Anti-Semitic slurs coming from the left and the right

By Bruce S. Ticker

PHILADELPHIA–John Cook and Wael Elasady do not stop with legitimate criticism of a Jewish-related issue. They openly slur the Jews.

Elasady compared Israel to Sudan’s genocide of Darfur’s people when he joined with others who assailed Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski for trading with Israel.

Cook, a Republican honcho in Texas, dragged the tussle over a Jewish speaker of the state House to a new low when he claimed that Christian conservatives “do the best jobs over all,” asked a reporter her religion, assured that Jews “are some of my best friends” and proclaimed his “favorite person” – hint, born of immaculate conception – to be a Jew.

Both occasions surfaced within a few days of each other, but attracted little attention – unlike Helen Thomas’ latest rantings, which surprised few people.

The Oregon flap stems from the governor’s act of signing a Memorandum of Understanding between Oregon and Israel last Oct. 27 “to develop and strengthen economic, industrial, technological and commercial cooperation between” them, according to Kulongoski’s press release.

The Web site Salem-News.com and The Vanguard, the student newspaper at Portland State University, reported earlier this month that an organization, called Americans United for Palestinian Human Rights, sent the governor an open letter condemning Israel’s occupation of its territories and “racism” toward Arabs who live in Israel and the territories.

Kulongoski stood his ground. In an e-mail to AUPHR, his communications director, Jodi Sherwood, wrote, “The governor believes that the Memorandum is in the best interest of the people of Oregon. Israel is a strong and democratic friend of Oregon and the United States. This agreement will build on our existing trade relationship with Israel, open up new opportunities to share information and foster commercial ties in areas that are vital to Oregon’s economic future.”

In response, Elasady, who is president of Students United for Palestinian Equal Rights, said according to these publications that Oregon’s refusal to conduct business with Sudan is precedent for not doing business with states that violate international law.

Sudan? That’s another blood libel. We all know that Sudan murders, rapes and expels hundreds of thousands of Darfurians who cannot defend themselves. Israel has made mistakes, but this ongoing war with the Arab world was thrust on it more than a century ago.

Deep in the heartlessness of Texan John Cook, the magazine Texas Observer’s web site reported in early December that Cook had sent an e-mail to Rebecca Williamson – both are members of the State Republican Executive Committee – explaining his opposition to retaining Joe Straus of San Antonio, who is Jewish, as House speaker. He wrote, “We elected a House with Christian, conservative values. We now want a true Christian, conservative running it.”

Cook dug a deeper hole for himself during a phone call with a reporter, Abby Rapoport of the Texas Observer, who quoted him as saying, “When I got involved in politics, I told people I wanted to put Christian conservatives in leadership positions. I want to make sure that a person I’m supporting is going to have my values. It’s not anything about Jews and whether I think their religion is right or Muslims and whether I think their religion is right…I got into politics to put Christian conservatives into office. They’re the people that do the best jobs over all.”

If Christian conservatives “do the best jobs, neither the U.S. Constitution nor Texas constitution allows a religious preference. Both forbid a religious test for anyone to hold public office.”

When he asked Rapoport if she is a Christian, he said, “I just need to know who I’m talking to so I can understand…The holy spirit is in the people who are Christian.” Rapoport is a Jewish name, and a look at her photo suggests she can be taken for Jewish.

He also said of Jews: “They’re some of my best friends.” Finally, “My favorite person that’s ever been on this earth is a Jew. How can they possibly think that if Jesus Christ is a Jew, and he’s my favorite person that’s ever been on this earth?”

Others who criticized Straus made comments that were too vague to be labeled anti-Semitic. Cook does not sound like a mean-spirited person, but his attitudes amount to anti-Semitism. He believes that good government requires good Christians, which certainly excludes Jews and adherents of other religions, atheists and agnostics. It would also cover Christians whom he could never accept as his kind of Christian.

Cook and Elasady may be different in a number of ways, but both do not know what they are talking about, and do not care. Jews are hardly the only people vulnerable to harm because of their attitudes.

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Ticker is Philadelphia bureau chief of San Diego Jewish World