September 29, 2011 | 7:21 am

This week in power: U.N. aftermath, Obama voters, Rosh Hashana message, Perry dancing

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

U.N, showdown
Leaders from both Israel and for the Palestinians made their cases before the U.N, last week. So who made out the best? “Although the Palestinian state was not created at the UN over the weekend – and will probably not be created in the foreseeable future – this was without a doubt a historic event,” said Barak Ravid at Haaretz. “The cold welcome Netanyahu received stood in stark contrast with the massive support Abbas received from the international community. If anyone still had any doubts – this what a political tsunami looks like, and this is what international isolation feels like.” The climate has changed a bit, but “Mr. Netanyahu is ready to negotiate today—if only Mr. Abbas is willing,” said Michael Oren in The Wall Street Journal. You call this progress? wondered Thomas Friedman in The New York Times. “We really are back at the beginning of this conflict. Until each side reassures the other that both of them really do want two states for two people — not just for one — nothing good is going to happen out there, but something really bad might.”

Obama struggling
Another week, another worry for Obama as he courts the Jewish vote. An American Jewish Committee poll indicated that only 45 percent of American Jews approve of “the way President Barack Obama has handled his job as President,” and 48 percent disapprove. It’s not time to panic just yet, warned Jennifer Rubin at The Washington Post. “The dichotomy between what Jewish voters think of Obama’s performance and how they will vote remains. Jews may be moving away from their reflexive attachment to the Democratic Party, but they have hardly renounced it.” It might just be too early to tell.

Rosh Hashana message
A Jewish group is pushing a “Year of Civility” message this new year, hoping to change the culture in Washington. Furthermore, said Tevi Troy in The Wall Street Journal, Jewish leaders should fight the impulse to get political at the pulpit over the High Holidays. “Political sermonizing is a mistake for many reasons. First, the Holy Days are supposed to bring forth a universal message about the unity of the Jewish people, the importance of our shared religious tradition, and the need to rededicate ourselves to observance of the Torah in the year to come.” But, JTA’s Ron Kampeas asked, “If sermons are not timely, who’s going to listen?” While that’s all well and good, “the bottom line is that we are spiritual leaders and not political pundits,” said Rabbi Jason Miller at The Huffington Post. Let’s leave it to the professionals.

Rick Perry’s simcha dancing
Politico’s Maggie Haberman uncovered some embarrassing video of Rick Perry dancing with some rabbis at a Chanukah celebration last year. “Every politician has to do embarrassing things to get votes. This is one of them,” said one blogger. Much ado about nothing, right? Wrong. “Politics aside. As a Christian, I’m much less concerned with the dancing than I am with the praying and the ‘Thank, you brother’ that Perry adds at the end. There has to be a better way for a Christian politician to serve and to be respectful of all of one’s constituents without falling into syncretistic play-acting,” said another blogger.

“Jewish men lie”
After offending the gay community with unkind words, “Millionaire Matchmaker” took aim at Jews saying “Jewish men lie” during an appearance on a Bravo talk show on Sunday. “There is nothing appealing or charming about this woman. She is an embarrassment to women, and has all the horrible stereotypes that Jewish women are labeled with,” said Ilana Angel at the Jewish Journal. I was offended, too, for a second, said Maressa Brown at The Stir, before I accepted that “It’s freakin’ Patti! If you watch Matchmaker for 5 minutes, you know she’s crazy and at times irrationally opinionated (usually on things that seem super-trivial like hair color or teeth). She also got burned by her Jewish ex. In other words, she lets her own life totally color most of the insanity that comes out of her mouth, and hey, don’t we all to some extent?” After outrage erupted, Stanger apologized. “Lesson here: don’t make massive generalizations about minority groups on live television,” said Jon Bershad at Mediaite. “And when you’re given a chance to apologize, you smile and point out that you only meant some of that group. Because nothing describes the entirety of a group.”

September 22, 2011 | 6:29 am

This week in power: Obama and NY-9, Perry, U.N. speech, French app

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Obama, the “Jewish President”
A New York Magazine article with the headline proclaiming Obama to be “The First Jewish President” got people talking even more about Obama’s stance on Israel. It comes on the heels of the NY-9 election where the Orthodox community rallied behind Republican candidate Bob Turner to take down fellow Orthodox Jewish Democrat David Weprin. Could it be a referendum on Obama? “Up until this election, Jews have always voted in a manner that assumed that a Jewish candidate would best represent the Jewish needs. This election broke that pattern and attitude,” said Rabbi Aryeh Spero at American Thinker. Democrats tried to spin the loss as no big deal. Still, Obama could find himself in a similar position to Weprin come 2012. “The White House is in a bind with Jewish voters. Those who believe Mr. Obama has been bad news for Israel will never be convinced otherwise,” said a Washington Times editorial. But Obama’s problems could run deeper than just inside the Jewish community…

Rick Perry woos the Jews
Seizing on the opportunity, Gov. Rick Perry is getting more vocal about his pro-Israel politics and met with influential Jewish leaders. “t may seem like an odd political coupling,” said Grace Wyler at Business Insider, but it’s smart timing. Nevertheless, it wasn’t all smooth sailing, reported Maggie Haberman at Politico. “He got a bit tripped up on the issue of settlement negotiations, suggesting they should be allowed without really explaining what that meant - which raised an issue that has come up a few times in the last few days about whether he understands the nuances of the Mideast debate.” And, Elias Isquith warned, have some caution before diving in with Perry. “Keep in mind that his support for the ‘Jewish homeland’ is unlikely to stem from a profound feeling for the Israeli cause in and of itself. Rather than to Zion, Perry’s eyes are directed towards DC.”

Obama’s speech at the U.N.
President Obama addressed the General Assembly where he discussed recent transitions to democracy around the world. But the issue of Palestinian statehood still lurks in the background. “If ever there was a moment for strong leadership to protect and advance our national security interests in the Mideast, it is now,” said Edward P. Djerejian in the Houston Chronicle. “What happens at the U.N. can be exploited in a positive way to get the parties engaged in sustained and conclusive peace negotiations.” What can President Obama really accomplish? “This must be said, and clearly: No leader has either the moral authority or the strategic possibility of endangering tens of thousands of citizens before doing everything possible to make Israel beloved of the West,” said Sefi Rachlevsky at Haaretz. Things have definitely changed this year, said Zvi Bar’el in Haaretz. “If the United States fails to recognize the Palestinian state, it will have difficulty sidelining its rivals in the new Middle East, where the public has more power than the rulers.”

“All Jews should be sterilized” debacle
Twenty-two-year-old York University student Sarah Grunfeld misunderstood her professor and thought he was making anti-Semitic remarks when he said that “all Jews should be sterilized” is an example of deplorable speech. Grunfeld reported him to the administration. Some Jewish groups came to her defense anyway. “B’nai Brith earns itself no respect when it insists on be-rating an innocent university professor over a mistake made by an excitable student,” said Kelly McParland at National Post. “Anti-Semitism is an authentic scourge and needs to be treated more seriously than this. Popping off at every halfbaked complaint only reduces the credibility of the organization and its claims.” The fact that Johnston was in the middle of a lecture about what kind of hate speech not to tolerate, said David Bernstein at Volokh, reveals just how ridiculous this is. “Irony, rough justice, or something else?”

France’s anti-Semitic app
Apple was forced to remove an app called “Jew or not Jew” from its App Store in France after Jewish groups protested. It was designed to identify which celebrities were Jewish, which violates French law banning the sharing of a person’s religion without their consent. The app is still available in the U.S. While the French acted correctly on this one, “I just think that laws which prohibit such things mask very serious underlying problems, much more than they actually address them,” said Brad Hirschfield at The Huffington Post. “This seems like a well-intentioned, but totally unsophisticated response to a very real problem.  And in this case the old adage about the road to Hell and good intentions seems pretty apt.”

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September 15, 2011 | 6:11 am

This week in power: Obama, Egypt, Mel Gibson, Kosher Facebook

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Obama’s “Jewish problem”
The national election is still over a year away, but discussion has already begun over Obama’s “Jewish messaging,” according to The New York Times. Is it time to worry? “Though the Democrats are still in a relatively strong position vis-à-vis Jews, they know Obama is a weak incumbent who has already lost the trust of this community,” said Jonathan S. Tobin at Commentary. As usual, it all starts with Israel, and the results from Tuesday’s New York congressional election could mean Obama is in store for a lot of Jewish opposition.

Israeli Embassy in Egypt attacked
Protesters in Cairo broke into the Israeli Embassy last weekend which led the ambassador and his family to flee the country. It called relations between the two countries even more into question. “The rules of the game with Egypt have changed. The policy of winks and tacit agreements of the days of former president Hosni Mubarak is now on trial and cannot survive,” said a Haaretz editorial. The Wall Street Journal’s Bret Stephens wondered what it means for Israel: “No democracy in the world today lies under a darker shadow of existential dread than Israel. And the events of the past month ought to demonstrate that Israel’s dread is not of shadows only. Israel’s efforts to allay the enmity of its enemies or mollify the scorn of its critics have failed.” Remember, there’s Turkey, too.

Mel Gibson’s Maccabee movie
Outrage erupted over reports that Mel Gibson is working on a movie that will portray Judah Maccabee, the Jewish hero. But there were some defenders, including Brad Laidman at The Morton Report: “Admittedly, if this movie spurs on Mel’s political ascension to the point where he influences widespread anti-Semetic hatred that leads to the mass killing of millions of people of my ethnic heritage, this won’t be my proudest take ever, but as it stands now, if Mel makes a movie about Judah Maccabee and Roger Ebert tells me that its gory, but exhilarating, than in all likelihood, I’ll be paying to see it.” Sean O’Neal at The Onion’s A.V. Club had a sense of humor about the whole thing. “What better time than right now, considering the Jews already kind of hate him? It’s like a double jeopardy, nothing-left-to-lose, nowhere-to-go-but-up sort of thing.”

A Kosher Facebook option
For those who wish to do their social-networking free of the opposite sex, there’s Faceglat, a site that targets the ultra-Orthodox sect. As soon as men sign up, they’ll only get the male portion of the site and clientele, and the same goes for women. It might sound crazy to outsiders, but perhaps there’s a point here. “Would you consider joining a social network that segregates genders?” asked Marieln Loveland at Scribbal. It’s definitely a different experience, said Jeff Mills at Nerve. Still, this could take off. “I’m not sure if Matisyahu is a member, but if he is, he must have an avalanche of friend requests.”

Sex toys, modestly
The New York Post reported about KosherSexToys.net, a site that caters to more religiously- and modestly-minded adults. “Can they use the battery-powered vibrators on Shabbos? Or do they need a Shabbos Goy to come turn it on for them? joked John Del Signore at Gothamist. It’s nice to see Orthodox Jews waking up to this cultural phenomenon, said Ilana Angel in the Jewish Journal.

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September 8, 2011 | 5:12 am

This week in power: 9/11, Turkey, Rally, Philharmonic

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Remembering 9/11
As Americans mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the spiritual ones among us might be coping a bit better, a study suggests. The study in the Journal of Behavioral Medicine shows that religiously-minded people, including Jews, are in better physical and emotional health than their counterparts. So how has the past decade changed us? We should speak about it and discuss the issues involved, said Isaac Steven Herschkopf, because “the manners in which we commemorate the tragedies that befall us say everything about us.” And we must acknowledge that there’s still work left to be done, said Michael Berenbaum at the Jewish Journal. “New York, and the nation with it, will have to deal with the paradoxical legacy of absence: the absence of presence and the presence of absence.”

Turkey vs. Israel
The two countries are at odds with one another after the United Nations “essentially exonerated” Israel for last year’s incident aboard the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara that killed eight Turkish citizens. In response, Israel’s ambassador was expelled from the country. “We don’t blame Israel for wondering if Turkey is keeping this conflict going to burnish its standing in the Arab world,” said a New York Times editorial. “Israel should apologize for the deaths. And Turkey should stop upping the ante.” With pressure against Turkey mounting, they will have to reconsider their actions, said a Wall Street Journal editorial. “The Turks will learn in their own time that being Hamas’s patron is a loser’s game.”

Is the U.S. spying on Israel?
The New York Times revealed this week that a man accused of leaking classified information to Israel discovered that the U.S. was wiretapping the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. But this isn’t a big revelation, said Douglas Bloomfield at The Jewish Week. “I’m not surprised that the feds were tapping the Israelis’ phones. And I expect they’re not alone; the Russians, Chinese, Arabs and others are probably trying to listen in as well.” But Richard Silverstein, the blogger who received the confidential information, told the Seattle Weekly that not everything was so ordinary. “The most concerning thing in the transcripts perhaps was the level of intensity that Israeli gives to tracking members of Congress,” he said. How much does any of this really matter? asked Jacob Heilbrunn at The National Interest. “Should the FBI, then, be spying on embassy conversations? Much of it is probably a waste of time and resources, which includes having to punish Leibowitz for transgressing the law.”

Israel’s largest rally ever?
More than 400,000 Israelis demonstrated in cities across Israel on Saturday night in what was being billed as the contry’s “March of the Million.” It was part of the ongoing struggle over high costs of living there. Shortly after the rally, tent dwellers packed up and went home. It’s yet to be seen whether the protests will go on somehow, but those who participated say that it’s paid off. “We are taking down the tent today with our head held high, after the very significant rally that took place yesterday,” said on student representative. “The tents were, in some way, a symbol and we had to choose a very particular date to take them down. The tents were merely sheets and pegs; the people inside are what is important—the people who were at the rally yesterday and will be there next week as well.”

London concert protested
After warnings of protest, the show went on with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra playing at Royal Albert Hall in London last week. Pro-Palestinian demonstrators were so vocal that the BBC cut off its live feed in the middle. It was the first time in history that anything forced the Proms broadcast off the air. “Legitimate protest against the Israeli government?” asked Stephen Pollard in The Telegraph. It didn’t sit well with some, including one musician who wrote a letter to The Guardian saying “To wreck their very rare and special concert over here gives a terrible impression of us all.”

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September 1, 2011 | 5:06 am

This week in power: Hurricane Irene, Beck rally, Bachmann, Hollywood

Posted by Danny Groner

A roundup of the most talked about political and global stories in the Jewish world this week:

Irene takes its toll
The storm struck hard last weekend, killing at least 40, causing upwards of $7 billion in damage, and leaving many people along the Eastern seaboard without power. Inside the Jewish community, people were relieved Hurricane Irene wasn’t worse. But not everyone escaped the storm’s wrath - at least two Jewish people were killed in separate incidents in New York. Some Jewish weddings were forced to be postponed, while others went on with it. “A final mazal (and hearty thanks!) to all of you who have power post-Irene’s wicked PMS and are choosing to use it reading this here,” said Carrie Goldberg at Jewcy.

Glenn Beck’s rally fallout
Glenn Beck ruffled some feathers last week with his public rally in Jerusalem. The comment continues: “All entertainment goes in cycles and, for now at least, Beck seems to be in decline,” said Joe Gandelman at The Moderate Voice. Still, that didn’t stop him from running the event. “Lacking in chutzpah has never really been Beck’s problem—and in his speech on the night of Aug. 24, it certainly showed,” said Michael A. Cohen at Foreign Policy. Yet some walked away impressed with the man’s message. “Beck is rare, because he refuses to bow to the intellectual intimidation and groupthink that plagues the discourse on Israel in Israel itself and throughout the world,” said Caroline B. Glick in The Jerusalem Post. Or maybe this whole thing was just a “distraction” from what’s really going on.

Who should lead the GOP?
It looks like Republican Jews are more and more impressed with Gov. Rick Perry, which could help get him elected next fall. But he may still have to “soften the edges” and figure out how to better pander to these constituents when it comes to the much-debated topic of Israel. It could be Rep. Michele Bachmann who poses the biggest threat, though, as American Jews are confusing her for being Jewish, reported the New York Post. “Doesn’t every American Jew know that -mann names are invariably non-Jewish?” joked The New Republic’s Jonathan Chait. Some believe that this report was overblown, After all, “Jewish donors aren’t fools, and they know the candidate doesn’t share their faith,” said Margaret Hartmann at Jezebel.

A Nevada politician’s gaffe
Congressional candidate Kate Marshall last week sent her staff a memo that contained a list of reasons why it would be “useful” for the Democrat to support Israel, according to reports. Will this hurt her in her special election? She already had a tough road ahead of her, trying for a seat that hasn’t gone Democrat for decades. As far as gaffes go, this is truly bad, said Jadedbypolitics at Unified Patriots. “I know that humans are fallible,” the blogger said, but this is a “purely hateful and disgusting action.” It’s the fact that she needed these notes at all, said Moe Lane at RedState, that’s so bad. “’I’m sorry: the most reasonable interpretation of the situation is that this was to get Kate Marshall herself up to speed. Which is… an incredibly depressing, if at least mildly searing, indictment of the Democratic party leadership’s priorities.”

Israel woos Hollywood
Israel wants more movies shot there, so the country is promising better tax breaks, terror attack insurance, and handouts of up to $400,000 to bring more movie producers to the promised land. “It’s absurd. Movies set in Jerusalem are filmed in Malta, Morocco and Greece,” one Israeli film director was quoted as saying. Tel Aviv and Haifa are also working on similar tactics to get into the multi-million dollar business. But that might not be such a good thing, warned Dovid Efune at The Huffington Post. “Hollywood’s attention span is limited; a film never captures a complete picture, when the lone ranger rides off into the sunset, the happy couple embrace or the enemy is vanquished, and the credits begin to roll, what happens next is rarely explored, the viewers move on.”

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