17 thoughts on “MJ Rosenberg Joins J Street, Calls My Criticism of Jesse Jackson Jr’s Aipac Junket ‘Bizarre’ – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. Bravo, Richard. I hope you don’t censor me this time, because it is one time I fully agree with what you say. Do not let Rosenberg, or any one else, brow beat you over the issues discussed in this post.

  2. Stopping Norman Finkelstein (and Noam Chomsky) was scandalous not because it blocked supposedly dangerous ideas from coming in contact with innocent Israelis’ minds (thus potentially frustrating years of political indoctrination and hard training at keeping one’s eyes shut).

    Israelis are privileged to make the (brainwashed) choice of surrendering natural democratic freedoms like the opportunity of listening to unpopular, even unpleasant ideas.

    It was (and still is) preposterous because both thinkers were not intending to have anything to do with Israelis. They were on their way to speak to Palestinians living under Israeli occupation. Those Palestinians, like black South Africans at the time, are denied the basic human right of making their own choices about anything (including the right to find first hand that not all Jews are malicious oppressive racists, bent on their exploitation).

  3. My reaction.

    http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com/2011/08/mighty-zionist-struggle-against-racism.html

    friend and enemy are political terms. Rosenberg and J street are circling the wagons. Don’t take it personally. J street goal is building a power base in Washington. That has nothing to do with justice or truth. Attacking Jackson is attacking the people who are most likely to help them become more like AIPAC. The article you attacked, supporting Oslo style peace and non-violent struggle (provided that it is done ineffectively), is closer to J-Street’s positions than AIPAC’s.

    1. Thanks for that. I wrote a comment in the thread thanking you as well. What astonishes me is that they are so short-sighted. I was attacking Aipac’s junkets which Jackson joined. Does J St. wish to support Aipac’s junkets? Are they saying because they themselves run junkets they don’t want anyone attacking Aipac’s? Feel like I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole & left is right & right, left.

      1. Thanks for the comment, but I think left is still left. They will politely attack AIPAC, just as Dems are always polite, and they will defend anybody they hope to gain favor with, and attack anybody who challenges anything systemic. As heir MLK, Jackson, like Obama, are the left signpost in Washington. You are not allowed to attack Jackson from the left. It’s very simple. You had your sister souljah moment.

  4. Richard,

    You have my full respect for this post!! Really brave! This is you at your finest!

    I hope one day you realize that sooner or later even Liberal Zionists sacrifice the “Liberal” to the other.

    1. I wish you would recognize that even when you disagree w. someone you can do so civilly esp. when you acknowledge there are many thing with which you agree w. me. Try it next time. This will not change my views about Zionism. It will merely change my views about individuals who espouse their version of Zionist ideas.

  5. MK Ahmad Tibi writes in Salon today: “Congressional tourists avoid apartheid in Israel.’ Tibi singles out Rep. Jackson and the other 5 members of Black Caucus:

    “They’ve never expressed any alarm regarding Jewish settlers subjugating Palestinians, and I don’t expect them to start now. But I do expect Jackson and the other members of the caucus (other than Rep. Allen West, advocate of torturing Arabs) to reject colonization and racial discrimination. Their complacency in the face of modern-day colonization and their adoption of hard-line AIPAC positions stand in stark contrast to the beliefs of many Americans I have met who believe wholeheartedly that it is wrong for Israel to discriminate against Palestinians.”

    http://www.salon.com/news/israel/index.html?story=/news/feature/2011/08/26/congress_members_visit_israel

  6. MJ has since changed his mind and apologized to you via Twitter.

    Not sure if you’ve seen his recent tweets, but he wrote:

    “Apologies to Richard Silverstein re this. I was sloppy. He’s right.”

    And also:

    “Richard Silverstein is right about Jesse Jackson, Jr. junket to #Israel.”

  7. RE:”My sneaking suspicion is that this is somehow payback for the incredulity I expressed to Rosenberg when he so harshly attacked Norman Finkelstein.” – R.S.

    MY COMMENT: It is possible that M.J. Rosenberg saw the tweet from J Street and made the mistake of “taking it at face value”. That’s why I half-jokingly call Twitter ‘the devil’s workshop’. It is just too hot of a medium (to borrow from McLuhan).

  8. “”banning someone merely for their ideas is reprehensible””

    Aren’t you a hypocrite ? you banned so many people here for having a different opinion then yours.

    Gee. even i am being moderated for having a different opinion, which i always stated very politely.

    1. Sorry, bud. Not for having diff. ideas. There are probably 25,000 comments published here since 2003 which have diff. opinions than mine. But they follow the comment rules. If you don’t you’re either moderated or banned. And of course, people are warned as well before being banned. I also offer to explain the rules if necessary & sometimes even offer someone a way to be removed fr. moderation or banning. In a number of cases I have removed someone from moderation or banning upon request.

      You’re hardly ever stated yr opinions politely & are being moderated for the specific reasons I enumerated when I told you I was moderating you.

      But as usual you are off topic since I was talking about Norman Finkelstein being imprisoned for his ideas. As far as I know you haven’t been imprisoned by me or anyone else merely for yr ideas.

  9. I am so glad that two of the people who I respect so much worked things out. You may not agree on every thing but each of you bring so much to the table.
    Haim Dov

    1. Thanks Haim Dov. These things can be difficult to negotiate sometimes. But I hope those like MJ and myself, aside from J Street of course, who know they’re on the same side should remember that always.

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