originates not in England but from Joseph Eötvösz, a Hungarian nobleman in 1920. H/T An Englishman's Castle