The young man pens a piece in which he supposedly shares his internal angst about going to his Rabbi and unnamed community elders with questions about Israel. He claims to start out as a Israel supporter:
I always kept the doubts I had about Israel’s spotless reputation to the back of my mind. “Our people” were fighting a war, one I did not fully comprehend, but I naturally assumed that it must be justified. We would never be so amoral as to fight an unjust war. Yet as I came to learn more about our so-called “conflict” with the Palestinians, I grew more concerned. I routinely heard about unexplained mass killings, attacks on medical bases, and other alarmingly violent actions for which I could see no possible reason. “Genocide” almost seemed the more appropriate term, yet no one I knew would have ever dreamed of portraying the war in that manner; they always described the situation in shockingly neutral terms. Whenever I brought up the subject, I was always given the answer that there were faults on both sides, that no one was really to blame, or simply that it was a “difficult situation.”
But then has an epiphany:
It was not until eighth grade that I fully understood what I was on the side of. One afternoon, after a fresh round of killings was announced on our bus ride home, I asked two of my friends who actively supported Israel what they thought. “We need to defend our race,” they told me. “It’s our right.”
....
When I was finally given the chance to ask a question, I asked, “I want to support Israel. But how can I when it lets its army commit so many killings?” I was met with a few angry glares from some of the older men, but the rabbi answered me. “It is a terrible thing, isn’t it?” he said. “But there’s nothing we can do. It’s just a fact of life.”
And then the G word:
"Genocide" almost seemed the more
appropriate term, yet no one I knew would have ever dreamed of
portraying the war in that manner
It's a story we've heard over and over. "I'm Jewish and I used to support Israel but now I'm just so bothered by what Israel is doing." But is this young man's tale of having his supposedly naive mind changed by the hard facts true?
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It turns out that Jesse's father is none other than Professor Daniel Lieberfeld, of Duqesne University. Professor Lieberfeld teaches a class called PLSC 412: The Israeli-Arab Conflict and has published articles such as "Media Coverage and Israel's 'Four Mothers' Antiwar Protest: Agendas, Tactics, and Political Context in Movement Success. Media, War & Conflict."
The blurb for professor Lieberfeld's course states:
The clash between Jewish Zionists and the Arab peoples of Palestine and surrounding countries has been a focal point of world politics for roughly the last 100 years.
(emphasis mine)
So, I find it quite hard to believe that little Jesse ever had any naivite to be lost when it comes to the I/P conflict. I find it hard to believe that Israel ever had a "spotless reputation" in his mind. Rather, he seems to have been steeped in Israel criticism, or at least Israel awareness, for his entire life.
Additionally, in spite of his father's supposed expertise on the subject, Jesse pushes some of the typical ignorant and borderline antisemitic rhetoric we've come to expect from Israel derangers. One example is:
I did not intend to go on being one of the Self-Chosen People
This deliberate misinterpreting of the concept of the "Chosen People" is a staple of antisemitism.
If you ask me, Carnegie Mellon and all of us seem to be the victims of a ruse here. Jesse Lieberfeld has had no epiphanies taking him from ignorant loyal Jew to enlightened ashamed Jew. He never envisioned Israel having a "spotless reputation" to which he found an overdue correction. He is a child of academia both of whose parents are professors and Fulbright scholars, who has been steeped in I/P conflict content for years.
Way to be suckered, Carnegie Mellon.
Lastly, I say shame on Carnegie Mellon for using MLK day to promote an anti-Zionist essay. MLK was a committed Zionist.
Wow, just messed up. Nothing else to say, really. And shame on Carnegie Mellon, indeed.
ReplyDeleteAnd the more I saw the evidence, the stronger I became in my support of Israel. Israel is not perfect. Her leaders are far from perfect. I hope her current leaders are replaced. At the same time, Israel is the Jewish State and legitimate expression of national self-determination by the Jewish People. To deny the Jewish People this basic right, while demanding that other peoples, particularly those directly in conflict with Israel, be afforded this right, is, at its core, nothing more than antisemitism.
ReplyDeleteEvery time I think that those with IDS cannot stoop any lower, I am proven wrong. Further, any time I believe that, at some point, those with IDS will stop being taken seriously by people who know better, I am proven wrong. Shame on Carnegie Mellon for being duped. But, and even bigger shame upon Jesse Lieberfeld for using his Jewishness as cover to protect and advocate for those who seek to do harm for the Jewish People.
Good on you fizziks for bringing this Jew-washing and this deception out into the open.
This!
Delete"Every time I think that those with IDS cannot stoop any lower, I am proven wrong. Further, any time I believe that, at some point, those with IDS will stop being taken seriously by people who know better, I am proven wrong."
I long ago came to realize that there are people in this world who are going to hate us simply for existing. They don't care that I believe in G-d and you don't. They don't care that I fast on Yom Kippur and you don't. They don't care that I keep kosher and you don't. They don't care that I keep Shabbat and you don't. They only care that we are Jews. They only care that we proudly identify as Jews. They only care that we dare to speak up and demand equality and respect. They only care that we demand to be treated as any other people, for better or worse.
DeleteThe saddest, and most disgusting of these people, though are the self-hating Jews. Some simply hate themselves. Others seek to prove how much they can be "good Jews" in their attempts to ingratiate themselves to the antisemites. Others are a combination of both these impulses.
This.
ReplyDelete"And the more I saw the evidence, the stronger I became in my support of Israel."
Same here. Great comment, all of it.
Be careful. Citing Elder of Ziyon may get you labeled right wing.
ReplyDeleteGood diary!
I agree with Reuven with one exception... I don't really "blame" Carnagie Mellon for being duped. They got played, and yes they should not have but really - I cannot get to mad at them for being humilated by this little.... (I don't even have the words)
ReplyDeleteIf he doesn't want to be Jewish, no problem, he doesn't have to be. No one is forcing him. But, there were people like him in WWII and they were called Kapo's. Some did it because that was a way to survive, but, some really enjoyed what they did. Little Jesse Lieberfeld is one of those. There are a million ways he could have expressed his displeasure but for this stunt to turn on his own people like this in such a public manner... Sorry I have no understanding and/or sympathy.
What a shame, and shame on his parents for raising such a despicable person.
I think I'm willing to give the kid a little more leeway than the others involved. I remember myself at 17 and I was far from, well, the learned and sensible man I am today. Heh.
DeleteIf you ask me, Carnegie Mellon is by far the worst actor here. They're the ones who should absolutely know better than to use this day to promote hateful bullshit such as this.
I absolutely understand what you're saying though, volley. I liked Elder's open letter to the kid quite a bit, actually. Hopefully one day he'll see how he was poisoned. If he's ever willing to listen, that is. I'm just glad I didn't have to grow up in such an environment.
Sorry but I blame the kid (and his parents) much more. Should Carnegie Mellon done a better job, sure... BUT, the kid duped them. He was smart enough to do that, he gets to take responsibility for that speech. I am glad he is not my son - and I hope that my sons never would do something like this to anyone.
DeleteI have nothing but contempt for that boy. Nothing. At 17 he should know better.
I was considering this, too -
Delete"At 17 he should know better."
Good point. If he was, say, 19, I'd be willing to cut much less slack, but I don't know. My daughter will be 17 in two and a half years and there's just so much more she still has left to learn about the world than she'll surely know by then. Or at least, I hope she'll keep learning much more...
Still think he's much less culpable than the school and the parent(s?), though.
Fair enough Jay... I don't agree here regarding the kid. That said - you are right that kids have a lot to learn and sometimes that is the case. But this kid seems like someone who knows exactly what they were doing.
DeleteSorry, today is a bad day for me. So before I say anything I will regret regarding this little shitball - I will bow out.
Peace.
Sorry to hear about the bad day. How about when you get off work, you treat yourself to a great Thai meal? That always helps me! :-D
DeleteThat is a great idea Jay BUT... I have the kids with tonight and they won't eat Thai food. Plus we are visiting my 92 year old mom, PLUS I have Krav Maga tonight and I need to fight. I just need that this evening. SO.... Thai will have to wait until either Fri. or Sat. night.
DeleteIt's just a bad day.
Well get on up here to Portland on Friday then and we'll do Chiang Mai on Hawthorne again! :-D
DeleteGreat to hear about the mom visit, enjoy. And Krav Maga will certainly help, I'm sure...
I'm with Jay on this. I blame Carnegie Mellon way more than the kid. Any dipshit can enter an essay contest. It is up to the sponsor to choose a good winner. Carnegie Mellon opted to ruin MLK Day with Israel derangement and couldn't be bothered to type "Lieberfeld Pittsburgh" into google for a bit of due dilligence.
ReplyDelete