01 December 09
Hannah Rosenthal, Obama's Antisemitism Poobah
Barack Obama’s appointment of Hannah Rosenthal — no relation to this writer, thank goodness — to be “Special Envoy for Global Anti-Semitism” (definitely not “Antisemitism Czar”) is emblematic of the way this administration has consistently tried to use Jews to justify its anti-Israel policy.
Hannah Rosenthal is a member of the J Street Advisory board and she writes stuff like this (April 2008):
Six years ago this week, JCPA [she was the director of this group] was one of many organizations that helped bring thousands of Jews, and hundreds of our friends and allies, to Washington to support Israel at a National Israel Solidarity Rally. It was an historic occasion, and I recall much of that day with fondness and pride.
I also recall the many rally attendees who pulled me aside to ask why the word “peace” was so absent from the proceedings. How could we talk security without talking peace? Where were the voices representing the will of the broader American Jewish community? Why were there no speakers giving voice to a pro-Israel vision of a secure Israel living side-by-side in peace with its neighbors?
Throughout this day of speeches and rallying cries, I began to ask myself the same questions: Where was the pro-Israel, pro-peace message? Why was the voice of so many American Jews absent from this rally?
How did we arrive at a place where pro-Israel events had come to be dominated by narrow, ultra-conservative views of what it means to be pro-Israel?
Abe Foxman of the ADL took her to task sharply, quoting many of the speakers who did talk about peace, such as Rep. Richard Gephart, Sen. Harry Reid, Paul Wolfowitz, Natan Sharansky, Rudy Giuliani, etc. Considering that the Solidarity Rally was a response to a series of murderous suicide bombings, including the Passover Seder Massacre in which 30 lost their lives, it’s surprising that ‘peace’ was mentioned at all.
But it was. So why did Rosenthal and friends not hear it?
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As one who has known and worked with Hannah for two decades on a variety of issues within and without the Jewish community, let me be direct: You are an idiot.
ReplyDeleteHappy Hanukkah.
While you have not directly or even indirectly addressed the questions raised here, I'm happy you've enjoy your relationship with her. A Happy Chanukah in return.
ReplyDeleteI met Hannah in 1973. She is a remarkable human being. Shame on you. Shame on you to treat the child of a Holocaust survivor this way. Shame on you for lacking kvod ha rav as her father was an admired rabbi in Germany and then in Chicago. Just because we do not agree with you allows you to behave this way. Perhaps you never heard of sinat hinam - read about it. Shame on you
ReplyDeleteOnce again we are addressing the personal friendship and not the substance that would make her less than appropriate for the position. Between her critics, btw, are holocaust survivors, who do not use this as a trophy, to make their cause. Because she's a child of, this gives her extra points? Address the argument and stop using holocaust survivors as a shield.
ReplyDelete