Tuesday, October 20, 2009
And that's the truth of it in this bizarro-world of ours. You could not make confluences like this up. Helena Cobban has been appointed Executive Director of The Council for the National Interest (CNI/CNIF). CNI is the Israeli-hating home for old Arabist antisemites like Paul Findley and Eugene Bird. See their "issues" here. Get the picture?
Cobban, fresh off hyperventilating with glee at the Israel-bashing prospects of the recent Swedish Blood Libel, is excited as can be at starting in her new position. Note that this person is also on the Middle East Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch. If HRW wanted to start to regain any of their lost credibility, one of the first things they'd do would be to dump transparent fools like Cobban. I'd say she's an antisemite, but I'm not sure she's smart enough to have the proper mens rea to get a conviction. This is a person who consistently purveys perhaps the absolutely most useless analysis of the Middle East available anywhere on the web (and I've been watching, more off than on, for some time).
Not to be outdone by CNI, Cobban will also be on a panel of fellow "anti-Zionists" at the J Street Conference. They are being careful to say they are not an official part of the conference, and that they do not speak for J Street in any way, nevertheless, J Street is happily providing the space: J Street blogger panel--next Monday!
J Street's big inaugural conference starts next Sunday evening... And at lunchtime on Monday, Oct. 26, there'll be a great affiliated event: a panel discussion involving a large number of pro-peace bloggers, including yours truly...
...I'm really excited because I'll get to meet, in real physical space, many bloggers whose work I have long admired but whom I have not yet actually met.
They include panel organizers Richard Silverstein of Tikkun Olam and Jerry Haber of the Magnes Zionist. Also Phil Weiss of Mondoweiss and Max Blumenthal, who blogs various various places-- and also does those famous videos.
Laila El-Haddad of Gaza Mom is coming, and Matt Duss of the Wonk Room, and a bunch of other great bloggers. I imagine the best way to keep updated on the participant list will be to check Richard's blog...
CNI...J Street...what's the difference? One's just more honest.
The ironies of post-modernity: Durban I anti-Racism convention was overrun by antisemites and J-street purportedly "pro-Israel" convention is taken over by anti-Israel agitators and other antisemites.
Sometimes clarity comes from the most unexpected sources.
You'll love this - the so-called "Tikun Olam" blog finds fault with Cobban because she, a Quaker, critized Garlasco for his "inconvenient hobby" of collecting Nazi war memorabilia.
I'm getting dizzy already:
http://www.richardsilverstein.com/tikun_olam/tag/helena-cobban-criticizes-garlasco/
PS: does any of this make sense to anybody?