I went back and forth with myself concerning whether or not to front page this "dhonig" comment in a recent Gershon diary at Daily Kos that has received some attention. I think that Doodad was the first to point it out here, but others have brought it up, as well.The question is, is it better to highlight and confront Jews who are biased against Israel or is it better to ignore them? My personal inclination, so long as people remain civil, is toward engagement. I am not exactly a paragon of that particular virtue, but I generally respect it well-enough, I hope.
In any case, Gershon wrote a piece on Daily Kos entitled, Netanyahu Endangers Jews Everywhere with Anti-Semitic Trope, wherein he implied that the rise of anti-Semitism throughout Europe and the Middle East was really little more than a rhetorical boogey-man to be used as a Zionist club against Israel's legitimate critics.
This was Honig's response:
You're completely full of shit (8+ / 0-)What would motivate any Jewish person to downplay not only the rise of violent anti-Semitism in Europe, but the absolutely blood-curdling genocidal anti-Semitism spewing out of the Middle East?
a "smattering of anti-Semitic incidents"?!?! (editor's emphasis)
4 people shot at the Jewish Museum in Brussels. They weren't shot because they were Zionists. They were shot because they were Jews.
In Sarelles, France, a synagogue was firebombed.
Chants at the "Gaza" protests include "Death to Jews" and "Slit Jews' throats."
Molotov cocktails thrown into synagogues in Germany.
In France, attacks on Jewish-owned restaurants and on synagogues.
Storekeepers refusing to do business with Jews.
Jews beaten in these streets for being Jewish.
Three children and a teacher murdered in a Jewish school in Toulouse.
In Australia, teenagers got on a bus of young Jewish children on their way to school (as young as 5), saying "Heil Hitler" and "Kill the Jews."
Antwerp - a Belgain doctor refused to treat a Jewish woman's son.
A Jewish man beaten in Marseilles for being Jewish.
Paris - 2 Jewish brothers, 19 and 21, were beaten with brass knuckles for being Jewish, and an Orthodox Jew was beaten on the Metro, too.
Hungary - Jewish cemetery defaces, tombstones marked with "there was no Holocaust, BUT THERE WILL BE."
Rome - bomb threats and pigs heads sent to the local synagogue.
Morocco, the Rabbi for the Jewish community in Casablanca was attacked and beaten.
Tunisia - a man was stabbed for being Jewish
Ukraine - molotov cocktails thrown at several different synagogues.
UK - Jewish children denied entry into a sporting goods store; tombstones overturned in Jewish cemetery.
You have some fucking nerve. You use Rosh Hoshannah to demand that Obama and all America's Jews apologize to Palestinians, but when Netenyahu (and I'm no fan of his) talks to all America's Jews during the High Holidays, he's "conflating."
And, most important, you pretend anti-Semitism doesn't really exist, but is just a cover for perfectly legitimate protests against Zionist aggression, ignoring the actual rise in aggressive and violent attacks against Jews around the world.
You have gone from a thoughtful protester of Israel's actions to a useful idiot, a Jew people can point to the way black Republicans point to Allen West and Ben Carson.
Shame on you.
If you must use your Jewishness to sell your book, take a break during the High Holidays, instead of using them as a launchpad for your hypocrisy.
by dhonig on Fri Sep 26, 2014 at 09:01:59 PM PDT
If diaspora Jews insist upon maintaining their association with the progressive-left then we need more of them like dhonig - not to mention our own Jay - fighting the good fight in hostile territory.
For my part, I refuse to associate myself with any political movement or party that provides a seat at the table for anti-Semitic anti-Zionists.
Given Jewish history neither choice is unreasonable.
From what I have seen on other sites, I believe the downplaying is a TALKING POINT being used by anti-Zionists and anti-Israel types. The rationale is obvious- to alibi all anti-Israel/anti-zionist ideology from accusations of antisemitism and to bolster the idea that current rage against Israel is purely reaction to Israel's actions and not real antisemitism.
ReplyDeleteAs always, it comes down to the morally bankrupt (not to mention ridiculously bigoted) 'argument' that one particular form of hatred is somehow always 'acceptable,' or at least 'understandable,' as long as Israel can possibly somehow be blamed.
DeleteEven in the absence of Israeli self-defense against yet more Palestinian-Arab terror, it seems there's nonetheless always something to blame Israel for (Jews building apartments! Arab nations keeping generations of so-called 'refugees' who were born in their countries and have never lived anywhere else as second-class citizens forever! Mahmoud Abbas having a sad!).
What a racket, eh?
A fantastic comment, though I'd note that one usually gets multiple times as many 'recs' in DHG's diaries (or any Israel-related diary, for that matter) by making comments in the other direction.
ReplyDeleteHaven't clicked on that diary, nor have I clicked on that hate site in weeks, and I never will again. But good to see this, nonetheless.
Daily Kos is kabuki and can be enjoyed as such, to see the theatrics on the issue of the day, and who can outperform the other.
DeleteThese folks could not punch their way out of a wet paper bag, but their hot air would create steam.
On the Israel front and the antisemitism and enabling of it, the regulars are but a handful, and the rest are ignorant, supporting a fellow actor in the overall kabuki. They believe they are smart and cool, but they are being played with disinformation which they dutifully swallow and regurgitate.
Eventually, they may see through the haze, but even then their loyalty as progressives will overtake action until events become so obvious that they are forced to confront the cognitive dissonance.
Based upon my ten years' experience at that site, I truly wonder what it would possibly take for such types to finally reach the confrontation stage?
DeleteProbably not something any of us would like to think about, I imagine...
Open up an encyclopedia to the word narcissist and there's a picture of dKos.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what this guy's username at Daily Kos is?
DeleteHi Lawrence, I have to say that your comment immediately put me to mind of that line toward the end of Planet of the Apes wherein the tied-up ape elder tells Cornelius and Vera the following:
ReplyDeleteBeware the beast man
for he is the devil's spawn
alone among god's primates, he kills for sport, or lust, or greed
yea he will murder his brother to possess his brother's land
let him not breed in great numbers
for he will make a desert of his home... and yours.
I asked for opinions about the guy's sincerety because sincerety matters. If he is sincere and honestly believes that his behavior is in the best interests not only of the Arabs, but of the Jews, then he is perhaps not beyond hope.
But from what I have read I would not count on it, that much is certain.