Jewish Guilt (Proponents of appeasing dictators also scapegoat Jews...)

National Review ^ | Mar 12 03 | Clifford D. May

[veronica]

What do Sen. Carl Levin, author Michael Lerner, activist Phyllis Bennis, opinion journalist Bruce Shapiro, and civil-rights advocate Michael Ratner have in common? All are among the veritable phalanx of liberal Jews who are at the forefront of the movement to stop President Bush from using military force to topple dictator Saddam Hussein.

So how is it that Rep. James Moran (D., Va.) can think, much less say: "If it were not for the strong support of the Jewish community for this war with Iraq, we would not be doing this."?

Moran (who has since said he didn't mean to say what he said) is hardly alone. Pundit and perennial candidate Pat Buchanan has long been leveling similar charges. His most recent iteration is that "the neo-con vision is to conscript American blood to make the world safe for Israel." Columnist Robert Novak appears to agree. He recently insinuated that suspicions about Saudi financing of terrorism had been manufactured by Israel.

Former Sen. Gary Hart criticized "Americans who too often find it hard to distinguish their loyalties to their original homelands from their loyalties to America and its national interests." (Mr. Hart later protested that he wasn't singling out Jews. But if he was referring to Albanian Americans who lobbied Clinton to intervene in Kosovo he hasn't managed to set off much of a debate.)

And this past weekend, the New York Times's Bill Keller wrote a column headlined "Is It Good for the Jews?" Keller dismissed the new Jewish-conspiracy theories, but with so little energy and conviction that the net effect was to lend them legitimacy.

The allegation that any of this springs from anti-Semitism is probably unfair — although the result will be, without doubt, to fuel anti-Semitism's fires. Those flames today burn most hotly on the Left. One recent example: the banning of Michael Lerner as a speaker at an antiwar rally because, though dovish regarding Yassir Arafat and vitriolic toward Israel's Ariel Sharon, Lerner doesn't endorse the delegitimization and eventual annihilation of Israel, doesn't agree with such leftists as Kirkpatrick Sale who recently wrote that Israel "should be abandoned" because "there will continue to be violence as long as Israel exists." (You see the logic: No Israeli existence, no problem. We might call this the Left's "final solution" to the Jewish problem.)

But if raw anti-Semitism is not the primary cause of these peculiar views, what is? To a large extent, the views coming from Moran et al. probably arise from the frustration of the antiwar movement over its inability to gather a head of steam. In the March issue of Vanity Fair, culture critic James Wolcott writes on this theme in a piece entitled "What If They Gave a War and Nobody Cared." Wolcott, to his credit, does not descend to Jew-bashing to explain what he sees as "national apathy" about President's Bush determination to secure regime change in Iraq. Rather, he blames a campaign cleverly orchestrated by "Bush's hawks and their media pigeons." (In the interest of full disclosure, I am among the hawks he singles out, citing in particular my "sliming" of actor/activist Sean Penn in the pages of the Wall Street Journal.)

It is worth pausing for a moment to ask what should be an obvious question: Why wouldn't American Jews support ending Saddam's tyranny? Jews ought to have a sharpened insight into the likely consequences of appeasing ruthless and expansionist dictators. Saddam also funds and encourages terrorism against Israelis. If he gets his hands on a biological bomb or nuclear weapon, he'll no doubt pace his palace floor trying to decide where to instruct his terrorist allies to deploy it. Are Moran, Buchanan, and the others so sure Saddam will decide on Tel Aviv — not New York or Washington? (And even if the answer is Tel Aviv — shouldn't that matter at least a teeny-tiny bit to Moran and Buchanan?)

American Jews also might be sympathetic to the suffering of the Iraqi people. Here, again, historical memory ought to kick in when hundreds of thousands of people are slaughtered, tortured, raped and ethnically cleansed by a brute who finds inspiration in Hitler's words and deeds.

Yes, it's true that if President Bush leads a successful war to defeat terrorism and the rogue dictators who collude with terrorists that will benefit Israel and it will be "good for the Jews." But that's not because the Jews picked a fight with Saddam Hussein or Osama bin Laden. That's not because Sharon hopes to place his flag on the highest hill in Baghdad. It's because Saddam and bin Laden declared war on Jews — as well as on Christians and traditional, moderate Muslims.

And recall that way back in 1996 bin Laden published a "Declaration of War Against the Americans." (Note that he didn't declare war on "American Jews.") As for Saddam, he clearly seeks vengeance against Americans, among other things for kicking him out of Kuwait (not a Jewish country last time I checked the World Almanac) and humiliating him in 1991. That's why he attempted to assassinate former President George H. W. Bush in 1993.

It is mind-boggling that Moran, Hart, and Buchanan — not to mention Levin, Lerner, Shapiro, Bennis, and so many others on the Left — fail to comprehend this. It is a mystery how so many people have managed to persuade themselves that Bush and Sharon — not Saddam and bin Laden and other self-proclaimed "jihadists" — are the problem. It is baffling that anyone would believe that the Iraqis are content under Saddam's jackboot, and that so many people who fancy themselves champions of human rights support — at least implicitly — the perpetuation of one of the world's bloodiest and most aggressive tyrannies, while turning a blind eye to Saddam's victims — Iraqi and Israeli, Muslim, Jewish, and Christian alike.

The puzzler is why so many otherwise intelligent people continue to believe that appeasement and scapegoating are ever an answer or can ever bring real peace.

[veronica]

So what else is new?

[veronica]

FYI.

[Mr. Mojo]

I always appreciate good material to send to my Jewish Democrat friends, and this piece fits the bill perfectly. Nothing irks them more than the realization that most of the anti-Jewish sentiment these days comes from the left. Of course anti-Semitism has always come mostly from the left, but now it's becoming more obvious.

[OldFriend]

We are used to this. Half of us see and recognize the terrible danger and the 'elites' turn a blind eye in an effort to be accepted by those who hate them with a passion but pretend otherwise.

[rrr51]

All these people are socialists first and Jews second. Their hatred of our country trumps any other feelings they may have.

[Sam Cree]

I am of the opinion that most of them (us) are in denial, even though it ought to seem pretty obvious.

[Mudboy Slim]

"Of course anti-Semitism has always come mostly from the left, but now it's becoming more obvious."

THAT's what's different these days...MUD

[geedee]

This "the Jews ate my homework" biz is getting tiresome.

[majordivit]

Yep..They are self hating jews ...They are mostly jews who are ashamed of their heritage. I bet most of these same self hating jews supported traitor in chief Bill Clinton's war on the heroic Serbian people which resulted in the murder of thousands of innocent Serbs.

The Serbs helped the jews during the second world war, offering protection to jews who joined them in the mountains to fight the nazis.. Very few jews, if any, who fought with the Serbs, died in the holocaust. Is it any wonder why jews are hated. Look at how these self hating jews stab their friends in the back.. Too bad the good right wing jews never get enough publicity.. Right wing jews supported the serb christians against the Albanian KLA muslim nazis.

[Mamzelle]

I remember how loudly liberal Jews beat the wardrums on behalf of the Albanians, who now provide support for Al-Quaida.

[jaime1959]

Well, invading and occupying Iraq does more for Israel’s security than it does ours. In fact, one could make the argument that we’re acting as Israel’s proxy.

PJB has a spot on column about the “anti-Semite” card being played against those who oppose war with Iraq.

http://www.amconmag.com/03_24_03/cover.html

[Sam Cree]

Somehow, you didn't hear about antiwar protests when we had 2 socialists for a president. IMO, for many "liberal" Jews, this whole current situation (the worldwide wave of leftist anti Semitism allied with anti Americanism) presents a problem they can't solve while continuing to remain part of the Left.

I get the impression that they are just ignoring or denying the dilemna.

[Arpege92]

"We are used to this"



Is that the only answer the Jewish community can come up with? It seems the more Jew bashing the liberals do, the less outrage we hear from the Jews. I have sent letters to different politicians and a few Jewish groups but I have yet seen or heard any reply. I am not Jewish, but I certainly am not blind to the fact that Jew bashing has become a sport and not only for the terrorists, but Americans as well.

Jew bashing has increased to a worriesom level and it scares the hell out of me!

[Nachum]

He said the same sort of thing during the gulf war. Remember the "Amen Corner"?

[samkatz]

I'm sorry to say this, but many many of my co-religionists dont' know where they came from:
1. Their parents and grandparents got by with hard work, learning the english language and adopting the American Culture. YET, MANY JEWS SUPPORT AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, MORE WELFARE and "Multicularlism"
2.Their grandparents or ancesters were BEATEN, MUREDERED and PERSECUTED by EVERY SINGLE ARAB COUNTRY, and EVERY SINGLE EUROPEAN COUNTRY. ONLY THE U.S.and now Israel have provided safe haven, religious and economic freedom for the JEWS(and many others)
YET, many of the liberal elite Jews SPIT on ISRAEL, provide
morale support to those who would oppress them.

WHILE I'm encouraged by the fact that their are more and more prominent consvervative Jews around in government and media, I AM SICKENED by own bretheren who trash Israel, trash the United States, trash the ability to use God in our culture....

[OldFriend]

May I repeat.....half the jewish community sees the danger and the other half thinks that the haters only hate 'other' jews, not they themselves.

Since scenario played out in Germany with the 'elites' turning a blind eye as long as it was the 'working' class that was being rounded up. They thought their' 'status' would protect them.

Have been trying to figure this out my entire life. There is no answer and nothing has been learned from history. We are doomed!

[eddiespaghetti]

Well, invading and occupying Iraq does more for Israel’s security than it does ours. In fact, one could make the argument that we’re acting as Israel’s proxy.


I SUPPOSE YOU COULD SAT THAT, IF YOU KEEP YOUR BLINDERS ON, AND IF YOU WANT TO IGNORE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE EVIDENCE OF IRAQ'S COMPLICITY IN THE OKLAHOMA CITY BOMBINGS IN '95 (PROFERRED BY JAYNA DAVIS OF THE OKLAHOMA CITY STAR TRIBUNE).

You can also, if you choose to, ignore the incident when one of the 9/11 hijackers came to an emergency room in Florida a few weeks before then complaining of an unusual skin rash, which the doctor months later (after the anthrax letters) recognized to be skin anthrax; and if you want to ignore Mohammed Atta's meetings with an Iraqi intelligence official in Prague (still maintained to be true by the Czechs, no matter what what the NY Times says), you certainly may, as Mr. Buchanan undoubtedly does.


I won't even get into the work of Laurie Mylroie tying Saddam to the first WTC attack in '93.

IMO, Saddam has already attacked us.

[Arpege92]

"We are doomed"


God, I pray your wrong!

[Nachum]

Unfortunately, many Jews are confused mostly because of a lack of Jewish education. It is not really their fault that they are mostly ignorant of our history, culture, and faith. With great fear of exclusion and a tremendous desire to fit in, secular Jews sought to embrace their newfound homeland. Without real Jewish education, liberalism became a religion in its own right.

The reform movement deliberately excluded the land of Israel from its prayers and prayer books in America. The desire to reclaim the holy land was seen as an arcane obiescence to a religion that the reform movement openly scorned. When Rabbis from Europe came to America after the holocost, there were open death threats upon them not to challenge secular Jews by teaching traditional Judaism. These threats were made out of ignorance and fear. Secular Jews in America had finally found a place they could melt into without fear. They did not want the same Rabbis that taught their parents to come in and "rock the boat". Like you said, our grandparents came from Europe or sometimes Arabic nations. They were uneducated when they arrived and unprepared for the challeges that freedom brings.

[OldFriend]

I was surfing the TV this afternoon. I caught about a half minute with Pat Buchanan and Michael Savage. Savage is jewish and he began by praising Buchanan for a book he had written. That was all I could take.

WE ARE DOOMED! What could that dumbkoff Savage be thinking praising an anti semite like Buchanan.