Thursday, November 18, 2010
Congratulations to the vocal congregants at Temple Beth Avodah in Newton, MA. When they heard that J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami had been scheduled for "conversation" tonight at their synagogue, they spoke up and got the event canceled. They had no interest in having their second home play host to Ben-Ami, charlatan and leader of today's most prominent faux pro-Israel advocacy organization.
These people, whoever they are, were aware, while their Rabbi either was not or didn't care, of the massive controversy surrounding J Street. That controversy was alive when the group first arrived on the scene, and the disturbing questions -- most with equally disturbing answers -- have only continued to mount since.
J Street achieved notoriety not through the effectiveness of its pro-Israel advocacy, but through its budget and its shameful attacks on other, far more effective groups. In fact, calling itself "pro-Israel" has from the start been nothing more than a marketing term of art for the group. They are more accurately described as a partisan pressure-Israel organization with sharp elbows out to damage organizations doing far better work than they could ever hope to do.
Following complaints from congregants, Ben-Ami's venue has been moved from the Temple to the local public school. Cue extreme whining from Jeremy Ben-Ami to his huddled masses via email:
Outrageous - synagogue shuts J Street out
I just landed in Boston, and I need your help.
I was scheduled to speak tonight at a reform synagogue here, but a small group of right-wing activists intimidated the board into cancelling the event.
Outrageous, you say?
Know that this is not an isolated example. All across the country, week in and week out, small numbers of right-wing activists and donors regularly intimidate synagogues, Hillels, and other communal institutions out of presenting views on Israel they don't like.
We've had enough, and I hope you have too. It's time to draw the line and say we simply won't be silenced any more.
Click here to sign a communal petition saying you will not be silenced by right-wing intimidation over Israel. [Link removed]
We've moved tonight's event to a school down the block, and I hope publicity over the cancellation means we'll get an even larger crowd.
And I'd love to tell that crowd that - in just a matter of hours - thousands of our supporters and friends signed a petition to say we've had it. We won't be silenced any more....[etc...]
I can't imagine anyone caring about a bunch of J Street supporters signing a petition, but that's not the point. This is intended to get his followers inflamed and donating. Who cares? But note the blame placed on "right-wing activists." That's red meat for Ben-Ami's supporters, but unfortunately his problem is with the left, not the right. Is long time Democrat Josh Block a right-winger? Is Alan Dershowitz a right winger? No, J Street's problem is not just with people on the right, it's also a problem with people on the left, real Israel supporters who understand that J Street's isn't progressive, it's radical. It's a fake. It's a fraud.
Lying to and about donors is no new thing for Jeremy. Anyone who's followed the news about the group knows about its Soros funding and the lies Jeremy Ben-Ami told to cover it up. They know about the damage J Street has tried to inflict upon other important, irreplaceable groups like AIPAC. The attacks on individuals who don't share J Street's radical agenda. The attacks on the elected government of Israel. The demonization of those who disagree with them. The money they've gotten from people who could on no account be expected to give funding to an actual pro-Israel group. The support they've given to anti-Israel officials like Chuck Hagel. Their partnership with BDS supporters and terror apologists like CMEP. The fact that Ben-Ami's previous employer was a major pro-Arab lobbyist. The facilitating they've done here in American for such figures as Richard Goldstone and John Ging. The space and support they gave to outright anti-Zionists at their own national conference. The statements made by co-founder Daniel Levy that Israel's founding was a mistake (and there's more from Levy: Israel "Does Everything To Try And Turn" Palestinians Violent). It feels like every day there's more and it goes on and on.
These are not "right-wing smears." They are uncomfortable truths that stack up to a whole lot of substance, so much so that many people, even those who were enthusiastic about J Street at first, are starting to feel that J Street is nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Oh, and by the way, no one has done more to turn support for Israel into a left-right partisan matter than Jeremy Ben-Ami and J Street. That is perhaps the greatest damage they have done to the pro-Israel community. The harm done in creating divisions in congregations like Beth Avodah's falls squarely in the lap of Jeremy Ben-Ami. If he has any conscience whatsoever he'll take a long look in the mirror.
Back to Newton. The Boston Globe tells the story while managing to completely gloss over the genuine issues people of all stripes have with them. This is typical of the Globe which has carried J Street's water for ideological reasons from the beginning: Newton synagogue cancels talk by critic of Israeli policies by Lisa Wangsness
...The program, billed as a conversation between J Street's Jeremy Ben-Ami and M. Steven Maas, editor of the Boston-based Jewish Advocate, will be held tomorrow night, but has been moved to the nearby Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School.
Rabbi Keith Stern, who has led Temple Beth Avodah for more than 13 years, said a "small, influential group'' within the congregation voiced strong opposition to hosting the event. Synagogue leaders decided to cancel after "an agonizing process,'' he said, because they felt the controversy would "threaten the fabric of the congregation.''
"The understanding was that it was going to be what I considered to be an honest and open conversation with a liberal Jewish organization, but I clearly did not understand how deep the antipathy is among a group within the Jewish community toward J Street and toward Jeremy Ben-Ami,'' he said...
This Rabbi is out to lunch if he doesn't understand at this late date how controversial J Street is. And catch that part about "conversation" at the end. Let's consider that.
Jewish Advocate editor Steven Maas was (and is) scheduled as interlocutor for the event. Maas is himself a self-described progressive who is likely to be sympathetic and unlikely to ask the tough questions with follow-ups required (for the record, Maas does a decent job of running a broad opinion section -- sometimes a little too broad even). Here's a link to his dismayed editorial: U turn on J Street. Paid subscription is required, but here is a taste:
...We're not privy to what went on behind the scenes, but we do know that the rabbi was on board for the event. The abruptness of the synagogue's reversal suggests that influential members of the congregation stepped in to say: Whoa!
The timing of cancellation can be viewed as a slap in the face to J Street and to its many supporters - a message that they are somehow disloyal Jews. Ironically, the move may backfire on J Street's foes, as it serves to generate more publicity for the organization...
That may be true in some cases, but I doubt it this time. What this does is add another bit of evidence that J Street is so controversial, so out of line and out of step, that even ordinarily quiescent congregants are willing to stomp their feet down and shout, "Enough!"
Of course The Globe's J Street shill, Jesse Singal, himself no stranger to the Soros largess (Yes, Jesse, we know you're not on the payroll anymore) has a blog post expressing puzzlement and dismay:
... J Street isn't some fringe organization -- it's received all sorts of major media coverage and doesn't espouse particularly radical viewpoints.
If a mere conversation featuring the head of a group that has become, for better or worse, part of the mainstream conversation on Israel would "threaten the fabric of the congregation," it says more about the congregation than it does about J Street...
Apparently major media coverage is an indication of non-fringe status. The flawed logic is too obvious to dwell on. As to whether J Street's views are radical or not, that depends on where you stand. For Globie Singal they're fine, but I assure you, for the vast majority of the pro-Israel community they are way, way off base.
And let's have at this "conversation" thing. Conversations go on with everyone on the same level having an equivalent sharing of views. In this case we'd have a largely sympathetic questioner serving up softballs for Jeremy Ben-Ami to whack and dodge. Haven't we had enough J Street press releases masquerading as actual news items? "Conversation" is not having Jeremy Ben-Ami spinning on stage with carefully vetted questions screened from index cards -- the usual mode of operation.
From the Globe article:
...Alan S. Ronkin, deputy director of the Jewish Community Relations Council in Boston, said J Street is a member of the his group's council of organizations, and that its voice should be heard.
"It's deeply troubling that there are people in the community who would prefer to stifle debate, rather than engage,'' he said...
Typical of the JCRC. What debate is he talking about. This was just going to be another J Street propaganda event.
Finally, let's hear from Jonathan Sarna, himself no right-winger, from the conclusion of the Globe article:
"I have no doubt that there are some people who would vilify anybody to the left of them,'' he said. "I actually think, in this case, it's all about the community's question, which is totally legitimate from my perspective as an observer, of 'What is J Street?' Is it simply a progressive organization that supports a different policy for the state of Israel, or is it a Trojan horse for anti-Israel activists?''
Indeed. And Sarna isn't the only person on the left to have such concerns.
See more on this from Carl in Jerusalem: Synagogue cancels appearance by J Street's Ben Ami, and JStreetJive: Ben Ami, The Prophet Martyred
Tonight's location and time is:
Memorial-Spaulding Elementary School
250 Brookline St., Newton, MA
I don't know what went on at the relocated Newton event, but at Tufts he took questions from people in the audience who raised hands.
It was index cards. (I heard. I wasn't there.)
Sad when people on the so-called "left" demonize Soros. He's the right's favorite whipping boy and anyone who joins that din is perforce part of the problem. How is Soros' money dirty but money from people on the right who have so much more to gain by fear-mongering, grabbing off land that belongs to others, selling arms to Israel and otherwise stalling or actually standing in the way of a two-state solution "clean."
AIPAC may feel it represents ALL JEWS and that the best course is to support the government in Israel. But if it were such a great organization, with so much to say for Israel, how come there's no peace? Where's the proof that their strategies are working? 100% commitment is what it takes for a union to work. Who gives 98% and who gives 2% is NOT important. What IS important is PEACE.
And the US/Israel union does not mean that our fates are intertwined forever. I for one will not go to war in Iran to keep fearful people in Israel from bad dreams at night. I for one will not continue to have a tarnished reputation in the middle east because our so-called "client state" is in a constant state of war and aggression for which the US is blamed.
Sit down at the table without pre-conditions and discuss the two-state solution. That's the only issue and the US should not reward either side until a peace treaty is signed. Arms for Israel to keep her peaceful is like bombs for the Taliban to keep them from war.
Israel is a friend -- not a parent nor a child. If they decide to make war, good-bye and good luck.
If they choose to continue to be aggressive with their neighbors, and treat them like slaves, it's time to bid "fare well", but not with our arms, our money, and our blessing. The time is coming for Jews to choose where and to whom or what they wish to be loyal -- the U.S. or Israel. We are not one and the same -- not today, not with people in charge of Israel who cannot control themselves.
Long live the dreams of Yitzak Rabin.
Just Ice, If you really believe in Peace, why don't you demand that hamass, hezbullah, al qada, islamic jihad, plo, pflp, islamofascist regime of iran, islamic republic of pakistan, the taliban
renounce their racist, islamofascist ways and stop attacking Israel, stop threatening the uk with it's own 9/11, stop executing women for "dishonoring" their family, stop executing gay teens, stop beheading journalists, stop doing their nazi era outstretched arm salutes, stop hijacking countries like Lebanon, stop encouraging children to die for some sheik, stop destroying other religions holy sites like the Buddahs of Bamiyan Afghanistan, stop murdering people in Mumbai India, stop engaging in current day slavery in sudan,... and on and on.
Just Ice, There is a peace group calling itself "Peace Now" in Israel.
Where is "Peace Now" in any islam dominated country?