JTA: The Global News Service of the Jewish People

The News Shticker

By Daniel Sieradski · July 31, 2008

• This video demonstration of how electrocuting a pickle is like being a Christian has been making the rounds over the last few days.
• Not only is Ivanka Trump back with her Jewish boyfriend, Jared Kushner, but now there's talk that she's planning to convert to Judaism.
• Britney Spears has become romantically involved with her Israeli bodyguard.
• Naomi Campbell compared Kabbalah to Alcoholics Anonymous.
• BoingBoing's Cory Doctorow shares a dramatic reading of his story "The Super Man and the Bugout," which imagines Superman as a nice Jewish boy from Toronto.
• The Palm Beach Post chimes in on the debate over Jews and tattoos.
• Former Barak staffer Daniel Levy chimes in on Joe Klein's anti-neoconservatism.
• The Boston Globe looks at the Agriprocessors fallout and the ethical implications of kashrut.
• The U.K.'s Independent claims that Jewish Beverly Hills residents are trying to prevent Arab investors from buying property in the area.
• Times Online interviews British Jewish comic Josh Howie.

0 Comments | Share This | Shticker |

The beating of Rudy Haddad

By Uriel Heilman · July 31, 2008

An Op-Ed in the Wall Street Journal picks up on a story JTA has been following in France on the brutal beating attack against a young Parisian Jew, Rudy Haddad, in June:

Confused accounts of the June 21 fights that ended with the attack against Rudy – portrayed as a tough guy with a police record – curiously recall the "cycle of violence" treatment of the Arab-Israeli conflict, where Palestinian terror attacks and Israeli efforts to prevent them are judged as morally equivalent.

0 Comments | Share This | Anti-Semitism, France |

The day after: Israel reacts to Olmert’s news

By Uriel Heilman · July 31, 2008

Israelis reacted to the news of Olmert's impending resignation:

• Summing up the prime minister's term, Aluf Benn wrote in Ha'aretz that Olmert failed in war and failed in peace.
• By making his intentions clear at this stage, Olmert at least will earn back some respect and be able to leave office on his own timetable, rather than having the police decide it for him, wrote the Jerusalem Post's Calev Ben-David. His paper's editorialists called Olmert's announcement "a dignified end."
• Ynet's Eitan Haber called Olmert's resignation announcement too late.
• Olmert's primary failure was his failure to respond positively to the Arab peace initiative, which offered pan-Arab recognition of Israel in exchange for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 borders, Ha'aretz's Akiva Eldar writes.

1 Comment | Share This | Israel |

Joe Klein: Why I write what I write about Jewish neocons

By Ami Eden · July 30, 2008

Joe Klein talks with the Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg about his running feud with the "Commentary crowd" over his assertions that Jewish neocons are pushing a pro-Israel agenda at the expense of U.S. interests (recap: Round I, Round II, Round III).

His bottom line:

Listen, people can vote whichever way they want, for whatever reason they want. I just don't want to see policy makers who make decisions on the basis of whether American policy will benefit Israel or not. In some cases, you want to provide protection for Israel certainly, but you don't want to go to war with Iran. When Jennifer Rubin or Abe Foxman calls me antisemitic, they're wrong. I am anti-neoconservative. I think these people are following very perversely extremist policies and I really did believe that it was time for mainstream Jews to stand up and say, "They don't represent us, they don't represent Israel."

As the interview progresses, Klein, the author of "Primary Colors" and a columnist for Time, makes clear he doesn't actually think that Jewish neocons are purposely trying to hurt the U.S. – it's just that in their zeal for protecting Israel they are making dangerous miscalculations:

I'm not saying that they don't think it's also in America's best interest. But Israel's best interests are in their mind and they're doing things, they're encouraging policies that are violent and potentially disastrous for the American people. There's this great book coming out called "In a Time of War," about the West Point class of 2002, and you know, you read something like this and you want throttle Doug Feith, you just want to whoop him upside the head.

It turns out Klein even agrees with the notion that Israel's survival is a legitimate consideration for U.S. policymakers – he just doesn't share the doomsday view of Iran:

JG: If you believed that Iran posed an existential threat to Israel, would you consider that an American national security problem?

JK: Yes.

JG: Because of the lessons of the Holocaust, as McCain says?

JK: Not just because of the Holocaust, but because of the possibility that you're going to have a Holocaust. I mean, I don't want to see religious extremists launching on a democracy anywhere. I don't want to see hundreds of thousands of Jews and Palestinians killed because of some nutcase.

JG: But you don't believe that that's going to happen.

JK: No! No! I think that that is a really distorted and kind of crazily extremist position.

And, whatever you do, don't lump Klein in with Mearsheimer and Walt: "I am not a Walt-Mearsheimer guy. I think Jews have a perfect right to have a lobby. I do believe that there is a group of people who got involved and had a disproportionate influence on U.S. foreign policy."

Klein accuses his critics of wanting to "stifle opinions that are different from theirs." In this case, he adds, they're picking on the wrong pundit: "I'm certainly not going to back down."

John Podhoretz, a neocon prince and the editor of Commentary, responds on his publication's blog:

He says he's not anti-Semitic but rather, anti-neoconservative. To say it is a badge of honor to stand in opposition to a person as manifestly intellectually unstable as Joe Klein has become is to understate the case. As for his use of classic anti-Semitic canards, I am happy to report that the Jewish people will long survive Joe Klein.

The question is, will Time Magazine?

UPDATE: Klein also weighed in yesterday on his own blog:

I don't think a war with Iran is coming, thank God, but this time I am not going to pull any punches. My voice isn't very important in the grand scheme of things, but I'm going to do my job–and that means letting you know exactly where I stand and what I believe. I believe there are a small group of Jewish neoconservatives who are pushing for war with Iran because they believe it is in America's long-term interests and because they believe Israel's existence is at stake. They are wrong and recent history tells us they are dangerous. They are also bullies and I'm not going to be intimidated by them.

Klein may not be intimidated, but he seems to be taking a bit more care in making his point - (i.e. "they believe it is in America's long-term interests"). But what's still unclear (at least to me) is why he insists on using "Jewish" to modify the term neoconservative. Is John Bolton more or less of a threat than other neocons because he's not Jewish? What about Pastor John Hagee? Would he be more deserving of attention if he were a rabbi?

UPDATED UPDATE: Peter Wehner (National Review crowd) jumps in with a lengthy critique of Klein's interview with Goldberg.

8 Comments | Share This | Iran, Iraq, Joe Klein |

The News Shticker: There’s no denying it … David Irving takes Manhattan

By Ami Eden · July 30, 2008

Max Blumenthal goes underground – literally – to report on David Irving's secret appearance in New York.

Plus...

• Chief Rabbi to women: Give up your maiden name.
• USA Today: Messianic Jewish inmate says he's Jewish, prison says he's Protestant.
• Baptist couple and their grown children convert to Judaism in Austin after hearing a Jew lecture on Torah in their church.
• A crackdown on forced marriages in Britain may inadvertently affect fervently Orthodox Jews by barring marriage under age 21.
• NBA players visit Seeds of Peace camp. Teens in Canada prepare for cruise with Israelis and Palestinians.

4 Comments | Share This | Holocaust revisionism, Shticker |

Hamas summer camp

By Uriel Heilman · July 30, 2008

From the people who brought us Farfour the Mouse, the stuffed animal character on Palestinian TV "killed" by an Israeli official, now comes a new summer camp for Palestinian kids that trains children in Gaza to hate and kill Israelis (and Americans), reports Israel's Channel 10 TV.

1 Comment | Share This | Israel, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict |

Why the U.S. should support Israel-Syria talks

By Uriel Heilman · July 29, 2008

With the Bush administration seemingly reticent to wholeheartedly endorse Israel-Syria peace talks, the Israel Policy Forum offers a paper – crafted by former U.S. ambassadors to Middle East countries, among others – focusing on what the United States stands to gain from Israeli-Syrian détente.

The importance of bringing America into the talks is no small thing, the authors write. Only the U.S. can offer Syria the incentives and western embrace it requires to drop its position within Iran's sphere of influence – just as only the U.S. could offer Egypt an alternative for Soviet backing at the time of the Israel-Egypt peace accord.

The authors write:

By setting aside the diplomatic "tool box," however, the Bush administration seems to be signaling a preference for defeat over dialogue when it comes to the prospect of engaging the regime of President Assad.

As a practical matter, therefore, the question of what to do about Israeli-Syrian peace talks may well fall squarely on whoever occupies the Oval Office on the afternoon of January 20, 2009. We think the following factors are worth considering:

* As Iraq shows signs of gradually stabilizing, American-Syrian talks might yield agreements producing substantial benefits for the government in Baghdad while helping to relieve Syria of the enormous Iraqi refugee burden it is carrying.

* If there is a degree of genuineness in this Turkish-Syrian-Israeli initiative, the parties can conduct their respective "due diligence" processes and tackle some technical negotiating details without American assistance between now and early 2009. While we would like to see the Bush administration convert an apparent demand for American facilitation services into a gain for U.S. foreign policy objectives, we suspect the president prefers a different course.

* Contrary to the apparent beliefs of the Assad regime, a new American president—Republican or Democrat—will not automatically sign up to the proposition that the United States should dive into Israeli-Syrian talks forthwith and approach the bilateral relationship with Damascus with a blank slate. Iraq and Lebanon will be inherited issues. If Syria wants a positive relationship with Washington, cooperation over Iraq and an accommodation over Lebanon are essential. The new administration would do well to define what it wants, when it wants it, and what it is prepared to give in return. In short, tough-minded and disciplined diplomacy should come back into vogue—it is a tool of American power that no American commander-in-chief should be reluctant to use.

* If Damascus proves unwilling to be helpful with Iraq and determined to restore its suzerainty over Lebanon, it will be difficult for any American administration to obtain the requisite domestic political support to play an active role in helping Syria, through facilitation and mediation, recover the lands it lost to Israel in 1967.

* The dilemma for which Damascus holds an important key is that notwithstanding its bad relationship with Washington, a comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace is essential to American national security interests. As the United States tries to rebuild its image, influence, and prestige in the Arab and Muslim worlds, the quality of its efforts to bring about a comprehensive peace between Israel and all of its neighbors will be of transcendent importance. While no American need ever apologize for the special relationship between the United States and Israel and while no one need ever doubt the depth and permanency of America's commitment to Israel's security, it is important that the United States be seen as striving for peace and justice in the Arab-Israeli context. Without sacrificing any legitimate national security interest, Syria—if it wants a good relationship with Washington and if it wants a vital American role in its discussions with Israel—can help make it possible for the next president (and even this one) to pursue a peace whose achievement would disappoint only Osama bin Laden, his disciples, like-minded extremists, and Iran.

Therefore, success of the Turkey mediated Israeli-Syrian talks would promote vital US interests in the region. If the current US administration is not prepared to facilitate and join them, we urge the next president to do so as soon as possible after he takes office.

0 Comments | Share This | Arab-Israeli Conflict, Bush, Israel, syria |

Agriprocessors: We’re immigrants too!

By Ben Harris · July 29, 2008

Two days after immigrants and their advocates marched in Postville, Agriprocessors released this statement:

The founders of Agriprocessors, the Rubashkin family, are a Jewish refugee family that escaped the clutches of Communism decades ago. Aron and Rivka Rubashkin fled Soviet Russia after experiencing oppression in the anti religious regime. Mrs. Rubashkin's uncles were imprisoned in Siberia due to their religious beliefs. Mr. Rubashkin noted: "As immigrants in America we found freedom and opportunity. We fully understand the pain and suffering which immigrants are going through in building better lives."

Agriprocessors is dedicated to providing economic prosperity, quality jobs and a safe environment for all its employees. Chaim Abrahams, a company spokesman, explained: "We are committed to follow all federal, state and local regulations in our plant." In reiterating the company policy, Mr. Rubashkin pointed to the hiring of Jim Martin, a former US Attorney in the state of Missouri, as the chief compliance officer of Agriprocessors. " He is insuring that our company excels in the area of compliance to government regulation" noted Abrahams. Among other things, Mr. Martin established a 24-hour anonymous hotline for any complaints of workers.

Since the plant opened in 1988, it has created a new era of prosperity in the region. The plant has created jobs, and given a boost to the area. Our plant is modern, clean, and consistently focused on food safety and the safety of our workers.

Agriprocessors is deeply concerned about the plight of the immigrant families in Postville. The Rubashkin family feels that it can help others. Aron Rubashkin explained "As an immigrant family we want to provide our workers with the opportunity to share in the American dream. In recent weeks we have been helping the local families with their daily needs".

10 Comments | Share This | Agriprocessors, Kashrut |

Hebron’s new settlement

By Uriel Heilman · July 29, 2008

Jewish settlers in the West Bank city of Hebron apparently have found a new location for expansion of Jewish settlement in the city: an IDF base.

An Israeli Channel 10 report, translated by Ha'aretz, shows residential caravans complete with backyard playgrounds set up inside an Israeli military base. In the video, little girls can be seen slipping in and out of the base.

Meanwhile, Ha'aretz has an editorial slamming the government's lax treatment of settler scofflaws:

The generations come and go - settlers, lawbreakers, yeshiva students, soldiers who guard them and get treated contemptuously, teachers drawing salaries from taxpayers, settlers' sons and grandchildren who do whatever they like. And some of them constitute an infrastructure for Jewish terrorism in the territories. Palestinian generations, meanwhile, also come and go as the settlers, their children and grandchildren rampage and plunder unhindered in a state that has seemingly given up...

Evacuating a mobile home gives the right-wing activists a chance to exercise their forces. The extremist yeshiva students gather by means of a communications network, they block roads, beat up passing Palestinians, snatch soldiers' weapons, burn orchards and plantations and throw stones - faced by defeatist, helpless defense forces.

This absurd spectacle is everyday routine in the West Bank - one in which illegal yeshivas, operating in illegal settlements, whose teachers' wages are paid by the state, halt studies to enable their students to engage in illegal activity. No Israeli government has even tried to deal with the settlers' violence.

1 Comment | Share This | Israel, Settlements |

Iran’s president, railing again

By Uriel Heilman · July 29, 2008

Just a day after NBC's Brian Williams pronounced Iran's president as having a "new stance ready for further engagement," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad blamed the world's "big powers" for the global AIDS problem.

Speaking in Tehran to ministers from the Non-Aligned Movement, which represents about two-thirds of U.N. member states, Iran's president said of the spread of diseases like AIDS: "If we are serious about finding the root causes of such scourges, we must first of all admit that they are the result of the economic framework devised by the big powers and the inefficiency of the political and economic systems currently dominating the world."

Ahmadinejad also criticized the indictment of Sudanese leader Omar al-Bashir on charges of genocide in Darfur, called for the lifting of sanctions against Iran and predicted that the "big powers" are going down.

Yesterday, Brian Williams said of Ahmadinejad: "It was clear to all of us watching and listening he brought with him a new approach." What will Williams say today?

3 Comments | Share This | Iran |