Dear J Street ,
It’s time I said “Goodbye”.
Why? Because I am not sure that you represent my
values anymore.
Over the years, I have been to various events, went
to see such speakers as Jeremy Ben-Ami, and Bradley Burston (both very good
discussions), blogged my support at Daily Kos and at my own
website The Progressive Zionist,
and supported J Street with donations. I no longer feel that I can do that and
furthermore don’t really understand how anyone who would consider themselves
both “Pro-Israel”, and ”Pro-Peace” could
stay in the organization given what is about to happen.
While I agree with most of J-Street’s policy
statements (support for reasonable Two State solution, Anti-BDS, Pro-Civil
Rights) regarding Israel, giving activists who support BDS, and spread messages
of hatred toward Israel an active platform is a step too far. When did this
happen? Well
here it is.
J Street is hosting a discussion with author David
Harris Gershon regarding a book that he wrote wherein he talks about his path
to dealing with having his wife being harmed in a Terror attack and how he has
tried to reconcile that to his life. Harris-Gershon took the unique step of actually
meeting with the family of the terrorist in order to understand just what made
that person plant a bomb in a school cafeteria and then to forge some kind of
closure to the incident.
All that would be fine and good except for the fact
that Harris-Gershon trades heavily in anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic memes. Now these are pretty serious allegations and
I don’t make these lightly nor do I make them without proof. But here are some of the quotes from a man
that J Street says:
“J Street DC Metro, the DC Public Library and Americans for Peace Now are proud to sponsor Harris-Gershon's discussion, which will be followed by a Q&A and book signing. “
“Proud” to sponsor a discussion from a person who regularly
uses his twitter account to “re-tweet”
messages from Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada, Stephan Walt and Max
Blumenthal amongst others? I mean nothing says that someone “loves” Israel like
“re-tweeting” known anti-Semites and anti-Zionists. Right?
Or how about this gem that Harris-Gershon “tweeted”:
If you think the world should boycott Russia over occupation, but Palestinians should not via-a-vis Israel, you have some explaining to do.
Now this is a particularly interesting tweet because Harris
Gershon has been turned away from speaking in a few Jewish organizations
because of his support for the anti-Semitic BDS Movement something that Mr.
Harris-Gershon denies that he supports. Interestingly enough this denial came when
he began his book / speaking tours to Jewish organizations. But that said,
aside from his constant support for those who do favor BDS here
are David’s exact words with regards to BDS:
“And I think about Israel's inability to stop the occupation on its own, about how the only way to stop it may be for outside pressures (emphasis mine) to bear down upon the country I love.
Sanctions. Boycotts. Divestments. (BDS)….
…. And so we come to the confession, to the coming out: as an American Jew invested deeply in Israel's success and survival -- which in turn drives my investment in stopping one of the greatest moral challenges of my generation: the occupation -- I have no choice but to formally endorse and embrace BDS…. (emphasis mine)
…. However, I know this for a fact: those who claim in Israel that there is no occupation have only one goal in mind: a single-state solution, a Jewishly-controlled Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River.
And it's an unworkable, unsustainable goal that will be realized -- one state -- unless outside forces are brought to bear.”
Now… if this is not bad enough.. Harris-Gershon also engages in rhetoric that is reminiscent of the horrible Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Here is his commentary in an article at Daily Kos February 4th, 2013 where Harris Gershon unleashes the old anti-Semitic canard of dual loyalty with these two comments:
“The reason for this disproportionate, obsessive focus on Israel with no regard for U.S. troops in Afghanistan? Simple: AIPAC and the "pro-Israel" lobby's ill-founded concern about the Hagel nomination coupled by the lobby's disproportionate influence on our representatives to echo that concern.”(emphasis mine)
And
“But when the hawkish, "pro-Israel" lobby in America can influence our representatives to sound as if they – well – are representing Israel's citizens more than our own? (emphasis mine)
We have a problem. A problem that must be discussed openly and honestly.”
Straight out conspiracy theory saying that America’s representatives are controlled by “Zionist Interests”… Where have we heard charges like that before and from whom?
SO… with that, I say “goodbye”, “so long”, “Shalom”, to J Street. Why would I support an organization that gives a platform (and is proud of that) to a person who espouses both anti-Zionism and in my opinion borderline anti-Semitic memes? Just as I would not belong to an organization that gave a platform to Gilad_Atzmon nor can I see my money or support going to an organization that would support and be “proud of” and having David Harris Gershon.
I cannot in good conscience support J Street IF this is the type of programming or this is the kind of speaker that they will sponsor. I wish things were different because I do support J Street’s general principles. However, when you give a platform to people like Harris Gershon. What are you really supporting?
Shalom,
A former friend.
Wow, amen brother. I quit J Street about a year ago but I still considered them an ally and asset. Not anymore. Now that they've laid down with the grifty one, they have shown themselves to be either criminally gullible or liars.
ReplyDeleteDo you think it is possible that they might actually not know of the grifty one's true nature?
You know fiz... I do believe that. DHG is a shifty character.
DeleteI don't think that J Street are liars or haters. I do think they are being duped here. But the U.I.'s words speak for themselves. The fact that they would be "proud sponsors" of this guy is sad.
I still consider JStreet an ally AND an asset, but I don't think they are a very credible one, if this is what they are doing.
Some saw through both The Troubadour and J Street long ago. It was rather easy to see the disconnect between these progressive actors and support for Israel.
ReplyDeleteIt is an example of moral narcissism that I wrote about here:
http://oldschooltwentysix.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-humanitarian-racist-has-cousin.html
There is a reason for "The J Street Challenge," and the seductive allure of peace in our time. Who would not want to support such an idealistic message? However, it hides a message, not unlike BDS, that blames Israel as the cause of the Arab-Israeli conflict and sees the Arabs as innocents.
Eventually, similar conclusions are likely to be drawn regarding the leader of the Democrats. The interview with Jeffrey Goldberg is just the start, but an affirmation of the pre-existing mind set that lies beneath the surface.
As one commentator has noted, and I agree, most Democrats support Israel, yet:
They are simply unable politically to withstand the pressures that Obama has brought to bear to force them to stand with him against Israel.
In his speech to AIPAC, Democratic Sen. Robert Menendez, who chairs the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee confessed that he was forced to stand down on Iran sanctions due to partisan pressure.
In his words, “When it comes to Iran, I have stood with you and have stood against so many in my own party.”
Who are those in his party he had to stand against?
Not right now wrt Democrats. Not by a long shot.
DeleteSee, the Republican Party in the U.S. is too far right wing (and crazy). Even IF the Dems. lessened their support for Israel from the current level (which is very high - thank you Pres. Obama) that is simply one issue. I can only speak for myself and tell you that I (and I believe I am firmly in the majority of the American Jewish Community) consider Israel to be about #5-6 on my list of voting priorities. I live in the U.S. and I vote for what I believe regarding U.S. issues. Even if the Republicans were 100% of what I want for Israel (and they are not - my positions are far more in line with the Democratic Party on that issue) I would not vote for Republicans. They simply offer no policies that I can or would support.
That said, there is an element in the Democratic Party (as there is in the Republican Party) that doesn't like Israel. But that element is neither prevalent or particularly powerful. Like the Paulist wing of the Republicans, they don't carry a lot of weight. Remember the vote in the House supporting the U.S. Strategic relationship with Israel passed 433-1 (the One being a Paulbot Rep.).
When Sen. Menendez spoke about Iran he was not talking about people standing against Israel, he was speaking about people that disagreed with his particular bill as it related to Iran. Many Pro-Israel people disagreed with the Menendes Bill. To say that his bill is an indicator of support I would say would be a mistake. I would hardly consider that any kind of indictment on the Democratic Party and Israel.
To say that President Obama stands against Israel is in my opinion is absolutely ridiculous and it shows a purely sophomoric understanding of this issue.
BUT THAT ASIDE. That is not my point. I stand firmly with the President and firmly with Israel. I am not jumping ship to any other organization. I won't even condemn the majority of J Street's political leanings due to that fact that I agree with them. HOWEVER where J Street and I part ways is in the fact that they are "proud" to see a person like David Harris Gershon speak at an event of theirs and I would say that means one of two things. Either A. They simply didn't do their homework since their stated positions run contrary to DHG, or they B. They don't care. If it is A. I can forgive them (though really they should know the background of the people they invite) or B. Then they are not really very Pro-Israel and their rhetoric is that much bullshit.
We will just have to wait and see what happens.
You are fooling yourself. Obama comes from an anti-Israel milieu. Do you deny this? Increasingly it is seen in his actions and demeanor toward Israel. He may be a friend, but his actions in the Middle East and elsewhere, seeded with incompetence, have backfired and increased the danger to Israel and Jews everywhere. Just yesterday I read that the Iran sanctions will likely crumble away due to his miscalculations. Thankfully, there is too much public support for Israel to rebut his instinctual nature to detract from Israel and empower Arabs in the process.
DeleteAs for Menendez, the focus is wider than just Iran. There may be pro-Israel advocates that support the easing on Iran that Obama has wreaked, but they are very few. J Street says it is pro-Israel as does The Troubadour, but we see that almost all the pressure on Iran is lifted. This is good how?
The fight for Israel IS the fight for America. Israel is the collective Jew. The fight involves every Jew and it cannot be disconnected. Too many American Jews are among the most ignorant, and believe that just because one says they are liberal that they should be trusted. Just as American Christians are oblivious to persecution of their brethren elsewhere because they believe that only right wingers raise the matter. In any event, to extinguish 14 million Christians would be a drop in their bucket. Jews must realize that the threat is against all, and Israel cannot be compartmentalized.
Back to the issue, among Democrats it's the progressives that cause most concern, and progressives have disproportionate power. As such, the anti-Israel faction has found a place in the Democratic Party. Obama is the leader. Once the aura of Obama wears, it becomes increasingly hard to see his prowess. He may be the messiah for some, but in the end Democrats may rue the day that they bought his wares. Just because many Republican policies are bad does not mean that Obama is therefore good.
To answer:
DeleteYou say:
"You are fooling yourself. Obama comes from an anti-Israel milieu. Do you deny this?
Yes. President Obama is a good friend to Israel and the Jewish people. He has always been. It has been demonstrated by reality time and time again. Now I get that Republicans and other "reality deniers" refuse to see that but hey... it is what it is.
As for incompetance... I will take President Obama's "incompetence" over Republican policy decisions every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Because honestly you can't suck worse at foreign policy as much as the Republicans did under Bush and seem to want to continue to do so.
Reality, my friend, is not on your side. There is an anti-Israel faction of the Democratic party, there is no denying that - but that said, there is also an anti-Israel faction as an accepted part of the Republican Party. And it is pretty significant. Oh and there is also a large Dominionst faction to the Republican Party and to call them friends of the Jews is pretty much a stretch. Pretty much wherever you are there are people who are anti-Jewish, and anti-Israel. Is that actually news to you?
He may be the messiah for some, but in the end Democrats may rue the day that they bought his wares. Just because many Republican policies are bad does not mean that Obama is therefore good.
I don't know anyone who thinks he is the "messiah", that is just some hyperbolic Republican claptrap. He is a President and a darn good one but he is not perfect. HOWEVER, he is a far shot better than the Republicans on almost every. single. political position. SO given the context of the reality of American politics he is the guy I vote for and advocate for. I do not "rue the day" I "bought President Obama's wares". Because this country was a disaster under Bush and it would have been under McCain or Romney. So, all I have to do is keep that fact in mind and I don't have the slightest case of "buyers remorse".
I don't know what the point of the rest of your comment was. That you think America and Israel and the West represent a positive force in politics? I agree with you.
See oldschool... here is what you and other Conservatives / Republicans don't get. Complaining about President Obama only gets you so far. Hyperbolic complaining about him gets you nothing. If you want people to move away from him and the Democratic party, come up with workable alternatives. Rather than just making meta-speeches about G-d knows what.. actually stand for something. Instead of voting to repeal the ACA 53 times and wasting taxpayer money, come up with a coherent plan that offers a realistic alternative that will garner better results.
Until then, stop bothering us with bullshit about the Presidents supposed relations to anti-American forces. You guys tried that in 2008 and it failed miserably. We didn't buy it then and we still don't buy it now.
You say he has always been a friend? Have you any evidence of his friendship that pre-exists his election as US senator?
DeleteEven friends can be incompetent, mistaken, condescending, in the way they act. It's worse when they have power advantage in the relationship. I do not see his friendship so much as America's friendship and I think that it's not about Republicans, but Israelis that do not see Obama as a friend. Are they also reality deniers?
Bush is no longer President. To raise him diverts. Obama's incompetence in dealing with the situation he came to should stand on its own. It's not just Republicans that see it either. It is not an exaggeration to say that he seems to prefer campaigning, raising money, and hanging with the rich and famous more than governing as a leader. It is not solely the Republicans that cause the dysfunction. And it is not just Republicans that pursue wealth and self-interest. In fact, the greater inequality of wealth may be practiced by Democrats.
I think Jews face a much greater threat from progressive Christians like the Presbyterian Church than from Dominionists or fundamentalists. Trying to compare and equate serves no purpose in my mind, but detracts from ascertaining whose actions constitute the more immediate threat. The BDS and Palestinian solidarity movement does not include Republicans. That is FACT!
Regarding the messiah, I don't believe that even you believe what you said. Barbara Walters and slews of others have acted as if he is a superman, chess playing wizard. Not long ago a professor wrote a book: "The Gospel According to Apostle Barack."
Continued in a follow up comment.
A few quotes:
Delete"This president has brought us out of the dark and into the light."
-- Michelle Obama
"Obama is, of course, greater than Jesus."
-- Politiken (Danish newspaper)
"No one saw him coming, and Christians believe God comes at us from strange angles and places we don't expect, like Jesus being born in a manger."
--Lawrence Carter
"Many even see in Obama a messiah-like figure, a great soul, and some affectionately call him Mahatma Obama."
-- Dinesh Sharma
"A Lightworker -- An Attuned Being with Powerful Luminosity and High-Vibration Integrity who will actually help usher in a New Way of Being"
-- Mark Morford
"What Barack Obama has accomplished is the single most extraordinary event that has occurred in the 232 years of the nation’s political history"
-- Jesse Jackson, Jr.
"This was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal."
-- Barack Obama
"Does it not feel as if some special hand is guiding Obama on his journey, I mean, as he has said, the utter improbability of it all?"
-- Daily Kos
"He communicates God-like energy..."
-- Steve Davis (Charleston, SC)
"Not just an ordinary human being but indeed an Advanced Soul"
-- Commentator @ Chicago Sun Times
"I'll do whatever he says to do. I'll collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."
-- Halle Berry
"A quantum leap in American consciousness"
-- Deepak Chopra
"He is not operating on the same plane as ordinary politicians. . . . the agent of transformation in an age of revolution, as a figure uniquely qualified to open the door to the 21st century."
-- Gary Hart
"Barack Obama is our collective representation of our purest hopes, our highest visions and our deepest knowings . . . He's our product out of the all-knowing quantum field of intelligence."
-- Eve Konstantine
"This is bigger than Kennedy. . . . This is the New Testament." | "I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don't have that too often. No, seriously. It's a dramatic event."
-- Chris Matthews
"Obama's finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don't even really inspire. They elevate. . . . He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh . . . Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves."
-- Ezra Klein
"Obama has the capacity to summon heroic forces from the spiritual depths of ordinary citizens and to unleash therefrom a symphonic chorus of unique creative acts whose common purpose is to tame the soul and alleviate the great challenges facing mankind."
-- Gerald Campbell
"We're here to evolve to a higher plane . . . he is an evolved leader . . . [he] has an ear for eloquence and a Tongue dipped in the Unvarnished Truth."
-- Oprah Winfrey
Continued in a follow up comment.
DeleteHe has promoted this with his hubris. Look at the way he lectures Israelis and Jews and the opinion of himself he cultivates, seen in a NY Times article by Jodi Kantor that includes views of Democrats. Why can't you acknowledge what millions see with clarity?
The buyers remorse referred to may well be realized if he leaves the Democrats in shambles with his policies and especially the means that he implements his political agenda. At the moment, most Democrats are too wedded to his success to see the jeopardy and the way he has lost standing at home and abroad.
If you do not think that words like he said to Jeffrey Goldberg empower those that hate Israel, like the BDS, Palestinian Arab leaders and fanatics, the European left, and many at the universities, all of whom are anti-American, than we differ. It's not bullshit, but an example of his incompetence that he cannot see the way this hurts our friends. The alternative is to stop! There are many examples, but god forbid one would ever give any credence to a critical point of view. It's easier to disparage.
That's why I believe that you are fooling yourself, and that Democrats are in for a surprise down the road as people become more attuned that they play as cynical a game as those they accuse, and their policies lead in the wrong direction, as just 29% of likely U.S. voters think the country is heading in the right direction.
Oh come on... a series of out of context, non cited one liners, some of which are absolutely correct are what you use to prove a point that some people think that President Obama is the "messiah"? Again, that tactic didn't work in 2008 and it doesn't work now. The term "messiah" is a loaded term and you folks at the RNC/RJC know this. BUT in this case I don't see anyone proclaiming that the President is deity, even in those quotes (where I take them for face value - which would be completely silly).
DeleteKind of silly here:
You say he has always been a friend? Have you any evidence of his friendship that pre-exists his election as US senator?
Why yes... Yes I do. Here is an article from 2008 in Haaretz. I suggest you read it: http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/features/some-chicago-jews-say-obama-is-actually-the-first-jewish-president-1.257204 And here is a featured paragraph:
Members of the Chicago Jewish community are not surprised. They claim that the Jews simply discovered what they have known for years. Obama lives near the synagogue in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Chicago, an area with quite a large Jewish population. Some of area visitors may even mistake the heavy security presence on the street for the synagogue's location - that is, until they hear about Obama.
Alan Solow, an attorney from Chicago, a leader of the Jewish community and a veteran Obama supporter, was one of the few who gained access to the president-elect after his speech in Chicago's Grant Park last week. "After his speech on Tuesday night [election day] in front of hundreds of thousands people, he was the same Barack Obama I know. I think his life is going to change, but it won't change the type of person he is. Presidents tend to become isolated, but I'm confident he'll fight hard against it," he says.
Solow used to live in Obama's neighborhood, and says that Obama has always had "excellent relations with the Jewish community."
It goes on to completely destroy the meme's propagated by you here and the Republican Party in general. Sorry....
Now to address the rest of this fictitious post:
Continuing...
DeleteYou say:
but Israelis that do not see Obama as a friend. Are they also reality deniers?
Some of them very much are, just as some Americans are. But just FYI here are the numbers on Obama in Israel:
From The last Pew Poll in 2013:
Israelis and Palestinians also differ on views of Obama. About six-in-ten (61%) Israelis express confidence in the American president to do the right thing regarding world affairs, up from 49% in 2011. In the Palestinian territories, just 15% have confidence in Obama, while 82% have little or no confidence in him.
In Israel, opinions of Obama are far more positive among Jews than among Arabs. More than six-in-ten (64%) Jews express confidence in the American president, compared with about half (48%) of Arabs.
Secular Jews in Israel are especially positive in their views of Obama. About seven-in-ten (71%) secular Jews have confidence in Obama to do the right thing when it comes to world affairs, compared with 56% of Israeli Jews who describe themselves as traditional, religious or ultra-Orthodox.
Interesting that... eh? Ok, so there is that.
http://www.pewglobal.org/2013/05/09/despite-their-wide-differences-many-israelis-and-palestinians-want-bigger-role-for-obama-in-resolving-conflict/
You also say:
Bush is no longer President. To raise him diverts
Hardly, Bush is the last Republican President since the beginning of the Obama Presidency. What he did (and his advisers are still floating around the Republican Party) is very relevant in terms of comparison particularly as it concerns context for judging President Obama. Simply put and as I said previously... When it comes to foreign policy the President is light years ahead of the Republicans in all phases of the game. NOW, if the Republicans can offer serious alternatives and not just whines from the corner. Sure. But so far nothing.
One other thing. You say this:
The BDS and Palestinian solidarity movement does not include Republicans. That is FACT!
Ehhhh... not so fast... Ever read MondoFront (Mondoweiss), there are a ton of Paulbot Libertarians there. Last I checked Ron/Rand Paul where indeed Republicans. In fact, didn't Rand Paul just win the straw poll at CPAC.... WHY, yes he did.
So... you were saying?
FInally:
DeleteYou say...
He has promoted this with his hubris. Look at the way he lectures Israelis and Jews and the opinion of himself he cultivates, seen in a NY Times article by Jodi Kantor that includes views of Democrats. Why can't you acknowledge what millions see with clarity?
I find the President to be rather humble and "human" particularly when compared to his Republican counterparts. Just because 'millions" of Republicans see things the way you want them too, doesn't make that the truth. Millions of Republicans also don't believe in evolution, so if your argument is that just because a lot of people see something must make it true, you are going to have to do better than that.
As for the rest of this...
Again, let me repeat myself since apparently the first time around you didn't get this. I do not and will not EVER (at least for the foreseeable future) have "buyers remorse" on voting for President Obama or for Democrats that will follow him (hopefully). You know why? Because a Romney or McCain / Palin (HAHAHAHAHA) Presidency would have been far, far worse than even I can imagine. I go to sleep at night knowing that my vote was the right one to make and believe me after seeing the debacles that were the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush I and II Presidencies, and given what exists now as the modern Republican Party... You could not pay me enough to vote for those Clowns.
Just on that fact alone will I never have "buyers remorse". Has President Obama been everything I have wanted... No.... But he has been pretty darn good given the circumstances, and I am pretty happy with that.
Would an e-mail to J Street be in order? Is it possible they don't know the extent of the grifty one's anti-Israel activity?
ReplyDeleteMaybe,.... I just let the local organizer know. I got an email from them inviting me to a talk with Jeremy Ben-Ami. I declined and gave my reason. I wonder if that will go anywhere. I don't think an email would hurt though.
DeleteYou do realize that, that doesn't make any sense? Right?
ReplyDeleteI mean it is pretty obvious that your silly commentary is meant to be a parody of hard Rightist thinking. Which would be fine IF I was indeed I was a hard Rightist (like those you align with) but I am not.
The thing is that analogy with Israel and Russia / Ukraine fails on so many levels it's amazing. For anyone to even make that comparison is pathetic and shows absolutely ZERO understanding of the situation as it exists.
But despite the fact that you know that, you don't care because after all Israel is involved, and when Israel is involved any stupidity directed at her is okay. Right?
yes, let's stand by her! She is beautiful and she is ours!
ReplyDeleteLOL trying to still parody the Hard Right?
DeleteIsrael is a beautiful country, and it is the National Homeland and State of the Jewish People, but that doesn't mean that minorities with full Civil Rights can't or shouldn't live there.
Still I guess you don't want to address your failures in trying to equivocate between Ukraine and Russia. I suppose I wouldn't as well if I were on your side since that analogy is such a complete failure.
But hey, keep trying to pin the label of Hard Right on us. You can't do it, but do keep it up.
Oh btw, you do know the definition of "stupidity" right? It is doing the same thing over and over (your lame efforts to falsely create an image of us being Rightists and failing miserably) and hoping for different results each time.
These kind of stupid, attempted pithy comments deserve only one thing - a Weird Al video.
ReplyDeletehttp://youtu.be/16cf2eN_cgQ
You should be commended and I mean that in all sincerity.
ReplyDelete