January 18, 2011 | 2:41 pm

Sarah Palin like Menachem Begin?

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

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There is an organization for everything nowadays. But would you believe there is a Jewish Americans for Sarah Palin? Remember how Jews reacted to her joining the McCain ticket in 2008?

In this op-ed for The Forward the executive director of Jews for Sarah compares Palin to Menachem Begin, but finds in Palin a stronger leader. Odd:

Menachem Begin was the product of a bygone era. His gentlemanly manner, thoughtfulness and civility were no match for the new era of international electronic media assaults and technologically savvy propaganda.

Sarah Palin, by contrast, is a consummate 21st-century political leader. Alongside her formidable charisma, she has deployed a brilliant and highly innovative new media strategy. She may well be associated in history with the invention of the political tweet. And she has demonstrated that she is more than ready for a (nonviolent) fight.

Palin was right to describe the attacks on her as a blood libel. Falsely accusing someone of shedding blood or causing bloodshed is the definition of a blood libel — whether it’s medieval churches accusing Jews of baking blood in Passover matzos, or contemporary Muslim extremists accusing Israel of harvesting Arabs’ organs or political partisans blaming conservative political figures or talk-show hosts for the Tucson massacre.

A “consummate 21st-century political leader” ... excuse me while I compose myself.

There is no question that Palin is a brilliant leader. She certainly knows how to rally the troops. Unfortunately, she is also painfully divisive. And while her political genius isn’t in question, her general intellect has been.

I don’t like Sarah Palin, nor could I ever see myself voting for her. But I wouldn’t be devastated if she was my congressional representative. My president, though, is something quite different.