Did he REALLY say that? Yep. Is there no cliche, no trite phrase not cliche enough or not trite enough to be used in 21st century polemics? Note I won’t say political “discussion.” Gone are the days of actual ideas and debating policy points. We’re in the era of the name-calling. It’s all about defining those who dare to see things differently through their own political prism. And what could be worse than to brand a President of the United States an anti-Semite?
Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says he believes some of President Barack Obama’s actions are anti-semitic.
“I think anything is anti-Semitic if it’s against the survival of a state that is surrounded by enemies and by people who want to destroy them and to sort of ignore that and to act like everything is normal there and that these people are paranoid is anti-Semitic,” Carson said on “Fox News Sunday.”Carson did not specifically mention the Iran nuclear agreement, but said during a recent visit to Israel he could not find a single person who “didn’t think this administration has turned its back on Israel.”
Let’s just offer the good doctor a few thoughts:
1. People can differ greatly with the state of Israel and the Israeli government and not be anti-Semites.
2. People can oppose and revile Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and not be anti-Semites.
3. This doesn’t mean that among the ranks of those who differ with or hate israel or differ with or hate Netanyahu you won’t find some overt or covert bigots. You can and you do.
4. The Iran deal is controversial but many good, thoughtful and honorable people have come out in favor of it, just like many good, thoughtful and honorable people have come out against it.
5. Not all Presidents have had love affairs with the leadership of the state of Israel, which has changed often just as the United States’ leadership has often changed. That didn’t make those Presidents Jew haters. They differed on policy issues and their perception of what was in the world’s and the United States’ best interest. That may not always coincide with the conclusions reached by policy makers in Tel Aviv.
6. I’m quite impressed that you interviewed every person in Israel and could not find one single person who didn’t feel that the administration turned its back on Israel. There wasn’t a single person who felt that maybe the Obama administration just didn’t disagree, or disagreed strongly, or even disagreed vehemently. They ALL feel the administration merely turned their back on Israel?
7. Israel also has opposition parties which may not agree with the governing parties.
But let’s clarify this again:
People can differ with Israel. People can support the Iran agreement. That does not mean they’re anti-Semitic.
P.S. With a name like “Gandelman,” guess what religion I am and guess and what I’ve experienced (thankfully in limited form) in my lifetime?
One hint: it doesn’t fit the way you’re (mis) using a certain word.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.