Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is facing mounting criticism from pro-Palestine activists over his decision to attend an event on Tuesday honouring the legacy of late Israeli prime minister Yitzhak Rabin.
The memorial made headlines last month when activists successfully pressured Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, known as AOC, into withdrawing from the event.
American Muslims for Palestine (AMP), a leading Palestinian advocacy organisation, said in a statement earlier this week that they met with Ellison, who was elected as the first Muslim in Congress in 2007, to discuss their concerns over the event.
"Despite a lengthy discussion in which AMP presented the facts, Attorney General Keith Ellison is moving forward with participating in the memorial event," AMP said.
While he was running to chair the Democratic National Committee in 2016, Ellison publicly condemned the BDS movement. “I have long supported a two-state solution and a democratic and secure state for the Jewish people, with a democratic and viable Palestinian state side-by-side in peace and dignity,” Ellison said in a statement at the time. “I don’t believe boycotting, divesting and sanctioning Israel helps us achieve that goal.”
Ellison had been involved with Louis Farrakhan's Nation of Islam, he supported the one-sided Goldstone Report and he voted against giving Israel funding for defending itself from Hamas rockets, and in 2010 he said that American foreign policy is “governed” by Israeli interests. He's not exactly a pro-Israel politician.
But compared to the "Squad," he's positively a moderate.
At the APN event honoring Rabin, Ellison was reported to have called him a human rights abuser before he turned to peace.
On APN Rabin call, Keith Ellison says Rabin was involved in human rights abuses ("breaking the bones") but says "it's brave to fight and risk your life in defense of your country...but if you want to demonstrate true bravery you have to go to your people [and make peace]" pic.twitter.com/itufXF3j4G
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Rep. Keith Ellison (D), the vice
chairman of the Democratic National Committee says it is offensive that anyone
would ask him to denounce antisemitism, "I got to tell you it is frustrating to be pulled out and be in... and it’s like it’s your daily moment to denounce anti-Semitism. We denounce it. We absolutely denounce it. We think it is reprehensible, murderous, and genocidal. And it offends me that anyone would insist that I do it one more time."
Oh yeah. Completely offensive. After all, why should the man be repeatedly asked to denounce antisemitism, just because he was in the room with Louis Farrakhan a long time ago er, not so long ago. For instance at the private
dinner held by Farrakhan that Ellison attended back in 2013 (along with
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani). Not to mention that time
Ellison met with Farrakhan in the Nation of Islam leader’s hotel room for a
long chat, WAY back in 2016.
Of course, if you ask Ellison, he’ll lie
and say he hasn’t met with Farrakhan since 2006, when he first ran for
Congress.
Yes. Ellison has lied and been
caught at it, scrambling after the fact and calling his intimate talk with
Farrakhan in his hotel room, in 2016, a “chance
meeting.”
Just a "chance meeting" with Farrakhan, the guy who said things like, "Jews were
responsible for all of this filth and degenerate behavior that Hollywood is
putting out, turning men into women and women into men,” and “Let me tell you
something, when you want something in this world, the Jew holds the door.”
But what difference does it make what Farrakhan says? Words? They aren't a danger to anyone. Says Ellison:
"In Charlottesville last year they was marching through town yelling, ‘Jews will not replace us.’ Wasn’t no black people in that crowd.
"I gotta just say this to you. Any form of bigotry at all including antisemitism is going beyond the pale. But let’s keep in mind what is gonna kill somebody. Like what happened to Heather Heyer. Like the threats to synagogues."
Because expressions of antisemitism? Nope. That's not the start of anyone actually killing Jews. Right?
But we're not speaking of Hitler. We're speaking of the guy Ellison
termed a “role model” in columns he
wrote in the 80’s and 90’s, before he ever ran for public office (in 2006, around
the time he denounced the Nation of Islam, lather, rinse, repeat). Which tells you something about the
sincerity of Ellison’s denunciation of antisemitism. Because he's still hanging
with the guy, with Farrakhan. As late as in 2016.
Now what would you think of me if I hung out with Hitler in his hotel room, just by chance? Arafat? Bashar Assad? Stalin? Wouldn’t you question the nature of that meeting, that association? My character??
Of course you would. But if you question the association between Ellison and Farrakhan, it’s a smear. And Ellison? He is frustrated.
"It is frustrating to be pulled out and, it’s like your daily moment to denounce
antisemitism.”
The nerve of us. Asking the man to denounce antisemitism, again and again. Well, what does it actually matter
that Ellison had an intimate chat with the man in his hotel room, because Farrakhan
is irrelevant. Says Ellison.
“Look, I gotta be
honest with you and tell you, this thing about Farrakhan being absolutely
radioactive and then trying to connect anyone possible to him and then make them
radioactive, is. . . Look, Farrakhan’s organization is tiny, they don’t have
any influence, nobody listens to them, they don’t have any answers for anyone.
Nobody’s paying any attention to them. I’m telling you, they’re not. I mean, give
me credit for leading my life.
“Farrakhan is irrelevant. To any
politics. Nobody ca- - is he working on health care, is he working on anything?
Is anyone thinking oh yeah, I’m gonna be an antisemite like him. No one is
saying that. What I’m telling you is, the only way Farrakhan gets in the news
is if someone tries to say, oh this black person whose whole life is dedicated to human rights met him or saw him or was
in a room with him. It’s a smear, Man. I’m sorry, it is a smear.”
Irrelevant. Just as Hitler was an irrelevant house painter.
Until he wasn't.
Now not only are we smearing Ellison
and offending him by drawing attention to his association with Farrakhan, but
Farrakhan should moreover, according to Ellison, be given a pass for his
antisemitism.
Because slavery.
“Let me tell you, here’s the
truth of the matter, if we’re more interested in that: Farrakhan is known best
for things like the Million Man March, and fiery rhetoric condemning American racism.
He’s also well known for his antisemitic scapegoating of the Jewish community.
Because you’re talking about people who spent 250 years in slavery, another 100
hundred years in Jim Crow government sponsored segregation and it’s only been
around 16 years since anything else has been going on and we still have
disparities in every aspect of American life, the black community is
susceptible to a person who is going to stand up and say what’s happening to us
is wrong.”
Now THAT is interesting. Because Ellison
is essentially saying black people get a pass for anti-Jewish bigotry because
blacks were enslaved for 250 years followed by 100 years of Jim Crow.
Which is
funny.
Because the Jews spent 410 years in slavery, followed by close to 3000
years of persecution which includes the systematic murder of over 6 million of the Jewish people.
And yet in the 1960’s, the Jews were empathetic to the plight of black
Americans, helped to form the NAACP, and marched alongside black people in
Selma.
No. It’s not slavery or the
years of Jim Crow that give black people like Farrakhan a pass for his
antisemitism.
Actually, nothing does that.
And frankly, Ellison taking
offense at being accused of antisemitism, instead of owning up to it—to the
association with the antisemitic Nation of Islam, and its antisemitic leader
Farrakhan—is offensive.
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