While few presidential candidates embrace a progressive position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Rudy Giuliani has taken things to a new low. He’s the only candidate to turn his back on 30 years of U.S. Mideast policy and claim that the world is not ready for a Palestinian state. No doubt, Giuliani would also be opposed to a settlement freeze and the return of any of the West Bank to the PA–all positions long held by previous Administrations, both Democrat and Republican.
Not to be outdone in rejecting previously sacrosanct U.S. Mideast policies, Giuliani has opened his arms to some of the most wingnutty of Jewish right-wingers. Recently, he announced that Norman Podhoretz had signed on as a Mideast advisor. He’s the guy who’s just itching for us the drop the “big one” on Iran. He has a new book, World War IV: The Long Struggle Against Islamofascism. For a delightfully vicious review, see Peter Beinart’s in the NY Times Book Review. The guy practically founded the neocon movement and is the embodiment of an ideological dinosaur. Need we say more??
And then Giuliani did himself one better by adding Daniel Pipes to his team. This is the guy who believes that Islam is an evil religion (except for the few Muslim “moderates” like Nona Darwish and Wafa Sultan who denounce their co-religionists and embrace Zionism). Pipes and his group, Campus Watch drove out Debbie Almontaser as principal of New York’s first Arab public school. CW also has played an instrumental role in the campaign to deny tenure to Barnard Palestinian-American professor Nadia Abu El-Haj.
I didn’t really believe this was possible but it appears Giuliani is trying to run to the right of AIPAC on Israel issues. Can anyone be farther to the right than AIPAC on this? I guess it really IS possible. And that’s the horror of what Giuliani’s doing.
The tendency at this point in a presidential race is not to focus too intensively on appointments like the two I mention above. It’s early. People aren’t paying much attention. Things can change one way or the other. But look at it another way: the guy is the leading Republican presidential candidate with 21% of the Republican vote in current polls.
Giuliani hopes to seal his support among neocons and right-wing pro-Israel Jews with these appointments. But we should remind the American people that there is no room for Islam-haters in American political campaigns. Any candidate who believes there is something to gain from pandering to Islamophobes should be made to pay a price for stooping to the lowest common denominator of American politics.
“This is the guy (Pipes) who believes that Islam is an evil religion (except for the few Muslim “moderates” like Nona Darwish and Wafa Sultan who denounce their co-religionists and embrace Zionism).”
– When/where has Pipes said or written that he regards not just some Muslims as evil, but that he considers the religion (Islam) which they profess to observe evil? (You don’t believe Judaism to be an evil religion, do you, yet you regularly denounce many Jews you consider evil, don’t you?) Please cite the most telling evidence you can produce in support of your allegation that Pipes “believes that Islam is an evil religion.”
– What are the scare quotes you put around “moderates” meant to imply? You scorn the likes of Nona Darwish and Wafa Sultan because they are “inauthentic” Muslims? Or, because they are “disloyal” as evidenced by their willingness to “denounce their co-religionists?” Or, because they, like the pseudonymous Jeremiah Haber of The Magnes Zionist (and you, RS?), “embrace Zionism?” Or, because they are not the type of Muslim you personally prefer? Do you hold Hirsan Ali in contempt too?
I noticed the date on this post was the 14th. I guess some of us were in synagogue and some of us weren’t.
Maybe G. is sucking up to the Xtn Zionist Endtimes types as well.
Zhu Bajie
Getting ready for Halloween, is he?
I wasn’t aware that Jews were in synagogue 24 hours on Rosh Hashana. At my synagogue they let us go home after services. But this does make me feel guilty I didn’t put Rosh Hashana greetings in my blog, which I should’ve done.
Thanks for the big laugh, Mr. Pearlman. It’s nice and very reassuring to know the religious thought police are keeping hearty vigil. We’re counting on you, BP!
“Giuliani has opened his arms to some of the most wingnutty of Jewish right-wingers.”
No surprise here. Rabbi Abraham Hecht and then-New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (Kahane’s former right hand in the Jewish Defense League) were among those supporting Giuliani in his mayoral campaign. In their fine book, Murder in the Name of God, detailing the role of religious extremism in the murder of Yitzhak Rabin, Michael Karpin and Ina Friedman have a photo of Hizonor sharing the diaz with these 2 sterling gentleman, as well as Sam Domb, all of whom were considered to have helped to create the environment leading to the murder of Rabin. From the book review: [http://www.acjna.org/acjna/articles_detail.aspx?id=117]
Karpin and Friedman …describe the campaign of hatred that Orthodox circles and Jewish extremists in New York City launched against Rabin and his government. Masterminding the effort were such figures as New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind (Kahane’s former right hand in the Jewish Defense League), Rabbis Abraham Hecht and Herbert Bomzer, and businessmen Sam Domb and Jack Avital…
Rabbi Abraham Hecht, head of the Rabbinical Alliance of America, declared that surrendering any part of the biblical Land of Israel is a violation of Jewish religious law and, thus, assassinating Rabin, and all who assist him, is both permissible and necessary.
Ironic bedfellows for Mr. Law & Order.
Rudy’s only in favor of law & order for Israelis (Jews) and Anglos. Palestinians & U.S. minorities don’t deserve the full protection of the law since they’re basically untermenschen anyway.
Pipes has stated that all Arab American Muslims should be viewed essentially as terror suspects and used a horrifying analogy that referred to rapists. His views on Islam are clear to all but you, him, Rudy Giuliani, & his supporters.
What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t denounce anyone because they are Jewish and I don’t consider ‘many Jews’ evil.
What do you think this is–a high school history final? Sorry, I don’t produce evidence on demand.
She is a fellow at AEI & has decided to turn to the political right-wing for support. I don’t have much respect for her no. But ‘contempt?’ I wouldn’t say that.