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How Jewish Editorials Are Responding To A Week Of Bigotry

by Danny Groner | 11:04 am, March 4th, 2011

» 43 comments

“What a week this has been for bigotry,” remarked Judith Timson in The Globe and Mail. Dior designer John Galliano lost his job after video came out of him making anti-Semitic comments. Then there was Julian Assange’s claim that a group of Jewish journalists was out to get him. And Glenn Beck compared Reform Judaism to “radicalized Islam.” But the highest-profile case of it came amid revelations that Charlie Sheen called his manager a “stoopid Jew pig” and referred publicly to his boss Chuck Lorre as “Chaim Levine.” Lots of reporters noted what appeared to be a rise in these incidents in recent days, leaving some concerned about a changing attitude toward Jews. Is this a legitimate worry? Writers for Jewish publications weigh in:

We don’t tolerate anti-Semitism: The Galliano incident proves “that anti-Semitism in the 21st century, despite what certain august bodies such as the Anti-Defamation League tell us, is simply unfashionable,” says Haaretz‘s Anshel Pfeffer. “Nowadays, being accused of anti-Semitism is such a liability” that even the pope this week reportedly cleared the Jews in the death of Jesus. “And if anti-Semitism has the pope running scared, I think that means something.”

But it’s still real: Offenders always apologize, says a JWeekly.com editorial, “but the vicious trash talk and bad behavior never seems to stop.” How can we get rid of it once and for all? “Why do these ignorant celebrities, like Mel Gibson before them, so easily give voice to simmering Jew hatred? Why is it that the virus of anti-Semitism continues to proliferate, despite all the many lessons of history?”

Stupidity isn’t always anti-Semitism: People say “stupid” things from time to time, and to “point the finger of the Jewish establishment and call Sheen anti-Semitic cheapens the weight of an ADL statement,” says a Jewish Chronicle editorial. Ever mindful of being treated as outsiders, “Jews must be wary not to label every criticism, awkward comparison or stupid remark as anti-Semitic.” If we “save that scarlet letter for when it’s truly deserved,” then “the world will pay more attention” when it should. “Toss it out to every Charlie Sheen-type who opens his mouth, and its power quickly fades.”

Let’s set a better example: “If there’s anything salutory about this parade of stories, it’s the rapid, direct way bad behavior is confronted,” says an editorial in The Jewish Daily Forward. Pretty much all of the offenders have suffered from their statements. Still, I wonder “what kind of culture do we live in when supposedly accomplished people who skillfully perform on the world stage — designing, acting, leaking information and, yes, even reporting — hold such nasty thoughts and feel free to express them?” We’ve seemingly lost our commitment to “good manners and civil discourse,” and we must quickly “excise it from public discourse.”

Anshel Pfeffer, Anti-Defamation League, Charlie Sheen, Chuck Lorre, Dior, Glenn Beck, Haaretz, Islam, John Galliano, Judith Timson, Julian Assange, Jweekly.com, Mel Gibson, pope, The Globe and Mail, The Jewish Daily Forward, Two And A Half Men, Wikileaks

More Liberty4

Mean while, there are record deficits/ debt and decade long wars going on.
Sean68

Jews are less than 2% of the US population and yet control major aspects of our civilization. If they want us to pretend like it’s not true or that this occurs at random and that their influence is at best good and at worst benign, then they think we goys are even dumber than we are.

It is impossible to mention jews in print, either favorably or unfavorably, without getting into trouble.

–George Orwell
skyfet

More Liberty4 said:
Mean while, there are record deficits/ debt and decade long wars going on.

So that’s an excuse for bigotry.

Well done.
skyfet

Sean68 said:
Jews are less than 2% of the US population and yet control major aspects of our civilization. If they want us to pretend like it’s not true or that this occurs at random and that their influence is at best good and at worst benign, then they think we goys are even dumber than we are.

It is impossible to mention jews in print, either favorably or unfavorably, without getting into trouble.

–George Orwell

Orwell was talking about England, in the 40′s.
Latin2

Don’t forget Barack Obama’s church “Lifetime Achievement” award winner, Louis Farrakhan saying that Jews want the USA to go to war this week.

Which apparently the Liberal MSM has not made the connection.
Sean68

My point is that it’s as true now as it was then. I came across that Orwell quote in an essay written by Gore Vidal, who was making the same point, 25 years ago: True in the 30s; true in the 80s; true now.
Sean68

Latin2 said:
Don’t forget Barack Obama’s church “Lifetime Achievement” award winner, Louis Farrakhan saying that Jews want the USA to go to war this week. Which apparently the Liberal MSM has not made the connection.

And ask yourself why jews would be so tolerant of these strange Obama relationships? Think they’d be as forgiving if it was, say, Tom Tancredo who was buddies with some right-wing nazi? The point is that jews know that they can’t waste the antisemite-card on blacks and stupid celebrities.
justanotherconservative

too bad, so sad. this is getting as boring as the race card. the anti semitic card. yawn.
THE REAL ROYAL KING

I guess O’Beckerhead’s anti-Semitic attack was last week?
OxyCon

There sure seems to be alot of anti-Semitism these days. It also seems to be quite acceptable in many Leftist circles.
Color Me Badd

Sean68 said:
Jews are less than 2% of the US population and yet control major aspects of our civilization. If they want us to pretend like it’s not true or that this occurs at random and that their influence is at best good and at worst benign, then they think we goys are even dumber than we are.

It is impossible to mention jews in print, either favorably or unfavorably, without getting into trouble.

–George Orwell

So true.
writer

We should only focus on Glenn Beck. Rev. Wright, the Nation of Islam and others should never be mentioned.
THE REAL ROYAL KING

OxyCon said:
There sure seems to be alot of anti-Semitism these days. It also seems to be quite acceptable in many Leftist circles.

Beck is a leftist? I had no idea.
writer

Rev. Wright and Louie are right wingers.
HKGuy

People like Orwell were making the point that Jews are influential because they are studious, industrious, family-oriented and value hard work. It’s weird that anti-Semites think there’s some kind of weird international conspiracy instead of, you know, looking in the mirror and wondering what THEY might be doing wrong.
Sean68

HKGuy said:
People like Orwell were making the point that Jews are influential because they are studious, industrious, family-oriented and value hard work. It’s weird that anti-Semites think there’s some kind of weird international conspiracy instead of, you know, looking in the mirror and wondering what THEY might be doing wrong.

That most assuredly was NOT Orwell’s point; nor Vidal’s.
ImNotBlue

Sean68 said:
Jews are less than 2% of the US population and yet control major aspects of our civilization. If they want us to pretend like it’s not true or that this occurs at random and that their influence is at best good and at worst benign, then they think we goys are even dumber than we are. It is impossible to mention jews in print, either favorably or unfavorably, without getting into trouble. –George Orwell

Sean68 said:
My point is that it’s as true now as it was then. I came across that Orwell quote in an essay written by Gore Vidal, who was making the same point, 25 years ago: True in the 30s; true in the 80s; true now.

So why do you think that is? Do you think Jews hold a dangerous or threatening position in society? That seems to be one of the points of Orwell’s comment… do you reflect that view?

______________

THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
Beck is a leftist? I had no idea.

You know, it pains me to bring it up again… but I’m really hoping to get an answer from you, Royal.

http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-cops-as-shields/comment-page-2/#comment-350861
writer

While the left is all too eager to jump on every word Beck says, people such as Wright and Farrakhan are openly anti-Semitic and the left ignores it. I don’t get it.
Sean68

ImNotBlue said:
So why do you think that is? Do you think Jews hold a dangerous or threatening position in society? That seems to be one of the points of Orwell’s comment… do you reflect that view? ______________ You know, it pains me to bring it up again… but I’m really hoping to get an answer from you, Royal. http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-cops-as-shields/comment-page-2/#comment-350861

I think that jews have a disproportionate influence on our culture–both positive and negative, but that the negative is really, really negative.
http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

We don’t tolerate anti-Semitism: The Galliano incident proves “that anti-Semitism in the 21st century, despite what certain august bodies such as the Anti-Defamation League tell us, is simply unfashionable,” says Haaretz’s Anshel Pfeffer. “Nowadays, being accused of anti-Semitism is such a liability”
———————————-
LOL!

Yea, it’s doing wonders on the Arab Street!
- as well as in the precincts of the Progressive Left in this country!

LOL!
ImNotBlue

Sean68 said:
I think that jews have a disproportionate influence on our culture–both positive and negative, but that the negative is really, really negative.

Like what, for example?

And why do you think it’s so disproportionate?
AndyZNYer

to Sean68 and all of you fools who believe the is a Jewish cabal, there are antecedents to the Jews place in Western societies like Banking, Science, Diamonds and the Entertainment Industry.

Jews were prohibited from owning land and many other occupations throughout history and and in many cases were forced into the only businesses the governements permitted them, like Usury (since it was “un-Christian” to lend money).

Over the (literally) thousands of years Jews have been persecuted, natural selection has proven that those that were better at providing and surviving produced more offspring. Because of the intellectual nature of the areas Jews were pushed into (and the intellectual nature of Judaism, given there is no central authority and to learn Torah and the varying comments by Rabbis is a skill held in esteem since there is no Pope or “Head of the Church” there is nobody to “enforce” beliefs), Jews, on average, better adept. That is not to say that every Jew is “X” or that someone who is not Jewish is not adept.

As far as the movie business is concerned, don’t forget that when the industry was in its infancy, it was looked on as pornography and nobody wanted to do it, except immigrants who only recently found the freedom to pursue their own businesses.

There are also way more Jews that have won prizes (like the Nobel, the Pulitzer, Olympic Medals) than could be naturally attributed to statistics given the Jewish population of the world…how to explain that? All cabals?

What about the question of how many places in the world is it still illegal to practice Judaism? Certainly not as many as other religions. The official textbooks of many Arab countries still teach (literally) that Jews are descended from Monkeys and Donkeys and are a different race than the rest of humanity.

And, btw, specifically with regard to Orwell, a brief google’ing brought up the following…

“Writing in the spring of 1945 a long essay titled ‘Antisemitism in Britain’, for the Contemporary Jewish Record, Orwell stated that anti-Semitism was on the increase in Britain, and that it was ‘irrational and will not yield to arguments.’ He argued that it would be useful to discover why anti-Semites could “swallow such absurdities on one particular subject while remaining sane on others.”[1] He wrote: ‘For quite six years the English admirers of Hitler contrived not to learn of the existence of Dachau and Buchenwald. … Many English people have heard almost nothing about the extermination of German and Polish Jews during the present war. Their own anti-Semitism has caused this vast crime to bounce off their consciousness.’[2] In Nineteen Eighty-Four, written shortly after the war, Orwell portrayed the Party as enlisting anti-Semitic passions against their enemy, Goldstein.”

1. “Antisemitism in Britain”, in As I Please: 1943–1945, pp 332–341.
2. “Notes on Nationalism”, 1945
http://rtcportraitsandmore.com Tcopper

Is it alright to teach Jewish children that Hitler was a great man? If not, how come they teach black American children that some slave owners were great men?
http://rtcportraitsandmore.com Tcopper

justanotherconservative said:
too bad, so sad. this is getting as boring as the race card. the anti semitic card. yawn.

The race card is only one card out of 52 from the racist deck that was created by a large sum of white Americans.
Sean68

AndyZNYer said:
to Sean68 and all of you fools who believe the is a Jewish cabal, there are antecedents to the Jews place in Western societies like Banking, Science, Diamonds and the Entertainment Industry. Jews were prohibited from owning land and many other occupations throughout history and and in many cases were forced into the only businesses the governements permitted them, like Usury (since it was “un-Christian” to lend money). Over the (literally) thousands of years Jews have been persecuted, natural selection has proven that those that were better at providing and surviving produced more offspring. Because of the intellectual nature of the areas Jews were pushed into (and the intellectual nature of Judaism, given there is no central authority and to learn Torah and the varying comments by Rabbis is a skill held in esteem since there is no Pope or “Head of the Church” there is nobody to “enforce” beliefs), Jews, on average, better adept. That is not to say that every Jew is “X” or that someone who is not Jewish is not adept. As far as the movie business is concerned, don’t forget that when the industry was in its infancy, it was looked on as pornography and nobody wanted to do it, except immigrants who only recently found the freedom to pursue their own businesses. There are also way more Jews that have won prizes (like the Nobel, the Pulitzer, Olympic Medals) than could be naturally attributed to statistics given the Jewish population of the world…how to explain that? All cabals? What about the question of how many places in the world is it still illegal to practice Judaism? Certainly not as many as other religions. The official textbooks of many Arab countries still teach (literally) that Jews are descended from Monkeys and Donkeys and are a different race than the rest of humanity. And, btw, specifically with regard to Orwell, a brief google’ing brought up the following… “Writing in the spring of 1945 a long essay titled ‘Antisemitism in Britain’, for the Contemporary Jewish Record, Orwell stated that anti-Semitism was on the increase in Britain, and that it was ‘irrational and will not yield to arguments.’ He argued that it would be useful to discover why anti-Semites could “swallow such absurdities on one particular subject while remaining sane on others.”[1] He wrote: ‘For quite six years the English admirers of Hitler contrived not to learn of the existence of Dachau and Buchenwald. … Many English people have heard almost nothing about the extermination of German and Polish Jews during the present war. Their own anti-Semitism has caused this vast crime to bounce off their consciousness.’[2] In Nineteen Eighty-Four, written shortly after the war, Orwell portrayed the Party as enlisting anti-Semitic passions against their enemy, Goldstein.” 1. “Antisemitism in Britain”, in As I Please: 1943–1945, pp 332–341.2. “Notes on Nationalism”, 1945

I guess you can’t be blamed for missing the point since I didn’t provide the context for the Orwell quote: Orwell said that in a private letter to a friend. The rest should really explain itself.

P.S. I don;t believe in a jewish cabal.
Sean68

ImNotBlue said:
Like what, for example? And why do you think it’s so disproportionate?

High average intelligence and a collective understanding of tribal-self-interest based on millenia long shared sense of their own different-ness and a long history of clinging to that otherness and feeling persecuted because of it.
ImNotBlue

Tcopper said:
Is it alright to teach Jewish children that Hitler was a great man? If not, how come they teach black American children that some slave owners were great men?

Well… what would you have them point to about Hitler being “great?”

I’ve learned that Hitler was a great speaker, very passionate, and a great leader. HIs motives, goals, and methods were deplorable, but but you can’t help be awed by what he accomplished. Has anyone else in history been able to single handedly cause such destruction on such a grand scale, and in such a short amount of time?

So to answer you question… no, schools don’t teach that he was a “great man,” because he wasn’t. His legacy is almost entirely evil… which is vastly different than the slave owners you referenced.
http://sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/ GlennBeckReview

One of Beck’s many paradoxes is that he is a staunch defender of Israel and an anti-Semite. What is comes down to: Glenn Beck is a convincing charlatan.
ImNotBlue

Sean68 said:
High average intelligence and a collective understanding of tribal-self-interest based on millenia long shared sense of their own different-ness and a long history of clinging to that otherness and feeling persecuted because of it.

Alright, I won’t argue with that rationale. Grandma always said, “They may tolerate you, but they’ll never like you,” referring to the non-Jews who lived around them/us. I think you do have remember that a lot of people from that generation, however, were first generation Americans (after their parents left Europe), and then found themselves dealing with WWII and the Holocaust. As a result, they brought their children up with the same fear, distrust, and “closeness” that they needed to survive.

Although, as time goes on, I think many Jews (like many Christians) in America become less religious, and more secular. So perhaps that’s a learned trait that will fade away with time.

Anyway… back to this discussion… I think some of the listed comments were undeniably anti-Semitic. Sheen’s comment attacked someone FOR being Jewish, as did the designer. Beck’s was less anti-Semitic, and more just dumb and uninformed. To deny that some still harbor feelings against Jews is false, but to throw the “anti-Semitism card” too often, is just as dangerous as throwing the “homophobia” card, or “racist” card too often.
ImNotBlue

GlennBeckReview said:
One of Beck’s many paradoxes is that he is a staunch defender of Israel and an anti-Semite. What is comes down to: Glenn Beck is a convincing charlatan.

A better paradox… the left’s instant condemnation of Beck, and labeling him as an “anti-Semite.” Yet this almost immediate forgiveness and defense of Helen Thomas, after her, “Go home,” comment.

Remember folks, it’s just politics.
writer

And once again, never, ever mention anti-Semitism coming from Rev. Wright, or the Nation of Islam, or Al Sharpton, or Jesse ‘Hymietown’ Jackson. Don’t even think about it.
Grammie

Sean68 said:
feeling persecuted because of it.

.
“FEELING PERSECUTED” ?

How silly of me. I thought that Jews felt persecuted because they are and have been persecuted for several thousand years.

I’m so glad you cleared that up for me.
Sean68

Grammie said:
.“FEELING PERSECUTED” ? How silly of me. I thought that Jews felt persecuted because they are and have been persecuted for several thousand years. I’m so glad you cleared that up for me.

I just KNEW someone would leap on that particular adverbial phrase! Yes, jews have been genuinely persecuted. I didn’t mean to imply that they hadn’t. Mediaite needs a freaking edit feature!
THE REAL ROYAL KING

ImNotBlue said:
GlennBeckReview said:
One of Beck’s many paradoxes is that he is a staunch defender of Israel and an anti-Semite. What is comes down to: Glenn Beck is a convincing charlatan.

A better paradox… the left’s instant condemnation of Beck, and labeling him as an “anti-Semite.” Yet this almost immediate forgiveness and defense of Helen Thomas, after her, “Go home,” comment.

Remember folks, it’s just politics.

Actually, I heard no one defending Ms. Thomas. Perhaps, someone or a few people did, but certainly not in the numbers that the Beckerheads defended O’Beckerhead right here. And, there is a difference in kind. Ms. Thomas was asked a questions outside the scope of work and O’Beckerhead wrote his anti-Semitic rant for broadcast. Ms. Thomas did not try to enrich herself off of her anti-Semitism. Both are unforgivable, but O’Beckerhead’s was tainted by an unjustifiable enrichment off of his.
writer

I’ve never heard Louie Farrakhan say anything bad about the Jews. And even if I had, he’s not here to defend himself.
ImNotBlue

THE REAL ROYAL KING said:
Actually, I heard no one defending Ms. Thomas. Perhaps, someone or a few people did, but certainly not in the numbers that the Beckerheads defended O’Beckerhead right here. And, there is a difference in kind. Ms. Thomas was asked a questions outside the scope of work and O’Beckerhead wrote his anti-Semitic rant for broadcast. Ms. Thomas did not try to enrich herself off of her anti-Semitism. Both are unforgivable, but O’Beckerhead’s was tainted by an unjustifiable enrichment off of his.

I had no idea Beck made so much money off that one comment, on one day’s program! WOW! Good thing you’ve got those daily tracking numbers, and can figure out how much money he makes per comment.

Now… onto more important things… still no response? Should I bother checking?
writer

I never heard Jesse Jackson call NYC ‘Hymietown’, either. And even if I had, he’s not here to defend himself.
michiganruth

can we please stop calling Glenn Beck anti-Semitic? Beck is a Righteous Gentile and one of the best friends Israel has right now.

as an American Jew myself, I am hereby giving Glenn Beck a “get out of trouble with the ADL” card that he can use next time he makes an ill-advised but basically sound comment. (and if you don’t think that reform Jews care more about secular humanism and “social justice” than Adonai the Lord, you don’t know what you’re talking about. I still remember my parents telling me how Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were victims!)
http://sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/ GlennBeckReview

ImNotBlue says:
“A better paradox… the left’s instant condemnation of Beck, and labeling him as an “anti-Semite.” Yet this almost immediate forgiveness and defense of Helen Thomas, after her, “Go home,” comment.”

I have news for you, the left is not the only ones condemning Beck these days. The only ones supporting Beck at this point are the deluded minions who are too stupid or too brainwashed by his gifted and manipulative propaganda to see through to the charlatan and liar beneath the actor.

I didn’t see anyone “forgive” or apologize for Thomas. She lost her job, and it’s way beyond the time when Beck lost his. It’s interesting that you bring up Thomas because it points to the double standards employed by many on the right as outlined on Fox yesterday:
http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201103040051#1227802

Michiganruth, Beck is a paradox: he is a friend of Israel (because that is what plays with his base), but many Jews are calling out his anti-Semitism.
http://www.sharethisurlaboutglennbeck.com/2011/01/becks-kind-of-talk-echoes-classic.html
GerhardWMagnus

We live in an age of conspiracy theories. Since conspiracy theories rely so heavily on obscure, but possible correlations among events, these narratives tend to connect with each other. All such paths lead, inevitably, to the granddaddy of all conspiracy theories, anti-Semitism — a time-tested, feeble-minded way of looking at the world that seems to be especially seductive to the self-educated.
chicgoods10

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