We’ve gone after Jamie Kirchick here before. He writes about Israel/Palestine for Marty Peretz at the New Republic, and is his master’s voice on the issue. Lately he went off on Max Blumenthal’s important Feeling the Hate video at the Commentary blog. Here’s the link. You now get a 404 message, page not found at Commentary. Here’s part of the original post that Commentary pulled.
I don’t understand what possesses a Jew like Max Blumenthal to go to Jerusalem, film a handful of drunk American kids spouting stupid racist remarks, put the tape up on YouTube where it attracts 400,000 hits, and then claim that the inebriated ramblings of young tourists on Ben Yehuda St. somehow represents the dark soul of Israel. But then again, I don’t have a visceral hatred of my Jewish heritage, which seems to be a common factor among the Juicebox Mafia set; I don’t feel a need to criticize Israel relentlessly and unfairly in order to earn my keep with the bien pensant Left.
As a member of the bien pensant left, I ask: Where’s Marty Peretz on the suppression of this piece? Why’d Commentary pull it? What’s Kirchick have to say? Yo Kirchick–
Oh: Matthew Yglesias went off on Kirchick’s allegation that young Jewish bloggers viscerally hate their Jewish heritage. Maybe that’s why Commentary lost its nerve? Note that Peretz used similar foolish language: their "hatred of their inheritance." Get more original, Kirchick.
Why are they being such spoil sports??
The Israelis filth elected Netanyahu on an exterminationist platform. They wildly applauded the Gaza massacre which Obama graciously paid for and supported to the fullest extent, while mouthing pieties about Israel’s security.
I actually have more respect for israelis like eitan, who have embraced their inner Nazi and are proud of their jack-booted atrocities. It’s the Commentary Leon Weisetlier tapeworms who pretend israelis are decent members of the human tribe who I find the most offensive.
Look, lovely, I have to join others here, I would appreciate it if you dropped the collective invectives, like Israeli filth. Are all US citizen filth since a majority of them reelected WWIII/IV warrior Bush jun.?
Try to understand the deep sources of your anger. Israelis aren’t better or worse than any other group. How about you? No dark spots on your soul? Find the ultimate source for your anger.
I actually have more respect for israelis like eitan, who have embraced their inner Nazi and are proud of their jack-booted atrocities.
You don’t have to necessarily dissemble if you control your anger. What do you know about eithan’s motivation? How would feel in his place given Phil’s topics?
Here is the google cache of Kirchickenhawk’s post:
link to 74.125.155.132
I am from Quebec and I ended up in a kibbutz in Israel by chance in 1972 and I already realized the extreme nationalism and I would say racism of the jewish american coming over. They behaved like this was their homeland even if they never lived there and they were very derogatory towards the palestinians. As I see it today if we don’t rise up for peace Israel and the US will provoke another world war. Israel now is in a downward spiral toward total fascism with the tacit warmongering US.Every issurs can only be settle by war. This year all over the world people have to rise and go to Gaza or their embassy and say: NO and NO to the bombing of Iran because they deserve to live as much as we do. This year is when it has to stop because my children deserve a better world and I want them to meet and exchange with palestinians and iranians children. they don’t know hate and racism. I believe we are at a crossroad and it is almost midnight. Who is going to stop the nonsense?
“I don’t understand what possesses a Jew like Max Blumenthal to go to Jerusalem, film a handful of drunk American kids spouting stupid racist remarks,”
If they’re Americans, what are they doing in Jerusalem? In this horrible economy, wouldn’t it make more sense to holiday in the Catskills?
“I don’t feel a need to criticize Israel relentlessly and unfairly in order to earn my keep with the bien pensant Left.”
Not when he can make much more relentless defending it for the well-funded neocons.
So by the same logic we can say “The Americans filth elected George Bush on …” I didn’t vote for Gee Dubya, I wouldn’t want to be lumped in with the necons.
I acutually have NO respect for those who embrace jack-booted atrocities. I have repsect for those seeking a way to get us out of this madness.
Here’s my take on Commentary’s history based on Wikepedia’s short history of the magazine..
It was formed by Jews in America in 1945 after Stalin had turned on Soviet Jews due to Zionist elements among the legion of Jewish Bolsheviks attempting to co-opt Communism on behalf of Jewish supremacism, hence its first incarnation was anti-Communist left-liberalism.
It turned further Leftward when American Jewish Zionists saw the potential for co-opting the American government on behalf of Zionism and using it to displace Christian moral authority by growing it to unaccountable, Soviet-like levels, and through infiltration and influence peddling. Instead of Collectivism, though, Capitalism would be the engine that fueled a Zionist-championing Leviathan.
Commentary then turned Neoconservative when Leftists realize a lot of the Jewish elements weren’t left-wing at all, but rather Jewish supremacist Zionists exploiting the left-wing movement for their own agenda.
Today, the Commentary crew is still bitter at being discovered and confronted, but also regards left-liberalism in a proprietary manner. Hence lefty Jews who aren’t on board the Zionist project are “Juicebox Mafia” interlopers who should instead be subversively pursuing the Zionist cause from within left-liberalism as the Commentary crew always had, and as many left-liberal Jews in the Democratic Party still are to this day.
Commentary’s polemical tone, particularly in dealing with Jews they disagree with, is usually somewhat respectful and generally not ad hominem. Kirchik’s piece crossed that line. John Pod wouldn’t have the feel for this as much as the mag’s previous editors, but someone may have talked to him. The typical Commentary piece would be larger, “think piece” defending those who called Israeli and American Jewish doves “self-hating Jews” rather than making the charge itself.
Pingback: the sad red earth » Email from Andrew Sullivan on Israel and Max Blumenthal
Pingback: Milosevic, Putin, Ahmadinejad, Kirchick