(Jewish Group) Ilhan Omar's tweets were appalling. What happened next was inspiring.

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

Thank you, Ilhan Omar.

The first-term Democratic representative from Minnesota did something ugly Sunday night. Responding to a tweet about the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel, the young Somali American suggested U.S. lawmakers defend Israel because “It’s all about the Benjamins baby.”

And who is paying American officials these “Benjamins” — slang for $100 bills — to be pro-Israel? “AIPAC!” Omar tweeted, referring to the pro-Israel lobbying group.

Wealthy Jewish interests bribing U.S. lawmakers to sell out America? In addition to being false — the real power backing current Israel policy in the United States is evangelical Christianity — this is Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion stuff.

What happened next, though, was as inspiring as Omar’s initial action was appalling. Denunciations rained, not just from Jews and opportunistic Republicans but from Democrats, almost as furiously as they did after Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) acknowledged wearing blackface.

more...

[still_one]

1. I will reproduce a comment I made over in the general discussion group discussing this, and using a

a NY Times link that you posted a while back, because it seems very pertinent to what is happening now.

Here was my post from over at GD group:

The association of Jews and money has always been a favorite theme of those who are anti-Jewish. The stereotypes have run rampant for decades in this country.

Ironically, Trump caused a similar controversy during his 2016 campaign when he tweeted an image depicting Clinton, cash and the Star of David, and no doubt that was a dog whistle to those who harbor anti-Jewish sentiments in the country, in the same way as his racist, bigoted statements were to those who share those "values"

If one is against lobbyists, shouldn't they be against all lobbyists, not just the one's they disagree with?


There was a reason that Representative Omar apologized, and that was a good thing, though interestingly enough when asked about comments from 2012 regarding Israel's powers of hypnosis" she said she didn't understand why it was offensive. As the editorial points out:

"The conspiracy theory of the Jew as the hypnotic conspirator, the duplicitous manipulator, the sinister puppeteer is one with ancient roots and a bloody history. In the New Testament, it is a small band of Jews who get Rome — then the greatest power in the world — to do their bidding by killing Christ. Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, speaks to the Jews about Jesus in the book of John: “Take him yourselves and judge him according to your own law.” But the Jews punt the decision back to Pilate: “We are not permitted to put anyone to death.” And so Pilate does the deed on their behalf. In the book of Matthew, the implications of this manipulation are spelled out: “His blood is on us and our children,” the Jews say — a line that has been so historically destructive that even Mel Gibson cut it from his “Passion of the Christ.”


https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/21/opinion/ilhan-omar-israel-jews.html

There is an association between Israel and the Jews, since modern day Israel was based on that after WWII.

Being critical of the Israeli government is not necessarily anti-Jewish, nor are advocates for the BDS, but when using terms toward it that have the same vernacular as The Protocols of Zion, and other anti-Jewish verbiage, or implication pointing to "Jews and money",
that crosses a line.

The same can be said when associations are made to question congress people's dual loyalties. Ironically, that same argument could be hurled against those who are making those "dual loyalty" accusations.

[EllieBC]

2. How many replies those threads received yesterday

were very telling.

A Jew is attacked? Meh maybe 25 replies. A Jew is attacked by not the presumed suspects (meaning not typical hardline RW antisemites)? Less than 10 replies.

Time fo defend time honoured antisemitic tropes? 100 replies!

Those threads were an excellent honey pot.

[question everything]

4. Yes, in praise of "diversity"

I am thinking of calling Pelosi - I am not a constituent - to demand that Omar be removed from the Foreign Affairs Committee. She is as knowledgeable about Foreign Affairs as Trump. Worse.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. Lots of masks came off.

I was reading about it before it was posted here, and debated whether to post or not. I got sidetracked and didn't do it. However, I pretty much knew how it was going to go down, and I was not surprised in the least, nor am I surprised by all the gentilesplainin' that is also happening. Anti-Semitism is truly something which could be studied in the real case of "bothsiderism". When it comes to own's own camp, suddenly people can't see the anti-Semitism, even something similar, if not the same, was uttered by the "other" side before and roundly condemned. Those of us on the left are expected to examine our own biases and prejudices, except when it comes to anti-Semitism.

Of course, we get the "smarty pants" accusations about anti-Semitism not being really "about" Jews, but "Semites." Yawn. The Livingstone Formulation; the argument that complaints of antisemitism are made in bad faith to protect Israel and/or attack the Left, is in full effect too. Never mind the onslaught of logical fallacies from strawman arguments to "no true Scotsman" fallacies.

Always predictable.

[grossproffit]

3. I'm still fuming at the replies on GD about this. It's hard for me to post when I'm so angry.