Friday, January 22, 2010
ADL gives, and ADL takes away. This time Abe Foxman couldn't be more wrong, and his time and ire more misspent and misplaced than with his latest scurrilous attack on Rush Limbaugh: ADL: Rush Limbaugh Reaches New Low With 'Borderline Anti-Semitic' Remarks About Jews:
Rush Limbaugh reached a new low with his borderline anti-Semitic comments about Jews as bankers, their supposed influence on Wall Street, and how they vote.
Limbaugh's references to Jews and money in a discussion of Massachusetts politics were offensive and inappropriate. While the age-old stereotype about Jews and money has a long and sordid history, it also remains one of the main pillars of anti-Semitism and is widely accepted by many Americans. His notion that Jews vote based on their religion, rather than on their interests as Americans, plays into the hands of anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists.
When he comes to understand why his words were so offensive and unacceptable, Limbaugh should apologize.
Press Release: "Martin Solomon calls Abe Foxman's comments borderline idiotic. Foxman jeopardizes ADL moral authority with misguided accusation." I haven't heard the audio itself, and that may be important, but Media Matters has the transcript:
LIMBAUGH: Scott Brown had a lot of success with independents, and that's -- that's what Jewish liberals like to call themselves when they're asked. They call themselves independents before they'll refer to themselves as -- as liberals. So if Jewish people who voted 78 percent for Obama -- which is far higher than any other group except African-Americans -- if Jewish people gave Obama 78 percent of their vote, what if they're experiencing buyer's remorse like all these people in Massachusetts did? Do you realize how important this could be? I don't think there's buyer's remorse yet in the black community -- that's still pretty strong.
[...]
LIMBAUGH: To some people, "banker" is code word for Jewish; and guess who Obama is assaulting? He's assaulting bankers. He's assaulting money people. And a lot of those people on Wall Street are Jewish. So I wonder if there's -- if there's starting to be some buyer's remorse there?
OK. So...? This is an accusation that could only be aimed at a conservative. Someone on the left would get by this without raising an eyebrow. Give me a break.
Norman Podhoretz says, It's Not Rush Limbaugh Who Should Apologize, and calls Foxman's attack, "Vile."
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: ADL's Foxman Commits Scurrilous Attack on Rush Limbaugh.
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Some good news on the Limbaugh v. ADL front: Jewish groups praise Limbaugh (and some of my favorite groups, too) Jewish groups praised Rush Limbaugh for his "outspoken support for Israel" after his controversial remarks on Jews and the banking... Read More
It is my understanding that American Jews are an economically well to do demographic.
Is recognizing this fact, a hate crime?
EV: nice non-sequitur you have there.
Apart from rhetorical questions, to which you know the answer full well, do you have anything to contribute to the discussion?
Some wag said that SOME Jews earn like Episcopalians and vote like Puerto Ricans.
polls that have asked the same question aren’t challenged by the ADL. Rush just seems to have tied the question to a soft accusation of anti Semitism on the part of the president. It is deceptive and an indicator of Foxman's bias that he turned it on Rush.
had Rush said that Obama's pushing around of Israel may be cause of buyer's remorse, ADL would have been silent and one could imagine that ZOA would have said "go Rush. right on!"
sadly, Foxman is just out of touch
Daniel, apart from mindlessly ripping into someone you don't know, do you have anything to contribute to the discussion?
I heard Rush say this and knew immediately someone would make it an issue. I am Jewish and don't work in banking, and I am not the least bit offended by this because it is true.
Get over it.
From what Nappy's seen, Rush is wrong. Far too many Jews still identify not as independents but as liberal or progressive Democrats, and they don't don't have buyer's remorse. Honest Abe may not be that far off the mark when he sees borderline antisemitism in Rush. Nappy's always been leery of Rush -- not specifically for this but his whole vibe.
But Abe really is out of it. He was one of the first to welcome Jimmy Who's lame, half-hearted phony apology which most saw as a form of taqqiya on behalf of his grandson Jason. Has the peanut farmer from Plains, GA followed up on his apology, leaked exclusively to the JTA, with actions, like conspicuously speaking or blogging about the damage caused by his book or past declarations? Has he shown that he now has a more nuanced and balanced analysis? Does he now call for more reasonable next steps? Has he stopped demonizing Israel and blaming Israel as the source of all the conflict? Does he call for action from the "Palestinians"?
What if those silly questions aren't rhetorical?
Nappy, the easiest way to see if jimmy carter is being honest in his apology is to look at the carter center website.
http://www.cartercenter.org
I don't see any apology, no setting the record straight regarding his libelous slander of Israel.
I must conclude that jimmy carter is LYING again.
If you look at how the Western Left villifies "the rich" as greedy oppressors, who exploit the working class, in their class warfare analysis...
Then you can see how that fact is used as the basis of hate and anti-Semitism, and the promotion of same.
It's not the fact itself, but rather the hostility to a economic group, where the hate resides.
The rich are evil and the enemeny of the good. Jews are disproportionately rich, ergo Jews are evil.
Let's get the context right:
Rush Limbaugh cited a few of the numerous reasons for the widespread puzzlement over the persistence of liberalism within the American Jewish community. And while discussing those reasons, he pointed to the undeniable fact that for “a lot of people” — prejudiced people, as he called them twice — the words “banker” and “Wall Street” are code words for “Jewish.” Was it possible, he wondered, that Obama’s attacks on bankers and Wall Street were triggering a certain amount of buyer’s remorse within the American Jewish community, which gave him 78 percent of its vote?
EVil, "The rich are evil and the enemeny of the good. Jews are disproportionately rich, ergo Jews are evil."
If 78% of Jews voted for Obama...
What percentage of Jews are "disproportionately rich"?
Numbers please and the source for your numbers.
EVil must think that Bill Gates, Warren Buffet are JOOOZ. EVil read it at white euro klan websites.
ADL Supremacist by its own definition:
http://image.examiner.com/x-9462-LA-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m12d13-ADL-Supremacist-by-its-own-definition
ADL covering up for crimes of financial elites
http://image.examiner.com/x-9462-LA-Nonpartisan-Examiner~y2009m11d16-ADL-covering-up-for-crimes-of-financial-elites
It is not I that villifies the econmically well to do Eddie.
Take your argument up with Naomi Klein.
I'm surprised that anybody on this blog, including Conservatives, would side with Limbaugh on this issue.
He's been edging ever closer to race and Jew-baiting.
This isn't acceptable, period.
There are certain issues upon with the Right and the Left must agree in any civilized society.
This is one of them.
Here's Jeffrey Goldberg on Rush and teh Jooz:
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2010/01/limbaughs_been_on_this_jewish.php
Here's Rush trying to wriggle:
http://jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com/archives/2010/01/limbaugh.php
The issue of Jewish voting habits is as acceptable a part of the discussion as any other group's voting habits. I see no argument in Goldberg's posts either way. Foxman is reaching...hard.
Todd: I have no problem with what Rush said either. If you look at what he said cross-eyed and twist your head into just the right position, you can construe his words to be mildly offensive. Some people, e.g. Foxman, choose to go to the trouble; I don't.
EV and I have gone through this sort of thing before, and no doubt we will again. Have another look at comment #1; nobody said anything about hate crimes before then, and as such it was a silly non-sequitur to bring it up.
In case the rhetorical question is insufficiently clear, no, of course it's not a hate crime to consider American Jews to be a well-to-do demographic. (On the other hand, please note that that's not what Rush said. So EV is putting words into RL's mouth too.)
Does that answer your question?
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
EV:
Your comment #8 makes some interesting points, although they don't have much to do with the subject at hand (was Rush leaning toward antisemitism with his remarks, and/or was Abe Foxman out of line in his response).
(Aside to Eddie: it seems to me, at least, that EV was speaking for "the Western left" when he wrote "The rich are evil and the enemeny of the good. Jews are disproportionately rich, ergo Jews are evil." I would have a problem with someone saying it, but not with someone quoting it to illustrate a point.)
I agree that hatred of the rich and the successful is a problem for many on the Left, and not just in the United States. For this to translate automatically into antisemitism, however, is a bit of a stretch. As far as I've seen, successful American Jews are vilified on the Left for being successful, not for being Jewish.
(Politically conservative Jews, on the other hand -- or those who are seen as such -- are targets of antisemitism. Think of Paul Wolfowitz, or of Joe Lieberman. It would seem that, to those on the Left who make a big deal about such things, being conservative is much worse than being successful.)
respectfully,
Daniel in Brookline
I agree that hatred of the rich and the successful is a problem for many on the Left - Daniel
It's at the core of their ideology, which is wha makes them champions of regression for humanity. An inequality to them, is a crime against humanity. They propose to set up a system where all behaviors are equal and produce equal outcomes. Cultures that produce successful individuals are to be punished and cultures that produce on average less successful individuals are to be subsidized. If you want less of something, tax it, if you want more of something, subsidize it.
The Left at its core is anti human progress.
It does translate into Anti Semitism. It is part of what drives the Anti Israel Anti Zionism crowd....the Israeli Jews are successful and their neighbors are much less so. Therefore the Israeli Jews, without any other knowledge are suspect of some chicanery or nefariousness, stealing resources, discrimination against non Jews, holding other people and cultures down and so on and so forth.
It is the same with the US and Europe with regards to Arab Muslims or Black Africans, etc.
There is nothing new here. The Western Left is what it is.
Respectfully, Limbaugh is stereotyping Jews as rich, which is an age-old motive for antisemitism.
Jewish voting habits, if one sees us as "bankers", are certainly fodder for conversation if one is trying to stir up anti-Jewish sentiment.
I think Goldberg, not a leftist, is trying tactfully to suggest that Limbaugh is out of line and he was certainly out of line when he made his crack about Obama helping Haiti in order to curry favor with black people.
As for the left being antisemitic. Please.
I think people should start reading history a little more carefully and with a little less political bias because, unfortunately, attacks on Jews span the political spectrum.
And, if people seriously want Jews to vote more often for Republicans it would be a good idea to start differentiating between moderate, unbiased Republicans and those who stereotype us as "bankers".
Im reminded of Lula's comments recently...
'White, blue-eyed bankers have brought world economy to its knees': What the Brazilian President told Gordon Brown
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1165089/White-blue-eyed-bankers-brought-world-economy-knees-What-Brazilian-President-told-Gordon-Brown.html
Isn't this just the same ole Jewish Banker anti Semitism, being transfered to white Europeans?