Jews conspiring on Jewish Conspiracy
April 12, 2006
AlterNet reader and commenter Mike Spindell has frequently commented on my posts regarding Israel and Jews. Responding to my review of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Mike left a lengthy and thoughtful comment -- one which I'd anticipated in writing the piece. My response is below and his original comment follows...
Hi Mike,
We've tangled before, and though I respect your position, I think you're exaggerating my point beyond recognition and conflating my piece with the comments on it.
Bill Cosby didn't ask African-Americans to search their souls for their part in a dysfunctional relationship so much as he lambasted them for acting like fools.
I was well aware when I wrote this that the potential exists for people to believe that I was saying that we Jews are "to blame" for bigotry. Which was the distinction I was trying to make between "responsibility" and "blame." The way we're responsible for America, though not to blame for it.
I also knew it'd bring out the bigots and fools who take every opportunity to bash Israel and Jews.
You and I are mostly on the same page. We defend Israel but abhor many of its policies -- particularly w/r/t Palestinians.
I'm not claiming that Israel ought to be held to a "higher" standard than other countries, but I also can't abide by the claim that Israel can be excused from human rights violations because of Jew hatred.
As for the rest of your comment, I agree with much of it. I KNOW commenters come out of the woodworks with Jew/neocon fantasies and I KNOW there's often a progressive knee-jerk reaction when it comes to Israel, but by the same token I think it takes agency from Jews to not believe we're in a relationship (and therefore a situation over which we possess some power) -- the same applies to women and blacks or any other historically persecuted group.
Cornel West has a history of doing what Bill Cosby bumbled over with uncharacteristic humorlessness: being critical of his own community with elegance, grace, and intelligence. In defending Cosby, West told Tavis Smiley...
Hi Mike,
We've tangled before, and though I respect your position, I think you're exaggerating my point beyond recognition and conflating my piece with the comments on it.
Bill Cosby didn't ask African-Americans to search their souls for their part in a dysfunctional relationship so much as he lambasted them for acting like fools.
I was well aware when I wrote this that the potential exists for people to believe that I was saying that we Jews are "to blame" for bigotry. Which was the distinction I was trying to make between "responsibility" and "blame." The way we're responsible for America, though not to blame for it.
I also knew it'd bring out the bigots and fools who take every opportunity to bash Israel and Jews.
You and I are mostly on the same page. We defend Israel but abhor many of its policies -- particularly w/r/t Palestinians.
I'm not claiming that Israel ought to be held to a "higher" standard than other countries, but I also can't abide by the claim that Israel can be excused from human rights violations because of Jew hatred.
As for the rest of your comment, I agree with much of it. I KNOW commenters come out of the woodworks with Jew/neocon fantasies and I KNOW there's often a progressive knee-jerk reaction when it comes to Israel, but by the same token I think it takes agency from Jews to not believe we're in a relationship (and therefore a situation over which we possess some power) -- the same applies to women and blacks or any other historically persecuted group.
Cornel West has a history of doing what Bill Cosby bumbled over with uncharacteristic humorlessness: being critical of his own community with elegance, grace, and intelligence. In defending Cosby, West told Tavis Smiley...
