Hate Filled Rant Gets 6 Favorites

A recent news article about Avigdor Lieberman's comments on the flotilla caused the hate to spew like a raging river from the HPers. Most notably this one (click to zoom in):

Key phrases: "the worst barbaric people on the face of the earth"..."you have nothing short of satanically worshiping demon's, who in their lust will ravage the earth".

Just more criticism of Israel's policies.


The original link.

MJ Rosenberg Lies About Palestinian Prisoners

Rabbi Steve Gutow wrote an excellent article about Gilad Shalit and how much he's missed. Everyone's favorite "pro-Israel" blogger MJ Rosenberg couldn't help but throw in his two cents:

This post (or at least the part about Palestinian prisoners) is simply a lie. According to B'Tselem, which as a NIF NGO has a vested interest in increasing the number of prisoners, the number of Palestinians in administrative detention as of April 2011 is 219. 219 is not "mostly" of 10,000. Rosenberg straight up lies on the Huffington Post.

And I'm not even going to touch his line about "ethnic chauvinism".


The original link.

Erich Ehrmann Pushes Dual Loyalty Charge

The Huffington Post came out with yet another article about Iran's missile buildup, to the glee and rejoicing of much of the HuffPosters. And then, shockingly enough, Huffington Post blogger Erich Ehrmann strode into the thread with this diatribe:

In case you don't want to read the whole thing here are the key sentences:

"this is great news for Israeli defense industries­, and the US-Israel dual loyalty lobby and fundraisin­g apparat.""Will this become a top priority issue when Obama goes doorknocki­ng for campaign contributi­ons from supporters of Israel. You betcha."

How many Huffington Post bloggers have accused American Jews of greater loyalty to Israel than to America at this point? Like five or six? Let's count them: Michael Carmichael, Lawrence Davidson, Larry Gellman, Richard Greener, Sharmine Narwani, and of course MJ Rosenberg. So I guess that's a total of seven.

And while we're at it, here's another hateful comment on the same Iranian missile thread:

Welcome to the Huffington Post.

Threat of the Day

HuffPost approved.

The original link.

New Gaza Video

Because it can't be said often enough:

Anti-Semitic Comments of the Day

First post is sarcastic, but the replies definitely are not.

Jews controlling the media and the government with their Jewish money? HuffPost Approved.

The original link.

HPW User Profile: GohBokher

I'll let this guy speak for himself.

Link
"Israelis only care when their own interests are at stake. Selfish people."

Link
"Nice spin, Reuters. I suggest everyone go read the report themselves than listen to Reuters (Rothchild­s News Agency)"

Link
“held by a minority. Just because the Zionists control the media doesn't mean that 98% of Americans aren't thinking something else.
This chicken will fly home to roost.”


Link
“It's hard to not rant against the absurd. You people are foaming at the mouth with bigotry, racism and the language of occupiers.”


Link
“Pretty sure Avigdor is confusing Israel's blood-thir­st for the rest of the world. Not everyone is as bellicose as you, little state.”


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“How ridiculous is Israhell and its googly eyed foreign minister? Go back to your cave, neandertha­l!”

Once Again, the HuffPo Takes a Side

In case we had any doubt that the editors of the Huffington Post were firmly on the side of those who want to wipe Israel off the map (including those who they have in their blogger stable) all we need to do is look at the choice of flotilla-related articles that they chose to publish. We'll start with blog posts in the last week alone.

1. First up we have Medea Benjamin who once again hits all the usual anti-Zionist talking points, waves the bloody shirt, and pimps the corpse of Martin Luther King Jr. in her efforts to help Hamas fight a terror war against Israel.
2. Then there is Kathy Kelly working as a PR shill for the flotilla. If you really need an update on all the usual ridiculousness surrounding the flotilla's point of view, you can check out her article but I feel no need to repeat what she has to say.
3. Next there is Robert Naiman's op-ed in which he finally comes clean that he is, in fact, "naive." He also continues to cling to the illusion that his fellow flotilliers are "peace activists" and not intent on destroying Israel the way his friends do. He then proceeded to write two more in two days on pretty much the same subject.
4. Finally we have Democracy Now which basically functions as a straight up mouthpiece of the flotilliers.

And of course this is ignoring the seemingly endless Robert Naiman ego trip articles leading up to all of this. Now I wouldn't mind the appearance of three pro-flotilla blogs if they were counterbalanced by at least one anti-flotilla blog. But as we learned, David Harris was censored to keep that from happening. What Huffington Post bias?

Next up we have actual articles about the flotilla itself:

1. First we have a ridiculously backwards article in which Israel threatend to bar journalists from the flotilla, then changed their mind, and it was the decision to back down that got covered by the HuffPo. Sort of like the Jerusalem court rumor that was only published after it was debunked. 
2. Then there was an article about Avigdor Lieberman saying that the flotilla activists "want blood." The quote was not the main point of his speech but nonetheless that's what got moved to the top of the HuffPo. Naturally this led to a lot of hate against Israel and Lieberman himself.

Again, it was not so much the choice of articles but what didn't get posted. The news that there would be less than 300 people on the flotilla wasn't covered, nor were the many warnings toward the flotilla by the US government. Stories about the flotilla running into trouble weren't covered either. It seems clear that only a certain point of view toward the flotilla is allowed on the Huffington Post. We're used to an anti-Israel bias, but it's not usually this blatant. I wonder what changed.

Pro-Torture Comment of the Day

I felt like this is worth sharing, since practically all of the people who read the Huffington Post are against torture under any circumstances:

...unless we are talking about Jews being tortured. Then people like "Fein" and his eight friends are totally on board with it. Isn't that great?

The original link.

"Strange" Bedfellows

Headline on the Huffington Post:

Headline on the Jerusalem Post:

Red-Green Alliance? What Red-Green Alliance? I'm sure it's just a coincidence the rhetoric of the far left and the far Islamist right happen to align perfectly when it comes to attacking the free democracies of Israel and the US.

Jewish Conspiracy Theories Live On at the HuffPo

There was a story covered on the Huffington Post about a group of Jewish students and Albanians working together to restore a Jewish cemetery there. One comment in the thread was very informative:

How interesting that some people think that the Albanians only did this to curry favor with the Jews, as if all Jews talk to each other and work together. I notice further how he used the magic word "Jewish lobby" as opposed to "Jewish conspiracy" or "Jewish cabal" or something like that. But even so it's clear his ax to grind is against the Albanians and not the Jews. Just another day on the HuffPo.

The HuffPo's Classy Headline Choice

This story doesn't have anything to do with Jews, but I thought it was worth sharing because it shows the kind of mentality that the Huffington Post has adopted recently:

That of a trashy tabloid. Whether the story is true or not, it's an awful thing to broadcast around the world, and it doesn't make the Huffington Post look any better. Remember, they have to pick and choose their stories carefully because they can't get them all.

Some News the HP Doesn't Cover

At the time I am writing this, the Huffington Post has yet to cover the following stories:

The Bi'lin barrier got moved, but protests aren't going to end. Amazing that this hasn't been covered, seeing as how for a while the Huffington Post couldn't get enough blog posts about it.

Rabbi Dov Lior (the one who called for killing of Arabs) was arrested for incitement, then let go a few hours later.

Another terror cell was broken up and stopped, and an Israeli man was almost lynched in Jerusalem.

HP Bias: Grapel Vs. Dogan

I'm sure you all remember the case of Furkan Dogan, one of those killed in Israel's flotilla raid. He was a dual citizen of both Turkey and America. Take a look at how the HP covered the story about him:

Note the headline: "Furkan Dogan, U.S. Citizen". No mention of any dual citizenship in the headline or the first paragraph.

Now let's take a look at the Huffington Post's coverage of the arrest of Ilan Grapel, an Israeli-American dual citizen, in Egypt for the crime of spying. There were actually two articles, one of the arrest itself and one of a Congressman calling for Grapel to be freed. Let's take a look.

Boom! For Grapel, his dual citizenship is part of both headlines. Funny how for Dogan, the dual citizenship was left out, but for Grapel it's emphasized over and over again. Is there doubt in anyone's mind as to the agenda the Huffington Post is pushing with the information it leaves in and out of its headlines?

Note the choice of pictures as well. For Dogan, there's a nice picture of him all dressed up sitting on the couch. We get a good look at him as a person. For Grapel, in both articles, the pictures is of a bunch of newspapers covering the story. No attempt to humanize Grapel is made, but why would the Huffington Post want to do that? They know which victims of governments they want us to like and which they don't. I may not be a multi-million dollar newspaper corporation, but after about two seconds on Google I was able to find this picture of Grapel:

 

Anyone care to venture a guess as to why the Huffington Post chose a bunch of generic newspapers to accompany both of their stories about Grapel rather than this picture of the man himself?

David Harris Article: Censored by HuffPo?

A reader has sent us this article by David Harris of the AJC, who has been posting on the Huffington Post for a while, as we know. In the version that he sent, it contained a note that said the Huffington Post decided that it was "not for them." I can't verify the truth of this, you'll have to ask Mr. Harris yourself. Anyway, here's the article crossposted here, you decide if it is more offensive than the stuff that Rosenberg and Narwani grind out on a weekly basis:

Dear Thomas,

Nearly two years ago, I was invited by The Huffington Post (HuffPo) to become a blogger on their site. I was honored. It is one of the most heavily trafficked news sites anywhere, and it reaches an influential audience. Since September 2009, I have published nearly 50 articles there, and look forward to publishing many more. This week, for the first time, I was told by HuffPo that an article submitted was "not for us." It's below. I ask you to read it and decide for yourself. Apropos, the same article was published on my Jerusalem Post blog earlier this week.

Best wishes,
David

---

The Hamas - Oops, Gaza - Flotilla

June 21, 2011

We're on the verge of another "flotilla" to Gaza. Estimates of the number of ships and participants vary from day to day, tending downward, but the erstwhile organizers insist that the maritime operation will take place.

Their spokesmen have been hyperactive in drawing attention to the event. After all, without coverage, they'd be denied their oxygen. And the kind of coverage they seek - idealistic humanists and peace activists determined to aid the poor, beleaguered residents of Gaza versus stone-hearted oppressors in military uniforms determined to block them at all costs - would, needless to say, portray Israel in the worst possible light.

The International Solidarity Movement, Free Gaza Movement, U.S. Boat to Gaza, and kindred spirits want the world to believe there is a strip of land called Gaza that, left to its own devices, would create the Shangri-La of the Middle East.

All its residents want are peace, harmony, coexistence, and tranquility. Some spokesmen acknowledge that Gaza has a governing authority. A very few even mention its name, Hamas, but hasten to add that it was elected democratically, so end of story. The rest don't give it a name, as it might muddy the waters.

According to this narrative - a word particularly popular in Middle East discussions- the residents of Gaza face a neighboring oppressor, Israel, which, for diabolical reasons of its own, wants to inflict maximum harm on people whose only dream in life is to live and let live. For these spokesmen, the wealth of vocabulary in the Oxford English Dictionary fails to capture the true nature of Israel's venality.

Enter, then, the self-described, modern-day Freedom Riders. They're boarding flotilla ships, they suggest, to bring aid, relief, and attention to those trapped in Birmingham, Alabama, circa 1963.

George Orwell, where are you? You could have a field day with this story.

Actually, you anticipated it when you wrote about the Ministry of Truth in your classic book, 1984. What were the ruling party's slogans on the outside of the 1,000-foot-tall building housing the ministry? Weren't they "War is Peace," "Freedom is Slavery," and "Ignorance is Strength"? And didn't the ministry rewrite history at will to ensure it always served the party's interests?

The Gaza flotilla spokesmen are inverting the truth and rewriting history at will to serve their interests. And what are those interests? To prop up the Hamas regime in Gaza and delegitimize Israel.

While they are entitled to their own opinions, however misguided, they are not entitled to their own facts.

They cannot separate Hamas from the equation. Much as they might try, the central fact is that Hamas is key to understanding Gaza today.

Hamas is a terrorist organization. Don't take my word for it. Check with the United States and European Union, both of which have designated Hamas as a terrorist entity.

Hamas preaches the elimination of Israel and a toxic brew of classical anti-Semitism. Again, don't believe me. Read the Hamas Charter.

While Hamas may have been elected to govern with the PA in 2006, the first and only national Palestinian elections, one election does not a democracy make. Hamas used the ballot box to gain a foothold, then employed anti-democratic means to impose its own suffocating vision on the land. Hamas violently ousted the Fatah-led Palestinian Authority from Gaza in 2007 and has ruled ever since. Because Hamas cannot reform, the much heralded "unity" agreement it signed with Fatah six weeks ago is headed for an uncertain future.

Hamas celebrates violence. It joyously speaks of jihad, martyrdom, conflict, and the ultimate destruction of Israel. It has matched its fiery rhetoric with a sustained effort to import weapons, courtesy of Iran, smugglers in the Sinai, and tunnels from the Egyptian side of the border. In recent years, literally thousands of rockets and missiles have been fired from Gaza at Israel. Why?

Israel has no claim on Gaza. To the contrary, Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. Soldiers and settlers alike were pulled out by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, giving local residents the first chance ever in their history to govern themselves.

Indeed, with Israel's encouragement, a number of Jewish donors purchased Israeli greenhouses in Gaza and left them behind to help jump-start the local economy. The first reaction was to ransack them, when they could have been sources of flowers and vegetables for the local economy.

Israel has an interest in a stable, peaceful, and prospering Gaza, not a gun-toting, missile-firing, jihad-preaching entity. After all, you can change a lot of things in life, but not neighbors. Israel and Gaza are destined to be neighbors for a long time to come.

The Quartet - the U.S., EU, Russia, and UN - set three conditions for engagement with Hamas. The group must forswear violence, recognizeIsrael's right to exist, and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. To date, none of those conditions have been met. Apologists for Gazawould have you believe otherwise, but Hamas's spokesmen always undercut them. When it serves their purposes, they might briefly curtail violence to regroup and rearm, but Hamas is adamant that it will never abandon its struggle against Israel.

So, let's be clear. The flotilla participants, whether they acknowledge it or not, are handmaidens of a terrorist regime. That regime, not Israel, is responsible for the conditions in Gaza, which may not be enviable, but are a far cry from the dire picture of starvation and stunted growth painted by the hyperbolic spokesmen.

Israel has only one concern, which is to ensure that Hamas, a declared enemy of Israel, does not get additional means to threaten its neighbor. That's it, pure and simple.

As has been said, if Hamas laid down its weapons, there would be peace. If Israel laid down its weapons, there would be no Israel.

The flotilla participants claim their mission is nothing more than humanitarian, but, in reality, it serves the interests of a regime that espouses terrorism, peddles anti-Semitism, and praises the memory of Osama Bin Laden.

To portray themselves as the new wave of Freedom Riders is to trample grotesquely on the legacy of America's civil rights struggle and rewrite history. Orwell's Ministry of Truth is back.

Dead Syrians Vs. One Israeli

Go on the World section on the Huffington Post yesterday and you can see what kind of article the HPers care about and what kind they don't. The two articles I'm about to show you were posted within seven hours of each others and given the same amount of advertising space on the HP's front page and world sections.

Dead Syrians? Who cares! Let's prove our "tolerance" and "dedication to human rights" by complaining about Facebook posts made by Netanyahu's son! Obsessive singleminded focus on Israel to the point of ignoring everything else? How could anyone possibly get that impression from the HP?

Anti-Semitic Comment of the Day

There's a new poster on the HP named patrickdb who's very anti-Zionist. He's racked up dozens of posts already attacking Israel, Zionists, etc. As always, it was just a matter of time before he said something blatantly anti-Semitic.

If you wait long enough, they always do.

The original link.

Anti-Semitic Comment of the Day

This comment was quickly deleted, but it still passed through HP moderation.

The original link.

MJ Rosenberg is Boring Me

MJ Rosenberg is not exactly well known for his variety of subjects. He says the same thing every time, just with slightly minor variations in tone and emotion. Usually he tries to work his rants about AIPAC into some kind of news story, whether it is related to his subject or not. In his latest article, he tries to take on the delegitimization movement of Israel, and it fails hilariously.

As you are probably not surprised to hear, he denies that there are even people who are trying to delegitimize Israel in the first place, and still clings to the obvious untruth that there are only "critics" of Israel's "occupation." Apparently he doesn't read much Ahmed Moor or Sharmine Narwani. But even more amusing is that even though he denies that Israel can be delegitimized, he also blames Netanyahu for it. Sound crazy? Read his words for yourself:

"The whole concept of "delegitimization" seems archaic. Israel achieved its "legitimacy" when the United Nations recognized it 63 years ago....In that context, the whole idea of "delegitimizing" Israel sounds silly. Israel can't be delegitimized.[Later]"The leading delegitimizer is Binyamin Netanyahu, whose contemptuous rejection of peace is turning Israel into an international pariah."

Right, so Israel can't be delegitimized, except by people that MJ Rosenberg doesn't like. I think it's fairly obvious here that Rosenberg just doesn't know what "delegitimize" actually means, nor is particularly inclined to know. To him it is just another talking point upon which to throw his usual garbage. I am not even going to bother proving Mr. Rosenberg wrong about the existence of the delegitimization movement, as anyone with half a brain and an understanding of what the "Zionism is racism" slogan means should be able to figure that out on his or her own.

I'll just highlight again Mr. Rosenberg's endless refrain: that the Jews controlling America:

"Sure, Netanyahu received an embarrassing number of standing ovations when he spoke before the United States Congress. But that demonstrates nothing except the power of the lobby....The only thing we learned (yet again) from Netanyahu's reception by Congress is that money talks. What else is new?"

Indeed, the Jews control America through their Jew money. What else is new indeed?

"Israel's problem is the occupation, the Israeli government that defends it, and the lobby that enforces support for it in Congress and the White House." 

When it comes to MJ Rosenberg, there is nothing new. Just the same old conspiracy theories. I guess not even the Huffington Post is sick of it yet.

Blood Libel? Of the Day

It's your call on this one. See the last sentence:

See if you can find something similar on one of them Syria threads we always see around.

The original link.

A Note on Circumcision

I wanted to talk a moment about the circumcision debate that's been careening around the Huffington Post like a meteor, most notably in this thread. I'll start off by saying that I'm not religious in the least so I honestly don't care whether circumcision gets banned or not. But I do think that it's kind of funny that the Huffington Post crowd (in general) seems to be pretty against it because it is imposing religious traditions, and all the ridicule that entails, on people who might not want it.

What is funny about this is that it's the same people who were also mortified at the idea of banning the burka when that discussion happened a few months ago. And yes, I know that the two are a little different. But I have not met any men who are terribly upset that they were circumcised as infants while there are many cases of women being forced to wear the burka/hijab even in America. In both cases it seems like religious customs being imposed on people who might not want them. So to ban one would seem like you have to ban the other.

Like I said I don't have strong feelings about this topic, but to me this seems kind of hypocritical on the part of some of the Huffington Posters. There are also those who think that the anti-circumscisors are motivated purely by anti-Semitism. But I don't think that's true, for most of them. Others though:

I'm less sure about.

New on the HP: Delta Bans Jews to Saudi Arabia

[Article by Rabbi Jason Miller crossposted from the Huffington Post]

For a long time in Michigan, Northwest Airlines had its hub at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. That meant an essential monopoly on domestic flights in and out of Detroit. A few years ago Delta Airlines took over Northwest Airlines and now the vast majority of domestic flights at Detroit Metro are operated by Delta. That fact makes it especially troubling to learn that Delta will add Saudi Arabian Airlines to its SkyTeam Alliance of partnering companies and would require Delta to ban Jews and holders of Israeli passports from boarding flights to Saudi Arabia. The partnership was originally announced by Delta Airlines in a press release on January 10, 2011.

World Net Daily reported that this issue "first was presented to Congress, the public and others by talk radio host and former U.S. Rep. Fred Grandy, whose own battle against discrimination was documented when his former radio station demanded he tone down criticism of Islam on his program. He then left the station."

The article included correspondence from Kathy M. Johnston, Delta's coordinator of Customer Care, explaining that Delta does not discriminate nor condone discrimination against any protected class of passenger in regards to age, race, nationality, religion, or gender. However, she stated , Delta must comply with all applicable laws in every country it serves. That means that if the Saudi government denies Jews from entering its country and Delta brings them there on its flight they can be fined.

The issue here is one of principle. Delta isn't being forced to include Saudi Arabian Airlines into its Sky Team Alliance. In fact, Delta could stand on principle and refuse to include Saudi Arabian Airlines based on its discriminatory policy. No, it's not Delta's fault that the Saudi government is anti-Semitic, but it doesn't have to go along with it. It's as if the Saudis are telling Delta that when it comes to Jewish passengers it's name should become an acronym: "Don't Even Let Them Aboard."

I know I'm not the only one who finds it troubling that Delta would go along with Saudi Arabia's policy of not allowing Jews on their flights. While I'm not planning a vacation to Riyadh any time soon, I would have a hard time flying with Delta knowing they are collaborating with the discriminatory government of Saudi Arabia.

The American Center for Law and Justice has already taken up this issue and I have no doubt that organizations like the Anti-Defamation League will not be far behind. I fly Delta a lot, both domestically and internationally. In fact, I've flown Delta flights to and from Israel twice in the past four years. Each time I arrive to my destination with Delta, I hear a flight attendant thank the passengers by saying, "We know you have a choice when you fly so thank you for choosing Delta." However, that's not entirely true. Here in Michigan, we often don't have much of a choice when we fly. It's usually Delta or nothing.

I have no doubt that this matter will not quietly go away. The Jewish community will not feel comfortable flying Delta knowing about its new association with Saudi Arabian Airlines.

"Merely Critical of Israel's Policies" Comment of the Day

What happens when you get an unmoderated thread on the HP? You get comments like this one:

But remember, no one has a problem with Jews or Israelis, just Israel's policies.


The original link.

Not All Bad Behaviors Are Equal

A couple of days ago, the Huffington Post published a story about Georges Tron, a French ex-Minister, who was charged with sexual assault.

Two days later, there is a grand total of one comment on the story, someone complaining about the Greek financial crisis. If this doesn't sound particularly noteworthy let's contrast it with the reaction of a couple Israel related stories:

When Netanyahu's wife was accused of something, we got dozens of nasty comments. And when Moshe Katsav was charged with sexual assault (just like Tron), we got stuff like this:

WoolStreetThe entire country should be jailed for rape.  

FACTISFACTThe World cannot hide the fact that only an unfortunat­e nation can have a bunch of terrorists as leaders of Israel in the past and only until recently and presently Rapists as president , corrupts, cheats, assassins as its Prime Ministers, genocide criminals and terrorist leaders as national ex- & recent Defense Minister, and veteran terrorist leader as foreign Minister. God has created this terrorist nation with shame and contempt intentiona­lly, but why?

Is it really up for discussion any more that the HuffPosters just have an axe to grind against Israel and the Jews?

Today's Ridiculous HuffPo Bias

You click on the "World" section of the Huffington Post, and what do you find? This:

Possibly the most absurdly propagandistic headline and picture we have ever seen on the Huffington Post. And the worst part is that if you read the article you get the answer: A clear and resounding NO!


The whole thing was a hoax, but for some reason the Huffington Post thought it would be a good idea to cover this story after it was already disproved. Why? Who knows, but let's not forget that "the internet newspaper" has to pick and choose its stories very carefully, since they can't get them all. And yet this is what they chose. Again, why? Well let's go to the comments and see the response they got from their audience.

What anti-Israel bias? And in fact the anti-Semitism on that thread ran rampant, especially from anti-Semite godfather "cliffhammond." Check out his profile if you want to see the new stuff.

Comment of the Day

Another comment by our buddy "Gohbohker" in which he finally reveals his prejudices. My Blogger is being annoying so I'll copy and paste:

"you don't know what I mean by Israelis being a small people. I mean they have no morality or ethics. No sense of right or wrong. Just ME ME ME ME ME"

Try saying that about the Palestinians some time and see what happens.

The original link.

Song for the Evening

And now, a song for your listening pleasure:

Awesome.

Go On Flotilla? You Might Get Arrested

From the JCPA's Daily Alert:

"The State Department is warning Americans against participating in an international flotilla to Gaza. The U.S. says those participating may face arrest, prosecution and deportation. Israeli authorities say they will seek to ban anyone attempting to break the blockade from traveling to Israel for 10 years."

Washington Post

It sounds to me like the US is saying that if these people go, they're on their own. In other news, Robert Naiman has written another cringing, victim-playing, yet hopelessly naive article. Guess he's milking this flotilla thing for all he's worth. I for one would love to see him behind bars before he even sets sail.

Conversation of the Day

You need to read this conversation between two HPers that I have never seen on the boards before. It has to be seen to be believed.

 

And the Huffington Post takes that one closer step towards Nazi Germany.


The original link to the beginning of the conversation.

Comment of the Day

If there was any doubt as to the entitlement complex that pervades the psyche of Palestinians and their supporters, it is eliminated in this comment:

Can you imagine the Germans demanding Americans repair their homes after World War II?

The original link.

Stop Patronizing the Palestinians

[Crossposted from the HuffPo]

by Jack Rosen and Norm Kurz

When Ambassador Turki al-Faisal last week wrote an op-ed on behalf of Palestinians (Washington Post, June 12), no doubt his intention was to be helpful to their cause. He even seemed to be reaching out to Israel by acknowledging the shortcomings of his previous approach -- "We Arabs used to say no to peace, and we got our comeuppance in 1967" -- by conceding where blame lies for the Six Day War and its terrible human toll on Israel, and its disastrous aftermath for the Palestinians.

But no true friend of the Palestinian people could, in good conscience, encourage them to seek a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian dispute through a unilateral declaration of statehood by the United Nations. Surely the Ambassador, a one-time diplomat, understands that an agreement will come only after the parties set aside their political excuses and enter into face-to-face negotiations.

There are those who believe President Obama's approach has been to administer a version of "tough love" to Israel and its Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. While it hasn't produced results to date, it can fairly be asked why a similar brand of direct, unadorned language shouldn't also be employed in explaining to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that there are no shortcuts to achieving a Palestinian state that can live in peace and security along side Israel.

Turki al-Faisal stands in a long line of "friends" repeatedly telling the Palestinian people what they want to hear, and who avoid challenging them to do what is difficult but essential to enhance their cause. In the plain speaking world this is known as patronizing and disingenuous behavior, and it carries the added burden in this instance of being counterproductive. Simply put, President Abbas can listen to Turki al Faisal and end up with a piece of paper in his hand, knowing he is putting even more distance between Palestinians and Israelis, or he can take President Obama's advice to sit down with Prime Minister Netanyahu for the difficult task of working toward peace.

Unsurprisingly, Turki al Faisal assigns all blame for the current impasse to an intransigent Israel and the U.S. Nowhere does he even mention Hamas, the unrepentant terrorist organization openly devoted in both words and deeds to Israel's destruction, now an equal governing partner with the Fatah organization run by Abbas. Nor does he bother to remind his readers that when Netanyahu finally acceded to Obama's request for a suspension of settlement activity, the Palestinians again chose not to negotiate, coming to the table only at the very end of the ten month window of opportunity, highlighting another lapse in judgment.

Turki al Faisal asks with indignation, "why should Palestinians not be granted the same rights the United Nations accorded to the state of Israel at its creation in 1947?" Of course, a better question is "why did the Palestinians not accept the same offer Israel took with the same rights the UN was prepared to accord to a state of Palestine in 1947?" In other words, the issue of accepting a two-state solution has been a settled matter for more than 60 years, and a redundant UN declaration will do nothing to move the ball forward.

If all the putative friends of Palestinians and Israelis told the truth, it might look something like this: With little trust upon which to build an agreement, every day that goes by without hope for an independent state on the one hand, and peace and security on the other, means the fuse that leads to a blow up get shorter. More than in most places, stagnation in the Middle East is not an option; it's a quicksand where either you make progress or conditions worsen. Contrary to how each party views the situation, time is not on their side.

Israel is more isolated, Iran moves closer to becoming a nuclear power, and the Arab spring creates deep uncertainties, especially if Cairo's new leaders renege on the Camp David accords that have governed Israeli-Egyptians relations for 33 years.

Palestinians continue to see Israel through the narrow lens of an occupier -- as a ruler more interested in holding land than making peace -- while their own inept leaders make excuses and promises they can't fulfill, and the Arab world always is ready to bash Israelis, but never honest enough to be a genuine friend or ally.

And to make matters worse, the Obama Administration understandably has grown weary of the inertia and seeming lack of enthusiasm both sides have shown for the effort required. There is nothing in the current political wind that smells like a winner, and in the months ahead, when the demands of a presidential campaign weigh heavily, there is unlikely to be a good answer when the president asks, "why do I need this headache?"

The only way forward is for Israelis and Palestinians to finally conclude that neither side is going away. No matter how firmly they hold on to their respective historical narratives, there is no storyline that concludes with only one side left standing. The U.S., not the UN, is the only possible facilitating party that can help, and anyone who says otherwise is a pretender.

Given that neither party can eliminate the other, the truth is that the two sides actually need each other to grant what is necessary, and what no one else can: a new Palestinian state along side a secure Jewish state of Israel. No one else can do it. Apocalyptic threats by Saudi princes demonstrate anew that there will never be a substitute for the principals assuming the burdens required, and that there's a good reason why the advice of most outsiders is worthless.

Jack Rosen is chairman of the American Council for World Jewry, and Norm Kurz, president of The Kurz Company, is a former spokesman for the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Stray Observation: HuffPo's "Terrorism" Page

Did you know that the Huffington Post has a "Terrorism" page? You can find it under the top bar in the "World" section, and it contains articles with the "terrorism" tag. Examples including the takedown of Osama Bin Laden, the various attempts to blow people up in America, and the war on terror in general. What you might not be surprised to find is that no example of Palestinian violence against Israelis is ever filed under "terrorism," no matter how heinous. In fact the only Israel-related article at all is Barry Lando's condescending implication that AIPAC controls America, which doesn't have anything to do with terrorism either.

Of course, treating anti-Israel terrorism as completely different from anti-everyone else terrorism is hardly a new thing either, as people like Dry Bones have pointed out. Glad to see the Huffington Post isn't taking any chances.

Confusing Picture of the Day

Check out this headline, and then the picture:

Maybe this is a translation thing, like it's supposed to mean "America go home?" But it sure looks to me like this protester is cheering us on, like she's at a sports game. Either way, the Huffington Post's picture choices continue to be questionable.

HPers Out in Force to Defend Assad

The Huffington Post, like most other media outlets, has had many articles about the uprisings in Syria and the crackdown that followed them. Yesterday they had one about protests being dispersed with violence from Assad's army. In the process seven people died, including a teenager (who for once isn't called a "child"). I thought the reaction of some of the usual pro-Palestinian/"human rights" crowd was informative to say the least. As always, click to zoom in:

These of course don't include the generic deflections onto Israel and America that we usually see on these threads, but there were plenty of those. Also informative is that the Huffington Post used a picture of many people in a square in Syria for this thread, but the picture was of a pro-Assad demonstration, unlike what the headline would have you believe. Just another day...

Behind the Scenes: HuffPoMonitor Multimedia

Observant readers may have noticed that last night I added a box in the sidebar for "HuffPoMonitor Multimedia". Sometimes Zach and I go the extra mile and make videos or posters and I thought it would be helpful to have those resources more easily accessible. You can find links to certain multimedia posts in that box and more will be added as we make them.

News the HP Doesn't Cover: US to Use Iron Dome

In yesterday's Ha'aretz:

"The Israeli missile defense system will be integrated into a regional defense array planned by the U.S., General Patrick O'reilly, head of the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency, said Monday. 

"In an interview published in the American Defense News journal. According to the interview, the Israeli missile batteries may also protect Arab countries who are allies of the U.S. but with which Israel has no diplomatic ties.         

"General Patrick said that the multi-layered defense system being developed by Israel – comprised of Iron Dome and Magic Wand systems on the lower levels and Arrow 2 and 3 systems on the atmospheric level and above – will strengthen the ability of the U.S. to protect its forces in the Middle East."

Do you remember when the story about Iron Dome was published on the Huffington Post, and we got a thousand comments complaining about how US money was being used for no practical gain? As if keeping Israelis alive wasn't noble enough in itself? Well, I'd love to see what they have to say to this one.

[h/t Daily Alert]

Blatantly Anti-Semitic Comment of the Day

If you are so inclined you can go to the link and see him try to defend himself. Basically he claims that he wants the Rothchilds dead because they gave money to people he doesn't like. Why he brought them up after a rant about Israel is left unspecified.

The original link.

New Posters: Palestine Is Not A Liberal Cause

I had an idea last night that I decided to run with for a new poster series that would directly address the idea that while fighting from "oppression" may be a liberal idea, if you as a liberal are supporting the Palestinians, you may want to look for someone else to help.

I thought this was an effective message because it is clear that if you judge the Palestinians' choice in leadership and values on an absolute scale, they are simply not worthy of liberal support and these posters illustrate that succinctly.

I'm definitely willing to hear any constructive criticism you may have and feel free to crosspost (with acknowledgement of course).

HPW: Jerusalem Light Show

The Huffington Post had a nice filler article about a light show that took place in Jerusalem's Old City. Let's see what some HPers had to say in reaction.

And there were a great many of these types of comments:

So who knows what other kinds of nastiness was said. That reminds me to say again that Zach and I can't see everything on the HP, if you see a bad comment don't hesitate to send it to us and we'll publish it. As for this thread, I just have a photo that sums up my opinion on it:

 

Yeah, that's right.

An Israel-Related Thread With No Comments

How can the Huffington Post publish an Israel related story that receives one comment in five hours? Answer, when the story violates the established narrative of life in Palestine being a never ended torture session.

"RAMALLAH, West Bank -- A Palestinian art academy on Monday put on display a $7 million Pablo Picasso masterpiece, the first of its kind in the West Bank.
Picasso's 1943 "Buste de Femme" is on loan from the Van Abbemuseum in Eindhoven, Holland. Organizers said they had to overcome a lack of reliable transport and several Israeli checkpoints along the way.
The art director of the Palestinian academy, Khalid Horani, said it took two years to arrange the loan. He said the painting's journey was "a story full of details and difficulties."
The small art school in Ramallah put in the loan request in early 2010. Normally, such inter-museum exchanges are routine and take about six months to coordinate.
"Nothing is normal over here," Horani said. "We planned to have an art work here, but found ourselves going through all the political complications."
Horani said the painting was flown from Amsterdam to Tel Aviv and was then escorted to Ramallah by an Israeli security company before going on display. He said the uprisings in the Arab world also postponed the artwork's delivery.
The painting is the most valuable and prestigious Western artwork ever shown in the West Bank. It is the centerpiece of the "Picasso In Palestine" exhibit in Ramallah aimed at introducing Western art to the Palestinians.
The 39 by 31 inch (100 by 80 centimeter) oil-on-canvas work – a cubist deconstruction of a woman's face, dominated by gray hues – is the Dutch museum's most valuable piece of art. It has traveled before to Sao Paolo, Brazil.
For the Palestinian academy, however, it's more than just a chance to host a renowned painting. Directors hope the loan will encourage other institutions to lend artworks to the West Bank.
"Picasso in Palestine is part of a wider development in which a typical modern art collection tries to come to terms with the social and the cultural changes taking place around us," said Charles Esche, director of the Van Abbemuseum. "Our Picasso will be changed by its journey to Ramallah. It will take on extra meaning, and the story will remain a part of the history of the painting.""

 I personally am disappointed in the Huffington Post for covering this story. They know their readers only care about Palestinians when they are suffering. 

News the HP Doesn't Cover: Yet More Proof Americans are Pro-Israel

Just another poll coming out showing American support of Israel by an overwhelming margin, no big deal:

"The Israel Project checking American attitudes toward the Middle East finds that 56% of voters define themselves as “Israel supporters,” compared to 10% “Palestinian supporters.”
Data from a national survey of 800 registered American voters conducted June 5-7 by Public Opinion Strategies has been released as The Israel Project: American Attitudes toward the Middle East.

Israel supporters outnumber self-described Palestinian supporters by a 5.6-to-1 ratio.
51% - less than those who said they support Israel – say they have warm feelings towards Israel, while 16% said they feel warmly towards the Palestinians.  Towards Hamas and Fatah, 3% said they had warm feelings, 7% towards Iran, and 31% towards Egypt.
64% agreed that the conflict between Israel and the PA is about “ideology and religion,” and not about land; 27% felt the opposite.
Only 25% support a unilateral Palestinian Authority declaration of a state, while 57% oppose. If the UN General Assembly supports the PA in this matter, then the numbers change somewhat: 34% say a UN General Assembly vote to recognize a PA state will make an agreement with Israel more likely, while 50% said the opposite."

 Of course, the poll was conducted by the Israel Project, so it's not likely to change anyone's mind who is already committed to denying this reality. But it's still nice to see.