Did you see the NYT article on the EEOC decision that Debbie Almontaser was the victim of bias when she was forced to resign as head of a Arabic-language high school? It is a classic case of the Times refusing to acknowledge the lobby’s efforts. The article says:
A group of opponents, including conservative commentators and a City University trustee, mounted a campaign against the school and Ms. Almontaser, claiming that she carried a militant Islamic agenda.
Despite Ms. Almontaser’s longstanding reputation as a moderate Muslim, her critics succeeded in recasting her as a “9/11 denier” and a “jihadist.”
But of course it doesn’t say who the “conservative commentators” were. Turns out it was Daniel Pipes and the NY Sun that led the charge against her, as the Times reported two years ago. And that unnamed City University trusteee is Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, whose grandparents lived in Israel, which he characterized as "the Jewish enterprise." And of course the case turned in some measure on her connection to some "intifada" t-shirts, which upset Israel supporters.
The virtue of the Times coverage is that it quoted the EEOC determination: that the Department of Education had acted out of bigotry:
Acting on a complaint filed last year by the principal, Debbie Almontaser, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found that the department “succumbed to the very bias that creation of the school was intended to dispel and a small segment of the public succeeded in imposing its prejudices on D.O.E. as an employer,” according to a letter issued by the commission on Tuesday.
The commission said that the department had discriminated against Ms. Almontaser, a Muslim of Yemeni descent, “on account of her race, religion and national origin.”
The Communities in Support of Khalil Gibran International Academy issued a press release with the following statements:
“This is a stunning and important vindication of what Debbie and her supporters have been claiming all along—that the Department of Education succumbed to anti-Muslim and anti-Arab prejudice, committing a terrible injustice and sending a dangerous message about the ability of voices of bigotry and hatred to determine which public schools get to exist and who should lead them,” said educator and writer Paula Hajar.
"I am delighted by the EEOC’s Determination, a step on the road to justice for Debbie Almontaser. It is high time for the DOE to admit that it has done her a terrible wrong. Her good name and reputation deserve to be redeemed,” said Rabbi Ellen Lippmann of Congregation Kolot Chayeinu, one of the signatories of the letter from Jewish leaders in support of Almontaser that was sent to the Mayor and Chancellor last year.
Commenting on the Commission’s finding, Alan Levine, one of Ms. Almontaser’s lawyers, said: “Debbie Almontaser was victimized twice, first, when she was subjected to an ugly smear campaign orchestrated by anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigots, and second, when the DOE capitulated to their bigotry. But the bigots didn’t have the power to take her job away. The DOE did. To its everlasting shame, the DOE did the bigots’ work. Now the EEOC has reminded us that it is the responsibility of government to stand up to the forces of discrimination, not to give into them.”
Typical.
Witty, Julian, et al, are we anti-semites for thinking this is wrong? Please tell us so we know what we’re supposed to believe.
Sunyata,
Its hard to know if you are anti-semitic.
It is easy to note that you misrepresent. My persona for example is closer to example of Almontasar who is moderate, but cast as fanatic.
You should actually read my comments, rather than the “informed” references to them.
We have read your comments, Witty. You’re a racist who doesn’t believe that Palestinians deserve the same rights as Jews do.
Witty, you are a fanatic and a racist. Which is why you believe in the ends justify the means when it comes to terrorism beneficial to Zionism (the ethnic cleansing of Palestine). You then try to equate this behavior w/ your opponents.
In fact, that’s all you do. You’re pathetic.
Whenever some crime occurs, you say ‘yes it’s a crime, and also Hamas blah blah’ which implies the crimes are equal, of equal nature and quantity and profundity.
No one here buys your hasbara bullshit.
I have seen plenty of your being ‘moderate.’
I have also seen you try to frame things in terms of ‘reform’ and ‘revolution,’ and of criticizing Israel ‘too strongly’ as ‘demonization.’
Again, it’s not neccesarily the acts in themselves, but the whole context. That the US is bankrolling it all, that we fear freely saying what we please about Israel lest we be called nazis for our trouble, that Howard Dean can’t say we’ll be even handed with the conflict without being shouted down by Nancy Pelosi and AIPAC, etc.
I will be plain. Israel can exist, but I don’t believe in a ‘jewish state.’ You don’t have to be Meir Kahane to believe that Israel’s demographic should always favor the jewish.
“Zionism is racism” is not a moderate slogan.
Its fine if you don’t believe in a Jewish state. Israelis do, and for good and bad reasons.
To criticize policies and practices is rational, helpful even, and necessary for Israel to be a real Jewish state, one that practices the jewels within Jewish culture and law.
To regard Israel as a target for revolution or dissolution is something different.
You have some very selective understandings. For one, the US does not bankroll it all in the slightest.
I think you should be “fearful” of maximalist rhetoric, as it is a hair’s breath from violence, which would be criminal and/or warring. There is ALWAYS a more respectful choice than condemning, as to how to present your understanding, assuming that you have benevolent intent.
What does your name mean?
It is from the Heart Sutra. It means ‘empty.’
Is Zionism racism? If done in such a way that it does not show chauvinism towards jews, then of course it isn’t. I put responsibility on the Zionists to demonstrate that, and not on the rest of us to say “Oh those people wearing tshirts are simply loose cannons” or “the settlers are just the israeli version of violent rednecks” or “Senator Antizion has himself to blame for his lack of campaign funds.”
Also, what is wrong with revolution? Without revolution, the US wouldn’t exist.
Well, Witty’s already established that he values Zionism more than he values genuine democracy. He does that every time he favors the permanent ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from their own homes as a prerequisite for “Jewish democracy.”
My feelings on Zionism are similar, that is the responsibility of Israel, Israelis, and supporters to emphasize a humane Zionism. Goodness with a body, which is different than many valid elements of criticism of Israeli policies and practices.
Revolution is warring. “What is wrong with revolution?”
Your name implies invited change. Revolution is imposed. “Transformation” would be a more apt name for what your name implies.
Consented.
And how many “Israelis” asked for Palestinian consent in 1948?
Then, how do you feel about the US revolution?
Witty, Zionism is racism. You prove it every time you condemn the Palestinian right of return, and meanwhile your white European relations enjoy Hungarian / EU citizenship.
Sorry, I meant to put “European” in quotes like such.
Somehow you missed that I concluded that my wife’s cousin’s right to return to Hungary was absurd.
And yet somehow, you missed that your family profits from your racist dichotomy. Or haven’t you condemned your wife’s cousin as a hypocrite?
I just love the blatant hypocrisy you represent, Witty. It reminds me that I’m on the right side.
“My family profits from my racist dichotomy”.
What could you possibly be talking about? You are very quick to condemn without any knowledge. That is a very bad approach to realizing “justice” in the world.
The fact that you put have to put “justice” in quotes like that speaks volumes about your moral fortitude.
I also note, with some amusement, that you admonish me for condemning you “without any knowledge,” and yet you are hesitant to counter directly what I said.
I don’t indulge in your political interrogations.
Its sickening actually, the effort to insist that others conform.
Chaos, can you ever shut up or do you have to get in the middle of every discussion on Mondoweiss? You already have 450 comments in this month and we are not even at the half way point.
Sunyata was doing quite well with Witty without your boring interruptions. We all have heard your criticisms of Witty many hundreds of times. Can someone else have a turn to contribute? Some of us might want to hear this exchange between Sunyata and Witty without your running commentary.
I’d like to hear more from Sunyata.
Speaking of the NYT, Friedman today: link to nytimes.com
“Driving Drunk in Jerusalem.”
Friedman is playing Damage Control.
If Friedman is any indication then it would seem that the Zionist Israel lobby in the US is contemplating sacrificing Netanyahu for that “Special Relationship” in an effort to contain the fallout from the Biden row.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Biden insult will play in the coming weeks.
Kershner, too.
What I think will happen is pressure for BYahoo to drop Lieberman and/or Shas and form a new government with Kadima. Livni, just coincidentally, has just said that she would join a coalition if he dropped either.
I agree with Avi, Friedman is playing damage control. But Friedman is doing a bad job of it. The US military supersedes the Lobby as Mark Perry said to Paul Woodward. Friedman, amazingly, left out the beginning of Biden’s quote: “This is starting to get dangerous for us,” which adds considerable heft to the complaint. It means ‘You are a danger to us, Israel’. And that needs to be said.
Israel isn’t driving drunk. It attempted to poison its friend, and got caught. Big difference.