By Bruce S. Ticker
PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania –American Jews cannot avoid hearing from grossly ill-informed Israel-bashers, most notably those who masquerade as being loftier than thou. Four items in recent weeks stand out.
Among those who distorted Israel’s role in the Covid-19 vaccines, MSNBC host Joy Reid declared that, thanks to Israel’s domination, Palestinians were denied access. She has a history of presenting a warped view of Israel.
New York City Councilman Corey Johnson, who punished another councilman for asserting that Palestine does not exist, has entered a new political chapter in his life. He is running for city comptroller, a steppingstone to the mayor’s office.
Add to that a school assignment on deicide and a student government leader who faced impeachment for, of all offenses, supporting the existence of Israel.
In a Washington Post report published almost two years ago, Reid appeared to concur in a 2005 post with then-Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Jews should be forced to move from Israel to a colony in Europe; Ahmadinejad at that time also threatened Israel with destruction while developing a nuclear device.
Reid wrote, “God is not a real estate broker. He can’t just give you land 1,000 years ago that you can come back and claim today.” The following year, she echoed a conspiracy theory that the federal government was the behind the 9/11 attacks.
The Post reported this statement from MSNBC: “Joy has apologized publicly and privately and said she has grown and evolved in the many years since, and we know this to be true.”
Grown? Evolved? On her new primetime weeknight talk show some weeks ago, she spotlighted Israel for withholding vaccines from Palestinians even though the Palestinian Authority insisted on acquiring vaccines without Israel’s help. Some observers blamed the authority for intentionally avoiding coordination with Israel.
Then she abruptly proclaimed: “They don’t get it because Israel is the occupying authority.”
Guest Ron Klain, President Biden’s chief of staff, wisely replied that he was not familiar with the program. Perhaps Reid has a bit more growing and evolving to do.
Two years ago, Democratic Councilman Kalman Yeger of Brooklyn had the audacity to utter the words: “Palestine does not exist.” Johnson saw in this remark what no reasonable person would – glaring insensitivity. He labeled it “dehumanizing” and unwelcome to immigrants, so he conspired…er, coordinated…with other council leaders to kick Yeger off the immigration committee.
Yeger did err, technically. There are, in fact, two Palestines, one in Illinois and another in Texas. Yet there is no sovereign state known as Palestine anywhere near Israel. There are reasons for the politically correct movement, but this was not one of them. Johnson advanced the PC fad way past its mission.
Though he is leaving council next year because of term limits, Johnson may resurface since he announced his campaign for comptroller on March 9. There is already a stable of respected candidates vying to win the Democratic nomination, which under normal circumstances is tantamount to winning the general election.
Since the comptroller is the city’s fiscal watchdog, maybe Johnson will exploit…er, use…the position to bail out Palestine. Either of the Palestines to the west of NYC, that is.
Across the pond, the British educational website Topmarks directed a 7-year-old student to work on a homework assignment in which Jews were blamed in the killing of Jesus, according to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Chris Spolton, who runs the site, removed the assignment and apologized after the student’s mother, Joanne Bell, complained about it. Her son’s religious studies teacher had instructed him to finish the assignment. Bell’s sarcastic tweet said it for all of us: “What harm has it ever done to portray Jews as bloodthirsty and solely responsible for the death of the believed son G-d, Jesus.”
Back on this side of the pond, Tufts University student Max Price barely escaped former President Trump’s fate, impeachment as a member of the Tufts Community Union Judiciary. His crime? He served as co-president of Tufts Friends of Israel and he publicly opposed a campus referendum condemning U.S. police delegations to Israel, according to JTA.
The complaint was lodged by the campus chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine, which could just as well be called Students Denying Justice for Jews. Following protests and publicity, SJP withdrew its complaint.
Price aptly characterized the SJP’s hypocrisy: “While I’m relieved to no longer have my Judaism on trial, it does not absolve SJP of their responsibility, nor the administration in their negligence in allowing this to transpire.”
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Bruce Ticker is a Philadelphia-based columnist. He may be contacted via bruce.ticker@sdjewishworld.com