Michael Oren, a member of Knesset who grew up in America and served as an ambassador to the U.S., is a leading spokesperson for Israel. He regularly comes on CNN to explain the country and a year ago rushed publication of a memoir in order to drum up American Jewish opposition to the Iran deal.
Oren is also a historian, but his agenda often gets in the way of the facts. Yesterday, after a Palestinian member of Knesset, Hanin Zoabi, gave a speech assailing Israeli commandos for the murderous attack on the Mavi Marmara in 2010, Oren seized on her performance to show that Israel is a more tolerant country than the United States.
#letmegetthisstraight MK Zoabi calls IDF soldiers murderers and we still pay her salary? If she were in Congress she'd be expelled at once
— Michael Oren (@DrMichaelOren) June 29, 2016
So did Lisa Goldman of 972:
https://twitter.com/lisang/status/748228026408837121?lang=en
Oren got several other responses on U.S. history and the basic tenets of democracy:
.@DrMichaelOren Factually, that's wrong. 1st amendment and all that. Secondly, they really are murderers.
— Uri Horesh (@urihoresh) June 29, 2016
MK Zoabi simply told the truth..and that is not grounds for expulsion anywhere. In fact, maybe you can try it one day.
— Gazanalysis (@Gazanalysis) June 29, 2016
And James North chimes in:
Only 5 U.S. representatives have ever been expelled, none for criticizing the military. Do some research before you tweet.
— James North (@jamesnorth7) June 29, 2016
As Jamil Dakwar of the ACLU pointed out, most of those expelled were expelled for joining the Confederacy. According to this Wikipedia article, three representatives were expelled in 1861 for disloyalty, taking up arms against the union; and two for bribery in 1980 and 2002.
Oren’s disregard for historical fact is consistent. A year ago we showed that his dramatic account of a synagogue attack in West Orange, N.J. in 1971 left out the most important fact, the invitation of rightwing racist Meir Kahane to speak at the synagogue. Also consistent: Oren’s disdain for Americans.
Thanks to Adam Horowitz.
And before that: http://www.ussliberty.org/orenbook.htm
Ah, the kindness of words.
Let’s call it what it is. He lied. The intention was manipulation.
Does the Knesset not have a Speaker (Chairman)?Are MKs not required to address the Chair, are they really allowed to shout at one another? Is this is what is meant by ‘lively democracy’. It’s a disgrace. Watch BBC Parliament to see how the Mother of Parliaments does it. http://www.watchallchannels.com/bbc-parliament/
Oren is a propagandist not a historian. Whatever narrative he promotes any given moment takes precedence over truth.
Are we sure that Oren’s wrong about the pressure for conformity in these days?