Yesterday it was the allegation that maps depicting Palestinian dispossession are anti-Semitic. Today J Street is called anti-Semitic. This type of rhetoric shows how useless the term has become– it is used to smear any opponent to one’s left.
The Forward’s Nathan Guttman reports on the battle for a Chicago-area congressional district between a Zionist zealot Republican incumbent, Joe Walsh, with ties to the Netanyahu camp, and a two-state-consensus challenger, Iraq veteran Tammy Duckworth.
You can see that the issue is getting politicized more and more, though the discourse is still far right. There are few Jews in the district, but many Jewish donors with a political interest in the conflict are funding the races.
Walsh has opposed the two-state solution, saying all of historical Palestine is Israel’s. The shocking statement in my headline appears late in these excerpts.
Duckworth, a decorated combat pilot who lost both her legs and partial use of an arm during the Iraq war, supports the consensus upheld by Israel and by the organized pro-Israel Jewish community in America, from the establishment American Israel Public Affairs Committee to the upstart dovish lobby J Street:
“I support a two-state solution arising from direct talks between Israel and the Palestinians,” Duckworth’s official position paper states. “Israel must be recognized as a Jewish democratic state, living in peace alongside a non-militarized Palestinian state. There can be no substitute for direct, bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.”
…Walsh, according to federal filings for this election cycle, has received $2,500 in donations from the Allies for Israel PAC, a pro-Israel campaign finance committee considered to be right-of-center. Its key contributor is Cherna Moskowitz, wife of casino operator Irving Moskowitz, who has bankrolled the purchase of Arab homes in East Jerusalem for resettlement by Jewish Israelis. Other donors to the PAC include Republican activists Cheryl Halpern, a former chairman of the Republican Jewish Coalition, and Richard Schifter, who served as assistant secretary of state for human rights in the administrations of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Cherna and Irving Moskowitz have also contributed a combined $5,000 to Walsh’s campaign as individuals.
Though not listed formally as a pro-Israel PAC, the Miami based American Principles PAC, which donated $1,000 to Walsh, includes members of the Falic family in Florida among its donors. Members of this family were among the top donors to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party primary campaign earlier this year.
Duckworth is being backed by J Street PAC, the political fundraising arm associated with the dovish lobby J Street. In the second quarter of 2012 the PAC raised $58,000 for Duckworth out of a total of more than $1 million the PAC raised for all the candidates it endorsed.
“We love to stand up for people who support two states,” said Dan Kilik, director of J Street PAC. “Walsh,” he added, “is one of the worst candidates on our issues.”
The PAC’s support for Duckworth has itself become an in the campaign. “J Street,” Walsh told the Forward, is “anti-Israel and anti-Semitic” and “a group of loony people from the far left” backed by George Soros, the liberal hedge fund billionaire. “Taking even one dollar from J Street is saying you are anti-Israel,” he said.
Has there ever been a lawsuit charging with ADL with defamation of character?
*sigh*…..and then another
link to eda.admin.ch
Duckworth by all appearances is a conventional member of Democratic Party with conventional views on Israel, including faint lip service to the “peace process”.
Walsh is an idiot and an extremist. As we have discussed, his position “Palestine is Israel” was not only extremist, but as formulated, quite incoherent. And he is supported by most fascistic Jewish extremist tycoons. It is high time to call this extremist bunch by name and demand that AIPAC etc. “distance themselves” from the extremists who oppose any future Palestinian state.
While we can surmise the true intentions of Likud, Israel Beitenu etc., on the face of the official statements people like Adelson, Moskowitz and their beneficiaries like Gingrich and Walsh are in extremist right wing opposition to “democratically elected government of Israel”. To those extremists, J Street (which is lame and tame) is anti-Semitic and Obama (who is lame and tame) is a Communist and Jihadist.
Phil just sent you an email at your old email address. Came back
Joe Walsh: Anti child support, Anti double amputee combat helicopter pilot, anti-muslim, anti roads and highways (his voting record is something to behold)………”pro” israel.
Translation: A-hole, A-hole, A-hole, Big Time A-hole………Keen Fundraiser A-hole
Joe Walsh ladies and gentlemen.
Thanks, Dan. That made me laugh.
Commandment number 1: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Worshiping the state of Israel instead of God, is what separates Zionists from other Jews.
Any American politician with “ties” to a foreign power is a traitor to his country and should be stripped of office.
And tried for treason. That should empty out Congress and the White House pretty quickly.
Time to give to Tammy Duckworth! This is a reminder of what the actual battle lines are in US politics.
“This is a reminder of what the actual battle lines are in US politics.”
Sadly, that’s probably pretty true.
RE: “Congressman with ties to Netanyahu calls J Street ‘anti-Semitic’” ~ Weiss
MY COMMENT: Rep. Joe Walsh is a good example of what’s wrong with the Congress.
FROM WIKIPEDIA[Joe Walsh (Illinois politician)]:
SOURCE – link to en.wikipedia.org
P.S. VIDEOS:
• Congressman – US Jews Not Pro-Israel [VIDEO, 05:06]
Congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) had harsh criticism for President Barack Obama over his stance on Israel and Palestine. Cenk Uygur breaks it down.
LINK – link to youtube.com
• Rep. Joe Walsh: Race Won Obama Presidency [VIDEO, 03:07]
Cenk Uygur on MSNBC tells us about the male equivalent of Michelle Bachmann, Joe Walsh. In an interview with Slate Joe Walsh says the reason Obama was elected was because of his race.
LINK – link to youtube.com
• Rep. Joe Walsh yells at his constituents [VIDEO, 02:09]
Tea Party Republican Rep. Joe Walsh held a townhall at Uno Bar and Grill in Gurnee, Illinois, over the weekend. When the topic of banks and the collapse of the economy arose, the congressman flipped out.
LINK – link to youtube.com
• Rep. Joe Walsh’s Macaca Moment [VIDEO, 00:48]
Rep. Joe Walsh made racist and disparaging remarks at a town hall meeting in Schaumburg, Illinois, 5/26/12.
LINK – link to youtube.com
P.P.S. Here is a video about “Taliban Dan” Webster (R – FL) who replaced Alan Grayson in the Congress. It includes a clip from a televangelist program where Webster talks about how much he loves to give foreign/military aid to Israel (à la Michele Bachmann*). Webster is a Southern Baptist.
• God’s Hand – Rep. on Israel Policy [VIDEO, 04:04]
Cenk Uygur breaks down comments regarding foreign aid and Israel by Republican Congressman Daniel Webster.
LINK – link to youtube.com
• ALSO SEE:
Congressman Daniel Webster “Must Fund Israel” Or Lose God’s Hand!
Theologian Paul Begley of Indiana explains that Florida Congressman Daniel Webster “Must support Israel” or lose the “Hand Of God” upon America! This is the one Congressman who is not afraid to stand for God’s Chosen People!!
LINK – link to youtube.com
* AND SEE – “Bachmann: America ‘cursed’ by God ‘if we reject Israel’”, By Andy Birkey, The Minnesota Independent, 02/08/10
SOURCE – link to minnesotaindependent.com
“Duckworth served as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq in 2004, and lost her legs and part of the use of her right arm.”
Well, she’ll always have the satisfaction of knowing she served out a hell of a lot more destruction than she had to take. I give her all the honor she deserves for preventing the Iraqi invasion and takeover of the US. How many other candidates can say they took part in wrecking a country for no reason, on the basis of lies?
I had a dream where a vague person with much gravitas was on cable TV news, telling the American people how in every little town across the land, the contestants for local dog catcher had their local campaigns funded by Jews who lived hundreds to thousands of miles away; the dogs were licking each other and asking themselves, “Who’s best for us dogs?” Then one dog, one with a commanding presence, spoke up, saying, ” There’s no real difference regarding us dogs–we’re all American dogs without any power and will be treated pretty much the same by whoever wins the contest. I’m not looking forward to more of the status quo, the same old meatless bones on the floor, nobody taking us to the vet when we need it… the contest is all about a land far away where there’s a certain breed who rules everything.”
Unbelievable. I thought Netan-yahoo’s gov’t or at least Oren the ambassador acknowledges J-Street. If Israel acknowledges it, you would think they would believe its not anti-Semitic. I guess Mr. Walsh didn’t get the memo or bibi decided he doesn’t want to acknowledge the J-Streeters again.
Good commentary as usual, but I’m going to start calling you out on the use of “left” and “right.” I concede that in Israel “left” refers to nicer people who tend to be more conciliatory to Palestinians and “right” refers to angry cranky people who don’t get along with Palestinians, don’t want them around, want more war, and so on.
However ultimately these expressions mislead, confuse, and dumb down the conversation. To help you focus on my point, I will ask, what is a socialist who supports Israeli expansion? Left or Right? What is someone who is fully embracing of the free market who recognizes Palestinian rights and works for reconciliation? Left or Right? What is someone who supports Obamacare and also supports whatever war is being waged by the US or Israel? Left or Right?
For a second reason why these expressions should never be used let us assume for the sake of argument (but happy friendly argument), that they actually mean something coherent. Whoever uses the expression “left” is at a psycholinguistic disadvantage. One is “left” behind, “left” out, “left” over, or off on “left” base. An insincere invitation is a “left handed” invitation. Something in bad taste is “gauche” – left in French. And then things can be “sinister” – from left in Italian. Meanwhile whoever uses or receives the label “right” is at a linguistic advantage. “Right” also means “correct.” We speak of human “rights” not human “lefts.” We get the job done “right” away, not “left” away. There is a name Benyamin – son of the “right” in Hebrew and Arabic, but there is no Benyassar. When we greet people we extend the right hand, not the left hand.
Finally for a huge segment of the world’s population, the left hand is strictly reserved for certain hygienic purposes and the right hand for eating, for handing people money or whatever is being handed.
So stop using these words. They don’t serve the quality of the your discourse.
The Zionists just make themselves look more and more laughable with the absurd charges they are always throwing around against anybody who doesn’t kiss their behind.
Questioning Iranian nuclear programmee is anti
semitic
Showing the gradual methodical dispossession of Palestinian is antisemtic
J Street is antisemitic
Occupy Wall Street is antisemtic
Obam’s reluctance to attack Iran is antisemtic
Obam’s pressure on Israel to respect Int laws and US polices on settlements is antisemtic
Economic boycott(BDS) is antisemitics