It was sponsored by an assortment of leftist Israeli and non-Israeli organizations, many of which claim to be fervently Zionist.
As can be expected, the speakers ranged from the liberal to the loony Israeli Left and PA. Unhinged self-hating Haaretz columnists like Amira Hass and Gideon Levy were featured.
Roger Waters, the washed-up former member of an influential 1970s band, attended and was treated like, well, a rock star. Why would someone who actively boycotts Israel appear at a conference sponsored by an Israeli newspaper? The reason is obvious.
The most emblematic event that occurred at the conference was when Saeb Erekat, the PA's liar-in-chief, appeared.
Erekat refused to ascend to the stage if an Israeli flag was visible at a conference that is about Israel. So HaaretzQ organizers obediently removed the flag so they could bask in the presence of someone who can't stand Israel.
This was not mentioned by Haaretz in its own coverage of the event.
Another anecdote from the conference was that Ayman Odeh, who is revered by the Israeli Left as a man of peace and tolerance, appeared for his speech.
MK Ayman Odeh gets the biggest standing ovation of the day, he's the official rock star of #HaaretzQ
— Allison K. Sommer (@AllisonKSommer) December 13, 2015
Unlike Haaretz, Odeh has pride - he refused last week to speak to a major American Jewish organization because it shares an office building with the Jewish Agency, a Zionist organization that he regards as racist even though it helps Arabs as well.Which sums it up nicely. Arabs who hate Israel have pride in their hate, and Haaretz and its fans care more about respecting Arab hate than about their own country. They cannot tolerate Israel, but they have nothing but tolerance for Arab intolerance.
Haaretz, the New Israel Fund, J-Street and the other sponsors who claim to be Zionist showed that their pride in Israel is non-existent and that their opinions are as far from the Israeli mainstream as possible.
No wonder then that President Obama, who addressed the conference remotely, said that he relies on this island of self-hate for his views about Israel.
