Listen to Jeffrey Goldberg on the Ethan Bronner flap, saying his friend should of course stay in Jerusalem:
this is a somewhat obvious point except to propagandists, reporters are capable of actually separating out their personal interests from their coverage. I’ve worked with Palestinian reporters in Gaza and the West Bank, many of whom have had family ties to Fatah and, in one case, even to Hamas, but without fail they’ve functioned as professional news-gatherers interested only in getting the story before the competition. I don’t think the Times should stop using Palestinian reporters in the West Bank and Gaza, because if it did so, its coverage would suffer.
How typically parochial. Goldberg seems to want Palestinians covering Palestine, Jews covering Israel. Once again, Zionism drags the Jewish discourse backwards, demanding that the smartest writers rationalize Jim Crow. The whole point of the Bronner case is that Bronner’s coverage is blindered. We need diversity. It’s time to have people from other societies engage with Israel and Palestine. It’s the only way.
P.S. Here is As’ad AbuKhalil responding to Goldberg’s jab at him. A friend asked me this weekend, What does Angry Arab care about? I tried to summarize. Below AbuKhalil gives his creed.
Goldberg: "Did it strike [NYT public editor Clark] Hoyt that perhaps a web site called "The Angry Arab News Service" might be engaged in the dissemination of, you know, propaganda? "
Abu Khalil: There is an Arabic saying by `Ali Bin Abi Talib which says: I never argued with a reasonable man and did not beat him, but I never argued with an ignorant man and was not beaten by him. So I would in no way argue with somebody whose Middle East training amounts to training in the Israeli occupation army. As for the charge of zealotry: I stand guilty. I am a zealot when it comes to secularism, women’s right, reason, the belief in sciences and not quackery, the belief in the abolishment of capitalism and the end of poverty, the principled opposition to Zionism in all its deadly forms (paper forms or land forms), the belief in the goal of liberating all of Palestine and the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homes, the belief in socialism and in anarchist critiques of the state–the state in itself. On all those principles I am a zealot–proudly. With somebody who volunteered in an occupation army and who served as a jailer for the natives of the land, there should be no arguments. Trials would be in order, not arguments.
If Goldberg is a Zionist, he is obliged to emigrate to Israel. How can he not be considered an Israeli agent while he remains in the US?
I see the commenters on that site are pointing out that Bronner didn’t enlist in the US armed forces.
Be grateful for that. Zionists in our military must be presumed to be Israeli agents.
OTH, american jews have no dog in the fight–it’s only goy blo0d (and IRS treasure) that will, and is, being spilt.
Phil I never understood why you haven’t linked to The Angry Arab. He can on occasion be downright inspirational and also quite humorous.
As an x-US Army grunt, I find it a joke that any one would expect to find an American Jew in the US Army. More likely in the IDF. No problem is this, except… well, maybe Obama’s gate-keeper can tell you. He likes to use the F-word a lot. Was Audie Murphy a jewish American? Was Ike?
“As an x-US Army grunt, I find it a joke that any one would expect to find an American Jew in the US Army.”
Nope, not a one! Gosh, are you as well informed on other topics?
I was in the US Army, in a combat unit, as an enlisted soldier. And you, Mooser? I know, you just never got around to it. You’re somebody who has paid his dues….
link to angryarab.blogspot.com
You’re kidding, right? I met plenty of people serving who were Jewish in the US Army and Air Force. Not that it doesn’t bother me seeing US citizens serving in the IDF while I have friends in SW Asia. On the other hand, my Polish grandfather got his US citizenship by killing Germans for Uncle Sam in WWI.
Yeah right, marc b. There’s way more muslim Americans serving in the US Army than
jews. I was in the US army as a volunteer grunt. I met two Jews while in there. My brother, in the US Marines, met 1 Jew. Even with a 2% standard, that’s not many. Are you ready to tell us that Jewish Americans (proportionately) are jumping to tell Americans that Jewish Americans are rushing to join the US armed services? LOL
I find it a joke that any one would expect to find an American Jew in the US Army.
That is the comment I am responding to. So you and your brother personally knew of three Jewish enlistees, not the original none you implied. I have never conducted a survey of enlistees’ religious preferences, although it was reported on everyone’s dog tags, at least when I served, so presumably somebody knows. (I got out in ’92.)
Yeah, every jewish American mother instills in her sons the idea they should join the US Military. LOL.
” I met two Jews while in there.”
So everybody in the service has to tell you their religion? Or are you able to tell Jews by looking? Or hearing them.
Boy, Citizen, it really makes you mad that American Jews aren’t stupid enough to throw away their moral agency on Uncle Sam, huh. Everybody’s gotta have the same illusions and make the same dumb decisions you do?
Besides, idiot, most Jews are comissioned Officers. They wouldn’t talk to you except to bark an order: “Over the top, soldier!”
Actually, Mooser, I turned down the offer of becoming an officer. I did this twice while being in the US ARMY.
Your notion that being a Jew means being of superior intellect is defective. Values are important to some people; obviously not you.
Actually it was easy. They had pocket label names like Silverstein, and/or they liked to talk about their Jewish selves.
Never forget, Citizen, you are fighting for the honor of American women, which is more than they ever did!
Mooser, what are you talking about? Give me an example of an American woman.
Where’s Adam Sadler when we need him? Oh, yeah, he’s in the usual sentimental spot–nothing else left on US entertainment news– What a guy–can Adam get another tow-headed kid for his funny propaganda? So endearing. Hitler used to to the same thing for Goebbels cameras.
Citizen, are you posting and drinking again? Bad habit.
Mooser, I see you should lay off those prescription drugs. Mental pain is not really the same as back pain. I think you need to return to your shrink. Maybe you should try one that is not a member of your tribe?
Wow, what a knee-jerk reaction. Goldberg writes later in the day disproving the fundemental message of this post.
Here’s a snip: “I, for one, would love to read a Taghreed al-Khodary profile of Bibi, or Gabi Ashkenazi, or whomever, not only because she’s a great reporter, but because she would draw out different responses from these men, based on her background and knowledge, than I could. I trust her to be fair and accurate, so why not?”
link to jeffreygoldberg.theatlantic.com
““I, for one, would love to read a Taghreed al-Khodary profile of Bibi, or Gabi Ashkenazi, or whomever, not only because she’s a great reporter, but because she would draw out different responses from these men, based on her background and knowledge, than I could. I trust her to be fair and accurate, so why not?””
Is she or has she? No, so he can wish till he drops dead, it does not make it reality. Plenty of people wish for show what they dread in their hearts, his words mean nothing, just like you written recitation of his words.
VR, Phil was arguing that Goldberg is a “neo-segregationist”. It’s about what he thinks. So Goldberg’s statement is very relevant to the issue in question.
Did you read the rest of Goldberg’s post? He was arguing the exact opposite of what Phil attributed to him.
There have been plenty of Jews in the military especially during WW II.
An opponent of the fundamentalists in the academies and military is Mikey Weinstein a US Air Force Academy graduate with 3 children in the military, a military tradition.
Last but not least, don’t forget Robert Burton Eisenberg of Minnestoa who was among those killed when Israel attacked the USS Liberty.
Why has the US congress never really investigated the USS Liberty incident? There’s no clearer proof that the US congress does care about the US public. The incident goes to the heart of US politics. Google it. You will see. Of course Jews participated in the war against the Hitler army. Why wouldn’t they? They had only to gain by doing so; check out all participation of Jews in US military actions since then…
RE: “Goldberg is neo-segregationist” – Weiss
MY COMMENT: Separate but equal, that’s the ticket! “In the name of the greatest people that have ever trod this earth, I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” – spoken with an Alabama accent/drawl, circa 1963
P.S. Jeffrey Goldberg is a shanda!
ALSO: I’m a’gonna throw all dem Wash’ton burracrats’ briefcases in da Poe-toe-mack!
I’m happy that As’ad finally got mentioned here – his blog is great. Wow, did he destroy Goldberg on that post.
On Goldberg’s logic: why on earth would Palestinians necessarily be less objective by joining the only two major Palestinian parties? He had to point that out like it’s a shocking idea. But Americans don’t criticize reporters for being Republicans or Democrats (despite obvious large-scale bias on TV channels like Faux News and MSNBC)