Monday, July 07, 2014
Book review: ‘Making David into Goliath’ by Joshua Muravchik - Israel and the left
Why did so many progressives abandon Israel and Zionism? That's the question Joshua Muravchik sets out to answer in "Making David Into Goliath: How the World Turned Against Israel." Part polemic, part intellectual history, this thoughtful and timely study explores Zionism's shifting position in the progressive imagination, "from a redemptive refuge from two thousand years of persecution to the very embodiment of white supremacy," as Mr. Muravchik puts it.The hidden racism of Gideon Levy
The author, a fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, recalls how during its first two decades of existence the Jewish state attracted sympathy from broad swaths of the Western left. That support reached its apogee during the Six Day War, when some 3,700 academics signed a letter in the New York Times calling on the U.S. to militarily intervene in the conflict—on Israel's side. At the height of the war, the cause of Israel's survival united Hannah Arendt, Lionel Trilling, Ralph Ellison, Martin Luther King, Pablo Picasso and Jean-Paul Sartre, among other progressive luminaries.
Yet 1967 would also prove to be a turning point. Around the same time, the Palestinians launched a war of ideas against Israel's legitimacy that persists to this day. Having redefined themselves as a nation separate from the Arabs, the Palestinians thenceforth articulated their struggle as one for national self-determination against a colonial power.
Gideon Levy is one of the most recognised voices of Haaretz newspaper, and as such he's much more recognised outside of Israel, since Haaretz and it's flagman Levy are so keen on making easy money from sensational, slanderous anti-Israeli fabrications, nobody inside of Israel bothers to read. From manipulating statistical data to meet his own worldview, to simply making up horror stories about the Israeli border police, Levy's lies have been revealed countless times by a variety of bodies and journalists. From his most recent pearls you have Israel "ordering" the kidnapping of the Judea and Samaria schoolboys (the Hebrew headline, in fact, states just that), all for provocation sake. Of course, nothing of the sort can be found in the actual article, because nothing of the sort ever took place. What can be found in abundance is only the typical blaming of Israel for the acts of filthy terrorists.Studying Muslim Anti-Semitism in America
Steven Baum is an Albuquerque-based clinical psychologist who has been in private practice for over 30 years. He developed an interest in the psychology of genocide and then focused on the psychology of anti-Semitism during the next decade. He has published numerous articles and books on anti-Semitism, genocide and hate, and is the founder and editor of the Journal for the Study of Anti-Semitism.Rep. Gohmert Criticizes Textbook's Failure to Label Hezbollah, Hamas Terrorist Organizations
“From the study, it became clear that the Muslims interviewed were more anti-Semitic than Christians in the United States and Canada. The average or mean test scores endorsing negative Jewish stereotypes – after statistically separating out anti-Israel sentiment items – were more than double those of North American Christians. When separating culture from religion, Arab Muslims came out as the most anti-Semitic. Arab Christians and Non-Arab Muslims from Bosnia and Pakistan were less so, yet still anti-Semitic. Mainstream North American Christians were not very anti-Semitic at all.
As TruthRevolt reported Wednesday, social studies textbooks currently being proposed for the Texas school system fail to label Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorist organizations.
Thursday Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R) told TruthRevolt he hoped that Texas would not adopt books promoting such “mis-education,” saying that truly educational texts should inform students of the reality of the dangers of terrorist groups, adding, “Only then will we have any chance of avoiding future mass attacks.”
"Hopefully, Texas will not adopt any textbook such as these that completely fails to educate students on which groups are terrorist organizations that actually want to kill them and destroy true liberty.
This type of mis-education would only set the students up for an incredulous shock when America gets hit with another 9-11 mass murder. Instead, true educating textbooks would make sure they knew substantially how eager the terrorist groups are to terrorize and kill innocent people like the students themselves. Only then will we have any chance of avoiding future mass attacks."
The new social studies textbooks and supplementary educational materials under consideration for adoption in 2015 will be used by 5 million students in the state. Due to its population, Texas is viewed by many states as the testing ground for educational materials.
Netanyahu visits gravesite of brother Yoni on anniversary of Entebbe raid
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu visited the gravesite of his brother, Yoni, on Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem on Friday on the 38th anniversary of the famous Entebbe rescue mission.Man beaten in Sweden for hanging Israeli flag
Yoni Netanyahu was the only Israeli soldier killed during the raid launched by special forces who successfully extricated over 100 Israeli and Jewish passengers of an Air France jet that was taken hostage by Palestinian and German terrorists.
Several unidentified men assaulted the 38-year-old man with metal bars after they hurled a stone at his window on Sunday evening, the Svenska Dagbladet daily reported Monday. The victim was not identified by name.Bay Area Anti-Israel rallies (and a bright ray of hope)
The man went downstairs after the stone hit the window, where a group of men caused him serious but not life-threatening injuries, according to Malmo Police spokesperson Linda Pleym.
“He was attacked, because of the flag,” she said.
Once again, we see disgusting hyperbole and invective in the promotion of an anti-Israel rally scheduled for Sacramento, on Monday July 7.Anti-Semitic BDS Activist Attacks 'Black Zionists'
Its no better in San Francisco, where jihadists proudly proclaim their desire for the destruction of the world's only Jewish state by promoting their demonstration "From the River to the Sea", to be held in front of the "Isra-hell" consulate.
Amal Ali, a student champion of the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, lashed out against "black Zionists" on Wednesday afternoon:Britain's Largest Trade Union Joins Israel Boycott
Ali made headlines recently for her targeting of Jewish student Avi Oved. Sources tell TruthRevolt that Ali "has a clear agenda" in her attack on Oved, noting that she created a divestment curriculum in February 2014. Her "Divestment 101" manual features multiple anti-Semitic allegations, attempting to call Israel an "apartheid state" and blatantly misrepresenting facts on the ground to allege "segregation." Ali also aligns herself with the radically anti-Semitic organization Students for Justice in Palestine, which is notorious for its bullying and harassment of Jewish students.
Britain's largest trade union has voted to boycott Israeli companies in a unanimous vote last Wednesday.The Truth optional World of the anti-Israel activist
The UNITE union adopted the anti-Israel motion at its first policy conference, calling "to vigorously promote a policy of divestment from Israeli companies." The motion added that such a boycott would be "similar to the boycott of South African goods during the era of apartheid" - representing an adoption of the rhetoric of the virulently anti-Israel BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) movement, which seeks to portray Israel as similar to apartheid South Africa.
It further called for a “campaigning and leverage strategy around BDS within the next 12 months against complicit companies involved in the occupation, the apartheid wall and the illegal settlements."
Interestingly, this truth-optional group has chosen to illustrate their action alert with a photo they purport as being an attack on a Palestinian youth from 2013,Robert Fisk plagued by hypocrisy in ugly smear of B’nai Brith Canada
Ummm. No.
Even though multiple people commenting on the post have explained to the moderators that the photo is from 2009, and portrays a Jewish youth, the language has not been changed, and photo remains and is used to promote the Tuesday protest.
We noted that Fisk’s facile logic suggested that since both groups (B’nai Brith and the Nazis) used the disease metaphor in some manner – albeit one to characterize Jews and another to characterize those who hate Jews – both are nonetheless guilty of using Nazi-style propaganda.More unchallenged Hamas propaganda on BBC World Service’s ‘Newshour’
Following our post, the Indy published a letter by Yiftah Curiel, Spokesperson for the Israel Embassy in London, which also demonstrates Fisk’s egregious hypocrisy in leveling such a charge:
Robert Fisk (30 June) is disgusted at the use by B’nei Brith Canada of terms such as “disease”, “contamination”, and “infection”, to describe the worrying phenomenon of anti-Semitism. He bemoans the fact that these terms were used by the Nazis against Jews.
Interestingly, Fisk has used the same terminology himself, referring to his wish “not to be contaminated by the war crimes of Israel’s pilots” (Voices, 20 November 2012), and when referring to Israel’s “cancerous threat of war” against Iran (24 November 2013).
The logic is as follows: a Jewish organisation is wrong to use terms used by the Nazis, while he, Fisk, is at liberty to use these very “Nazi” terms when discussing Israel.
As Israel was preparing for the funerals for the three murdered Israeli teenagers Naftali Frenkel, Gil-ad Sha’ar and Eyal Yifrach on the afternoon of July 1st, the BBC World Service Radio’s ‘Newshour’ programme saw fit to broadcast an interview with Isra Almodallal, described as “Director of Foreign Affairs at the Palestinian Government Information Office”.The latest popular blood libel against Israel
Readers may recall that the BBC Jerusalem Bureau’s Yolande Knell interviewed Ms Almodallal last November when she was appointed to the post of Hamas spokeswoman.
Earlier this week an Israeli friend sent an email asking how to respond to this article which claims that "one Palestinian child has been killed every 3 days by Israel for the past 13 years."***. This blood libel was prepared as a Palestinian propaganda defence mechanism in the aftermath of the murder of the Israeli schoolboys. Published in the "Middle East Monitor" (MEMO) it was widely tweeted by anti-Semites and Islamist supremacists but also by many who claim to 'support Israel but feel for the Palestinian suffering'; it was even included in the Jewish Chronicle in David Aaronovitch's half-page Editorial article (4 July). Rather than question the validity of the claim Aaronovitch actually accepted it and used it to support his ludicrous moral equivalence argument (Muslims kill kids but so do Jews and the fanatics on both sides are as bad as each other). So another blood libel becomes part of accepted anti-Israel folklore.When anti-Semites at the Guardian fall out
For the record, MEMO is run by Daud Abdullah who is affiliated with Hamas. He signed the Hamas Istanbul Declaration which calls on the 'Islamic Nation' to fight any 'foreign warship' attempting to block arms smuggling to Hamas. MEMO bases its reports on Hamas 'sources' and classifies any Palestinian under the age of 20 as a 'child' (including of course terrorists and other types of combatants) and classifies any Palestinian killed (no matter how) as having been killed by Israel even though most are killed by other Palestinians. It even includes Israeli Arabs killed by Palestinian terrorists. And, of course, the article ignores the fact that most Palestinian deaths occurred during what were effectively short bursts of war started by Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli civilians (when the Palestinians used civilians as human shields).
To put it in a different context, would anyone argue that the lower losses of British lives in WW II compared to German lives (leaving aside the horrendous losses suffered by the Russians and the massacres of others across Europe and North Africa inflicted by the Germans) represented a loss of moral stature by the British? Should more British soldiers and civilians have died to even the balance and allowed us to feel that indeed the British respected human life as much as the Nazis?Belgian-Jewish Leader: European Jews Must Brace for More Attacks
We were treated to another of Steve Bell’s anti-Semitic cartoons this week, intended to illustrate this theme. The three murdered Israeli boys are shown, in the eyes of – well, who?
The world? – to outweigh uncountable Palestinians killed in the conflict:
As bad as this cartoon is, for all the reasons above, especially appearing in the Guardian which makes it its mission to emphasize every Palestinian death, it led to a complaint by Martin Rowson. Rowson suggested that Bell had, in effect, plagiarized his “trope” from this even worse cartoon:
The head of Belgium’s 40,000-member Jewish community and vice president of the European Jewish Congress, Dr. Maurice Sosnowski, warned that European Jews should expect more attacks in the wake of the shooting at the Jewish museum in Brussels last month.Stupid Local Islamist Uses Picture Of Muslims Beating Jews To Illustrate Zionist Brutality
“I think that every Jewish community in the world today has to be prepared for such a kind of incident,” he told Haaretz. “From what I’ve heard from all sorts of experts on terrorism, this kind of event will happen probably five times in Europe over the next two years, so that means everyone has to be prepared.”
Zafar Bangash is perhaps Canada's most highly regarded moderate Muslim and a vicious anti-Semite, he also runs Crescent Magazine, an online sewer of Islamic moderation.IDF rescuers honored for role after AMIA Jewish Center attack
Muslims of Bangash's caliber lie with every breath they take which makes it a wonder they aren't more accomplished at it.
At right is a screen capture from their latest steaming pile. "JDL thugs turn violent against Canada's Palestine House". The article is a lie from start to finish, but you knew that.
And now the 64 Dollar Question; How stupid do you have to be to use a picture, one I took, of Palestine House Mohammedans beating a Jew, to illustrate a lie about Zionist Brutality?
The Israeli team that went to Buenos Aires 20 years ago to help in the search for life below the debris of the attacked AMIA Jewish Center building was recognized in Israel by AMIA authorities.High-level visitors boost Israel-China business ties
Roni Kaplan, director of the IDF spokesman’s Spanish office, explained that the special rescue unit was created in 1983, and has saved lives in Mexico, Lebanon, Armenia, and Kenya, and in Buenos Aires following the 1994 attack on the AMIA building.
“Our experience in Buenos Aires was different from any other, because of the collaborative work we did together with the local Jewish community,” said rescuer Shai Burstein. “More than one hundred youths joined us. The parents of these youths brought us hot food, kosher food.”
Following up on recent visits to Israel by large delegations from the Chinese government and business sectors, top Israeli economic and scientific officials are meeting with their opposite numbers from Beijing. The intense activity reflects the desire of both countries to deepen their cooperation in commerce and technology.Israel and Japan Sign Historic Industrial R&D Agreement
An inter-ministerial task force led by Israel’s National Economic Council along with a team from the Israeli Ministry of Economy headed by Chief Scientist Avi Hasson is meeting with Chinese counterparts from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to develop concrete plans to build on an already successful model.
Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry arrived in Israel on Sunday to sign an Industrial R&D (Research and Development) Collaboration Agreement with Israel, making the Jewish state the first country Japan has signed such an agreement with.A host of options at the Jerusalem film festival
Toshimitsu Motegi, the Japanese minister, met with Economics Minister Naftali Bennett while accompanied by a delegation of Japanese industrialists, as well senior representatives of Japan's Ministry of Economics, Trade and Industry, the body responsible for Japanese industry, industrial R&D and cyber technology.
The new landmark agreement paves the way for reciprocal support in joint industrial R&D projects between Israeli and Japanese companies and organizations. During the visit, the delegation is also to join a seminar on opportunities for cooperation organized by both countries.
In an effort to highlight the Israeli filmmaking industry, Regev and the festival staff have included all the Israeli films that won prizes in recent international festivals, including “Gett,” a recent film by Shlomi and Ronit Elkabetz, “Boreg,” by Shira Geffen, and “The Kindergarten Teacher” by Nadiv Lapid.Secular Jordan Valley Town Opens First Synagogue
This year, the festival will feature 200 films from 50 countries, with a mix of genres, from romantic comedies and animated films to movies about movies, human rights, Judaism, families and relationships. There will be films screened in the Old City with Arabic subtitles and films shown outdoors in the city’s First Station complex.
More than 20 international journalists will be attending the festival, along with American directors Spike Jonze and David Mamet, Austrian director Ulrich Seidl, South Korean director Park Chan-wook and German actress Martina Gedeck. Screen International Magazine will also be offering daily coverage of the festival.
The secular town of Ro'i in the Jordan Valley has chosen a unique way to mark its 37th birthday: by building its first synagogue.French Jews Reenact 1947 'Illegal' Aliyah to Israel by Boat
With the help of the Ayelet HaShachar organization, the synagogue was up and running this past Friday, just in time for the first Sabbath of its 38th year. It was dedicated to the memory of the three murdered youths Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Sha'ar, and Naftali Frenkel.
The Ayelet HaShachar outreach body specializes in building first-synagogues in towns throughout Israel, and has done so many times over the past decade.
Over 800 French Jewish students are currently taking part in an educational program to strengthen their ties to Israel by reenacting the dramatic voyage of Hatikva, a ship carrying 1,414 Jews who tried to enter Israel in 1947 that was turned away by the British.Youth Set to Sea to Learn about Pre-State Immigration to Israel
The project, an initiative of the Jewish Agency for Israel, the World Zionist Organization (WZO) and the Office of Immigration and Absorption, was organized by The Israel Experience, which aims to bring over 6,000 French students to Israel over the course of the year to learn more about the country.
Amos Hermon, CEO of The Israel Experience, spoke to Arutz Sheva about the project and its goals to educate French Jewry about aliyah at the founding of the modern Jewish state, and to thereby connect them to Israel.
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