When I was younger, I used to regard the Anti-Defamation League as THE organization fighting anti-Semitism. Lately, however, I am not sure exactly what the hell they do. Of course, each local chapter is different depending on who leads them. The Orange County chapter, for example, has been basically missing in action the last several years in regards to the on-going UC-Irvine controversy over anti-Semitic speakers.
Now Abraham Foxman, the head of ADL is attacking Glenn Beck. Why? Because Beck attacks George Soros.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2010/11/11/adl_on_beck_on_soros
I guess reasonable people can disagree on how much to blame Soros for what he did as a teenager in Nazi-occupied Hungary. I am more concerned about what he is doing to the US with his riches. This man is backing every far-left cause he can find in our country. I regard him as the most dangerous man in America. Whatever Beck can do to illuminate and educate the public about Soros is a good deed. Anyone who charges Beck with anti-Semitism is being disingenuous. Just because one attacks Soros (who was born Jewish but considers himself an atheist) makes no one an anti-Semite.
I can well understand what Beck is going through. Last week, some anonymous commenter on this blog who doesn't have the courage to attach his name, implied that I am anti-Semitic for criticizing the Jewish Federation of Orange County.
I would suggest to Mr Foxman that he pay less attention to Beck and more attention to what is going on in our universities where true anti-Semitism is being stoked. He could start right here in Orange County.
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Gary, how dense can you be? How many times can you so completely miss the point? The ADL isn't condemning Beck simply because he criticized Soros, who is Jewish, otherwise they would have condemned Beck long ago, seeing as how Soros is a constant target for him. No, the ADL is condemning Beck for the anti-semitic nature of his criticisms.
Beck's comments were at best insensitive and at worst downright slanderously anti-semitic in nature.
It should be obvious now that your allegiance to the Jewish people and defense of them is easily trumped by your blind allegiance to right-wing politics and pundits.
Anonymous.
What an idiotic statement. Is it anti-Semitic to mention what Soros did as a teenager? Maybe you can argue he should be forgiven but it is not anti-Semitic.
As I said, I am more interested in what Soros is doing now, which is damaging to the country. Does that make me an anti-Semite?
Maybe you don't know much about Soros, but I urge you to learn.
You all are just looking for some wild reason to condemn Beck.
And yes, I am a supporter of Beck.
One wonders if "Abe" Foxman is angling for a donation from George, with his criticism of Glenn Beck. Beck has demonstrated courage, fortitude and patriotism by exposing George as the "the Puppet Master", orchestrating the financial downturn of America. The story of Soros during WW ll, can be found here in a post by Atlas Shrugged: : http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/atlas_shrugs/2010/11/adl-leftwing-jewish-group-attacks-beck-defends-notorious-jew-hater-anti-israel-crusader-george-soros.html
I am sure that there is more research here than Abe did when he wrongly accuses Beck of being anti-Semitic. Beck is not anti-Semitic, period. Soros is also an Israel hater. He developed and funded J-Street, an anti-Israel group. They made four trips to the White House to deliver there business to the Obama Administration.
So, Foxman needs to do his homework and do the research before he condemns anyone. He also needs to write a letter to Beck and apologize for his impulsive move. Last, Abe needs to pay closer attention to the local anti-Semitism going on at UCI and perhaps the UC system as Gary suggests
Squid
Gary, you've got me practically banging my head against my desk in frustration. That's how dense you are being.
YES, it is anti-semitic to accuse or insinuate that a Jew who lived through the Holocaust was a Nazi sympathizer/collaborator, which is what Beck did. You're just too busy being an apologist for right-wing blowhards to pull your head out of your rear end and see this.
"As I said, I am more interested in what Soros is doing now, which is damaging to the country. Does that make me an anti-Semite?"
No, of course not. That's the point. It's not that ANY criticism of Soros or his actions is anti-semitic or makes one an anti-semite, it's about the NATURE of that criticism. The nature of Beck's attack on Soros was despicable and, in my opinion, anti-semitic.
Geez, Gary, did you even read the article that you linked? Beck's being attacked for not telling the truth about what Soros did.
Is this a new conservative tactic? Are you taking notes from Miggie where you don't even read the links that you provide?
Anonymous,
"No, the ADL is condemning Beck for the anti-semitic nature of his criticisms.
Beck's comments were at best insensitive and at worst downright slanderously anti-semitic in nature."
So maybe YOU can clear it up as to just what Soros did as a teenager in Hungary. What did he do or not do?
Anonymous,
"Gary, you've got me practically banging my head against my desk in frustration. That's how dense you are being."
You have a desk??? Whatever on earth for???
Why in the hell should the burden of proof be on ME (or Soros, for that matter), when it is Glen Beck accusing Soros of "sending Jews to death camps"????!!!!???? If he is going to make such accusations, he damn well better have proof to back them up! Spoiler alert: he doesn't.
Also, why did you reject my comment about your hypocritical whining over people choosing to post anonymously? You love to call people out on it unless they're your allies, ie Squid, Findalis, and Miggie, who all post anonymously under pen names.
Another Anon "commentator" stikes again.
Anonymous,
I also happen to know who they are.
GET OFF MY BLOG YA BIG DOPE1
As the only person here (except for you, Gary) who uses his real, full name, I'd like to point out that Anonymous has a point. If somebody makes an accusation, the burden of proof is on them to prove whether it's true. It's not up to everybody else to prove that it's not true.
Unless you want to try and prove that you don't sell crack to kindergarten students.
There are millionaires I worry about much more than George Soros, who donate to much more dangerous causes, but he is not a man I have much respect for either. I'd like to tax his wealth as much as anyone's.
I don't follow ADL or Glenn Beck much, but it seems from the bits of factual chronology various people have offered that Beck may have been grossly mendacious, and the ADL may have had some valid concerns.
None of us is in a position to republish an entire encyclopedia for a simple on-line conversation, but I generally expect that anyone challenging another person's position will provide some semblance of factual reference, rather than pouting about who had the burden of proof. We all have a burden of proof, if we expect anyone to listen to us.
Of course when the discussion degenerates to mutual mischaracterization and gratuitous insult, there is no proof possible.
Lance, Soros confessed to doing what Beck accused him of on 60 minutes. When Shoah survivors I know heard it, they wept, cursed him and prayed to G-d that justice be served to him. They had a name for men like him: Capo. Look it up. This piece of human crap has no remorse for what he did. His youth is no excuse. Many youngsters lied about their ages and did terrible things to survive. They have felt guilty about what they did and have tried to make amends. Soros never did and has stated he never will.
May their prayers be answered soon and this sorry excuse for a human be brought before the final judge of us all!
Gary criticizes another Jewish organization---how shocking!!!
Jewish Federation, Hillel, ADL....all we hear you complaining about is when these groups don't do what YOU would like them to do.
Where was the acknowledgment and commendation on your blog for Abe Foxman when he spoke against the mosque at Ground Zero?
Are you even familiar with what these organization in fact accomplish for the local community and Israel on a weekly basis.
-Zug Gornisht
Just pointing out the absurdity of calling Beck an anti-Semite while the ADL has said little to nothing about UCI over the years.
Again, I am not saying these organizations don't do useful work in other areas. What I am saying is that when it comes to dealing with the UCI controversy over the years, they have not stepped up to the plate-in spite of their shameless posturing after the Oren event.
Personally, I feel Soros is one of the most dangerous men in the world and I came to that conclusion “well before Glenn Beck” started his so called piling on. I must as always refer to a statement Glen makes over and over on every show he does, both radio and TV. “Do not take my word for this! I’ve presented facts. Look at the facts than decide” Well, I for one had looked at the facts well before this.
One other note here. Being Jewish myself(and by the way, I do not feel Glenn is Anti-Semetic), I question every day how the Jewish population in this country can stand behind not only people like Soros, but the Anti-Israel left itself. Yet, just like the black population ( and I know I’ll hear about that)they support the very people that would drive them to oblivion! Very odd in my book!
Joe, I have met far too many people in this country who think that by being anti-Israel they are being "left," but they don't know what they are talking about. Isreal is no more bourgeois than the USA, or, for that matter, the People's Republic of China, post 1985 or so. There is nothing particularly protetarian about Yassir Arafat, or, for that matter, Mahmoud Abbas. It is basically a tribal-ethnic conflict having nothing to do with "left" or "right." I'm old enough to remember when all Jews were suspected of being communists, and "right-wingers" wanted to know who let them into the best clubs.
Siarlys,
I hope that's my point. I to have had to fight because of my Jewish heritage. I have seen the hatred not only towards my own race but all races and hopefully I've stood up against that. In this case and after digging deep on both sides, I just don't, in my opinion see the anti-Semetism here. I do feel there is a nasty Anti-Israel feeling here, but again, that's my feelings. Thanks!
It is common knowledge as far as I'm concerned but in addition all the recent polls I know of show that there is much more support for Israel on the Right than on the Left. Here is one supporting source:
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/04/11/support_for_israel_runs_on_party_lines/
"But look at the disparity that emerges when those results are sorted by party affiliation. While support for Israel vs. the Palestinians has climbed to a stratospheric 85 percent among Republicans, the comparable figure for Democrats is an anemic 48 percent. (It was 60 percent for independents.) And behind Israel’s “Top 5’’ favorability rating lies a gaping partisan rift: 80 percent of Republicans — but just 53 percent of Democrats — have positive feelings about the world’s only Jewish country."
(It is interesting for someone who has so much to say to choose a name like Zug Gornisht)
.
Miggie, support for "Israel v. the Palestinians" is an entirely different matter from anti-Semitism, or even a "nasty anti-Israel feeling." I have never regretted rooting for Israel in 1967, against the invading armies of two national socialist regimes and a decrepit monarchy, but I am close to supporting a cut-off of all U.S. aid to Israel unless and until the Israeli government pulls all settlements out of the West Bank.
I would prefer to see Israel and the PA negotiate convenient and equitable land swaps, but as an American citizen, I am not interested in having our nation held hostage to just ANY foreign or military policy the Israeli government cares to adopt.
Israeli governments are smugly assuming they have a blank check, not matter what their actions, because a sufficient bloc of American politicians and voters is blindly committed to them. Maybe voters think they can continue to elect intransigent governments, on the assumption that "we don't have to negotiate, the U.S. will fund us anyway." I would like to break that smug assurance.
Sure, Israel is a sovereign nation. They can adopt any policy they want. They can also live with the consequences, not expect the rest of the world to pay the price for them.
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