Michael Lumish
On Facebook I found myself faced with this question:
I guess Jordan Rapport, James Grosriques, and Johnny Chic and Michael Lumish are best suited to explain why Ben Shapiro and AIPAC both decry this move. So Does Deborah Lipstadt. Very serious conservative thinkers, with serious pro-Israel bonafides, have come out against this move. What am I missing?This was my response:
You are missing five things. The first is that Israel needs to stop allowing itself to be a groveling whipping-boy to its enemies like Tlaib and Omar. The second is that if Israel had let them into the country it would likely have been much worse as they would have used the opportunity to spotlight anything ugly that they could dig up, real or manufactured.
Third, you are demanding that Israel break its own laws in favor of the whims of demonstrable enemies. Fourth, they had no intention of going to Israel, instead they were going to "Palestine," with the implication that they believe Israel should not exist. They were not intending to engage in either diplomacy or educating themselves about that country. Their itinerary did not even include Israeli representatives, only those from the PA that literally pays young Arab men to kill Jews. Finally, virtually nobody in the US cares or even noticed.
So, let us try to keep things within a reasonable perspective. Israel, as you know, was in a lose-lose situation. It was upon the horns of a dilemma. Nonetheless, within a few weeks, this will be ancient history and the only people that will still care will be a tiny minority of antisemitic anti-Zionists of the kind that support Tlaib and Omar and those, such as ourselves, who seek to defend our brothers and sisters in Israel.
Oh, and by the way, I do not know why Shapiro should be particularly relevant to me given that I am not a conservative.
Number 6 is that the group funding the trip is so antisemitic that they literally resurrected the medieval "Jews killed Jesus" thing... although I would need to confirm.
ReplyDeleteNumber 7 is that asking Israel to always turn the other cheek is so so so......Christian and well, uh, I mean, Israel is like....Jewish (if ya get my drift.)There I've said it. Israel is NOT nor should it be CHRISTIAN (for obvious reasons.)
ReplyDeleteIsrael is wrong as usual. Poland would definitely allow Congress members to visit former German lands on a fact finding trip. Especially if they refused to meet Polish authorities, and put Prussia as their destination.
ReplyDeleteNumber 8: The organization sponsoring their trip also "promoted content from a neo-Nazi organization," and celebrates the terrorist slaughter of Jews.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.dailywire.com/news/50702/omar-tlaib-planned-meet-terror-promoting-groups-ryan-saavedra
Number 9: The decision appears to have been done at Trump's urging, and will help him be re-elected--an outcome that will be a tremendous help to Israel's survival. It shines a spotlight on Omar and Tlaib yet again, and candidates including Sen. Warren have rushed to embrace them. It's ugly to watch, but great news for Trump, and is probably exactly what he planned.
Jonathan S. Tobin [Editor in Chief of
ReplyDeleteJNS dot org, Jewish News Syndicate] said:
“... [Alexandria] Ocasio-Cortes, [Ilhan] Omar,
[Rashida] Tlaib, and others making egregious
comparisons of Israel with Nazi Germany
are still being treated as the “future of the
Democratic party” — in the words of the
Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez...”
SOURCE:
A blow to BDS in the House
by Jonathan S. Tobin, 2019/7/24
www.jns.org/opinion/a-blow-to-bds-in-the-house/
===================================
Rabbi Harry Maryles said:
“These four freshmen congresswomen have been
granted far more attention, influence, and power
than any other first-term congressmen in US history!”
SOURCE: A Word to My Readers
by Harry Maryles, 2019 July 17
http://haemtza.blogspot.com/2019/07/a-word-to-my-readers.html
===================================
Melanie Phillips said:
“Yet the Democratic Party, which still attracts
unquestioning support from some three-quarters
of Jewish voters, has failed to discipline these women
[Ilhan Omar (Democrat-Minnesota),
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (Democrat-New York),
Rashida Tlaib (Democrat-Michigan)
and Ayanna Pressley (Democrat-Massachusetts)]
— not just for their Jew-baiting, but also for their
deep-dyed anti-Americanism and anti-White racism.”
SOURCE: In Trump vs. 'the Squad,'
American Jews have picked the wrong target
by Melanie Phillips, 2019/7/18
www.jns.org/opinion/in-trump-vs-the-squad-american-jews-have-picked-the-wrong-target/
===================================
The most senior Democrat in the USA government,
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, has also condemned
“[Ilhan] Omar’s use of anti-Semitic tropes and prejudicial
accusations about Israel’s supporters” as “deeply offensive.”
SOURCE: Ilhan Omar’s Pro-BDS Resolution
Isn’t About Free Speech — It’s About Hating
Israel and Jews by Adelle Nazarian, 2019/7/19
www.algemeiner.com/2019/07/19/ilhan-omars-pro-bds-resolution-isnt-about-free-speech-its-about-hating-israel-and-jews/
===================================
Ilhan Omar’s Contempt for the Law:
trespassing, multiple traffic violations,
– and she “married” her brother:
www.jihadwatch.org/2019/07/ilhan-omars-contempt-for-the-law
www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/274444/ilhan-omars-contempt-law-robert-spencer
===================================
USA President Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump tweeted this message:
“It would show great weakness if Israel allowed
Representative Omar and Representative Tlaib
to visit [Israel]. They hate Israel & all Jewish people,
& there is nothing that can be said or done to
change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan
will have a hard time putting them back in office.
They are a disgrace!”
https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1162000480681287683
SOURCE: Storm of Controversy
Erupts Over Israeli Decision Barring Entry to
BDS-Supporting Congresswomen Tlaib and Omar
by Benjamin Kerstein, 2019 August 15
www.algemeiner.com/2019/08/15/storm-of-controversy-erupts-over-israeli-decision-barring-entry-to-bds-supporting-congresswomen-tlaib-and-omar/
I read a completely slanted article about this from NBC News this morning.
ReplyDeleteNow I am reading Tablet's Yair Rosenberg who says this move is "disastrous" for Israel. I wonder if will be as disastrous as, say, moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem? Who knows, maybe it will be as disastrous as declaring independence in 1948 was.
Here's what I think. I believe it is absolutely wrong for Democrats to come down on Israel for standing up to two Democrats that the Democrats have failed to stand up to.
Yair Rosenberg, as many commentators are, is using this partly as anti-Trump red meat.
It is rightly said that Trump is using this to say that the squad is the face of the Democratic Party. But, they are in denial protesting this, for they are that face, and they are that face because the Democrats themselves have allowed them to become that face. Democrats, stop blaming Israel for your antisemitic problem. Try denouncing the antisemites. The State Department disallows visits from political figures around the world all the time. There is a cancer within your party. Don't ignore it for the sake of an electoral victory you won't get. Yes, I understand you want to replace Trump with a Democrat, and you and the media are willing to say anything to do that - you've already proven that. But if you need to do that by backing antisemites who want to end a country's existence, then I must say "fuck you."
Honest people would acknowledge that compelling arguments can be made on either side of the issue of whether or not to let these two hostile actors visit Israel. According to Yair Rosenberg and much of the media it was Trump's bullying that forced Israel into this "disastrous for Israel" position. But, contrary to Yair Rosenberg's assertions I think we can acknowledge that Bibi's so-called inclination to let them visit had also certainly been the result of pressure and bullying. Why the hell would Israel want to let Israel haters into Israel? Perhaps the Democratic, yes they're in trouble, Party should try common sense and honesty as a salve to win over voters rather than trying to import them from other countries and scaring the beJesus out of minorities.
Overstatement and false outrage is the norm. Tlaib's hate for Israel is greater than her love for Grandma. That is most telling.
Deleteoldschooltwentysix,
DeleteShe is playing the 'palestinian' game now. She rejects Israel's offer to let her see her grandmother, but not under the oppressive conditions by which she can't advocate destroying the country while she is visiting.
If Israel wants her to come and visit her grandma they'll have to beg. And people don't seem to see the implicit supremacism baked into Arab bargaining positions.
"I am hanging off a 1000 foot cliff. The only thing preventing me from falling into the abyss is you hanging onto my big toe. If I fall, it is all your fault. If you want me not to jerk my foot away, you must accede to the following conditions."
If she were dedicated to fighting racism like she claims, she'd be fighting "Palestine."
Perhaps someone like the folks at Code Pink can do a Go Fund Me account to pay for her and Grandma to fly to somewhere that Palestinians are revered.
DeleteMy response to anyone asking, i.e., demanding, I answer for Ben Shapiro, AIPAC, etc., is to point out that I don't find appeals to authority a particularly good method to convince me of anything. I'm sure our very own Joseph here at IT would be thrilled to know that I did read Introduction To Logic by Copi way back in 1977 at good old Merritt College in Oakland, CA.
ReplyDeleteRemember, Mike, you should "think" what "other conservatives" "think." "Here, I have something shiny for you, little boy." :0)
Heh. The penny drops. "Omar said US aid to Israel should be questioned due to actions she said were “not consistent with being either an ally or a democracy.”
ReplyDeletehttps://www.timesofisrael.com/omar-insists-she-and-tlaib-were-planning-to-meet-israeli-officials-on-trip/
"Sen. Bernie Sanders suggested that Israel should not receive foreign aid from the United States if it stands by its decision to deny entry to Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/bernie-sanders-israel-shouldnt-take-us-aid-if-it-bans-omar-and-tlaib/
See how that all works? They must think we are really stupid. Expect to hear this talking point more often and from more Dems. It's such a gift to Trump, one wonders if he isn't paying them to do this stuff.
I should add that at places like dKos this has been a major talking point for years and one that interestingly, IMHO originated among far right Jew haters. Red-Brown alliance.
Deletethose commies coulda started a Third Intifada
ReplyDeleteWhy is no MSM outlet talking about the antisemitic, Jew hating, terrorist loving, blood libeling outfit Miftah which was sponsoring Omar and Tlaib's trip. The info is out there and readily available to any reporter wanting it. Obviously they don't want it. It might paint the squad women in bad light. This is a disgrace. You really can't trust the media.
ReplyDeleteI know. If they're gonna throw Hanan Ashrawi "queen of double-speak" out there, then they owe the public her resume.
DeleteIt's like going to David Duke for the support sound bite without letting anyone in on the Klan thing.
Then again, they haven't done such a hot job informing the public that Tlaib's ancestors weren't really "Palestinians."