EXCELLENT
When I read Alan Dershowitz, I sometimes feel like printing his face on the side of a milk carton and hoping someone will recognize him. Maybe that way he might be found and restored to his proper home. As I’ve written before, in such books as The Case for Israel, The Case for Peace and The Case Against Israel’s Enemies, Dershowitz does yeoman service on behalf of the beleaguered and universally misprised Jewish state, establishing the country’s historical and juridical rights to existence. And yet, when it comes to the international figure who may well be the most serious threat to Israel’s well-being and perhaps even to its survival—by whom I mean not Mahmoud Ahmadinejad but Barack Obama—Dershowitz’s pen tilts to the “sinister” side of the page as he no doubt meditates his still unwritten The Case for Obama.
For example, in a recent essay exposing the lies and bigotry—indeed, the not-so-latent anti-Semitism of the Reverend Desmond Tutu—Dershowitz concludes by scrubbing clean the image of the American president. “I am confident,” he writes, “that President Obama was not aware of Tutu’s sordid history of anti-Jewish rhetoric and actions when he awarded him the Medal of Freedom.” This is pure nonsense. Obama surely has a team of researchers, advisers and vetters, trained to implement careful procedures of assessment, who would have made him intimately aware of Tutu’s unforgiveable ignominy and malevolence. After all, it’s not as if Tutu’s “anti-Jewish rhetoric and actions” are a closely guarded secret. A Google half-minute would have sufficed to reveal Tutu for who he is.
Further, Dershowitz must know that Obama also awarded the now much-tarnished Medal to Mary Robinson at the same time as Tutu. Robinson, of course, was one of the chief instigators of the Durban I conference on racism which quickly descended into a torrent of anti-Jewish and anti-Zionist hatred, in which Israel was accused of being a practicing apartheid state and anyone visibly Jewish on the conference premises had to worry about personal safety. She also used her tenure as president of Ireland and as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to denigrate the West and cashier Israeli rights. Robinson’s deep prejudice is perhaps even better known than Tutu’s, but the two of them make a heraldic couple, a marriage consummated in anti-Semitic heaven. By affecting to ignore so stark a violation of common decency as awarding high honors to the patently undeserving, Dershowitz once again slides behind the wheel of the president’s getaway car.
Obama has much to answer for but Dershowitz isn’t asking any probing questions. Obama’s duplicitous and historically inaccurate Cairo Address, in which among its many blunders and falsifications, we learn that Israel owes its inception primarily to the Holocaust, went right by him. “I think the Cairo speech could have been better,” was Dershowitz’s lame reaction. Obama’s reneging on the settlement consensus worked out between Israel and the former American administration does not seem to trouble the learned scholar. Obama’s appointment of anti-Zionist figures, such as Susan Rice and Samantha Power, to positions of importance seems a matter of no interest. Obama’s friendships with clearly anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli agitators, like pastor Jeremiah Wright, former PLO spokesman Rashid Khalidi and unrepentant terrorist Bill Ayers has not the slightest effect on Dershowitz’s loyalty to a president who espouses precisely what Dershowitz clearly deplores. As far as I know, Obama’s churlish and unprecedented treatment of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew not a disapproving peep from this great advocate of the Jewish state. Dershowitz does not so much as notice what National Post columnist George Jonas called “the malodorous miasma of gall, social engineering zeal, anti-Semitism and Arabist agenda that emanates from the Obama administration.”
CONTINUE
Yeah, like when you told me that America is not pressuring Israel on the Eastern part of Jerusalem? That was a good one. Go pedal your wares elsewhere, your doing more damage than good to your cause here.
I’m not lobbying for anything – I plainly told you that you’ve ruined this blog with your constant BS. I plainly told you to mind your own damn business and do something in your neck of the woods rather than ours.
As far as your christian beliefs go – How many people have told you that this is a Jewish / Israeli blog, yet you continue to pound your beliefs whenever we raise ours. You don’t give a shit – you’re like one of those damned missionaries that just doesn’t know when to give up. Your view is never going to be accepted here – get over it.
If so why are you lobbying for me to leave this forum? Besides, 99% of the comments on Israpundit are not by me so I haven’t taken over anything. Ted even moderates my comments to protect you wussies from me.
The big difference is that you finally have someone who is a REAL supporter of Israel who can challenge your crap and point out when your ideas would harm Israel.
Doesn’t sound like someone who can handle himself in a civil discussion based on facts and not fantastic myths about the US trying to harm Israel and what God said about one thing or another as if God plays favorites with his creations. We KNOW HE allows the people he created – and he created everyone, not just Jews – to be vile and stupid as well as good and loving people.
If you don’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah that the prophets had foretold, fine. That’s your belief just as you believe every word in the Tanakh as if it were written directly by God. The Christian belief is that Jesus was the Son of God foretold by the prophets, and this is no more or less credible that anything you believe. We will all find out who was right soon enough.
Therefore, if you choose to insult my Christian beliefs don’t expect me to sit still about it.
I can handle a Xtian opinion just fine – it just that YOURS has taken over this forum.You crap all over this forum constantly and have ruined it.
Mind your own damn business. Fix your country – we’ll fix ours.
Can’t handle a Christian opinion, eh? Reminds me that your ancestors couldn’t handle Jesus back in the day either and tried to shut HIM up:-)) That love and forgiveness trumps the hate, vengeance and bigotry every time.
Thank Allah most Jews I know are not like you and your ilk.
The last time I checked, Bibi was not looking for your consent.
Oy, veh! Do I have to explain everything to you? The security of Israel is not the highest priority of American Catholics. It should be the highest priority of American Jews, yet 78% of them voted for Obama.
Nice of you to notice. Now go spend your time on a Catholic forum and make a much bigger difference than you ever could here.
Not everybody in the government, besides the government runs by consent of the governed – not the other way around.
What does this have to do with Catholics voting for O? Nothing, thats what. Take care of your own screwed up country – we’ll deal with ours.
Unfortunately, this is one of your orgasmic fantasies. The Israeli government disagrees with you radicals.
Because a) this is a Jewish forum, and b) it is a fact that 78% of American Jews voted for Imam Obama in spite of knowing that he was mentored for decades by some of the most anti-Semitic and anti-American radicals in America.
The difference is that the Catholics are Americans and do not consider themselves faux-Israelis, as the American Jews do for the most part. This is why any Jew voting for an anti-Semite is so egregious.
AE gets his panties in a wad because we don’t want Israel to become America. Our interests are not your interest AE – why don’t you go work on the tens of millions of Catholics that voted for Obummer rather than the 3.5 million Jews that voted for him? After all, you’re Catholic – surely YOU have some influence with them.
Based on your responses, apparently not.
Steven Shamrak was right.
So, what happened from when the Jews were dispersed millenia ago until 1947?
As a Christian I understand that Jesus taught love of God and of one’s neighbor. What kind of Christian are you?
If you google Solway, you might find out that he used to be an extreme commie-now he has swung in the opposite direction. I am very suspicious of converts. They are usually more Catholic than the Pope. Sorry for the mixed metaphors- the devil made me do it.
A/E, your comments are not worthy of addressing however since your arrival on Israpundit you claimed to be a supporter of Israel and the Jewish people but as time went on you began to reflect a different agenda.
By the way G-d didn’t forget, it’s not His nature. If you are the Christian you claim to be you would understand. His reason and will is beyond your scope.
What kind of question is this? The fact is that Israel needs help, and gets it from everyone other than Yamit who works so har at demonizing any non-Jew who supports Israel. Even the US needs allies. Besides, the last time I checked, Israel is a democracy that makes its own decisions on how to live and run their own country, as much as some would like to deflect blame to someone else.
Don’t blame Israel – the NY Times Jews are among the 78% of American Jews who voted for Imam Obama, the most anti-Semitic and anti-American president in US history. You need to work harder on these delusional morons in 2012. They seem more interested in mindless statism and abortion rights than the security of Israel.
Steven Shamrak was right.
Ron wants Israel to be like Gaza, only with yarmulkes on.
BTW, Ron, did God do so 2000 years ago or in 1947? Did HE forget in between?
Does anyone give a heap of bovine excrement what Yamit needs? The real issue is what Israel needs and it needs all the help it can get. Yamit works so hard at demonizing every non-Jew who supports Israel, which makes Khaled Meshaal very happy, I’m sure. Fortunately, most of us have figured him out and can thus make sure everyone knows he has his own agenda which doesn’t help Israel.
Ain’t gonna happen, Ted. Dershowitz’s priorities put liberalism ahead of Israel’s security.
Alan Dershowitz is the Jewish genius who voted for Imam Obama on the grounds that the Imam was a strong supporter of Israel and would convince more American Jewish liberals to support Israel, because most American conservative and independants already did. I’m not kidding. Dershowitz wrote this in the New York Times in 2008. That shows you how smart [NOT!] Dershowitz is. How could anyone with more than half a brain hypothesize that Imam Obama was a strong supporter of Israel?
Dershowitz’s support for Israel, and that of the liberal American Jews, takes a back seat to their support for the liberal statism that Imam Obama represents. You will never hear Dershowtiz admit this, but it is obvious from his actions and his lame excuses whenever Imam Obama and liberal issues come up. Here are some examples:
This is a bald faced lie.
Another brazen lie.
In addition, but not mentioned by David Solvay is that EVERYONE with more than half a brain, including Alan Dershowitz, knew about Imam Obama’s anti-Semitic and anti-American mentors since his childhood, Frank Marshall, Rashid Khalidi, Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan, well before the 2008 election where Dershowitz and 78% of liberal American Jews still voted for Imam Obama.
Yamit, I can only imagine your frustration. Why should Israel with all of its genius have to depend on anyone to tell Israelis how to live and run their own country? These days it seems that there are outside forces that call themselves pro-Israeli and are really undermining Israel’s existence. My problem as an American who is very pro-Israel and tries to capture the facts to present them to most of my NY Times fellow Jews, is that Israel doesn’t seem to believe in itself. It accepts the unacceptable and apologizes too much. I wish Israel was stronger in its display of its right to defend itself, its desire for the Red Cross to get information about Gilad Shalit. That somehow it would ask the world to be accountable so all the agencies would at least have to be on record of what they say and do. Maybe if Israel would “get its act together” as an independent, its strength would be more evident. I know that there are so many different opinions in Israel, but it seems that the right to self-defense should be obvious to all. Is something eating away at Israel from within? Am I just naive or remember too much from the early founding of Israel?
I am sad that people like Dershowitz cannot and could not see where Obama was coming from. I could.. He went to Rev Wright’s church for 20 years and associated with people who hate Israel. It was enough for me. But, I had to almost keep it to myself as no one would hear me.
Thanks everyone for all your comments. It helps me stay focused on what I think is really important and what I feel I can do in my small part.
I think your pique towards me has more to do with Solway than Dershowitz. You have been as if not more critical of him than I have in the past.
I think Melanie Phillips among others would not disagree with me with re: Dershowitz. Personally I never liked or respected him but that did not influence the opinion I made above. If Dershowitz wants to support Israel and if he can influence others why would I object to that? Solway doesn’t take him to task over Israel he takes him to task over his unfathomable support for Obama. So his disappointment with Dershowitz is along narrow political planes. It’s really about Obama. I don’t recall any of you criticizing Bush and asking why Dershowitz and American liberals why they didn’t vote for or support him? Bush was bad for America and Israel and Clinton was bad for America and Israel. Their records speak for themselves.
You had better hope that Obama continues his current trends because if he moves to the political center and shows improvement in the economy coupled with Republicans and especially conservative major spending cuts while blocking Obama’s legislative initiatives, I don’t care who the Republicans run, they will lose. 53 million Americans receive some form of government assistance. Cutting their entitlement and social benefits may be the necessary and correct thing to do but who ever does it is committing political suicide.
Israel has fared if you can call it that much better under past Democratic administrations than with Republican ones. True that was till Obama and who can say what will be in the future but for those like me who is neither Democrat or Republican not liberal or conservative I don’t get as exited over American politics as you seem to and you’re Canadian.
The independence you claim I wear on my sleeve is the recognition that Israel and the people of Israel must come to the reality that in the final analysis we can only really depend on ourselves and it is not only dangerous but potentially suicidal for us to believe or count on others. There is a difference psychologically. I’m betting that an Israel facing the reality that we are alone and that no-one will be our guarantor, that Israel will replicate the Israel pf our past That Israel who won against all rational odds in 48 and 67 and showed our mettle at Entebe. I’m betting that if that mindset sinks in, it will harden us, toughen us and force us to make decisions accordingly, decisions that we haven’t till now for fear of what might be negative consequences. Israel stood alone in 48 and in 67. Can again if there is no other choice.
You confuse my meanings, I hope not deliberately.
I have never advocated the rejection of support from anyone or any body. Christians who want to support Israel welcome, Support. Lobby all administrations for any policy we can agree on that is in Israels interests. Christians want to make Pilgrimages to the Holy Land,welcome we need the business.
All my reservations re: Support from these groups is in the nitty gritty details. Like I oppose those same Christian Zionist Groups who under the fig leaf of support, aid the Aliyah of tens of thousands of Christian Ethiopians and Christian or non Jewish Slavs from FSR, support them financially convert them and use them to missionize other Jewish Ethiopians and Jewish Russian immigrants. I oppose them supporting social programs that are the the purview and responsibility of the Government of Israel. They make those groups dependent upon Christian aid and the payment is always demanded later with threats of withholding funds. These are but a few examples, the list is long and wide.
BB? Since he is the only one out there he automatically is the popular choice in the polling. Yes I have to work with what I got and with BB I have no choice at the moment but that doesn’t change my opinion of him.
blockquote>If Bibi isn’t far enough to the right for you, live with it, because he is preventing Livni from replacing him.
Here again you pose the tired labeling of right left centrist. You never define your terms though. I prefer the definition of Those who believe in no appeasement and concessions to any enemy who at best want me removed from the Land of Israel and at worst wants me dead. You call that right wing and I call it sanity.
BTW I would rather see Livni as Pm than BB. All of the forces to the right of Livni could unite in opposition preventing most of her negative options. In any case what is the difference between BB and livni except honesty. Lieberman and Shas are the only forces that have prevented BB from doing exactly what Livni would do but BB divides the right allowing His continuation in office.
My future compromise would be electing a replacement to BB with the knowledge he will not meet my ideological criteria but as you say go with what we have. First thing first: Replace BB first.
If you disagree with that characterization show by any previous example that compromise and giving up lands to our enemies has been positive in any construct to Israels good and benefit?
If I am as I believe correct then anyone who oppose that position is a radical extremist.
I probably should not be commenting as I know very little of Israeli politics and how it works.
I know or believe one thing for sure, regardless of what is said by outsiders to the effect Israel should be like America, I disagree.
A secular and multi-national Israel is definitely not the answer.
Israel is a Jewish Nation let no one forget it, least of who are Israelis.
G-d assembled the Jewish people to Israel for a reason and I don’t believe it had to do with secularism.
Once the Israelis understand this and become united I am sure they will elect a strong Jewish leader who will defend and protect the Holy Land, the land rightfully theirs.
Yamit: “I don’t need either!”
What the hell is wrong with you. Your desire to wear your independence on your sleve, makes you stupid. How don’t need Dershowitz, American Jews, Christian Zionists, America, and Bibi among others.
Solway is right. Dershowitz is influential and important. So are the Christian Zionists and Bibi. Who have you got to replace them. Name me a person on the right that you believe can replace Bibi. Who else has as much support as him.
We have to work with what we’ve got and make the best of it. If Bibi isn’t far enough to the right for you, live with it, because he is preventing Livni from replacing him.
Dershowitz is important because he would set an example were he to return home. Liberals respect him.
You don’t fool me, Yamit.
I know that deep down inside, you want to see Dershowitz flashmob dancing on a Tel Aviv beach.
Who cares whether Dershowitz Thinks this or that? Whether Dershowitz rejects his ideology in so far as Obama is concerned or not? He is who he is and we are who we are. What makes him so important that all the Jewish pseudo intellectuals place such coin of an aging liberal leftist That made a name for himself defending and aiding antisemites and notorious murderers. Even his pro Israel positions are nuanced and restricted to an Israel on probation (conditional) based on his leftist liberal ideological beliefs. He may hold to Obama right or wrong and America right or wrong but never an Israel right or wrong. His Israel must conform to what Dershowitz says it should be or his support might be withdrawn. He is like most Israel supporters in America especially the Jewish few who still claim to support Israel A conditional Supporter or My way or the highway kind of supporter.
Apparently Solway and many like him need the stamp of approval from their idealized Jewish Guru. They need the Dershowitz’s to join them body and soul to reinforce unpopular political and social positions so that the groups they elevate will accept them. The Solways need the Dershowtiz’s stamp of Kashrut but Dershowitz doesn’t need them.
I don’t need either!