Last week David Keyes, who works for a human rights organization called Advancing Human Rights, penned an op-ed for the New York Times, saying Palestinians were not ready for democracy. On our site David Samel said that Keyes is an Israel lobbyist masquerading as a human rights advocate.
Well, now the rightwing Zionist organization Aish HaTorah states that Keyes was a “Hasbara fellow.” Aish describes its Hasbara fellowships in this way:
Hasbara Fellowships, a program spearheaded by Aish International since 2001, brings hundreds of students to Israel every summer and winter, giving them the information and tools to return to their campuses as educators about Israel. So far, Hasbara Fellowships has educated over 2,000 students on over 250 campuses.
Should the New York Times be serving this agenda? Or more to the point, shouldn’t it tell its readers when it’s running the work of a hasbara fellow?
Also, what does it mean that Palestinians (or any other group for that matter) “are not ready for democracy?” Who is ready for democracy? What does it take to be ready for democracy? Various “Arab affairs experts” on Israeli TV have been lamenting the Arab Spring ever since its commencement with similar remarks, basically telling the Israeli public that “the Arabs aren’t ready for democracy.” This, coupled with the myth of Israel being “The Only Democracy In The Middle East,” makes for a delicious paradox, if you just think about it for more than three seconds.
Great catch Phil: “shouldn’t [the NYT] tell its readers when it’s running the work of a hasbara fellow?” Damn straight it should!
Question: did David Keyes approve of the Israeli conspiracy with Elliott Abrams to overthrow the elected government of Palestine, in the Gaza Strip?
Bots lecturing Palestinians on democracy. Like Jews lecturing Kenyans on elite athletics.
What David Keyes did not say is that a majority of Israelis vote against democracy.