Global, Identity, Politics

JTA Joins Fray on AJC Paper

The JTA took notice of all the fanfare and gave it pretty thorough treatment today:

An essay that drew scant attention upon its publication is now fueling a growing debate over the contours of Israel advocacy in the United States and a furious backlash against alleged attempts in the Jewish community to stifle criticism of Israel.
“Progressive Jewish Thought and the New Anti-Semitism,” an essay by Indiana University professor Alvin Rosenfeld, accuses several prominent Jews — among them historian Tony Judt, playwright Tony Kushner and Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen — of fomenting anti-Semitism through excessive criticism of Israel.
The essay was largely ignored when it was released late last year, but a recent New York Times story about it has given new life to accusations that the organized Jewish community has no tolerance for criticism of Israel.
It also has galvanized “progressive” Jewish groups, who believe it is immoral to remain silent in the face of what they see as Israel’s mistreatment of the Palestinians.

Full story.
An interesting segment:

“I think it’s bogus, frankly, and unproductive to characterize my position as one that’s looking to stifle debate,” Rosenfeld told JTA. “I’m for vigorous debate at the highest levels and want it to continue.”

Right, Mr. Rosenfeld: Calling Jewish progressives psychologically unhinged and barely concealing their genocidal contempt for their fellow Jews, who “grotesquely” disgrace the Jewish people by daring to criticize Israeli policy — that’s vigorous debate at the highest levels. How more disingenuous could you possibly be? You threw mud. Now wallow in it.
Growing more and more relevant every day:

12 thoughts on “JTA Joins Fray on AJC Paper

  1. My impression was that he wasn’t against all criticism of Israel– only the most hyperbolistic forms. I think your post may not get this across.

  2. “Calling Jewish progressives psychologically unhinged and barely concealing their genocidal contempt for their fellow Jews, who “grotesquely” disgrace the Jewish people by daring to criticize Israeli policy”
    Did you actually read the AJC report? This is a total mischaracterization of it. Unless the people named in the report you see as progressives – like Steven Rose? you think he’s a progressive? Richard Cohen who calls Israel “a mistake” by getting history all wrong? And he is clear that the problem is not critizing israel but demonizing her. And he explains the difference and gives examples. And I think you know the difference yourself.
    How is Rosenfeld’s article inconsistent with calling for debate. He’s making an assertion, backed by evidence. You refute his assertions and make your own using your evidence. That’s called debate.
    This is pretty common on the Left, to get hysterical when someone criticizes you and accuse them of shutting you up. It’s playing the victim card. If you want to debate, debate. Explain how he’s wrong. Jeez.
    I thought this was right-on:
    The new tool of the anti-Semite is to turn the charge of anti-Semitism into a racist outrage by the Jew. The bad guys say we are trying to stifle debate, when it is the opposite: We are not allowed to call them anti-Semitic when they are. Very clever.”

  3. i most certainly did read the report; read it and re-read it; and did so before you even knew it was printed.
    and had you read it, which i’m suspecting you haven’t — otherwise you wouldn’t assert this to be a mischaracterization — you would not sit there and try to act as though rosenfeld did not:
    a) conflate progressive zionists, post-zionists, and anti-zionists as if they were all one indivisible entity
    b) accuse all jewish progressives of being motivated in their criticisms of israel by deep seated psychological traumas
    c) accuse jewish progressives of having genocidal loathing for their fellow jews
    he did all of the above, and then some.

  4. which is not to say that he has personally attempted to silence debate — which i have not accused him of — so much as he has sullied any form of a rational debate by engaging in mudslinging which serves more the interest of marginalization and disenfranchisement than it does an open, productive discourse about the merits of the critiques waged by anti-zionists, post-zionists, and left-zionists

  5. furthermore, had the jewish establishment not been so quick to denounce legitimate criticism of israel as antisemitic early on in this debate, it wouldn’t find itself up against a wall now
    this is what happens when you cry wolf; when the wolf is at your doorstep, no one will believe you

  6. Mobius,
    Isn’t it a bit unfair that you don’t quote Rosenfeld saying that only certain forms of hyperbolic criticism further anti-Semitism? If I were to have read your article and not read the lengthy report (most people don’t have time for it), I’d believe something completely untrue– that Rosenfeld didnt distinguish *whatsoever* between different forms of anti-semitism, which he did.
    It may surprise you, but both I have read the report and I think you misrepresented it, and Yehudit (who I presume has read it also) agrees.
    I understand you have very strong views critical of Israel, and I respect this, but I think it’s a bit unfair that you present the man’s work as you do. I’ve spoken with many other people who have read the essay and I’ve also shared your presentation of it with some of them, many of them are strong critics of Israel who nonetheless recognize that Rosenfeld differentiates between hyperbolic and non-hyperbolic criticism of Israel in his essay.
    I might interview Rosenfeld soon as I’m the Indiana University reporter for CampusJ. Specifically, what would you like me to ask him? I can ask him any one question you specify so long as it’s not rude to him.
    Best regards,
    –Ben

  7. The AJC et al make it more difficult for us lefties in the trenches to fight against the real anti-Semitism that exists. They (and there are quite a few) are able to say, ‘look – another Zionist defending Israel’ even when speaking of someone like myself: a non Zionist who stands with the likes of Uri Avnery and Hadash in Israel.
    Sigh. Stupid fucking right wing Jews. At this point, anything that weakens them is a good thing. Anything that loosens Israel’s death grip on the Occupied Territories is a good thing. ANYTHING that deprives Israel of freedom of action to do what it wants militarily – that’s a good thing.

  8. “The AJC et al make it more difficult for us lefties in the trenches to fight against the real anti-Semitism that exists.”
    I see this as the same kind of extremism that the Right is often accused of promoting. It’s supremely arrogant to think that only the Left is fighting real anti-Semitism while the Right is simply out to fight imagined forms of anti-Semitism and to eat kittens.
    “Anything that loosens Israel’s death grip on the Occupied Territories is a good thing. ANYTHING that deprives Israel of freedom of action to do what it wants militarily – that’s a good thing.”
    Being angry and an Israeli doesn’t give anybody a free pass to spout shit like that without being challenged. “ANYTHING” includes suicide bombings. “ANYTHING” includes Iranian nukes. What kind of self-respecting leftist wants that? I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt and choosing to believe that you misspoke out of blind (and stupid) rage.

  9. Riiight… Uh, Hyman — you had nothing… not a word to say to any of the sources I raised in my remarks to you. You couldn’t muster a single response. Now, a week later, you find one quote from Michael Oren, that I happen to disagree with, and you think you’ve disproven me? Now that’s pathetic.

  10. crammed, you are right. ‘Anything’ is far to broad. I retract that statement, since I definitely oppose many of the tactics used by opponents of the occupation. I wanted to be vehement without sounding stupid – and failed.

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