Fresh on the heels of their ground-breaking Jews can sometimes be cool story, CNN tackles the thorny, often contentious issue of whether or not criticizing Israel equals Anti-semitism. Titled “Anti-semitism revival,” the piece begins by exploring a Swedish journalist’s allegations that the IDF murdered Palestinians in order to harvest their organs (Donald Bostrom was speaking in Israel) and then continues with statements from Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, and interviews with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Itamar Marcus from Palestinian Media Watch and Gideon Levy from Ha’aretz.

Talk about a non-story! No. Not all criticism of Israel is motivated by anti-semitism, though some of it is. And just as some try to hide their anti-semitic agenda by calling it anti-Israel, others try to deflect legitimate criticism of Israel by automatically labeling it as anti-semitic. Duh. Thanks CNN. Yawn.

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ck

Founder and Publisher of Jewlicious, David Abitbol lives in Jerusalem with his wife, newborn daughter and toddler son. Blogging as "ck" he's been blocked on twitter by the right and the left, so he's doing something right.

54 Comments

  • Comments on CNN by always far left, Fatah or even Hamas generated stories is normal stuff one sees on CNN almost daily. Some Jewish fanatics burned a mosque in Judea. That truly offends Jews world wide. Jews do not burn other religions places of worship. CNN the next day as predictable as the sun rise had the story. When was the last time anyone saw anything about Joseph’s tomb, Jewish cemetery markers used as building material, ancient synagogues demolished?
    The pattern of CNN delivering the news considering Israel is questionable at best.

  • Anti-Semitism has existed for thousands of years. Since the re-establishment of Israel in 1948, the Jew-haters of the world have a convenient bogeyman to falsely claim that they are “not anti-semetic, but only opposed to Israeli policies.”. Do these bigots ever evidence their “moral indignation” about events in this world not related to Jews or Israel? Do they speak out against the treatment of women, gays, non-muslims, etc. in Arab countries? Are they not aware of the slaughter of millions of black Africans by Muslims? Is the gassing of Kurds not important enough for them?
    Is the constant terrorism aimed at innocent civilians, cruise ships, 9/11, India, USA, England, Madrid, Pakistan, world embassies, school children, etc., not heinous enough to merit even one letter of protest? Is the murder or near total expulsion of Jews, Christians, and other infidels from Arab countries just a piece of fiction? The clear answer is that if they have never spoken up about any of these issues, but only demonize Israel, then they are truly Anti-Semites.

  • Len Merzel’s comment reminds me of the biased attitude that I have encountered all of my life by those who identify with being Jewish (myself excepted).
    Criticizing Israel is not anti-semitic but merely an acute awareness that they are hungry for our money and favors without returning anything of value unless you consider spying on us via AIPAC is a show of gratitude.
    Sorry Len. I’m loyal to the USA. Perhaps you should relocate.

  • Stanley’s comment reminds me of the anti-Israel Jews I keep meeting and who persist in amazing me with their bias.

    Criticizing Israel can be anti-Semitic and at times it is. Holding Israel up to a standard that isn’t expected from other countries is a form of bias. Accusing a country of “being hungry for our money” when in fact most (75%) of the money Israel gets is plowed right back into the US defense industry, is actually either extraordinarily ignorant or extraordinarily under-handed. Lying about “spying” by AIPAC can’t possibly be stated out of ignorance, which leaves the underhanded, lying nature of the statement as the only possibility.

    However, the last part of what you wrote, “Stanley,” is without question an anti-Semitic remark that hearkens back to the idea of Jews being a fifth column. This idea predates the state of Israel and is part of a broad accusation of disloyalty to a state by Jews because…well, because they’re Jews. The twist shits like you have entered into the equation, that they’re supposedly speaking about “Israel supporters” and not “Jews,” is despicable.

  • I notice that “the Middle” is afraid to identify itself. Perhaps because he or she has its ass up a deep crevice and can’t identify itself.
    I’ve never read such bullshit before.

    • Middle is not afraid of identifying himself. He’s just following the common and legitimate practice of using a pseudonym online.

  • It’s apparent to me that you have limited capabilities. I find you to be tedious and boring and so I will no longer communicate with you.
    Bye Bye Frogline.

    • You can neither punctuate properly nor do you know when to use either gerund or infinitive. I dare say your command of English grammar doesn’t quite match your alleged patriotism.

      Don’t forget to pick up an ESL grammar book on your way out.

  • Stanley, face it – you are a self hating Jew. I don’t use that term often, but if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck then… you know. Not coming back Axelrod? Vaya con dios mi amigo. We won’t miss you.

  • Obviously the idiot “ck” can’t read. I said that I wouldn’t communicate with Frogface. I never said that I was leaving.
    And “themiddle”, your entire analysis was bullshit.

  • This is how the linguist “frogface” spells jewelry:

    Sarah/froylein { 02.23.09 at 11:37 am } I don’t have earpiercings either. I used to wear other kinds of body jewellery years ago.

  • I guess the “idiot” ck was engaging in some wishful thinking. Sigh. Well let’s see if maybe we can turn this unfortunate interaction into something positive?

    So Stanley, do you really think the relationship between Israel and the United States is one sided? Does Israel not offer anything of value to the US? How much of an impact do you think the US’s financial aid has on Israel’s economy? Do you know that leading voices in Israel are not in clamoring for more money from the US but rather less? Or none?

    As for that AIPAC spying thing, I’ll give you a moment or two to look at how that case ended up. Was there in fact any spying at all? Go ahead. Google it. I’ll wait.

    Oh and Jewellery is how it’s spelled in the UK and Canada. The UK? You know, the people that invented the English language? You are not a cunning linguist at all! All that effort for nothing!

  • Yes idiot, I’m aware that jewelry is spelled differently in the UK. But we were commenting on American policies and attitudes and she has revealed herself as a non-American.
    We all know (except you) why the AIPAC case ended up as it did. Too many US officials involved.

    • I’m not a US American, but I don’t quite see how that is of any relevance whatsoever.

      Anyhow, my initial response was to your mocking of Middle for him not disclosing his real name, which he is – by any means – entitled to keep private. You chose to get rude in return, and I dare say it was a bad choice as in doing so you have revealed your true nature, which is of vital interest to the discussion.

    • I don’t as that would be colloquial English as “not” clearly indicates that the following ing-form is a gerund (which collocates with an indirect object in this case) and not the second part of a compound noun as “not” is not a negative prefix used in nouns in proper English. The prefix you might have had in mind is “non”.

      • Forgot to add, if “disclosing” had been a noun, it would have needed to be followed by a preposition.

  • Okay, so we have a Stanley concession on the bullshit AIPAC case even if the concession includes more bigotry from you.

    Now you need to prove that 75% of the money Israel receives from the US isn’t earmarked for purchases of US technology and products. I look forward to your blaming this on some Jewish conspiracy as well. Go ahead, prove me wrong.

    Then, all you have to do is prove me wrong on whether historically and prior to the founding of Israel, Jews had been accused in some countries where they lived of being a fifth column. I’ll help you out a bit here. Check what the National Socialists used as excuses for their legal and other attacks on Jews before and even during WWII.

    Of course, if you can’t prove me wrong on those points, then we’ve caught you in bullshit twice. Not to mention that stupid error about the spellings of Jewelry. You’re not doing well at all here, Stanley, even as you persist in calling others stupid.

    Maybe you should just realize that you are wrong about these things you’ve written and that if you’re wrong about these things, chances are you are wrong about many of your beliefs regarding Jews and Israel. Just a thought.

  • Let’s see if I understand this correctly. The taxpayers of the US give the beggars our money so they can use 75% of it to buy our technology and products. I want that deal.
    And once again you prove your ignorance. I am perfectly aware that jewelry is spelled differently elsewhere and I stated that fact. Unfortunately you can’t read properly.
    No wonder this once great nation is failing.

  • No, you misunderstand. The beggars are actually the defense industry in the USA which found a convenient way to have a locked-in customer and consistent source of revenue. They ensured that when the US gives money to Israel, 75% of that money must be spent on US products. Since what Israel needs most from the US are sophisticated arms, Israel tends to use almost all of the 75% of the money it receives from the US buying military equipment.

    It’s a win-win-win. The defense industry gets more money, Israel gets to buy better weapons and the US supports a key democracy and Western outpost under threat from non-democracies.

    Glad to be helpful, Stanley.

    As to your point about this “once great nation failing,” I suspect you’ve misrepresented the source of the problem by blaming my reading skills. I think the key cause is ignorance and an impoverished system of education that leaves adults such as you confident about the wrong information they possess. This information actually colors their (your) views of the world and how they (you) vote and behave. After reading your errors here, I wouldn’t trust your vote for a high school class president, much less anything more serious.

    Quite frankly, the fact that you can come into this site, spew outright falsehoods with hubris and then, upon learning that you were wrong, continue to pretend that you know something more that the people correcting you, is a good source of humor for us. For you, it should be a deep cause of concern because if you know this little about the things you’re confident about, imagine how ignorant you are about everything else.

    At this point, unless there’s some serious piece of information that you can offer, I think I’m done sparring with you. It was genuinely boring and disappointing.

  • You’re right. Your bullshit derived from an adoration of Reid, Pelosi and Frank is not only boring, but irritating.
    Poor Israelis. They’re forced to buy military equipment from us with our money so they can commit genocide on defenseless people.
    GET A LIFE STUPID!!!!!

  • You’re back? With more ignorance?

    Genocide.

    Tell us, Stanley, what are the Palestinian population figures for 1948, 1967 and 2010?

    Let me know how your “genocide” argument is holding up when you’re done answering.

    By the way, how did Pelosi or Reid come into this?

  • I see that not only are you disingenuous but also annoying.
    (At this point, unless there’s some serious piece of information that you can offer, I think I’m done sparring with you. It was genuinely boring and disappointing.)
    Read up on the nazi type treatment of those in the GAZA STRIP and the West bank.
    And so far as Israel being a democracy, that’s a laugh. Talk about being brainwashed.
    I could go there and apply for citizenship but my Gentile friends can’t. Can you imagine if this country only admitted Christians for citizenship? Would you consider us a democracy?
    Pelosi, Reid and Frank came up because are no doubt in sync with these idiots.

  • FROM WIKEPEDIA
    Discrimination portal

    The State of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians has been likened to a system of apartheid, analogous to South Africa’s treatment of non-whites during its apartheid era. United Nations Special Rapporteur John Dugard has reported to the responsible treaty monitoring bodies that a system of control including separate roads, inequities in infrastructure, legal rights, and access to land and resources between Palestinians and Israeli residents in the Israeli-occupied territories, is different from the apartheid regime, but resembles some of its aspects.[2] Some Israeli commentators and Palestinian rights advocates extend this analogy to include Arab citizens of Israel, describing their citizenship status as second-class.[3][4][5][6] Others use the analogy in relation to the special status that Israel accords to Jews, or to Orthodox Jews, without reference to Palestinians.[7] Israel has also been accused of committing the crime of apartheid.[8] An International Court of Justice judgment declared that Israel is violating the basic human rights of Palestinians in the occupied territory and that it cannot use its own security to excuse violations of the non-derogatory provisions of international laws and conventions.[9]

    Opponents of the analogy describe Arab citizens of Israel as having the same rights as all other Israeli citizens. They point out that “full social and political equality of all [Israel’s] citizens, without distinction of race, creed or sex” is specifically guaranteed by Israeli law.[10][11] They also argue that the State of Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories is driven by security considerations, not anti-Arab racism and the fact that Palestinians have never been Israeli citizens and thus would not have Israeli rights.[12] They state that the comparison reflects a double standard applied to Israel but not to neighbouring Arab countries.[13][14][15][16] They also point out that Israel does not consider the West Bank and Gaza Strip to be part of Israel, but rather territories whose future has yet to be determined. The situation has been likened to post-WWII occupied Germany and Japan. (In East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, which were unilaterally annexed by Israel, all residents were offered full citizenship. Israel’s annexation of these territories is not internationally recognized.)[17]

  • Very convincing to see a Wikipedia article about the analogy of apartheid to the system which exists in Israel. All these people “likening” the situation to Germany and South Africa on Wikipedia is wonderful to see but doesn’t mean anything. If it did, why did you ignore the rebuttal part of the same analogy article entirely?

    There are many places where we’ve discussed the question of whether apartheid exists in Israel here on Jewlicious. Do a search and learn something, Stanley.

    Other than calling me disingenuous, you avoided answering my question about genocide. That’s because the answer, of course, is that there’s no genocide.

    You’ve now brought in the analogy of apartheid even though Jews can marry Arabs and non-Jews in Israel, Arabs and non-Jewish citizens (20% of the population) can vote in elections, non-Jews CAN become citizens of Israel although the process for them is not as simple as it is for a Jew. Then again, establishing citizenship acquisition on the basis of ethnicity is actually quite common around the world. Here is your favorite source on the subject:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_return

    Their list of nations which have similar laws?

    Armenia
    Belarus
    Bulgaria
    People’s Republic of China
    Republic of China (Taiwan)
    Croatia
    Cyprus
    Czech Republic
    Finland
    France
    Germany
    Greece
    Hungary
    India
    Iraqi Kurdistan [no such state exists]
    Ireland
    Israel
    Japan
    Liberia
    Lithuania
    Moldova
    Norway
    Palestinian Refugees [sic]
    Poland
    Russia
    Serbia
    Slovakia
    Slovenia
    Spain
    South Korea
    Ukraine
    United Kingdom

    Your favorite source, Wikipedia, also quotes a British MP on their reasoning behind their ethnic citizenship law:

    “MP Quintin McGarel Hogg stated that, “All the great nations of the earth have what the Jews call a Diaspora,” and affirmed that nations “special and residual obligation(s) toward them,” which include recognizing their right to citizenship.”

    Anything else, Stanley?

  • First of all Mr. incognito, I didn’t ignore the rebuttal, I presented it. (Learn how to read Asshole)

    Secondly, I couldn’t care less about all the other nations whose practices I don’t agree with we were addressing the ruthless nation of Israel that treats Palistineans like neanderthals and bribes our politicians with money we send to them.
    People like you make me uncomfortable about being Jewish.

    Anything else Mr. Incognito?

  • Dude, you wrote, “I could go there and apply for citizenship but my Gentile friends can’t. Can you imagine if this country only admitted Christians for citizenship?”

    I presented you with a list of about 30 countries that have immigration rules based on ethnicity or some other common trait/heritage/skin color to rebut that point very precisely. You will note that among those countries you have enlightened modern nations such as France, UK and Germany.

    Basically, you have made not one valid statement in this entire discussion and even your negative feelings about Jews and Israel appear to show a serious bias in your thinking. If you’re uncomfortable being Jewish, talk to the mother who raised you, because I’ve said nothing here that should make anybody uncomfortable about being Jewish. We have other discussions for that. In this discussion, we are simply responding to your incessant mistakes, false suggestions and wrong impressions.

    Over and out!
    Love,
    Mr. Incognito

  • I’m too busy to point out your mistakes and inconsistancies which you conveniently ignore.
    If the US imposed the ridiculous criteria for citizenship as your beloved country you would call Abe Foxman to scream like the child that you obviously are.
    Face it asshole. You are not a loyal American. I suggest you move.

  • Stanley, your blood pressure! Careful!

    You have me a little confused again. First you said that I supported Pelosi and Reid, and now you’re suggesting that I’m not a loyal American. Are you one of those nutcases with the conspiracy theories about the Democrats?

    Oh, by the way, the majority of loyal Americans support Israel strongly, as polls show consistently. That leaves me a little concerned about your loyalty, Stan. But not to worry, you can stay in our country, despite seeking to undermine its ally, Israel, and our decades-long investment in it. Yes, Stan, even as you continue to slander Jewish Americans and Democratic Americans, I permit you to remain in this country and continue to express your ideas. Even if every last one of them is dead wrong.

  • So Stanley is another Self-hating Jew. Big fucking deal. Even in Mensa they have idiots. What can I tell you?

  • Because this discussion has deteriorated with the intellectualism of AlexK who is obviously a linguist and asshole,and the sophomoric rantings of “the middle” who probably thinks that AlexK’s statement is brilliant, I’m convinced that I’m dealing with low-class high school students who have loyalty to a corrupt foreign country that is destroying my country.
    In words you both can understand: FUCK YOU!!!

    • Ah well, that’s what you get when people don’t read enough and they don’t know how to transliterate the /É™/ sound correctly.

  • Obviously you’re more familiar with the word than I am.

  • this is all very entertaining, but… anyway, i just wanted to criticize israel a little bit, or, more precisely, current foreign minister lieberman, who is an idiot.

  • middle, i was referring of the treatment he ordered for the turkish envoy.

  • That was childish, even if amusing and well-deserved. Childish or not, though, at this point Israel has every reason to be extremely angry with Turkey. They should begin to recognize that there’s a very good chance the relationship between the two countries will be difficult in the coming years and strategically, they will not be partners.

    It’s a shame.

  • I just read up on that Lieberman – Turkish encounter and laughed out loud. Sure it was rude, but it was completely diplomatic, as far as symbolism goes. Like they say, he knows how to speak their language.

  • symbolic of what? two apologies later, they’re not looking any better.

  • Well, they’re not going to get anywhere because it was a stupid stunt and their opponent now has them by the balls and has every reason to squeeze harder since that’s what they were doing before Lieberman and Ayalon concocted this stupidity.

    And do I really need to explain my joke about it being symbolic?