The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Blame Glenn Beck

Posted on | May 17, 2010 | 14 Comments

A liberal warns us that extremist right-wing racists are taking over . . . Israel!

[T]he Netanyahu coalition is the product of frightening, long-term trends in Israeli society: an ultra-Orthodox population that is increasing dramatically, a settler movement that is growing more radical and more entrenched in the Israeli bureaucracy and army, and a Russian immigrant community that is particularly prone to anti-Arab racism. In 2009, a poll by the Israel Democracy Institute found that 53 percent of Jewish Israelis (and 77 percent of recent immigrants from the former USSR) support encouraging Arabs to leave the country. Attitudes are worst among Israel’s young. When Israeli high schools held mock elections last year, Lieberman won. This March, a poll found that 56 percent of Jewish Israeli high school students — and more than 80 percent of religious Jewish high school students — would deny Israeli Arabs the right to be elected to the Knesset. An education ministry official called the survey “a huge warning signal in light of the strengthening trends of extremist views among the youth.”

Obviously, the rising tide of hate is due to the nefarious influence of Michelle Bachmann, Fox News, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and all those right-wing Tea Party extremists who are fomenting hatred in Kentucky Tel Aviv.

Exit question: Is it possible that the “anti-Arab racism” among young Israelis might have something to do with, y’know, Arabs blowing up young Israelis? Or is it “racist” even to ask that kind of question?

Category: Israel

Comments

14 Responses to “Blame Glenn Beck”

  1. Robert
    May 17th, 2010 @ 6:09 pm

    Lieberman won their mock election. There is clearly a nexus between that and anti Arab sentiment. Wait, what? I think I agree with the author. Most people do not foster a great sense of unity and kinship with those who lob missiles on their heads.

  2. Robert
    May 17th, 2010 @ 1:09 pm

    Lieberman won their mock election. There is clearly a nexus between that and anti Arab sentiment. Wait, what? I think I agree with the author. Most people do not foster a great sense of unity and kinship with those who lob missiles on their heads.

  3. Wondering Jew
    May 17th, 2010 @ 6:42 pm

    Much as I don’t believe it is in our interests to meddle excessively in Israel, I have to say that Lieberman’s popularity among youth may be a sign that Israelis are finally waking up to the futility of coexistence with those who are trying to kill you.

  4. Wondering Jew
    May 17th, 2010 @ 1:42 pm

    Much as I don’t believe it is in our interests to meddle excessively in Israel, I have to say that Lieberman’s popularity among youth may be a sign that Israelis are finally waking up to the futility of coexistence with those who are trying to kill you.

  5. kansas
    May 17th, 2010 @ 6:52 pm

    This March, a poll found that 56 percent of Jewish Israeli high school students — and more than 80 percent of religious Jewish high school students — would deny Israeli Arabs the right to be elected to the Knesset.

    Wonder what a poll of Arab Israelis would show you liberal fuck?

  6. kansas
    May 17th, 2010 @ 1:52 pm

    This March, a poll found that 56 percent of Jewish Israeli high school students — and more than 80 percent of religious Jewish high school students — would deny Israeli Arabs the right to be elected to the Knesset.

    Wonder what a poll of Arab Israelis would show you liberal fuck?

  7. Joe
    May 17th, 2010 @ 10:04 pm

    Israel? Who do we blame for Rand Paul in Kentucky?

    Becuase they have all the bourbon!

  8. Joe
    May 17th, 2010 @ 5:04 pm

    Israel? Who do we blame for Rand Paul in Kentucky?

    Becuase they have all the bourbon!

  9. Joe
    May 17th, 2010 @ 10:24 pm

    Oh oh, Andrew Sullivan is hot on the trail of right wing racism in Israel…

    European political parties like Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party and the Danish People’s Party are among the most pro-Israel groupings on the continent even though in some respects they’re actually the descendants of the European anti-semitic movements of yore…

    Israel’s right wing selling out to anti semetic Europeans? Shocking! And at the bottom of it all?

    Sarah Palin of course!

    And this is where Palin comes in. She is a settler-fanatic. She wants more Jewish immigration into the West Bank. She wears a twinned US and Israel flag pin for the Tea-Party convention. She is AIPAC’s last hope for denialism and a Manichean struggle in which the most atavistic feelings emerge and prevent, actual thinking. I see Palin’s fundamentalist belligerence as a non-starter for the West. But it would be a catastrophe for Israel. As a reader notes:

    I’m currently reading Birds Without Wings, a novel by Louis de Bernières about the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Last night I felt very squeamish about a Palin candidacy after reading this sentence:

    “The triple contagions of nationalism, utopianism and religious absolutism effervesce together into an acid that corrodes the moral metal of a race, and it shamelessly and even proudly performs deeds that it would deem vile if they were done by any other.”

  10. Joe
    May 17th, 2010 @ 5:24 pm

    Oh oh, Andrew Sullivan is hot on the trail of right wing racism in Israel…

    European political parties like Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party and the Danish People’s Party are among the most pro-Israel groupings on the continent even though in some respects they’re actually the descendants of the European anti-semitic movements of yore…

    Israel’s right wing selling out to anti semetic Europeans? Shocking! And at the bottom of it all?

    Sarah Palin of course!

    And this is where Palin comes in. She is a settler-fanatic. She wants more Jewish immigration into the West Bank. She wears a twinned US and Israel flag pin for the Tea-Party convention. She is AIPAC’s last hope for denialism and a Manichean struggle in which the most atavistic feelings emerge and prevent, actual thinking. I see Palin’s fundamentalist belligerence as a non-starter for the West. But it would be a catastrophe for Israel. As a reader notes:

    I’m currently reading Birds Without Wings, a novel by Louis de Bernières about the last days of the Ottoman Empire. Last night I felt very squeamish about a Palin candidacy after reading this sentence:

    “The triple contagions of nationalism, utopianism and religious absolutism effervesce together into an acid that corrodes the moral metal of a race, and it shamelessly and even proudly performs deeds that it would deem vile if they were done by any other.”

  11. AJB
    May 17th, 2010 @ 10:45 pm

    Is it possible that the “anti-Semitism” among young Muslims might have something to do with, y’know, the IDF dropping white phosphorous on young Palestinians? Or is it “anti-Semitism” even to ask that kind of question?

  12. AJB
    May 17th, 2010 @ 5:45 pm

    Is it possible that the “anti-Semitism” among young Muslims might have something to do with, y’know, the IDF dropping white phosphorous on young Palestinians? Or is it “anti-Semitism” even to ask that kind of question?

  13. ak4mc
    May 18th, 2010 @ 12:30 am

    Is it possible that the “anti-AJB-ism” among intelligent readers of this blog might have something to do with, y’know, AJB dropping smelly steamers in the comment threads?

  14. ak4mc
    May 17th, 2010 @ 7:30 pm

    Is it possible that the “anti-AJB-ism” among intelligent readers of this blog might have something to do with, y’know, AJB dropping smelly steamers in the comment threads?