Friday, August 26, 2011
Beckaphobia
Israeli leftists have long had an intense hatred towards American
conservatives. This is in spite of the fact that American
conservatives are almost all pro-Israel. On second though, the hatred
of Israeli leftists towards them is precisely BECAUSE they are
pro-Israel.
Israeli leftists insist that Israel should only allow itself to be
befriended by foreign leftists. Never mind that the search for
pro-Israel foreign leftists is about as productive as the search for
human life on other planets. The Left outside of Israel is almost
entirely anti-Israel and anti-Semitic, and foreign liberals are by and
large (although not entirely) anti-Israel. Israeli leftists want
foreign pro-Israel conservatives to be regarded as persona non grata
by Israel. A few years back, Amiram Goldblum, a professor at the
Hebrew University and a founder of Peace Now, called upon Israel to
prevent American evangelist Christians from entering Israel. He
objected to them because they are too pro-Israel. (See this about
Goldblum: http://www.isracampus.org.il/third%20level%20pages/HebrewU%20-%20Amiram%20Goldblum%20-%20terroist%20fellow.htm
) The Israeli Left is outraged that Israeli cable TV carries Fox
News, because it is pro-Israel. The anti-Israel BBC and CNN channels
though are fine.
The most dramatic manifestation of the Israel's Left's hatred of
pro-Israel foreign conservatives is evident this week in widespread
Beckaphobia. The Israeli Left is suffering from an intense phobia
regarding Glenn Beck.
Beck was in Israel this week (and has been here a lot in recent
months) for one purpose only – to support Israel. Beck is an
outspoken and well-spoken American conservative. He is more
entertainer than serious scholar, and was until recently a staple on
Fox News. He sometimes gets things wrong, and his economics are
rather shallow. But his political opinions are solidly conservative
and you cannot listen to his recent speech in Jerusalem
(http://www.glennbeck.com/israel/ ) without being convinced of his
sincerity in his love of Israel and solidarity with Jews, and you
might be moved to tears.
The Israeli Left has been jihading all week against Beck. Yossi
Sarid, the ex-head of Meretz, ran Op-Eds demonizing Beck, and the same
Sarid has an Op-Ed in Haaretz today claiming that Israel fought the
Six Day War out of a Nazi-like quest for Lebensraum (his word) and
expansionism. Really – it is here:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/lebensraum-as-a-justification-for-israeli-settlements-1.380787
. Sarid was joined by lots of Haaretz writers. And even the
normally sensible Maariv editor Ben-Dror Yemini decided to gripe about
Beck. Naturally, Peace Now denounced the decision to allow Beck into
the country (http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART2/274/065.html ).
The Leftists demanding that Beck be regarded as a persona non grata
are almost without exception the same people who protested when Israel
declared Neo-Nazi Norman Finkelstein or anti-Semitic Stalinist Noam
Chomsky or pro-jihad pseudo-academic Richard Falk as persona non
grata. The lesson is clear – the Left's mantra is this: Israel, Hate
it or Leave it! Here is the Haaretz editorial about Beck:
http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/opinion/the-extreme-israeli-right-s-alliance-with-lunatics-1.380546
.
Beck of course is also the right-winger that the American
Left-wingers most love to hate. But those who hate Beck in almost all
cases also hate Israel. True, some American liberal "Reform Rabbis"
denounced Beck for criticizing George Soros, but if anything Beck
should carry their condemnation as a badge of valor. And lots of
those "Reform Rabbis" are supporters of JSTREET or New Israel Fund or
Tikkun Magazine of worse.
Some American Jewish liberals squirm when Beck's name is mentioned
because they have a hang-up about Mormons. Beck was not raised Mormon
but later converted. Mormons are overwhelmingly pro-Israel and
friendly towards Jews. True, they would prefer that Jews convert to
Mormonism, but members of all religions would like Jews to convert to
their religions. So what? Jews above the age of puberty should have
skins thick enough to be able to interact with people who regard
Judaism as incorrect theology, although I will not berate you if you
turn the garden hose on Jehovah's Witnesses. (I say that because a
team knocked on my door in Haifa this week to peddle their theology.)
I suppose I find it slightly disrespectful when missionaries attempt
to convince me that my own religion is "wrong," but I think part of
being an adult is to realize that there are battles worth fighting and
battles not worth fighting. A lot of people also regard my political
opinions, tastes in music, and fashion sense as wrong.
Give me a nice team of Mormons over liberal Jewish
pseudo-clergypersons preaching that all of Judaism is really "social
justice" and pursuing the liberal political agenda any day! Mormons
may invite you to join their faith and pray for you to do so. Liberal
pseudo-rabbis fraudulently misrepresent Judaism and are guilty of
Chilul Hashem. I feel great with the former. And I salute Glenn
Beck.
