Commenter Profile

Total number of comments: 218 (since 2009-05-22 14:35:20)

Adam Horowitz

Adam Horowitz is Co-Editor of Mondoweiss.net.

Showing comments 218 - 201
Page:

  • Avigdor Lieberman to Jews worldwide: 'You must love me'
  • Report: Palestinian prisoners reach deal to end historic hunger strike
    • Adam Horowitz May 14, 2012 at 1:11 pm with 1 replies

      The deal was confirmed by representatives of Addameer on a conference call earlier today, but of course we'll update if the story changes.

  • RIP MCA: Yauch challenged Islamophobia and US militarism in the Middle East on MTV in 1998
  • United Methodist Church rejects divestment
  • 'What do you want from a 5 year old girl? She threatens your state?': Israel raids a house in Nabi Saleh
  • US Supreme Court: Courts to decide whether Congress can recognize Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem
  • The flaw of Beinart's conception of Israel's 'flawed but genuine democracy'
  • IDF fundraiser at Waldorf Astoria raises $26 million
  • ADL enlists city of Oakland to block Atzmon event
    • Adam Horowitz March 3, 2012 at 12:08 am

      Gilad, did you write, "As long as Zionism is conveyed as a colonial project, Jews, as a people, should be seen as ordinary people"? I believe Zionism is a colonial project and that Jews are ordinary people. It would seem you don't agree.

      Also, your distinction between Judaism vs Jewish ideology and culture is meaningless. I thought Gabriel Ash said it well here, "Antisemitism is fundamentally a political analysis that explains social and political pathologies as effects of some essential Jewish attributes. This is Atzmon’s core idea" link to jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com

      Gilad, I published this post above because I think you should have been able to speak. I also agree with the analysis in the MRZine piece and Gabriel at JSF.

    • Adam Horowitz March 2, 2012 at 11:18 pm

      Sorry, that was unclear. It was in response to American.

    • Adam Horowitz March 2, 2012 at 11:18 pm

      Got it. I agree with you.

    • Adam Horowitz March 1, 2012 at 1:45 pm

      Re: "Do you agree that Jews as individuals or as a group can be as evil as a gentile individual or group, or a Hispanic or Catholic individual or group or not?"

      Of course I believe individual Jews can be as evil as anyone else in the world, and I don't believe that broad groups of people should be considered collectively evil in any example.

      Not sure what you mean by "The most ‘broad” generalization of ‘others” ever made in the world by any people was Jewish zionism," but as far as I do understand it I think you make my point. You differentiate between Zionism and Judaism. Atzmon doesn't.

    • Adam Horowitz February 29, 2012 at 9:18 am

      I think you sum it up in your last comment. If Atzmon is talking about Israeli Jews then say it, if he is talking about Zionism then say it, but he refers to all Jews and Judaism. He believes Judaism is evil and Jews are not ordinary humans. It's ignorant and clearly anti-Semitic in the same way that making a broad generalization about any group of people based on a shared characteristic is clearly racist. I think it's clear cut.

    • Adam Horowitz February 28, 2012 at 8:25 pm

      I don't think they're saying they're necessarily similar, but just that MacDonald likes Atzmon. I don't think guilt by association is a particularly strong argument on the writers behalf, it's stronger when they stick to Atzmon's own words.

    • Adam Horowitz February 28, 2012 at 8:20 pm

      Sorry, the links didn't come through here but you can see the links to the original material they quote here - link to mrzine.monthlyreview.org

    • Page: 2
    • Adam Horowitz February 28, 2012 at 7:53 pm with 44 replies

      This was posted today on the Monthly Review blog. I thought it was helpful in outlining Atzmon's views (link to mrzine.monthlyreview.org

      Not Quite "Ordinary Human Beings" --
      Anti-Imperialism and the Anti-Humanist Rhetoric of Gilad Atzmon

      Attempting to latch onto the just, vital, and growing movement in support of the Palestinian national liberation struggle, Gilad Atzmon is one of a very small and unrepresentative group of writers who have argued (in agreement with many Zionists) that there is no meaningful distinction to be made between Jews in general and Israeli atrocities. According to Atzmon, the latter are simply a manifestation of Jews' historic relationship to gentiles, an authentic expression of an essentially racist, immoral, and anti-human "Jewish ideology."

      Atzmon's statements, besides distorting the history of Jews and constituting a brazen justification for centuries of anti-Jewish behavior and beliefs, also downgrade anti-Zionism to a mere front in the broader (anti-Jewish) struggle. Atzmon has specifically described Zionism not as a form of colonialism or settlerism, but as a uniquely evil ideology unlike anything else in human history. In addition to any ethical problems, this line of argumentation actually strengthens Zionism's grip and claim to be the authentic representative of Jews. It obscures the reality that Zionism is an imperialist and colonialist enemy of Jewish people and Palestinians, as well as the Arab people generally and all those oppressed and exploited by imperialism.

      In his online attack on Moshe Machover, a Jewish Marxist and founder of the anti-Zionist group Matzpen, Atzmon states:

      Machover's reading of Zionism is pretty trivial. 'Israel', he says, is a 'settler state'. For Machover this is a necessary point of departure because it sets Zionism as a colonialist expansionist project. The reasoning behind such a lame intellectual spin is obvious. As long as Zionism is conveyed as a colonial project, Jews, as a people, should be seen as ordinary people. They are no different from the French and the English, they just happen to run their deadly colonial project in a different time.1

      For Atzmon, such views are "pretty trivial" and "lame" because he holds that Jews are in fact radically different from the French and the English. Of the many quotes we could provide in this regard, here is a small sampling:2

      In order to understand Israel's unique condition we must ask, "who are the Jews? What is Judaism and what is Jewishness?"3

      Zionism is a continuation of Jewish ideology4

      The never-ending robbery of Palestine by Israel in the name of the Jewish people establishes a devastating spiritual, ideological, cultural and, obviously, practical continuum between the Judaic Bible and the Zionist project. The crux of the matter is simple yet disturbing: Israel and Zionism are both successful political systems that put into devastating practice the plunder promised by the Judaic God in the Judaic holy scriptures.5

      Sadly, we have to admit that hate-ridden plunder of other people's possessions made it into the Jewish political discourse both on the left and right . The Jewish nationalist would rob Palestine in the name of the right of self-determination, the Jewish progressive is there to rob the ruling class and even international capital in the name of world working class revolution.6

      Were Jewish Marxists and cosmopolitans open to the notion of brotherhood, they would have given up on their unique, exclusive banners and become ordinary human beings like the rest of us.7

      I do not consider the Jews to be a race, and yet it is obvious that 'Jewishness' clearly involves an ethno-centric and racially supremacist, exclusivist point of view that is based on a sense of Jewish 'chosen-ness'.8

      At the most, Israel has managed to mimic some of the appearances of a Western civilisation, but it has clearly failed to internalise the meaning of tolerance and freedom. This should not take us by surprise: Israel defines itself as a Jewish state, and Jewishness is, sadly enough, inherently intolerant; indeed, it may be argued that Jewish intolerance is as old as the Jews themselves.9

      Israel and Zionism then, has proved to be a short lived dream. It was initiated to civilise Jewish life, and to dismantle the Jewish self-destructive mode. It was there to move the Jew into the post-herem10 phase. It vowed to make the Jew into a productive being. But as things turned out, neither the Zionists nor the 'anti Zionists' managed to drift away from the disastrous herem culture. It seems that the entire world of Jewish identity politics is a matrix of herems and exclusion strategies. In order to be 'a proper Jew', all you have to do is to point out whom you oppose, hate, exclude or boycott.11

      The conclusion to such views is not difficult to draw:

      The endless trail of Jewish collective tragedies is there to teach us that Jews always pay eventually (and heavily) for Jewish power exercises. Yet, surprisingly (and tragically) enough, Jews somehow consistently fail to internalise and learn from that very lesson.12

      More precisely, commenting on the climax of State violence directed at Jews in the 1930s, most famously by Germany, but also in most other European nations, Atzmon is clear:

      The remarkable fact is they don't understand why the world is beginning to stand against them in the same way they didn't understand why the Europeans stood against them in the 1930s. Instead of asking why we are hated they continue to toss accusations on others.13

      Within the discourse of Jewish politics and history there is no room for causality. There is no such a thing as a former and a latter. Within the Jewish tribal discourse every narrative starts to evolve when Jewish pain establishes itself. This obviously explains why Israelis and some Jews around the world can only think as far as 'two state solution' within the framework of 1967 borders. It also explains why for most Jews the history of the holocaust starts in the gas chambers or with the rise of the Nazis. I have hardly seen any Israelis or Jews attempt to understand the circumstances that led to the clear resentment of Europeans towards their Jewish neighbors in the 1920's-40's.14

      It is, as such, not surprising that Atzmon's work has received enthusiastic reviews by such prominent members of the racist right as former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke, Kevin MacDonald of the Occidental Observer, David Icke, and Arthur Topham's the Radical Press. It should not be surprising that Atzmon has distributed articles defending Holocaust deniers and those who write of "the Hitler we loved and why."15 These connections ultimately serve the interests of Zionism, which seeks to conflate anti-Zionism with anti-Jewishness. Zionist agents have repeatedly attempted to ensnare and link Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim rights advocates to Neo-Nazism, through dirty tricks and outright lies.

      It is more surprising and disappointing, then, that a small section of the left has opted to promote Atzmon and his works. In the UK, the Socialist Workers Party promoted Atzmon for several years16 before finally breaking with him; his latest book The Wandering Who? has been published by the left-wing Zero Books (a decision that elicited a letter of protest from several Zero authors).17 In the United States, the widely-read Counterpunch website has repeatedly chosen to run articles by Atzmon. Currently, in February and March 2012, Atzmon is on tour in North America, where several of his speaking engagements are being organized by progressive anti-imperialists whom we would normally like to consider our allies.

      While perhaps well-meaning, operating under the assumption that any opposition to Zionism is to be welcomed, progressives who promote the work of Atzmon are in fact surrendering the moral high ground by encouraging a belief-system that simply mirrors that of the most racist section of Israeli society. Anti-racism is not a liability; on the contrary, it is a principle that makes our movements stronger in the long fight for a better tomorrow.

      As political activists committed to resisting colonialism and imperialism -- in North America and around the world -- we recognize that there can be different interpretations of history, and we welcome exploring these. Without wishing to debate the question of whether far-right and racist ideologues should be censored, or how, we see no reason for progressive people to organize events to promote their works.

      In our struggle against Zionism, racism, and all forms of colonialism and imperialism, there is no place for anti-Semitism or the vilification of Jews, Palestinians, or any people based on their religions, cultures, nationalities, ethnicity or history. At this historic junction -- when the need to struggle for the liberation of Palestine is more vital than ever and the fault lines of capitalist empire are becoming more widely exposed -- no anti-oppressive revolution can be built with ultra-right allies or upon foundations friendly to creeping fascism.

      1 Gilad Atzmon, "Tribal Marxism for Dummies," originally published in June 2009, republished on his Web site on April 24, 2011.

      2 Many more quotes like these could be provided, but we assume this is enough to show that these are not out-of-context or out-of-character remarks. If not, readers may wish to peruse the section of Atzmon's website on "Jewishness" at .

      3 Gilad Atzmon, "Tribal Marxism for Dummies," Atlantic Free Press, July 2, 2009.

      4 Anayat Durrani, "Exposing Dangerous Myths," Interview with Gilad Atzmon, originally published in Al-Ahram Weekly (May 19-25, 2011), republished on Atzmon's Web site on May 19, 2011.

      5 Gilad Atzmon, "Swindler's List: Zionist Plunder and the Judaic Bible," Redress Information & Analysis, April 5, 2008.

      6 Ibid.

      7 Ibid.

      8 Gilad Atzmon, "An Interesting Exchange With A Jewish Anti Zionist," Atzmon's Web site, August 17, 2011.

      9 Gilad Atzmon, "The Herem Law in the context of Jewish Past and Present," Atzmon's Web site, July 16, 2011.

      10 "Herem" is a Hebrew word that refers to banning or excluding someone; it is also the name of the repressive legislation Israel recently passed to enable punitive lawsuits against those calling for a boycott of the apartheid state. For Atzmon, this law is just one more example of Zionism's Jewish uniqueness (guess he never heard of SLAPPs), as he concludes that "this is what Jews do best: destroying, excluding, excommunicating, silencing, boycotting, sanctioning. After all, Jews have been doing this for centuries."

      11 Ibid.

      12 Gilad Atzmon, "A Warning From The Past," Atzmon's Web site, May 26, 2011.

      13 Quoted in Shabana Syed, "Time for World to Confront Israel: Gilad Atzmon," Arab News, June 14, 2010.

      14 Gilad Atzmon, "Jewish Ideology and World Peace," Atzmon's Web site, June 7, 2010.

      15 "Gilad Atzmon, the SWP and Holocaust Denial," BobFromBrockley, June 13, 2005.

      16 "Gilad Atzmon and the SWP: a Brief Chronology," BobFromBrockley, October 5, 2011.

      17 "Zero Authors' Statement on Gilad Atzmon," Lenin's Tomb, September 26, 2011.

      Dan Berger, Wild Poppies Collective, Philadelphia PA
      Susie Day, Monthly Review, New York NY
      Todd Eaton, Park Slope Food Coop Members for Boycott/Divestment/Sanctions, Brooklyn NY
      Elizabeth Horowitz, solidarity activist, New York NY
      Kay Kersplebedeb, Left Wing Books, Montreal
      Mark Lance, Georgetown University/Institute for Anarchist Studies, Washington DC
      Bob Lederer, Pacifica/WBAI producer, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid, New York NY
      Matthew Lyons, Three Way Fight, Philadelphia PA
      Matt Meyer, Resistance in Brooklyn, New York NY
      Michael Novick, People Against Racist Terror/Anti-Racist Action, Los Angeles CA
      Liz Roberts, War Resisters League, New York NY
      Emma Rosenthal, Café Intifada, Los Angeles, CA
      Joel Schwartz, CSEA Local 446, AFSCME, New York NY
      Simona Sharoni, SUNY/author, Gender & the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict, Plattsburgh NY
      Laura Whitehorn, former political prisoner, NYS Task Force on Political Prisoners, NY

      Organizations Listed for Identification Purposes Only
      Contact us at: .

  • Video: Protesters are attacked at an 'Israel Alliance' event at U of New Mexico
    • Adam Horowitz February 24, 2012 at 4:17 pm

      Having organized many event over the years, we were always prepared for disrupters and would have a plan to remove them from the event as quickly and quietly as possible. We would never have allowed a reaction from the crowd like this, and I agree it's telling. Granted, we never had to contend with anything like the occupy mic check, but that shows some of the genius of the tactic.

      The rationale behind this kind of action is to disrupt the status quo. I don't agree that it's a "freedom of speech" issue, no one is going to jail, and it's not dangerous as in the "fire in a crowded theater" example. You can say it's an issue of respect or common courtesy, but the counter argument would be that a racist presentation like this isn't deserving of respect. I understand the perspective.

      Still I think this is an interesting debate, and one that seems to playing out in the movement. The first action of this kind that i can think of is when Olmert was shouted down at the Univ of Chicago (which Ali Abunimah writes about in our Goldstone book). In that case it was a clear argument against letting a war criminal speak weeks after Cast Lead without the voice of Israel's victims being present. Over time it seems the protests have evolved more silently, similar to the one we posted earlier today from Michigan State - link to mondoweiss.net
      . I suspect that tactic developed with this debate in mind, as well as by the way the Irvine 11 students were treated (which was widely viewed as a miscarriage of justice)

  • Abunimah to speak at Brandeis
  • You won't have Ethan Bronner to kick around anymore . . .
  • CAP censorship is inconsistent
  • New additions to the Mondoweiss comments policy
    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 11:22 pm

      I think this was a good summary all around.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 10:45 pm

      Of course you can talk about it (I've said this about five different ways in this discussion). We just want to avoid long threads of conspiracy theorizing.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 8:34 pm

      What's a "crypto-Zionist"?

      I think I addressed above the issue of Zionist collaboration with the Nazis. Sure, that's in bounds and it's not what we had in mind, it's fine. At the same, I have to say I don't see it being incredibly relevant to what's happening on the ground today. You don't have to go back nearly that far to understand, critique and disassemble Zionism.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 8:26 pm with 7 replies

      Thanks for the comment. Regarding this:

      "Also, if we shut down comments from people who sincerely come here to learn and debate, yet came with false beliefs they were indoctrinated with, we may loose someone who was open to change. We should not allow trolls, or repeat offenders, but we should not turn away an indoctrinated soul possibly open to change."

      It's usually pretty obvious when this is the case and we would never kick someone off the board in this situation. We're much more concerned with trolls.

      The second point, and this is one I've made in other part of the thread, I agree with all the areas you say need education, but I just wonder why we need nakba deniers to do that? As you point out Newt Gingrich gives us ample opportunity. I agree we should take on the issues head on, but as your comment shows, we all know the myths/lies. Why do we need them repeated here?

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 8:16 pm

      Again, just to reiterate a point I made above, no one is saying you can't discuss 9/11 (full stop). It's obviously central to the site in many ways, especially the foreign and domestic policies that followed. There are many other forums on the web to discuss and debate the theories/intricacies of the actual events of 9/11/01, this isn't one of them.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 7:58 pm

      Thanks everyone, and I wasn't trolling for a pat on the back, but I appreciate it.

      Re: the issue of exposing the deniers. This argument makes a lot of sense to me, and it is how we've handled the site up to this point. But a few problems have developed. First, I think more people are alienated from that discourse, on both sides, than are drawn to it. So, while I might be down for a throw down debate, most people seem to reject it and wonder why they need to deal with their history being denied or fabricated and just stay away. Not everyone wants to get in a knife fight just to engage on the issue. That response makes sense to me, and ultimately we want to site to be as welcoming as possible within reason.

      Second, and I alluded to this above, these are very delicate conversations/debates in the first place and it is very time consuming to monitor/facilitate/moderate them in a way that actually gets at what you're asking for. More often than not it degenerates into name calling and insults that I understand on an emotional level (I often share the impulse), but doesn't expose the denial in as constructive a fashion as possible. And, on the flipside, plenty of things were getting through that had no place on the site and weren't getting challenged at all (not being supported necessarily, but just sitting). Part of this decision was an acknowledgement that it is beyond our capacity at this point to handle these issues in a productive and responsible way. So we're not going to do it for now, and might revisit it later, but might not.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 5:31 pm with 11 replies

      Freedom of speech? Really? Do you understand what that means? Is someone threatening to send you to jail for saying anything on this site? Let's please keep it in perspective.

      Also re: "buy more office coffee for Pete’s sakes" Do you have any idea how much time Phil and I devote to working on this site? Your comment would seem to indicate you don't.

      Comments like this really make it all seem worth it.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 4:46 pm

      I'm not sure what discussion you're referring to, but I assure you that there have been explicit claims on the site that the holocaust didn't happen and that Jews brought it on themselves. We've caught some of them in moderation, butn not all. It's not something we want on the site. I agree that the relationship between Zionism and anti-semitism is important, but that's not what we're referring to here.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 4:43 pm

      We'll still discuss it plenty, I just don't think we need trolls denying the nakba to bring it up. I agree this history needs to get out there and be shared, but we should do it proactively (i.e. the great book robbery post today)

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 4:41 pm

      You didn't miss much, it was one of my favorite scenes from Raising Arizona.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 4:02 pm with 5 replies

      Two things: Of course you can still discuss 9/11 and it is central to many of the concerns of the site that you mention - the Israeli/US relationship,
      the potential impending attack on Iran, the erosion of civil rights here, the rise of Islamophobia.

      That being said, we're not interested in becoming a forum to discuss 9/11 conspiracy theories which are less relevant to those topics, and we've noticed that the topic can dominate and derail discussions. There are plenty of other site on the internet you can go to discuss it. If it were totally relevant and germane to the topic of a post to bring these theories up, I suppose it would be fine, but more often than not they are a distraction.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 3:34 pm with 15 replies

      How do these rules preclude someone from responding to those claims? The rule doesn't say you can't say the word "holocaust." It only bans denying it occurred or that Jews brought it on themselves, which is not what you're claiming here (I don't think).

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 3:26 pm with 4 replies

      Yes, they were repeat offenders. Which offers another opportunity for a video clip:

      link to hulu.com

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 3:23 pm with 1 replies

      Great clip, thanks.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 3:22 pm

      Sorry if it's unclear, but we're not retroactively banning anyone, these are rules from this point on.

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 3:20 pm

      (blushing)

    • Adam Horowitz January 25, 2012 at 2:56 pm with 4 replies

      We recognize that there are some gray areas here, and we're not looking to ban people, but might ban someone after one comment based on severity. We really just need to see how it goes.

  • The Mondo crew hosts WBAI’s 'Beyond the Pale' to discuss Ron Paul, Dennis Ross and the myth of Obama's 'Jewish problem'
    • Adam Horowitz January 20, 2012 at 6:57 pm with 9 replies

      I hope it was clear that while there were criticisms of Paul, no one was suggesting (at least not Lizzy or I) that people should support Obama. I don't.

  • Ron Paul on Israel
    • Adam Horowitz January 14, 2012 at 5:07 pm

      Do you really think this site continuously goes negative on Ron Paul? We're getting complaints about 10 to 1 in the opposite direction.

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 8:56 pm

      No, that's certainly the best example of his speaking out on behalf of Palestinians, and remember a number of other politicians did at the time as well as the scenes from Gaza were so horrible. But still, it was good. At the same time he also said that the US should be on neither side of a conflict that has been going on "hundreds of years if not thousands of years." - link to youtube.com

      Sure, it would be great to cut aid to Israel, although it is primarily US corporate welfare, but what is really needed is for someone to hold Israel accountable and there are no signs Paul is interested in that.

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 3:47 pm with 1 replies

      I think we're talking about two different things. I would never say that Paul is a Zionist. At the same time, I don't think he would do anything to constrain Israel either.

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 2:04 pm with 1 replies

      "Stop presenting a fictitious picture of Ron Paul based on political speak" - I just included two direct quotes from Paul himself. How exactly is that fictitious? Should we not trust anything he says to the media?

      Also, I don't think Paul supports Israel's interventionist policies, but I don't think they particularly bother him either exempt for the fact that the US is implicated. If the US wasn't connected, I don't see reason to believe that he would do much about it.

      Re: Lebanon, he does say "I am the one candidate who would respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate to her about how she should deal with her neighbors."

      I thought this was interesting from Paul supporter Doug Wead (link to newsmax.com

      Most of all, Ron Paul believes that America should mind its own business and let Israel make its own decisions without interference and control from Washington. He recognizes that Israel has one of the best-trained, most elite armed forces in the world and he believes that we should NEVER try to use our influence to stop Israel from defending itself.

      Ron Paul refused to vote to condemn Israel during the 2006 war with Lebanon. And he will never try to pressure Israel into accepting a "land for peace" compromise before the Israelis themselves decide.

      I have spoken with Dr. Ron Paul about Israel. He recognizes the special relationship between Israel and the United States based on our shared values and Judeo-Christian history. As the former vice president of Christian and Jews United for Israel, I would strongly argue that Ron's position of friendship, free trade, ending support for Israel's enemies, and a cessation of meddling in Israel's internal affairs would provide for a stronger U.S.-Israeli relationship and a net advantage for the Israelis.

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 1:49 pm with 1 replies

      Also, while I do think it's not clear whether Paul would support Israel within the UN or not, I do think this is a good point - "a Paul administration would free the world to take the stance they want to take towards Israel without having to face off against the United States to do so. "

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 1:46 pm with 3 replies

      He says in the interview, "I opposed President Obama’s attempt to dictate Israel’s borders this year." It should be remembered that Obama only said that the 1949 armistice line should be the starting point for negotiations, a position based in international law (which Paul opposes).

      To me, this Paul quote says he'd be fine with Israel running wild.

    • Adam Horowitz January 13, 2012 at 1:34 pm

      They could always find another big brother - link to jpost.com

    • Adam Horowitz January 12, 2012 at 10:32 pm with 2 replies

      Has Paul said he wouldn't support Israel at the UN? He says, "I believe that Israel is one of our most important friends in the world." Sounds like he's not totally for cutting ties. He's clear on cutting aid, but I haven't anything on how he would handle Israel diplomatically. Assuming he didn't figure out a way to dismantle the UN completely (which would seem to be his first choice), I'm not sure it's clear what his stance towards Israel would be.

    • Adam Horowitz January 12, 2012 at 10:27 pm with 6 replies

      Nothing about what he has said would indicate he cares at all about Palestinian liberty. Also, by saying he would "respect Israel’s sovereignty and not try to dictate to her about how she should deal with her neighbors . . . and I opposed President Obama’s attempt to dictate Israel’s borders this year," I suspect if he was president and Israel moved to push all Palestinians out of the West Bank he wouldn't really care to intervene. Wouldn't that be considered a "foreign entanglement?"

      I think NorthOfFortyNine's question above is a great one. Maybe we can find a way to ask him.

  • We've almost reached our fundraising goal--please kick in!
  • Keep Mondoweiss going strong -- make a donation today
    • Adam Horowitz December 9, 2011 at 11:17 pm with 1 replies

      Thanks so much everyone for the support. While it is true we need your financial support to continue and keep growing, we very much appreciate all the different ways folks contribute to the site, including posts, comments, emails, and general thumbs up. Thanks!

  • Huckabee and Allen West to speak at Hebron Fund settlers gala in Queens
  • Welcome to the new Mondoweiss
  • Caption contest
  • Report on the economic impact of the occupation 'likely to be an under estimation of the true costs'
  • Israel to the international community: 'This is not a pipe'
  • The UN application for the State of Palestine and the future of the PLO
    • Adam Horowitz September 27, 2011 at 1:20 pm with 1 replies

      Omar sent out a note this morning that addresses this. I'm going to paste it here. Hope this is useful:

      In response to my quick note yesterday (which Mondoweiss has posted) on the Palestinian application for UN membership and the expected damage to Palestinian interests it entails, some readers have inquired whether Annex II to the membership application sufficiently addresses the concerns that many have raised.

      The quick answer is, of course NOT. This is why I've ignored it. It is irrelevant.

      I am not a lawyer (at all), but I have some common sense, some logic, and I've read enough to remain very alarmed about this whole process.

      Here’s the language from Annex II that is being referred to:

      "Palestine’s application for membership is made consistent with the rights of the Palestine refugees in accordance with international law and the relevant United Nations resolutions, including General Assembly resolution 194 (III) (1948), and with the status of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people." [Emphasis added]
      link to un.org

      During the debate leading to the submission of this membership application, some Palestinian officials had said that they can address the legitimate concerns -- arising from replacing the PLO by the “State of Palestine” at the UN -- by including language in the application letter that explicitly says that this application for membership is submitted “without prejudice” to the status of the PLO or to the Palestinian right of return, in accordance with UNGA 194. This “without prejudice” phrase was finally not adopted; it was replaced by this “made consistent with,” which does not carry the same weight, clearly. But even the “without prejudice” phrase would have been almost as politically irrelevant in reality, even if it sounds legally more solid.

      You simply and logically cannot actually replace the PLO as the representative of the Palestinian people at the UN by some hypothetical “State of Palestine,” which at best would represent its “citizens” within its “borders” (whatever Israel is kind enough to “concede” to us!), while claiming that such a move is "consistent with" or does not "prejudice" the current status of the PLO. It does, without doubt, and no fancy phrasing can change that.

      After all, this is not about undermining the legality of our rights (they remain valid no matter what), but about the political representation and our ability to assert them in international forums, especially the UN. Removing the PLO from the UN seat thus denies most Palestinians the one voice that can speak for all our inalienable rights.

      If some army general, say, impeaches a president and imposes some other figure instead but writes in the affirmation oath that such a change is done “without prejudice” to the former’s status, what in reality would that mean? The first president, legally, may still claim legitimacy, but he cannot assert any power from the dungeons where he was thrown! The problem is when the said general presents himself as representing the people, no less. That makes the legitimacy claim of the deposed president even more tenuous in front of the world.

      Even if outside the UN the PLO will continue to be regarded by Palestinians as our true legitimate representative, the fact that we have another representative recognized by the UN speaking on our behalf (or at least on behalf of a minority among us) jeopardizes our claim to our comprehensive rights and our political ability to assert them. We cannot have two representatives, one “domestic,” and one at the UN!

      The PLO already enjoys recognition by most of the world. It already has an observer status at the UN. It formally represents the entire Palestinian people and our rights. It has, by proxy, already won an ICJ ruling against Israel's wall and colonies in the OPT (and did absolutely nothing with it!). Why do we need membership for a hypothetical state that will, without doubt, undermine our struggle for our basic rights by denying most Palestinians any representation at the world's most important forum?

      Omar

  • Being Jewish in the City of Brotherly Love
  • On September 11, 2011
  • 'DailyKos' bans Simone Daud, who sought to inject Palestinian view into US political discourse
    • Adam Horowitz September 10, 2011 at 11:02 pm

      Simone,

      Thanks so much for engaging here in the comment section. We'd love to have your work here on Mondoweiss.

  • We're hiring a part-time Editorial Assistant
    • Adam Horowitz September 2, 2011 at 3:32 pm

      Yes, Antony is a close friend of the site and we certainly encourage everyone to support him. Thanks Sumud!

  • Meanwhile, in Israel . . .
  • Almost there! Help us reach our fundraising goal with a 2-for-1 donation match
    • Adam Horowitz July 20, 2011 at 10:35 am

      Yes, thanks Djinn. The match is in effect until we hit our goal of $40,000. I'm hoping that happens before the end of July. That being said we appreciate whatever you're able to give, whenever you're able to give it.

      Thanks so much,

      Adam

  • Why this fund drive is important for us
    • Adam Horowitz July 5, 2011 at 5:39 pm with 3 replies

      Thanks for the support Justice Please! You can always send a check to our fiscal sponsor as well. If you're interested, you can write a check made payable to "CERSC - Mondoweiss" and mail it to CERSC, PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618.

      Thanks,
      Adam

  • UK government Facebook page shows solidarity with Gilad Shalit
  • Help Mondoweiss stay afloat with a voluntary subscription
    • Adam Horowitz June 29, 2011 at 2:56 pm with 1 replies

      Hi Bijou,

      I wanted to let you know that we've heard what you said and will most definitely take it into account. From our perspective we are trying to find a way to keep the fundraiser in people's minds without having to constantly remind them of it. We are trying to raise more money than we have ever before and that means we will need to keep the fundraiser going for longer. We are trying to raise this money because we need to to keep the site going.

      I'm sorry you find the stars to be such an obstacle that you will no longer be able to support and contribute to the site. That was certainly not our intention, and we are just trying we can to find ways to make this site work. We have always appreciated you comments and contributions to the site and hope they continue.

      Thanks,
      Adam

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 9:53 pm

      Yes Lysias, thanks so much. You should make the check payable to "CERSC - Mondoweiss" and send it to CERSC, PO Box 180165, Chicago, IL 60618.

      Thanks!

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 9:50 pm

      Yes, again sorry this isn't clear. Neither the Nation Institute nor CERSC pay us to run the site, although both are very generous in offering us their administrative support and non-profit status to fund raise with. CERSC just takes a nominal amount to help cover the administrative tasks (which we are incredibly thankful for).

      Your donation to Mondoweiss goes directly to supporting the content you see, and will allow us to dedicate more time to making the site better, and less time worrying about money.

      Thanks,
      Adam

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 12:24 pm

      Thanks Sumud and Bijou, interesting idea.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 11:49 am with 2 replies

      How does it delegitimize the site? It's just a way to acknowledge donors.

      I hope any new visitor to the site realizes we need money to make the site go. If they don't realize that, that's our fault, because we do.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 11:47 am with 12 replies

      Uh, just to clarify, we are not opposed for finding a sugar daddy, and would love it if "one or two mysteriously materializing out of the blue." We would never sell out the editorial judgement of the site to any donor, but we need to find ways to sustain the site.

      Neither Phil not I have made any money in three months. This can't continue.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 10:37 am

      Thanks Kathleen, and yes sorry if that isn't clear. All expenses for the site come from Phil and me. When we don't raise money we don't make money.

      We do not have any financial backers other than the readers of this site, so we really need your support.

      Our last fundraiser was in December, so if felt like it was time.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 10:34 am with 2 replies

      I don't think I would like a pro-Israel site, but I guess that's a different issue.

      We like the idea of acknowledging our financial supporters and the stars are one way to do it. We need to raise money to keep the site going. We appreciate all the support we receive from everyone in all the forms it comes, but at the end of the day we need to raise money to sustain ourselves and the cover the costs of the site.

      If anyone who wants to donate doesn't want to be publicly acknowledged we'd be happy to forgo the star, but it seemed like small way to recognize the people who chose to support our work financially. Again, it does not indicate a differing level of access.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 10:28 am with 1 replies

      Also, yes I agree about the tshirts. We have a limited amount right now and they're going towards the fundraiser, but we do plan on having them available individually as well. Thanks.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 10:27 am with 1 replies

      Thanks for the reminder! :)

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 10:27 am

      Sorry if it wasn't clear. Any donation over $60 would be considered a subscriber. $5 a month is a the base that we asking people to consider giving, but we'd gladly accept more! :)

      Thanks,
      Adam

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 8:55 am with 6 replies

      What are the classes? Everyone will have the same access, the voluntary subscription system is just one way we are asking our readers to support and sustain our work. It is essential for the site to survive.

      The stars are just an arbitrary way of acknowledging and thanking our financial supporters, who we need and are extremely thankful for.

    • Adam Horowitz June 27, 2011 at 8:51 am with 4 replies

      Yeah, I've changed that, it was the wrong choice of words. We are not "under attack", but we certainly need the support of our readers to keep the site going.

      Also, we wanted to try out the star system as one way to acknowledge our financial supporters. No one will have more access or privileges on the site, it's just a way of saying thank you and note that the site will only continue with the financial support of our readers.

      Thanks!

      Adam

  • Feldman: 'Israel’s out of control downward spiral will help bring about alienation in Birthright alumni'
  • Arab LGBT Movement: "We are not victims in need of a white male savior working in London..."
    • Adam Horowitz June 24, 2011 at 3:07 pm

      Tom MacMaster just sent the following email to me and Phil replying to the discussion above. I asked him if he would post it under his name, or if we could post it. He replied, "You can post; I've sworn off posting on the internet!"

      As you'll see in the email below I used to work with MacMaster's wife at the American Friends Service Committee and evidently MacMaster and I met when we were in college at Emory University in Atlanta, although I don't remember it.

      Adam

      ---------- Forwarded message ----------
      From: Tom MacMaster
      Date: Fri, Jun 24, 2011 at 2:35 PM
      Subject: regarding comment alleged to be by me.
      To: mondoweiss@gmail.com, weissphilip@yahoo.com, adamh2@gmail.com

      Dear Phillip and Adam,
      A friend of mine who would really like to remain nameless recently posted a comment defending me on your site. She used a pseudonym as she is a committed activist on the Palestine cause as well as a fellow international student here at the University of Edinburgh. To post it, she used the same wireless connection I use. She was, after all, visiting my wife and I at the time.
      Like many of my friends, many of whom are committed pro-Palestinian, anti-war and anti-colonialist activists, she was outraged by some of the slanders made against me online. And, like many of my friends, she’s been urged by me to defend me. She did so. She’s that kind of person.
      So, imagine my dismay when she called me nearly in tears a short while ago about the response to her defense of me.
      Anyway, that’s why I am writing you. Now, she’s being slandered and the last thing she wants to do is to reenter the snakepit of your website.
      Like many of my friends, she has seen the following facebook message sent by Dan Littauer regarding Amina when it was presumed she was real:
      Dan Littauer May 7 at 4:55am Report
      Your friend Paula has promoted Anima, and now she is hailed as the "heroine" of the Syrian revolution. You should have a look on her facebook page who she is friend's with. The crazy radical left, and people who call for the destruction of Israel. She is also a lier, and all this is promoted by Paula who has a jewish girlfriend? SHAME on Paula!
      Dan

      So seeing me placed lower than him really irritated her, just as it does anyone who knows me. (And incidentally, the author of the hit piece on your site “Seham”, really should not cast stones as she herself isn’t using a full identity)
      One of the things that has hurt me and those close to me has been the hateful rhetoric aimed at me. I’ve received death threats and calls for attacks on my person. Some people, I suppose, are angry at the uniqueness of their experience being called in to question when someone can successfully impersonate that voice. Others question the ‘right’ of a simple non-Arab goy to speak on these issues in any form. Still others have trouble understanding the concept of fiction.
      Certainly it is reasonable to call my integrity into question. However, unlike Littauer, my intentionality has always been on the side of social justice and democracy for all peoples, with astrong emphasis on the Middle East. If there’s any question of that, I believe that Adam may be able to testify to my good intentions; he knew me as an undergraduate and worked alongside my wife at the AFSC. We’re not the enemy and resent people we consider our allies, if not our friends, treating us as such.
      Finally, I have signed an agreement foreswearing all use of sockpuppets. So, don’t look for me doing so as you will not find me. You may find my friends doing so; I can’t blame them for speaking up on my behalf.

      Best,
      Tom MacMaster

  • Desmond Travers on Geo Mitchell: Irish-American Diaspora wanted an end to the troubles, Jewish-American Diaspora hasn't opened its eyes
    • Adam Horowitz May 17, 2011 at 8:52 pm with 5 replies

      Hi everyone,

      Yes, sorry the latest comments bar had to disappear for a bit while we figure out what's going on with the server and why the site has been so slow (or unavailable) for the past few days. Basically it seems the comments section of the site has been overwhelming the server, especially the "subscribe to comments" element. We're temporarily suspending some of these tools while we get to the bottom of it.

      As always, you should email mondoweiss@gmail.com if you ever have trouble with the site, etc.

      Apologies for the inconvenience,

      Adam

  • 'Mondo' editors to speak tonight in Oakland
  • Two upcoming Goldstone events in Chicago & the Bay Area
    • Adam Horowitz April 25, 2011 at 12:42 pm

      We don't have a standard fee, and try to make it work for folks. The one thing we ask is to at least have travel expenses covered.

  • Honoring the late Matthew Phillips
  • Tell that to Ben-Gurion
  • Report from the 'Mondo Awards' in Gaza
    • Adam Horowitz March 30, 2011 at 3:17 pm with 1 replies

      This has really taken on a life of its own, and I'm just really proud we were able to play our part. It's really the writers who deserve all the credit. Here is the statement Phil and I sent to be read at the event:

      We are writing to share both our gratitude to the Center for Political and Development Studies for organizing today's award ceremony, and our deepest regret that we are unable to be with you. We are so pleased that you have decided to recognize the incredible work that Mohammed, Sameeha and Rawan shared with us. In addition, we would also like to acknowledge all the writers who contributed to our "Gaza: Two Years Later" series, many of whom attend the Islamic University of Gaza. That series discussed life in Gaza after the Israeli invasion in the winter of 2008-2009, and all the contributions helped share Gaza's story with the world.

      We have been especially honored to showcase the work of young writers from Gaza as they possess an indispensable voice that the world needs to hear. Too often in the United States the discussion of Gaza only includes violence and condemnation, and you have helped us show another side view of Gaza, we would say a more honest one. The writers who have won the Mondo Award, and who participated in our series on Gaza, have shared a honest and nuanced perspective that reflects the struggles, hopes and steadfastness of the Palestinian people. We are proud to have offered a platform for these essential voices. Your work shows that walls, siege and occupation cannot prevent your important stories from getting out and being heard.

      Thank you again for organizing today's event, and we look forward to celebrating with you someday in a free Palestine.

      With gratitude and appreciation,

      Adam Horowitz & Philip Weiss
      Co-Editors, Mondoweiss.net

  • Miral's impact will be felt more in the debate than on the screen
  • Israeli Apartheid Week: A Beginner’s Guide
    • Adam Horowitz March 22, 2011 at 2:27 pm

      White doesn't address all the issues in Israel's apartheid policies in this short post, and I wasn't just referring to what he shares in this post. You should read his book to get a fuller picture. Also, you should check out the definition of the crime of apartheid - link to en.wikipedia.org
      and determine for yourself if you think Israel, or the US, fits the bill.

    • Adam Horowitz March 22, 2011 at 11:02 am with 5 replies

      There is a difference between inequality and apartheid. As you point out the US has horrible examples of inequality, yet in Israel the inequality is enshrined by law giving Jews special and exclusive rights over non-Jews. That's why Israel is an apartheid state. That is in no way saying the inequality in the US isn't shameful and in many ways the result of racism.

  • Abdeen Jabara to lead Goldstone discussion in NY tom'w night
    • Adam Horowitz March 9, 2011 at 11:54 pm with 1 replies

      Hi everyone. Sorry for the confusion with the malware warning. We're looking into it, but the site seems fine. We'll let you know what we come up with.

  • Justice makes for a clear blue sky
  • Ahmed Moor from Cairo: 'The people here are determined and have reached the point of no return'
    • Adam Horowitz February 1, 2011 at 2:18 pm with 3 replies

      Great, glad to see the audio seems to be working better today. I hope to talk to Ahmed once a day. Please leave comments with questions you'd like me to ask him.

  • On the eve of the 'march of a million people'
  • Interview with Ahmed Moor from Cairo: ‘This is a society-wide program for change’
    • Adam Horowitz January 31, 2011 at 2:23 pm with 1 replies

      Sorry! Phil was able to listen after downloading the latest Quicktime. I'm going to try to interview Ahmed again tomorrow and will try to do it a different way. Apologies.

  • As night falls in Egypt families begin looking for missing loved ones
  • ‘Anonymous’ hacker group joins the fight in the Middle East
  • Goldstone Report Weekender: Weiss profile; Ratner on Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish; and Siegman discusses 'delegitimizing Israel'
  • There is no substitute for seeing it for yourself - Travel to Israel/Palestine with Interfaith Peace Builders in May 2011

Showing comments 218 - 201
Page:

Comments are closed.