Netanyahu calls for War
drummerboy said:
Max, I respect you quite a bit,...
Exactly. Consider the source.
I have never been hesitant, in this forum and others, to be clear about my critisisms of the repugnant Netanyahu government and its policies, or of my disappointment with the Israeli electorate that supports it. I have even been called an ant-Semite in this forum and others (the term of art is "self-hating Jew") for my criticism of Israeli policy, and for defending the concept that criticism of Israel is not ipso facto ant-Semitic.
So when I step in to tell you that this particular formulation is ant-Semitic, you might want to take a step back and listen.
Centering Jewish people and money in a conversation about undue government influence is an ant-Semitic canard and has been for 150 years. So to make that accusation without nuance or context, as you did, is problematic. You may not be intending to be anti-Semitic, but implicit bias is still bias. And to then claim as a defense that you were just being 'ironic'? Imagine if a Republican tried that defence on a racist comment.
DaveSchmidt said:
Klinker said:That’s what sprout and Max are doing, are they?
drummerboy said:This.
... these accusations of anti-Semitism are being used to shut down discussion of why Israel enjoys such unquestioning support among our political elites.
No, it's not.
Criticism of Israel is not ant-Semitic. There are efforts from right-wing elements in this country, some Jewish interests among them, to use allegations of ant-Semitism to shut down criticism of Israel. Canary Mission, for example. They are controversial in the Jewish community, and becoming more so. They are to be rightly condemned.
But that does not preclude the possibility that some things are actually ant-Semitic. Even statements that are on their face true. An example from a different minority: I would never refer to a black man as a "thug" no matter if his behavior met the dictionary definition. The word is freighted with racism. So it is with the unnuanced accusation of Jewish money having undue influence in politics. Find a better way to make your point.
basil said:
Israeli leadership, who used to side with the US, now sides with Republicans, so screw them.
That's why Netanyahu is "bad for the Jews".
After posting the above I found this article which brilliantly supports my comment. I recommend it to all, especially Max and DB.
tjohn said:
STANV said:As has been the case since the recognition of Israel. Although, in 1948, shame over what the Allies allowed to happen to the Jews as a much stronger factor.
I think the influence of Jewish voters is far stronger than the influence of money. Politicians from States with a Jewish population would support Israel if they did not get one penny from pro-Israel lobbyists.
How much money do politicians get from ex-pat Cubans? What motivates our continuing foreign policy hostility to Cuba?
Shame? Maybe.
For 1000 years Christian Europe persecuted the Jews culminating in the Holocaust. So then they said, "Let's send the ones that are left to the Middle East so we don't have to deal with them in our countries and where they can fight with the mostly Muslim Arabs. Win-win".
drummerboy said:
well yeah - what did we end up talking about - the US support of Bibi or anti-Semitism?
sprout said:
drummerboy said:^^^That is not an attempt to start a productive discussion. It's a baiting statement. And as Max indicated, you made the statement well aware of what it would do.
Your AIPAC Benjamins at work.
Now, after not providing any productive thoughts, you accuse the other side of shutting down the conversation.
Israel is existing in a time period that is seeing a rise in fascism and nationalism worldwide. Like our own Trump, Netanyahu is leaning toward the 'strongman' power hungry leadership style. Also like in our own country, Israelis who are more liberal (who, interestingly, tend to also be more in the Northern parts of Israel) are not happy with the direction things are going.
A recent visitor to our town from Israel was the group Ultimate Peace, which uses the sport and spirit of Ultimate frisbee (which was developed in Maplewood) to "create a uniquely positive and inclusive community for youth from different cultures to experience one another". (The different cultures being primarily Arab, Palestinian and Israeli). http://www.ultimatepeace.org/
Netanyahu v. The Jews
STANV said:
basil said:That's why Netanyahu is "bad for the Jews".
Israeli leadership, who used to side with the US, now sides with Republicans, so screw them.
After posting the above I found this article which brilliantly supports my comment. I recommend it to all, especially Max and DB.
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-the-state-of-israel-vs-the-jewish-people-1.6470108
Some may find it interesting to read about H.R. 5924, the Anti-Semitism Awareness Act of 2018 which was introduced in Congress in May 2018. As per the ACLU....
"The bill directs the Department of Education to consider a wide range of examples of speech critical of Israel in assessing whether a school has violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by tolerating anti-Semitic harassment. By equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism, the bill is likely to cause college campuses to stifle protected speech in order to avoid investigations by the Department of Education. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal financial assistance, including higher education. It has been interpreted to include discrimination motivated by animus against Jews, Muslims, Sikhs, and others. This law would go further, by dangerously equating criticism of Israel with anti-Semitism."
The bill was referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Development in October
https://www.aclu.org/news/aclu-statement-senate-introduction-anti-semitism-awareness-act
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/5924/all-info
drummerboy said:
more anti-semitism from the WSJ.
A $100 million a year? What do they do with all of that money?
WASHINGTON—The American Israel Public Affairs Committee has drawn criticism from several progressive new lawmakers, including Rep. Ilhan Omar, who said in tweets this week that the lobbying group holds financial sway over Congress.
The Minnesota Democrat, who was heavily criticized for her remarks, has apologized for messages many viewed as anti-Semitic because they played into stereotypes about Jews and money. But Ms. Omar said she has no regrets about calling out the influence of the group, known as Aipac.
Aipac raises more than $100 million a year from donors, according to its tax returns, a budget that doesn’t include campaign contributions that Aipac members give directly to candidates. The group calls itself “America’s pro-Israel lobby” and prides itself on bipartisanship.
Washington’s Israel lobby, led by Aipac, differs from many other foreign-nation influence groups in that it is fueled by American donors and activists while also hiring professional lobbyists. Other countries, from Saudi Arabia to Japan, are generally represented in Washington by lobbyists who have registered as agents paid by foreign entities.
Aipac spends $3.5 million a year to lobby federal lawmakers, according to Senate and House lobbying records. It has advocated for billions in U.S. aid to Israel and opposed a deal between then-President Obama and U.S. allies to ease sanctions against Iran in exchange for stronger oversight of its nuclear activities. President Trump pulled out of the accord last May.
Much of the Aipac-related money is channeled through a related nonprofit group that pays for congressional trips to Israel. The trips cost an average of $10,000 per attendee, according to a review of congressional travel records.
The excursions, which often include business-class flights and five-star accommodations, have helped make Israel the top destination for lawmakers and Capitol Hill employees taking privately funded trips, according to LegiStorm, a website that keeps statistics on congressional travel dating to 2000.
Aipac’s annual Washington policy conference, set for late next month, attracts 18,000 attendees. The group boasts on its website that more than two-thirds of the members of Congress typically attend.
Last year’s speakers at the conference included 35 federal lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), according to the website.
Aipac’s conference “shows the strength and the vitality of the unbreakable bonds between the United States and Israel,” Mrs. Pelosi said at the group’s 2017 gathering. She said the thousands of attendees included “community leaders of diverse experience, young and old, Jewish and otherwise, Democratic and Republican, many voices speaking to one mission.”
Through its “Congressional Club,” some of Aipac’s 100,000 members commit to giving at least $2,500 a year to House or Senate candidates while ensuring the donations are made “in a clearly pro-Israel context,” according to Aipac’s website. Aipac spokesman Marshall Wittmann declined to disclose how many of its members are part of the Congressional Club.
“The extent of influence and resources and relationships developed on the other side far, far, far outweighs any advocacy for Palestinian rights,” said Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, a coalition of pro-Palestinian groups. “There’s a really long legacy to overcome on the Hill. That dynamic is real and always there.”
Americans view Israel favorably and have less favorable views of the Palestinian Authority, according to a Gallup poll last March. A Pew poll in January 2018 found that while Americans sympathize with Israelis over Palestinians in the conflict, overall support for Israel had slipped compared with previous years.
Aipac issued one statement about Ms. Omar’s tweets: “We are proud that we are engaged in the democratic process to strengthen the US-Israel relationship. Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work.”
Former Rep. Brian Baird, a Washington Democrat who tussled with the group during his decade in office, said that “if you criticize Aipac, it is as if by extension you are criticizing all Jews in America, as if there is no one who disagrees with Aipac.” He added: “It stifles the political discussion in a terribly unhealthy way.”
Aipac arranges its trips to Israel through the American Israel Education Foundation, which has spent $16 million on visits by more than 1,400 lawmakers and their staff since 2000, according to congressional travel records. The foundation, which also raises funds on its own, is controlled by Aipac, according to tax returns from both entities.
Craig Holman, a public-interest lobbyist who helped pass a 2007 law that was supposed to outlaw congressional trips funded by lobbyists, said Aipac “subverts the intention of the law.”
“They view these trips as a very successful lobbying tool, and they are,” said Mr. Holman, government affairs lobbyist for the group Public Citizen. He said it has been “difficult to get a chorus of opposition going because the members [of Congress] enjoy it so much.”
Aipac’s Mr. Wittmann said the “trips strictly adhere to the spirit and the letter of all rules regarding congressional trips.”
Some lawmakers said they appreciate Aipac’s efforts to inform them about legislation and are in frequent contact with its 10 registered lobbyists, as well as its members who write, call and visit their offices.
Sen. Mazie Hirono (D., Hawaii) said she knows the Aipac lobbyists that stop by her office by their first names, though she said she doesn’t always agree with them.
Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.) said Aipac lobbyists brought to his attention that the Palestinian Authority was providing money to families of Palestinians who were killed, injured or imprisoned for involvement in attacks on Israelis. The Palestinian Authority defends the payments, saying they prevent families from living in poverty.
Mr. Barrasso supported a law passed last year by Congress to cut some aid to Palestinians until they stop paying the stipends. “It was something that I wasn’t really aware of,” the senator said.
What would everyone think if each "AIPIC" was replaced with "NRA" in this article?
Everyone here would lose their minds.
In any discussion of anti-Semitism and Bibi Netanyahu, this needs to be considered:
In any discussion on whether Netanyahu wants to launch a war against Iran, this must be considered:
In any discussion of the term "the Benjamins" this Twitter thread by Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace should be considered:
https://twitter.com/LaraFriedmanDC/status/1095647078586277889
paulsurovell said:
In any discussion of anti-Semitism and Bibi Netanyahu, this needs to be considered:
https://www.apnews.com/2b1eb6dbe0f44763b515fbb4c6398f2b
Thanks, Paul.
You should read the article I linked.
I checked out Paul's link to Lara Friedman of Jewish Voices for Peace which led me to an article in The Forward which is essential to understanding the mistake made by Congresswoman Omar and the hypocritical attacks against her.
https://forward.com/opinion/419206/the-sick-double-standard-in-the-ilhan-omar-controversy/
"Some in the city’s Somali community said Omar should focus on their concerns rather than getting embroiled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At the Karmel Mall, a hub of Somali-owned shops and restaurants, Abdirisak Hassan said he wished Omar would think more before she tweets, adding that he and many in the community “feel bad” about because the tweets “go too far.”
“She’s new to the politics,” he said.
Hassan said Somalis elected Omar to represent them and speak out against Trump and that they expect her to talk about the issues that are important to Minnesota. When it comes to Israel and Palestine, he said that’s not something she should be talking about.
“In the Somali community, we have many things we need to talk about — our own issues, so we don’t need other issues,” he said. “We have to talk about our issues first. We have to fix a lot of issues we have.”
Faysal Abdi, who works at a clothing shop in the mall and drives an Uber, called Omar’s comments “a rookie mistake” and said that he thinks she’ll learn from them. He said it’s up to the Israelis and the Palestinians to sort out their disputes.
Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel, a large Minneapolis synagogue, said she had heard from many people concerned that Omar’s messages have eroded trust. She said she has asked for a meeting with the congresswoman to discuss them. Interfaith dialogue, she said, is an antidote to stereotyping and hatred.
“I hope she really hears the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community and our allies, and begins a listening tour of what the community’s concerns are,” Zimmerman said."
eta - Omar represents St. Louis Park, a suburb of Minneapolis. St. Louis Park has a large Jewish population - 38% of Jews in the greater Minneapolis area live in St. Louis Park. Al Franken, Tom Friedman and the Coen brothers are from St. Louis Park.
STANV,
That article illustrates why the topic is so complex, and requires a thoughtful approach.
Worry of being shut down as an anti-Semite (or anti-Palestinian, or anti-Muslim, etc.) reduces with the more openness one has to learning about the multiple perspectives at play. Which is why Omar's apology strikes me as authentic. She acknowledges that she learned, and is open to continuing to learn about other perspectives. Her commitment to addressing concerns from a policy perspective, while still moving in the same direction, is evolving.
As the article pointed out -- Trump's (and many Republican's) support of Israel exists side-by-side with his overt anti-Semitism.
The Israeli/Palestinian conflict needs to be understood within the contexts of what each of the players have to gain or lose from each small move. Understanding the current contexts, as well as the long history of how the issues of today developed, is not easy. But, reducing it down to a simplistic statement always runs the risk of stereotyping. So, being willing to discuss and learn from both sides is a suggested approach.
cramer said:
"Some in the city’s Somali community said Omar should focus on their concerns rather than getting embroiled in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
At the Karmel Mall, a hub of Somali-owned shops and restaurants, Abdirisak Hassan said he wished Omar would think more before she tweets, adding that he and many in the community “feel bad” about because the tweets “go too far.”
“She’s new to the politics,” he said.
Hassan said Somalis elected Omar to represent them and speak out against Trump and that they expect her to talk about the issues that are important to Minnesota. When it comes to Israel and Palestine, he said that’s not something she should be talking about.
“In the Somali community, we have many things we need to talk about — our own issues, so we don’t need other issues,” he said. “We have to talk about our issues first. We have to fix a lot of issues we have.”
Faysal Abdi, who works at a clothing shop in the mall and drives an Uber, called Omar’s comments “a rookie mistake” and said that he thinks she’ll learn from them. He said it’s up to the Israelis and the Palestinians to sort out their disputes.
Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman of Temple Israel, a large Minneapolis synagogue, said she had heard from many people concerned that Omar’s messages have eroded trust. She said she has asked for a meeting with the congresswoman to discuss them. Interfaith dialogue, she said, is an antidote to stereotyping and hatred.
“I hope she really hears the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community and our allies, and begins a listening tour of what the community’s concerns are,” Zimmerman said."
https://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2019/02/15/ilhan-omar-tweet-all-about-the-benjamins-not-a-surprise-ron-latz-jewish-community/
A few observations:
(1) Odd that a constituent would not want their representative to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is the basis for billions of dollars of tax dollars that Congress appropriates.
(2) Rabbi Zimmerman's comment -- "the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" -- denies the diversity of views, including support for Omar's statements, in the Jewish community.
(3) MN Sen. Ron Latz, who rejected Omar's apology (which remained critical of AIPAC), is co-author of AIPAC's "Don't boycott Israel" bill in the legislature.
paulsurovell said:
A few observations:
(2) Rabbi Zimmerman's comment -- "the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" -- denies the diversity of views, including support for Omar's statements, in the Jewish community.
So you're questioning Rabbi Zimmerman, when she says the Jewish community in her area has concerns?
max_weisenfeld said:
drummerboy said:It has to do with context. The Israel lobby and the influence it has are much more than just one lobby, no matter what AIPAC would like us to believe. Evangelical Christians, for example, are a huge part of the influence, and unlike the gun lobby the majority of Americans still support Israel, even while many, even many Jews, condemn specific Israeli government policies.
Does it have something to do with the word "Benjamins"?
But what really makes it anti-Semitic is, as I said, context. You have been told by commentators from both the right and the left, Jewish and not, that it is an anti-Semitic trope, a dog whistle, yet you use it again and in a context making it clear you are trying to provoke. You do not get to define anti-Semitism, just like I (as a white person) don't get to define what's racist. But to not only push back but to do so in a way calculated to intentionally provoke, is unquestionably anti-Semitic.
Here's a view of AIPAC by MJ Rosenberg, former AIPAC staff member and Clinton appointee:
https://forward.com/opinion/395676/its-time-for-aipac-to-register-as-a-foreign-agent/
cramer said:
paulsurovell said:So you're questioning Rabbi Zimmerman, when she says the Jewish community in her area has concerns?
A few observations:
(2) Rabbi Zimmerman's comment -- "the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" -- denies the diversity of views, including support for Omar's statements, in the Jewish community.
I wouldn't question her if she had said "some" of the members of the Jewish community have concerns.
paulsurovell said:
cramer said:I wouldn't question her if she had said "some" of the members of the Jewish community have concerns.
So you're questioning Rabbi Zimmerman, when she says the Jewish community in her area has concerns?
Only a reader who was looking for a blanket statement would find it in Rabbi Zimmerman’s quote. Here it is again:
“I hope she really hears the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community and our allies, and begins a listening tour of what the community’s concerns are,” Zimmerman said.
It's an opinion piece, but it gives some insight into the flux of Middle East alliances from meetings this week:
https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/15/opinions/warsaw-conference-diplomatic-fumble-ghitis/index.html
- Putin met with leaders of Turkey and Iran at his own resort city of Sochi conference to discuss Syria.
Meanwhile, at the Warsaw conference:
- The EU is mad at the US for leaving those guys to do as they wish with Syria.
- Pence yells at the EU for staying in the Iran JCPOA deal.
- The US tries to get the rest of the world behind going to war with Iran.
- Trump's lawyer Rudy Giuliani spoke at a nearby anti-Iran rally organized by a controversial Iranian exile group that was once classified as a terrorist organization by the US.
- Netanyahu received a warm reception from Arab leaders.
- Sunni Arab countries are getting more concerned about Iran.
- There is a video showing Arab officials from The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia indicating Israel's decision to strike Iranian targets in Syria as justified. The quotes about Israel need to be read to be believed... such as: "Without Iran's interference, peace between Israelis and Palestinians would be much closer."
The ME alliances are in flux. And again, complexity lies in what each player has to win or lose with each small move.
And from an article in the AP that addresses the title of this thread:
https://apnews.com/3da37526255343b59708210ed740f1e6
"On the eve of the meeting, Netanyahu appeared to call on other participants to prepare for “war with Iran.” His office later said he had been mistranslated and only called on other countries to “combat” Iranian influence in the region."
DaveSchmidt said:
paulsurovell said:Only a reader who was looking for a blanket statement would find it in Rabbi Zimmerman’s quote. Here it is again:
cramer said:I wouldn't question her if she had said "some" of the members of the Jewish community have concerns.
So you're questioning Rabbi Zimmerman, when she says the Jewish community in her area has concerns?
“I hope she really hears the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community and our allies, and begins a listening tour of what the community’s concerns are,” Zimmerman said.
". . . the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" means the concerns of everyone in the Jewish community who lives in Omar's district. That's what her statement conveys, and I think it's likely that's what Rabbi Zimmerman meant to convey.
paulsurovell said:". . . the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" means the concerns of everyone in the Jewish community who lives in Omar's district. That's what her statement conveys, and I think it's likely that's what Rabbi Zimmerman meant to convey.
If an advocate asked a congresswoman to listen to “the concerns of her constituents in the gay community,” you’d be the rare (I’d hope) reader to conclude she meant to speak for every gay person in the district.
DaveSchmidt said:
paulsurovell said:If an advocate asked a congresswoman to listen to “the concerns of her constituents in the gay community,” you’d be the rare (I’d hope) reader to conclude she meant to speak for every gay person in the district.
". . . the concerns of her constituents in the Jewish community" means the concerns of everyone in the Jewish community who lives in Omar's district. That's what her statement conveys, and I think it's likely that's what Rabbi Zimmerman meant to convey.
If the predicate of the request was the allegation that Omar made a homophobic remark and the advocate was S.E. Cupp (who made such an allegation) and Cupp asked Omar to "listen to the concerns of her constituents in the gay community" -- Yes, Cupp would be purporting to speak for every gay person in the district.
"Throughout Monday, the tweet has been met with condemnation from the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota and the Dakotas, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and many other Democratic House members — including Minnesota’s Dean Phillips.
“Claims that American Jews manipulate our government with money invoke age-old anti-Semitism,” The JCRC’s statement read. “When combined with her previous tweet that Israel ‘hypnotizes the world’ to carry out ‘evil,’ such rhetoric puts our community in danger, should have no place in our politics, and undermines efforts to achieve Middle East peace.
“It is also insulting to Rep. Omar’s colleagues for the Congresswoman to falsely suggest that elected officials only support Israel because they are paid to do so. For decades, members from both parties have stood with America’s closest ally in the Middle East because the American people support a strong and secure Israel.”
Phillips, who represents the 3rd District which neighbors the 5th District, said in a statement he spoke privately with Omar before issuing the statement.
“I strongly condemn anti-Semitism in all its forms, including comments made by my colleague that – purposefully or not – have propagated dangerous and destructive stereotypes of the Jewish people and the State of Israel,” he said. “As elected leaders, it is our collective responsibility to set standards of respect and elevate understanding between the communities we represent. We agreed to move forward with a shared goal of working collaboratively to combat hatred and intolerance towards all persecuted communities, and commit to respectful debate of the issues important to each of us.”
......
Locally, Jewish Community Action thanked Omar for the apology.
“It’s not anti-Semitic to point out that money influences our politics – that’s just a fact. It’s also true the myth of “Jewish Money” has been used for centuries as a weapon against Jewish communities,” the JCA statement said. “It’s incumbent that we, as progressives, are aware of this history, and are very careful when we talk about these phenomena in conjunction with one another. We’re organizers, and we recognize that many things deserve a longer conversation than the 280 characters Twitter affords.”
The Jewish Democratic Council of America tweeted that it appreciated the apology, but thought it was a paragraph too long."
https://tcjewfolk.com/dems-local-jewish-community-condem-omars-anti-semitic-tweet/
paulsurovell said:
A few observations:
(1) Odd that a constituent would not want their representative to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which is the basis for billions of dollars of tax dollars that Congress appropriates.
You may think it odd, but the Somali constituents quoted did not think it odd. Are you going to tell them what their concerns should be?
" I am a progressive Jew in Ilhan Omar’s district, who voted for her, and generally supports her.
But thanks to Omar, there are several things going on at the moment, all of them infuriating. First, there is Omar herself, who continues to be maddeningly tone-deaf on the subject of Israel.
This is not something I should have to concern myself with, as I am an American with no real connection to the state of Israel. In general, I am sure Omar and I agree on a lot regarding Israel. I think Israel deserves abundant criticism for its treatment of its Palestinian minority, and I think AIPAC, like all lobbying firms, should be subject to scrutiny and criticism.
So, I wouldn’t take a lot of issue with her comments regarding Israel... except that Omar repeatedly brushes up against anti-Semitic tropes.
Her short, tweeted messages managed to conjure up an old anti-Semitic bugaboo: a shadowy cabal of international Jews with no loyalty to this country, who wield outsized and sinister influence.
I don’t want to pile on Omar overmuch. She has apologized and I think she is sincere. More than that, as a freshman congresswoman, she's been the subject of outsized attention. That has a lot more to do with Islamophobia, anti-blackness, right-wing obsessives, and Israel supporters finding her comments useful as a cudgel against Omar and her political allies. I am far more concerned with the rise of the anti-Semitic right -- which has commited actual violence -- than whether Omar is capable of having a nuanced discussion of a foreign nation without accidentally impugning me and other Jews.
But I do want to invite Omar to consider how much clean-up work Jews had to do because she wasn't careful with her public statements. The flap over Omar's tweets means Jews have found themselves in the middle of a tremendous game of political football -- one few of us asked for, and aren’t enjoying.
......
My concern is with my own community, the progressive one. They don’t like to have this conversation, but the progressive community really does have an anti-Semitism problem. Usually this takes the form of dismissing Jewish concerns about anti-Semitism -- especially when those concerns are directed at a fellow progressive.
There's a popular talking point, one progressives never should have allowed to even get a foothold, but did. It's pernicious, and has made discussions of anti-Semitism fraught, frustrating, and hard to resolve in progressive communities. This talking point ties into the latest series of Omar tweets. It goes as follows:
"Jews use charges of anti-Semitism to shut down criticism of Israel."
I hate to even have to respond to this, but since so many non-Jews instantly shut down the moment the subject's broached, I have to say it: Some of us are guilty of this very thing. There are a few unscrupulous Jews who claim "anti-Semitism" whenever Israel gets criticized, credibly or not.
That doesn't justify dismissing or refusing the discussion. But thanks to the insistence that anti-Semitism is actually just an Israeli dodge, it happens often enough."
The full opinion is at http://www.citypages.com/news/ilhan-omar-and-her-israel-tweets-as-seen-by-a-jewish-constituent/505886611
excuse me, but this comment was meant as semi-ironical, because after spending so much energy this week NOT talking about the effect of AIPAC on our support of Israel, we get a great example of the horrorshow that AIPAC actually supports.