The Center for American Progress is a liberal, Democrat think tank and advocacy group founded by ex-Clinton chief of staff John Podesta. Recently, it has come under fire for alleged anti-Semitic writings-specifically about American Jews that have been called "Israel-Firsters", an implication that these people put loyalty to Israel above loyalty to America. Jennifer Rubin writes in the Washington Post article below.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/uproar-over-anti-semitic-writings-reaches-the-white-house/2012/01/19/gIQAIKmNBQ_blog.html
To me, this is all part of the modern-day anti-Semitism directed against American Jews who support Israel, one of many old canards being resuscitated by the anti-Israel crowd and the far-left. First of all, not all Jews in the US support Israel. A few are actually working directly against Israel's interests, some openly like Jewish Voice for Peace, others dishonestly like that Milli Vanilli organization called J Street. Of the Jews I meet who support Israel, 100% of them are America-Firsters. Of course, I don't trust people like John Podesta and his fellow Clintonites as far as I can throw them. Podesta was a major part of a corrupt administration that attacked Clinton's critics with a vengeance-especially his female accusers. So I am hardly surprised this kind of language has surfaced.
Of course I don't trust knee-jerk hack writers like Jennifer Rubin as far as I can throw them...
ReplyDelete... but this sort of name-calling is not a very convincing masquerade for substantive debate.
Rubin does not attempt to disprove that some American Jewish voters do put Israel first in casting their ballots. In fact, it is obvious that some do. All Jews? Hardly -- some Jews, after all, are supporting the Olive Tree Initiative, and giving money to J Street. Enough to make American legislators and executives nervous about crossing Israeli government policy? Oh, definitely. Gary and Miggie constantly wave the threat that such voters will bring down the current administration.
Are there that many? Maybe not, but Rubin's ad hominem style is worthy of the way CAIR responds, when asked whether they are actually want to impose an Islamic emirate in North America. Don't factually refute the accusation accuse critic of anti-X (either Islamophobia or Anti-Semitism, depending on the speaker).