January 7, 2009 | 10:42 pm

More hate: Anti-Israel protester tells Jews ‘go back to the oven’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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The above video is of an anti-Israel demonstration held last week in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. I learned about it from Jeff Jacoby’s column in today’s Boston Globe titled, “Yes, it is anti-Semitism.”

The quote that jumped out to me was when one protester shouted, “Murderers! Go back to the ovens! You need a big oven.”

You can hear that little bit of hate at the 3:25 mark, but there are plenty of other choice comments. And they are not unique to this protest in Florida. We’ve heard similar sentiments in Los Angeles and read them in the Arab-American press. Here’s a list of other anti-Semitic incidents that have occurred since the war began. These comments and actions form the basis of Jacoby’s argument, which begins:

CRITICIZING Israel doesn’t make you anti-Semitic: If it’s been said once, it’s been said a thousand times. Yet somehow that message doesn’t seem to have reached the hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who turned out last week to protest Israel’s military operation in Gaza. As their signs and chants made clear, it isn’t only the Jewish state’s policies they oppose. Their animus goes further.

Demonstrators chanted “Nuke, nuke Israel!” and carried placards accusing Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and bearing such messages as: “Did Israel take notes during the Holocaust? Happy Hanukkah.” To the dozen or so supporters of Israel gathered across the street, one demonstrator shouted: “Murderers! Go back to the ovens! You need a big oven.”

The Arab-Israeli conflict induces strong passions, and the line that separates legitimate disapproval of Israel from anti-Semitism may not always be obvious. But it’s safe to assume the line has been crossed when you hear someone urging Jews “back to the ovens.”

The Danish website Snaphanen posted a photo the other day of a pamphlet being distributed in Copenhagen’s City Hall Square. On one side it proclaimed: “Never Peace With Israel!” and “Kill Israel’s People!” On the other side: “Kill Jewish people evry where in ther world!” The leaflet’s spelling left something to be desired, but its message of genocidal anti-Semitism couldn’t have been clearer.

Likewise the message in Amsterdam on Saturday, where the crowd at an anti-Israel rally repeatedly chanted, “Hamas! Hamas! Jews to the gas.” And the message in Belgium, where pro-Hamas demonstrators torched Israeli flags, burned a public menorah, and painted swastikas on Jewish-owned shops.

Only marginally less vile is the message that has been trumpeted at demonstrations from Boston to Los Angeles to Vancouver: “Palestine will be free/ From the river to the sea” - a restatement in rhyme of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s call for Israel to be “wiped from the map.”

Let’s say it for the thousand-and-first time: Every negative comment about Israel is not an expression of bigotry. Israel is no more immune to criticism than any other country. But it takes willful blindness not to see that anti-Zionism today - opposition to the existence of Israel, rejection of the idea that the Jewish people are entitled to a state - is merely the old wine of anti-Semitism in its newest bottle.

I couldn’t agree more.

January 7, 2009 | 9:17 pm

What Would Jesus Tweet?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I spend a lot of time these days on Twitter. It’s a great place to blend my professional life with my personal one, to share interesting news links and new blog posts and to ask important questions like “Why do dogs chase their tails?”

I follow the tweets of a few famous people—Barack Obama, John “PC” Hodgman, God—but the historical significance of most Twitter users, except for maybe Obama, can’t compete with this riff:

Historical Tweets features snappy micro-blogs showing the thoughts of famous people at key moments in the past, as opposed to the standard Twitter fare of trivia from web users’ humdrum lives.

The joke site copies the distinctive design of the popular short-form blogging service which allows users to post 140 character updates on what they are doing.

A few days before Martin Luther King’s inspiring speech in Washington, DC in 1963, the US civil rights leader Tweets: “Bought a sleep journal. I keep having dreams but forget to write them down.”

Neil Armstrong’s supposed message plays on claims that the 1969 moon landing was faked by the US government, and that the famous footage was filmed in a studio.

In a Tweet to fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin, he jokes: “Headed to the set… I mean moon. LOL. You been practicing slow motion “no gravity” walk?”

Historical Tweets also imitates the blithe self-deception exhibited by some real-life Twitter users to comic effect.

Ahead of his disastrous defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in 1876 General Custer messages native Indian leader Sitting Bull: “I warn in advance, this battle will make me famous”.

That’s actually not a good representation of the Historical Tweets roster. OGs include Edison, Franklin, Ghandi, Gehrig, Jesus, Joan of Arc, Jordan, Kennedy, Lincoln and Saddam. Here’s a gem from Hitler, dated Jan. 17, 1923:

“Psychic looked into crystal ball and said I would be a big douchebag with bad facial hair. Growing mustache to prove her wrong.”

You can follow Historical Tweets on current Twitter. You can also follow me by clicking here.

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January 7, 2009 | 1:07 pm

Israel and Palestinian Authority reportedly accept peace plan; Hamas says they prefer war

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

This is why some Arabs are blaming Hamas for Israel’s assault on Gaza. Peace between the Jewish state and those hell-bent on destroying it? Um ... not likely. From JTA:

Israel and the Palestinian Authority have accepted a truce plan for Gaza, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced.

A Lebanon-based Hamas representative and Islamic Jihad rejected the plan, however.

Israel did not confirm its acceptance following Sarkozy’s announcement Wednesday afternoon, but a statement released from the Prime Minister’s Office read that “Israel thanks Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and French President Nicolas Sarkozy for their efforts to advance a solution for halting terrorist actions from Gaza and the smuggling of war materiel into the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Israel views as positive the dialogue between Egyptian and Israeli officials in order to advance these issues.”

The details of the plan have not been released.

Israel government spokesman Mark Regev told The Associated Press after the announcement that Israel could accept the proposal, unveiled Tuesday night by Mubarak, if the plan stops rocket fire from Gaza and includes serious measures to prevent Hamas from obtaining arms through Egypt.

A statement from Sarkozy’s office said, “The president is delighted by the acceptance by Israel and the Palestinian Authority of the Franco-Egyptian plan presented last night in Sharm el-Sheikh by President Hosni Mubarak.”

The Hamas representative,  Osama Hamdan, said the plan is unacceptable, Ynet reported.

“There is no need to get excited over the Israeli agreement that was published,” Hamdan said. “Israel’s objective is to gain time in order to continue its offensive.”

Israel continued its war effort to eradicate Hamas today after taking a brief break to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

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January 6, 2009 | 11:09 pm

The secret of circumcision

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

This must be why some Jews are pushing back against the tradition of circumcision. Another clip showing why Kyle thinks he has to save Ike’s wee-wee is after the jump:

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January 6, 2009 | 8:08 pm

The diverse religious makeup of the 111th Congress

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Serving in the House and the Senate is no longer just a Protestant party.

Two years ago, Keith Ellison became Congress’ first Muslim member; shortly after Rep. Pete Stark outed himself as Congress’ first openly atheist elected official. The 110th Congress also saw the arrival of two Buddhist politicians, another first. Those Buddhists, as well as Ellison and another Muslim, are back for the 111th Congress, which began today and the Pew Forum says looks a lot more like the people it represents:

Although a majority of the members of the new, 111th Congress, which will be sworn in on Jan. 6, are Protestants, Congress - like the nation as a whole - is much more religiously diverse than it was 50 years ago.

Lots of numbers and charts here. They serve as the basis of this article in yesterday’s Los Angeles Times:

“We see much more acceptance of religious groups that have in the past . . . suffered some prejudice,” said David Masci, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum and coauthor of the report.

Catholics, at just less than 24% of the U.S. population, have gained more congressional seats since 1961 than any other religious affiliation, the report found. At 1.7% of the population each, Jews and Mormons make up 8.4% and 2.6% of Congress, respectively.

When Kennedy was elected, Protestants accounted for most of Congress—74.1%. Though their numbers have declined, they still form a majority at 54.7%, slightly higher than their 51.3% of the population.

Since the 87th Congress was seated in 1961, many major Protestant denominations have slipped in numbers, including Methodists, at 10.7% now and 18.2% then; Presbyterians, at 8.1% compared to 13.7%; and Episcopalians, who dropped to 7.1% from 12.4%. But when compared to the population, these three denominations still are overrepresented on Capitol Hill.

Yet other Protestant denominations are underrepresented: Baptists make up 17.2% of Americans but 12.4% of the House and Senate. Pentecostalists are 4.4% of the population but 0.4% of congressional lawmakers. ...

“I think there’s an incentive, certainly, for a politician to have some sort of a religious affiliation,” Masci said. Americans, he said, have “a desire to have people in office who, to at least to some degree, reflect your own belief.”

In case you’re new to the blog, I don’t put much stock in a politician’s professed religious values. Read my past bloviations here and here and here; there are plenty more but I can’t find them at present.

P.S. Good riddance to all the folks who during the past eight years exploited religious sympathies for power. And a not-so-fond farewell to Dick Cheney, who considers himself Methodist.

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January 6, 2009 | 5:59 pm

Christian tries not just acting like Jesus but living like him too

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I’m surprised this shtick actually worked again.

Forget WWJD. A former pastor read A.J. Jacobs’ “The Year of Living Biblically” and decided he wanted to take to hear HWJL—how would Jesus live.

Ed Dobson, the vice president of spiritual formation at Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich.,—you know Cornerstone, it’s like the Princeton of the Midwest—didn’t shave, ate kosher and kept the Sabbath for an entire year. He also read through the Gospels every week, though this obviously wasn’t something Jesus did:

“I would often go down to the bar, sit up at the counter, drink a beer and talk about God, which Jesus was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard,” he said.

The most difficult part of the challenge, Dobson said, was obeying Jesus’ teachings, particularly the idea of blessing the people who persecute you.

“My youngest son did two tours in Iraq, and on the last tour, a friend of his was killed in action and my wife and I went for the visitation and I was overwhelmed with grief and also with anger for the people who had made the roadside bomb, planted it and detonated it,” he said. “And then I finally realized I had to pray for them and bless them, which is very, very hard to do.”

Dobson even voted in the presidential race as he thought Jesus would. Dobson pulled the lever for Barack Obama, saying it was the first time he ever voted for a Democrat.

“I decided since I had read through the gospels at that point over 30 times, I wanted to know who best represented the fundamental teachings of Jesus, and I felt that he more than any other candidate represented the teachings of Jesus, so I voted for him,” Dobson said.

Dobson’s message to others heading into the new year is to start reading the Bible, which he acknowledged can be demanding.

“I would encourage people, whether you’ve ever read the Bible or not, begin reading the Bible, and just listen to what God has to say.”

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January 6, 2009 | 4:01 pm

‘Fun Facts About Hamas’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

How much do you know about Hamas?

Palestinian Media Watch can educate you on how Hamas defines itself. The Council on Foreign Relations has a decent backgrounder. And here is the Hamas Charter, which calls for the destruction of Israel.

But if you’re looking for a primer with a bit more levity, check out this satirical piece Omri at Mere Rhetoric sent me:

FUN FACTS ABOUT HAMAS

* Hamas was founded in 1987 according to some site I found with Google. I was eight years old then and wanted to be a fireman or an astronaut. Blowing up Jews had not crossed my mind.

* Hamas is Arabic for “dumb @#$% with explosives”.

* Contrary to popular belief, Hamas has nothing to do with ham. Actually, if you throw hams at them, they’ll get angry.

* Make sure to keep Hamas away from your Jews.

* I don’t like to loosely throw around charges of anti-Semitism, but I don’t think Hamas members like Jews.

* Hamas protects their armaments by hiding them among children so Israel will hesitate to shoot back. For a ground war, Hamas is planning on wearing vests covered in live puppies. Killing terrorists isn’t worth harming an innocent puppy, is it?

Read the rest from IMAO here.

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January 6, 2009 | 3:50 pm

Life lessons from ‘Life of Brian’

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

I watched “Monty Python’s Life of Brian” the other night, and the tune from the closing scene has been like a broken record inside my head. Singing, humming, whistling—I can’t stop looking on the bright side of life. Just writing those words caused me to whistle.

Anyway ... the funniest scene of the movie, when Brian is thought to be the messiah, is after the jump:

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January 6, 2009 | 2:46 pm

If a pro-Hamas, pro-jihadist protester comes to your synagogue

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Palestinian wounded at U.N. school

Well, Israel sure didn’t help it’s war effort today with the IDF’s bombing of a United Nations school, which left 30 dead. (The New York Times has some photos, including the one shown here.) Pressure already was mounting on Israel to enact a ceasefire, and public response to this bombing is sure to turn up the heat.

Protests against Israel’s war with Hamas—some ugly, some comical—have occurred from here to Tampa Bay. But this Shabbat “pro-Hamas, pro-Jihadist” protesters, as Dean Rotbart calls them, may find a platform in shul.

Rotbart reports at The Memo that American Jews—who the protest organizer says are responsible for the “mass murder, occupation, and forced starvation of the people of Palestine”—are being encouraged to sit in synagogue and then at an opportune time, stand up and shout “Stop the Killing!”

“I doubt this will happen here in Los Angeles or almost anywhere, because the organizers are better at bluster than deeds,” Rotbart writes. “But assuming that someone or some few do actually show up and interrupt services, I have some basic advice. Let them.

“These kooks are looking for confrontation and looking to generate YouTube-worthy outrage. Their goal is really publicity and self aggrandizement.

“If the Rabbi is speaking or the congregation is engaged in prayer when someone stands to protest, I would suggest that a responsible member of each congregation encourage members to finish their prayers and then be seated to “listen” to the protestors. Give them 10 minutes, 20 minutes, whatever it takes to exhaust their rhetoric. Then calmly finish services.”

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January 6, 2009 | 1:03 am

Muslim group mad at L.A. mayor for supporting Israel

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

At the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles this afternoon, L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa voiced his support for Israel’s war against Hamas and invasion of Gaza:

“I’ve been to Sderot and seen the wreckage caused by a constant barrage of rocket attacks. I’ve met parents afraid to let their kids play in the streets and students unable to go to school each day. I’ve walked along empty roads, visited vacant buildings, and witnessed the sheer destruction of a town decimated by eight years of missile strikes.”

“And after all of the attacks – after all of the failed attempts to ignite the fires of peace rather than fan the flames of terrorism – any nation would take action to protect its citizens and ensure the safety and security of its residents. And no country would sit silently while innocent families are threatened and civilian lives are at-risk.”

“Israel is no different. It must act against the Hamas leaders targeting the innocent. And it must be allowed to exercise its right and responsibility to defend itself.”

Having been to Sderot, I share the sentiment. So does President-elect Barack Obama.

But the Muslim Public Affairs Council wasn’t happy and held its own news conference at the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California. You can watch what Salam Al-Marayati, MPAC’s executive director, had to say here. Al-Marayati said the Muslim and Arab community of Los Angeles was disappointed in the mayor:

“Why is the Mayor of Los Angeles dragging himself and his constituents into international conflicts in the Middle East?” Al-Marayati asked. “If he chooses to engage in international issues, he should meet with all sides and discuss the critical perspectives and recommendations from all sides before making a decision on such an important international issue.”

“The Mayor should bring both sides together to talk about how we can prevent the conflict and violence emanating from the Middle East from spilling over onto our streets in America.”

This is not the first time MPAC has been angered by the mayor’s support for Israel’s military actions. In 2006, MPAC criticized his vocal support for Israel’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Villaraigosa, who visited Israel in June, is a passionate supporter of Israel and honorary member of the tribe.

He was joined at the press conference by Israeli Consul General Jacob Dayan, Federation President John Fishel, Simon Wiesenthal Center Dean Marvin Hier and City Councilmembers Wendy Greuel, Janice Hahn, Jack Weiss and Dennis Zine.

“I just celebrated Christmas, with the hope of peace on earth,” Hahn said. “But I do know there will be no peace and there will hardly be room to talk until these rockets cease being fired on civilians.”

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January 5, 2009 | 3:47 pm

Nazi comparisons and Hamas bathrooms

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Remember the op-ed in the Arab-American paper Watan that compared Israelis to Nazis? Even before Israel’s war in Gaza, likening Zionists to Nazis has been a preferred tactic of anti-Israel activists, particularly on college campuses.

The Anti-Defamation League just sent out a news release saying that Nazi imagery has appeared at protests across the country—in Chicago, New York, Tampa, Atlanta, Anaheim and, yes, Los Angeles. The above photo, which depicts the Israeli flag with the Magen David twisted into a swastika and the words “Upgrade to Holocaust Version 2.0,” comes from Tuesday’s protest outside the Israeli consulate in L.A.

“While we have come to expect to see such and hear this type of inflammatory rhetoric in Arab and Muslim capitals overseas, it is deeply disturbing that it is appearing in anti-Israel demonstrations at home,” ADL national director Abe Foxman said in a prepared statement. “Offensive Holocaust comparisons and the use of Nazi imagery are deeply offensive and have no place in a civil society such as ours.”

As for the righteousness of Hamas, well, let’s just say you shouldn’t use the bathroom if one of their militants invites you into his home. Yes, I understand you probably have bigger problems then finding the can if you’re roaming Gaza and visiting members of Hamas, but check out one of the places the IDF has found explosives stored in Gaza. Reminds me of that scene in “Lethal Weapon 2” in which Danny Glover is stuck on a booby-trapped toilet:

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January 5, 2009 | 3:16 pm

Merry Christmas from Ahmadinejad

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

Why is it that whenever controversy erupts in England, the press must refer to it as a row? Latest example: “Ahmadinejad Christmas address to U.K. viewers sparks angry row.” Instead, I’d say it a warranted outrage. (I know I’m a bit late on this, but I’m just now catching up.)

Let’s not forget who the Iranian president is, what he’s said and what he stands for. And he’s the guy that Channel 4 invited to give its “alternative Christmas message” as a counterpoint to Queen Elizabeth? Bollocks.

Not surprisingly, the British government was ripe ticked about the whole affair.

The text of Ahmadinejad’s address, which can be read here, appears somewhat benign. But reading between the lines, I had a similar reaction to that of Times of London religion reporter Ruth Gledhill:

Channel 4, as far as motives are concerned, can perhaps be given the benefit of the doubt. Their intentions might be honourably Christian.

But as the adage goes, the road to Hell is paved with good intentions.

This is an example of the ecumenical impulse being taken to dangerous extremes.

In his message, Ahmadinejad says: “If Christ was on Earth today undoubtedly he would stand with the people in opposition to bullying, ill-tempered and expansionist powers.”

On December 8, 2005, Ahmadinejad gave an interview with Iran’s Arabic channel ‘Al-Alam’ in Mecca in which he said: “Some European countries insist on saying that during World War II, Hitler burned millions of Jews and put them in concentration camps. Any historian, commentator or scientist who doubts that is taken to prison or gets condemned. Although we don’t accept this claim, if we suppose it is true, if the Europeans are honest they should give some of their provinces in Europe - like in Germany, Austria or other countries - to the Zionists and the Zionists can establish their state in Europe.”

In his Channel 4 message, the President of Iran continues: “If Christ was on Earth today undoubtedly he would hoist the banner of justice and love for humanity to oppose warmongers, occupiers, terrorists and bullies the world over.”

The same man has called for Israel to be wiped off the map, has repeatedly said the Holocaust is a fake, and is widely believed to be close to having a nuclear bomb. A few days ago, during an anti-Israel rally in Tehran, he warned that Israel had reached the end of the line and would soon “fade away from the Earth.”

In his Christmas Day message to the British people, however, Ahmadinejad does not name Israel but goes on to speak in comparable eschatological terms of what is to come.

“We believe, Jesus Christ will return, together with one of the children of revered messenger of Islam and would lead the world to a rightful point; to a world of love, brotherhood and justice. The responsibility of all followers of Christ and followers of Abrahamic faiths is to move towards that and to prepare the way for the fulfilment of this divine promise and the arrival of that joyful, shining and wonderful age. I hope that the collective will of nations will unite in the not too distant future and with the grace of the Almighty Lord, that shining age will come to rule the Earth.”

Although a cursory reading of the message might at first indicate so, a devout Muslim can surely not be embracing the millenarian philosophy that some read into the last book of the Bible, Revelation, and that prophesies the return of Christ and his Church to rule for a thousand years at the end of the world.

It sounds more like an invitation to embrace “umma”, the Islamic worldwide family, with an offer of a place for all the Abrahamic faiths, incuding the Children of Israel, although they are not named.

All well and good, peaceful and loving. Very Christmassy in fact.

Islam demands its enemies be given the option to convert before they are attacked.

Can this be why I am suddenly so terrified?

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