Monday, November 22, 2010
Let's rewind the tape to Jeremy's first appearance at Tufts prestigious Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Not only was he invited to the Arabist school, but he was introduced by a former U.S. Ambassador (Yemen). His leitmotifs fits the pattern of a classic demagogue: "I am beset with enemies all around...they are rich and powerful...I, the small and meek voice will not be silenced."
Of course, the millions funneled secretly to his organization by the likes of George Soros and the mystery woman from Hong Kong, Consolacion Ediscul, must never be revealed to the rank and file. Transparency is apparently not J Street's strong suit.
His speech at Tufts was markedly different from his later appearance in front of a Jewish audience. He knew full well that his audience consisted of the MESA (Middle East Studies Association) crowd and the Arabist Fletcher School, perhaps the chief people- provisioner for the State Department.
For the benefit of that institution he wastes no time in defining the enemy as "right wing Jews, Evangelical Christians and Neo-cons." He knows his audience perfectly. Of course, the Palestinian Arab cause represents the opposite: Liberal and Progressive. Forget about Muslim treatment of minorities, gays, women and the imposition of Sharia Law, just so long as we believe. And forget about the 95% of Israelis who disagree with J Street and the faux Peace camp. In carefully pruning his statistics, Ben Ami reminded his audience that 78% of the Jewish electorate voted for Obama. But as is his habit, he prevaricates by claiming that Obama still enjoys a 60% approval rating among American Jews. That figure has dropped precipitously now to 49% for his performance on Israel and less for his handling of the economy. Jews are jumping off the Obama ship in droves, but on Planet J Street, he's still the Messiah.
Since when does defending the Jewish state from annihilation constitute a "right wing" cause? On Planet J Street it does of course. And since when does pursuing a jihadist agenda whether Hamas' or Fatah's constitute Progressivism? On Planet J Street it does. At the end of the day, J Street dishes out its platitudes of "the Other", the humanism of Rabbi Hillel, etc., etc. But Ben Ami has no answer for the increased terror following the Gaza withdrawal, for Hamas and Hezbollah rockets other than unrelenting pressure on Israel to cede land and to cede it immediately. And, like all self-styled "Progressive" Jews he ends by truncating the famous passage from Deuteronomy:
"Justice, justice shall you pursue.."
Of course, the complete passage reads,
"Justice, justice shall you pursue so that you may live and possess the land that G-d is giving you."
I asked a Rabbi at the J Street conference last October if he could quote the complete sentence. He could not.
That's some truncation! And it would be risible, if it were not the opposite, that the rabbi couldn't complete the verse, though no doubt he uses the truncated portion as promiscuously as "tikkun olam," which Hillel Halkin argues means nothing like the use "progressives" put it to. http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/how-not-to-repair-the-world-11461?search=1
So. I, an Evangelical who has a problem with JStreet Jews who voted for an Arab who wants Judea and Samaria Judenrein, am the problem.
Indeed. Ben-Ami's is the voice of the consummate fanatic -- someone who can't come together for political purposes on one issue of agreement if you don't accept his entire political program (his version of liberalism). It's just another reason why his way is not only destined to be a failure for J Street, it would be a disaster for Israel and Jewish activism.