Posted on 09/05/2004 10:21:04 AM PDT by Nachum
Israel is not mentioned in Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11. But when Moore showed up as a journalist at the Republican National Convention, the conventioneers were none too pleased. Earlier this summer, a coalition of Jewish Republicans researched his stands on Israel over the past two decades.
Michael Moore dedicated his 2003 book, Dude Where's My Country? to Rachel Corrie, an International Solidarity Movement volunteer who was accidentally killed when she climbed in front of a caterpillar bulldozer destroying tunnels used by Palestinian terrorists to illegally smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza.
Moore expressed his understanding for other victims of the conflict. "Of course, many Israeli children had died too, at the hands of the Palestinians. You would think that would make every Israeli want to wipe out the Arab world, but the average Israeli does not have that response. Why? Because in their hearts," he explained, [the Israelis] know they are wrong, and they know they would be doing just what the Palestinians are doing if the sandal were on the other foot."
He had some suggestions for preventing suicide terrorists. "Hey, here's a way to stop suicide bombings - give the Palestinians a bunch of missile-firing Apache helicopters and let them and the Israelis go at each other head to head. Four billion dollars a year to Israel - four billion dollars a year to the Palestinians - they can just blow each other up and leave the rest of us the hell alone."
Moore has a long history of supporting, and being rewarded for, anti-Israel stances. In 1987, Moore was honored by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for his "courageous efforts in journalism." He attended and spoke at a June 5, 1990 demonstration protesting the continued Israeli occupation at the Israeli Embassy in Washington D.C. In October 2003, Moore was honored by the Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MPAC) with a media award.
In his book, Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation, Moore proposed that Congress give Israel 30 days to end the bloodshed taking place in its name, and if Israel does not do so, funding to Israel should be cut. He also noted that while individual terrorism is bad, state sponsored terrorism is truly evil. Moore proposed that the Palestinians be given statehood and receive twice as much economic assistance from the United States as Israel receives.
In Liverpool, England, Moore paused to contemplate the epicenters of evil in the modern world: "It's all part of the same ball of wax, right? The oil companies, Israel, Halliburton." (David Brooks in the New York Times, June 26. 2004) "Anyway," the Los Angeles Times quoted him (June 22, 2004) as saying, "the support Bush and the Republicans feign for Israel is because Israel is near our oil. If the oil wasn't there, I bet those same Republicans wouldn't [care] about Israel."
In 1990, speaking before the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Moore announced that he would refuse to attend a screening of his movie, "Roger and Me," which was being held in Jerusalem. He was quoted as saying that he would not attend until Israel ceased to occupy the West Bank and Gaza. (Arab American News, 1990) According to the New Yorker (Feb. 16, 2004) Moore tried to prevent Fahrenheit 9/11 from being shown in Israel.
About one subject, the Moore had less to say: When questioned about the rumor that members of Hizbullah had been involved in the distribution of Fahrenheit 9/11, he had no comment.
This is awe-inspiring brilliance. Now why don't the Republicans feign for the Arabs since the oil is even closer to them? (sarcasm mode on). The Republicans can certainly learn from Moore.
My favorite is Bart at the blackboard.
Interestingly enough, this has been proposed numerous time if the Palestinians give up terrorism as a tool. No significant percentage of support from Palestinian for this approach.
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