Clarifying the debate about Roger Cohen http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/clarifying-the-debate-about-roger-cohen/ Roger Cohen’s not anti-Semitic, he’s just wrong on Israel.  en-us uheilman@jta.org Copyright 2009 2009-03-30T;18:42:00-05:00 Comment by David Stolow dstolow@comcast.net Excellent commentary on Mr. Cohen. I agree that his problem is not that he’s an anti-Semite but that he’s just plain wrong. Of course, it is standard tactic for the self-styled Jewish mainstream in America (the usual American Friends of Likud like Dershowitz, Heonlein, the ZOA, AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Committee and the like) who freely label any critic of Israel as an anti-Semite, unless the critic is a Jew, in which case they are self-hating. Time for a real discussion of Israel among Americans. Excellent commentary on Mr. Cohen. I agree that his problem is not that he’s an anti-Semite but that he’s just plain wrong. Of course, it is standard tactic for the self-styled Jewish mainstream in America (the usual American Friends of Likud like Dershowitz, Heonlein, the ZOA, AIPAC, the Republican Jewish Committee and the like) who freely label any critic of Israel as an anti-Semite, unless the critic is a Jew, in which case they are self-hating. Time for a real discussion of Israel among Americans.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Jan haganah1@comcast.net cohen like all the rest of his best credentialed clones let hate rule not their supposedly superior intellect.  they are always guilty of shoddy journalism, if they were reporting in such a manner about ANYTHING else they would be jobless. Imagine if they reported that many slaves were happy, treated well and never more productive, he would be writing for the white supremacy sentinel not the ny times cohen like all the rest of his best credentialed clones let hate rule not their supposedly superior intellect.  they are always guilty of shoddy journalism, if they were reporting in such a manner about ANYTHING else they would be jobless. Imagine if they reported that many slaves were happy, treated well and never more productive, he would be writing for the white supremacy sentinel not the ny times

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by R.D. Eno rdeno@fairpoint.net Not having visited Iran, I have no way to evaluate the accuracy of Cohen’s article—and neither has Heilman.  It is surpassingly bad journalism—actually, it’s not journalism at all—to assert what you cannot support.  What I will assert, supported by personal observation, is that there is, in America, a very bright line beyond which the organized Jewish community regards everyone as anti-Semitic.  That line keeps moving further and further to the right.  Which is one reason why so many American Jews want nothing to do with Jews, Judaism or Israel, why they marry non-Jews, why the vigorous motions of American Jewry—so vital to Israel’s solvency—may be no more than post-mortem effects.  I shall await with sword unbated the accusations that I am anti-Semitic. Not having visited Iran, I have no way to evaluate the accuracy of Cohen’s article—and neither has Heilman.  It is surpassingly bad journalism—actually, it’s not journalism at all—to assert what you cannot support.  What I will assert, supported by personal observation, is that there is, in America, a very bright line beyond which the organized Jewish community regards everyone as anti-Semitic.  That line keeps moving further and further to the right.  Which is one reason why so many American Jews want nothing to do with Jews, Judaism or Israel, why they marry non-Jews, why the vigorous motions of American Jewry—so vital to Israel’s solvency—may be no more than post-mortem effects.  I shall await with sword unbated the accusations that I am anti-Semitic.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by R. Keith Rugg rkrugg@aol.com Excellent article- as a journalist, it bothers me when ‘citizen journalists’ are sloppy, but it absolutely drives me crazy when a professional puts out such poor work as I’ve been seeing by Cohen in particular, and by the Times in general. And Archie- your argument is that Zionism is the root of all troubles experienced by Jews?  Perhaps you should crack open a history book.  And a dictionary, while you’re at it (or at least turn on your spell check.) Excellent article- as a journalist, it bothers me when ‘citizen journalists’ are sloppy, but it absolutely drives me crazy when a professional puts out such poor work as I’ve been seeing by Cohen in particular, and by the Times in general.

And Archie- your argument is that Zionism is the root of all troubles experienced by Jews?  Perhaps you should crack open a history book.  And a dictionary, while you’re at it (or at least turn on your spell check.)

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Archie1954 robertgsmiley@hotmail.com Iranian Jews were not persecuted by the government or the people of Iran over many centuries of existance in that country. They lived fairly trouble free lives prior to the creation of Israel. With the fulfillment of the Zionist movement all Jews everywhere were targetted for criticism if not more. This was a result of misplaced anger. The people who did the targetting were upset by the actions of Zionists but confused them with Jews. If someone would seriously and definitively separate the the Zionists from the followers of Judaism these egregious attacks would cease. We have a right to criticise and oppose the Zionist political movement and what it represents whereas criticism or opposition to Judaism is not only very foolish it is absolutely unsupportable under any circumstances. Iranian Jews were not persecuted by the government or the people of Iran over many centuries of existance in that country. They lived fairly trouble free lives prior to the creation of Israel. With the fulfillment of the Zionist movement all Jews everywhere were targetted for criticism if not more. This was a result of misplaced anger. The people who did the targetting were upset by the actions of Zionists but confused them with Jews. If someone would seriously and definitively separate the the Zionists from the followers of Judaism these egregious attacks would cease. We have a right to criticise and oppose the Zionist political movement and what it represents whereas criticism or opposition to Judaism is not only very foolish it is absolutely unsupportable under any circumstances.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Stan Nadel stan@eterna.net excellent Uri--good going! excellent Uri--good going!

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00 Comment by Joshua Pines joshpines@aol.com Totally agree, Uri.  As I read his first article on the train a few weeks ago, all I could think was how much it reeked of poor journalism.  Though I readily identified the troublesome likely impact of such poor journalism, I was perhaps more offended by his apparent lack of research, weak interviewing skills and other journalistic shortcomings. Totally agree, Uri. 

As I read his first article on the train a few weeks ago, all I could think was how much it reeked of poor journalism. 

Though I readily identified the troublesome likely impact of such poor journalism, I was perhaps more offended by his apparent lack of research, weak interviewing skills and other journalistic shortcomings.

]]> 2012-02-09T;19:12:00-05:00