What Jews should know about Christians

By Barry Rubin


Most Jews today (or should I merely say many?), even the most secular among them, have a tremendous fear of Christians—especially fervent believers of the type represented today by Evangelicals--and conservatives. There is a material basis for this fear based on past Jewish experience. But it is the year 2011; things have changed; and it is time to reconsider these assumptions and see if they still make sense.

Let me begin by mentioning two specific situations I have witnessed that show the foolishness of this blindness:

• In a particular city a group of Jews organized a march for Israel. Several Christian groups wanted to participate. Since some elements among the Jews disagreed with the Christians on other political issues, they cancelled the march rather than participate alongside pro-Israel Christians.

• In a particular other city, an Israeli speaker was invited to speak by the main pro-Israel Jewish group. He was also invited to speak by a respectable pro-Israel Christian group. The potential speaker was informed that if he spoke for the Christian group the pro-Israel Jewish group would refuse to have him as a speaker .

This kind of behavior is simultaneously shameful and stupid. We are not speaking here of political sophistication but about a mode of thinking equivalent to a fear of catching cooties.

True, in general, for almost 2000 years many Christians and their institutions have often persecuted Jews, either materially or at least had very negative views toward Jews. In this short space I will not attempt to review that history or get beyond generalizations. Readers are able to do that for themselves.

For 200 years, modern conservative and nationalist thought in the West has also often persecuted Jews, in words, attitudes, and actions. A good starting point for that phase is the triumph of German nationalists over Napoleon and the reversal of the French revolution’s grant of rights to Jews in those lands. And of course the culmination was in the Nazi death camps.

It is understandable, then, that Jews supported parties of the liberal and left type where they were welcomed, where modernity was extolled, and where Jews believed they could integrate with the masses and thus defuse grassroots’ antisemitism. That strategy made perfect sense.

With Communism’s betrayal of the Jews, the contemporary tendency for the far left to take over traditional social democratic and liberal institutions, and the left’s romance with Third World (and particularly Palestinian, Arab, and Islamist radicalism), the world has change. The left has largely abandoned Israel as a cause, often become antagonistic, and even evinces antisemitism.

There is still hope for reviving the social democratic and liberal tradition of being pro-Jewish and pro-Israel, but that won’t happen until the infiltration and seizure of intellectual hegemony of the far left is defeated.

Meanwhile, there has also been a change among many Christians (especially those called Evangelicals) and conservatives toward a greater friendship regarding Jews and Israel. A key reason for this shift—and proof of its authenticity—are a set of transformations in the thinking of these groups.

Before discussing the details, though, let me make it clear that Jews do not have to become conservatives or even agree with them—or with Evangelical Christians—on a wide range of issues. What is worthwhile, however, is to accept the offer of friendship on certain specific issues, respectfully disagree on others, and not demonize such people.

As noted above, many conservatives and pious Protestants have changed their view of Jews. Factors that once made for antisemitism have now been reversed. Here is a brief summary:

• Formerly, Jews were seen as subverting Christianity. Now, in an increasingly secular world, Jews (even only slightly religious ones) are seen as fellow believers, allies in preserving religiosity in the face of huge challenges.

• A key element in antisemitism were Christian doctrines defining Jews as the “suffering servant” whose humiliation proved Christianity to be correct and “replacement theology” which says that Jews are no longer a “chosen people” but their role has been replaced by Christians. These ideas have been widely abandoned by Evangelicals. There is a new interest—and gratitude—at the Jewish roots of Christianity and a view of Jews as fellows in a Judeo-Christian religious community.

They are very much aware of Biblical verses that, for example, say that the creator of the universe will not bless those who attack or hate the Jewish people. There is also a real understanding of the history of the Holocaust and past antisemitism along with a desire to make amends. While there are those seeking converts, of course, and some who believe that supporting Jews will bring Armageddon, these are largely outdated concepts

• Conservatives tended to view Jews as cosmopolitan anti-nationalists, leftists, and pacifists. Today, however, the existence of Israel has given a different perspective on this. Jews, in the eyes of most conservatives, have created a model nation-state, a country that is willing and able to fight in its self-defense, where religion is respected as an important element in Jewish peoplehood

• An especially important question has been how conservatives deal with the fact that there are so many Jews on the left, that is, among their political opponents and those who fight against religion in various ways. In the twentieth century especially, this was a huge source of antisemitism and a central element in Nazi doctrine.

Contemporary conservatives have, however, developed a new way of viewing this issue. First, of course, they have observed the left’s growing antagonism against Israel and even against Jews. Most importantly, they view leftist and anti-religious Jews as enemies of their own people. This neatly dispenses with a traditional core issue of antisemitism.

Someone like, say, Noam Chomsky is not seen as part of the Jewish conspiracy against America but as a person who has so broken with his Jewish roots and the interests of his people to be as much against the Jews as he is against his country or conservative values. In a sense, this concept parallels what most Jews—especially the religious and the pro-Israel majority—also think of such people.

In France and Italy, Holland and Spain, the United Kingdom and Scandinavia, conservative parties are more pro-Israel than their counterparts on the left[Jeff note: In the US also] . This has less to do with Israeli or Jewish behavior—whatever claims are made to the contrary—than it does the philosophical and political evolution of politics within those countries.

Let me make this absolutely clear: to cooperate with liberals on supporting Israel one need not be a liberal; to cooperate with conservatives on supporting Israel one need not be a conservative. To cooperate with Christians on supporting Israel one need not be a Christian.

Of course, a distinction must be made between much larger conservative forces and smaller neo-fascist ones. The Le Pen party in France, the British National Party, and other forces continue the historic antisemitism of the right-wing. In the United States, right-wingers like Pat Buchanan and Ron Paul also still hold traditional antisemitic concepts.

Yet the Jewish people have always survived by a willingness to understand the world as it is and to act as necessary without sacrificing core principles. While working to maintain and rebuild relations with real liberal and moderate social democratic forces where possible, Israel and Jews should also shake the extended hand of conservatives and Christians which is so often sincerely offered.

Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and Middle East editor and featured columnist at PajamasMedia http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). GLORIA Center site is http://www.gloria-center.org.His articles published originally outside of PajamasMedia are at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com>   

Antisemitism: Officially Sanctioned in Norway

By Barry Rubin

The above photo is taken at a bookstore in Lebanon (the photographer will remain anonymous). It shows two copies of my book on Syria–which is banned in Syria–right next to a copy of the antisemitic Protocols of the Elders of Zion. (Incidentally, the store is part of a Western-owned chain and is located in an upscale mall. You can buy a copy of the Protocols while sipping your cappuchino.)

Speaking of antisemitism, yet another cable has turned up from Wikileaks proving me correct about that country’s growing, often officially sanctioned, antisemitism.

C O N F I D E N T I A L OSLO 000114 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/NB E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/09/2019 TAGS: PHUM KIRF KWBG SOCI PREL PGOV PINR IS NO 

SUBJECT: PART II: RISING NORWEGIAN ANTI-SEMITISM AFFECTING ITS ROLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST?

REF: OSLO 90 Classified By: DCM Kevin M. Johnson for Reasons 1.4 (b,d)

¶1. (C) Summary: Anti-Semitism in Norway, and the expression of anti-Semitic comments, has increased since the Gaza war. The small Norwegian Jewish community is wary of being targeted, and "Jew" has become more popular as an epithet. While the issue of anti-Semitism is frequently debated in the media, Norwegians society has difficulty confronting it. Compared with Americans, Norwegians generally are more reluctant to accuse anyone of anti-Semitism, more reluctant to judge offense by the standards of the offended group, and more likely not to differentiate between Jews and Israelis. Israeli embassy officials have told us that increased Norwegian anti-Semitism is viewed in Israel as consistent with Norway's general anti-Israel bias, and anti-Semitism's rise further diminishes Norway's ability to mediate in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. End Summary.

Unlike some newspapers, I’m not intimidated by the untruths told by the Norwegian government. In my last piece on this subject, I quoted the U.S. ambassador speaking about how the Norwegian government supports the terrorist Hamas group.

Now, we have this one from the U.S. embassy in Oslo, February 2009 :

“Anti-Semitism in Norway, and the expression of anti-Semitic comments, has increased since the Gaza war….

`Jew” ‘has become more popular as an epithet….Israeli embassy officials have told us that increased Norwegian anti-Semitism is viewed in Israel as consistent with Norway’s general anti-Israel bias….”

The cable cites a number of antisemitic incidents and statements; the fear of Norway’s Jews; the incitement of the country’s media; and the constant hate mail received by the rabbi. The U.S. embassy cable continues: “Finance Minister Halvorsen initially participating prominently an anti-war parade that ended with a full-scale riot in front of the Israeli embassy. Cries of, `Kill the Jews!’ were heard at this demonstration. ” The cable goes on to note that when accused of antisemitism, Norwegians deny it arguing that they are good people and attacking anyone who dare criticize the country. Then they smugly return to celebrating their virtue


Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and Middle East editor and featured columnist at PajamasMedia http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). GLORIA Center site is http://www.gloria-center.org.His articles published originally outside of PajamasMedia are at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com> 

Well-Meaning American Jews Are Unknowingly Financing Israel Radical Left

By Barry Rubin

A newly leaked U.S. Embassy cable provides a startling revelation not so much of extremist anti-Israel views of one high-ranking New Israel Fund official but how money supposedly raised for good deeds pays for full-time radical activists and finances the Israeli political far-left.

And this introduced the complex story of an Israeli social protest movement torn between trying to solve real problems by very specific reforms and seeking to bring down the government and transform Israel into a version of an economically faltering European welfare state.

As a result of the Palestinian leadership’s refusal to make peace, the 1990s’ peace process’s failure, and the violent 2000-2005 intifada, the Israeli left largely disintegrated or moved toward the center. Suddenly, however, the left has revived in recent months by shifting from failed proposals for massive concessions to the Palestinians to protests about Israeli housing and other prices. In this context, Israel’s social protest movement has nothing to do with the “Arab Spring” and everything to do with trends in Europe and North America.

Of course, many Israelis face real problems with the gap between wages and living costs. Almost everyone I meet–including those on the right—sympathize with the protest even if they have doubts about its leaders and demand. They also all know a long list of factors making Israel different from Europe or North America. Most understand that Israel has prospered because of jettisoning once-useful but now burdensome socialist features. A few years ago finance minister Benjamin Netanyahu became a hero even to many on the left for successful privatization reforms. More recently, the very economic decisions tending to make prices higher and keep wages lower also kept down unemployment, debt, and inflation.

Today’s problems that have motivated protests are a combination of remaining socialist practices, peculiarities of Israel’s social structure, and the country’s security situation. They have nothing much to do with capitalism or class conflict. And they could be reduced by some relatively simple measures.

The most criticized institutions are socialist-based like the dairy monopoly and the idea that the state should control land. The religious sector, rather than favoring Tea Parties and government spending cuts, tends to be the biggest per capita welfare recipients. Supermarket prices are high due to the country’s small market, protectionism, and kashrut standards. Israel’s health system, which some call “socialized medicine” functions pretty well. There are no big landlords; trade unions aren’t important factors.

Taxes are high and security issues–most recently the need to rebuild defenses on the border with Egypt–eat up money that might otherwise be used for social welfare. Despite all these things, living standards have risen steadily over the years but maintaining them is stressful for people who often depend on a revolving line of credit from their banks (the overdraft) which they pay off with every month’s pay check.

To demand the dairy monopoly is broken up to allow competition or that new land beyond the suburbs be opened up for building low-cost housing can succeed. To demand that capitalism be overthrown (in a country that isn’t wildly capitalistic to begin with), that banks provide loans to people who can’t pay them back to buy apartments in expensive urban areas, or that the government go into debt to expand entitlements won’t.

Now let’s consider how a recently revealed February 2010 cable from the U.S. embassy of a conversation with Hedva Radovanitz, then associate director of the New Israel Fund (NIF) in Israel, fits into this picture.

A media furor arose from Radovanitz telling the American diplomat “that she believed that in 100 years Israel would be majority Arab and that the disappearance of a Jewish state would not be the tragedy that Israelis fear since it would become more democratic.” In other words, the “New Israel” would be a dead Israel.

The NIF has issued a statement that Radovanitz was speaking for herself, left NIF a year ago, and that the organization disagrees with her statement. Radovanitz’s own statement seems designed to make the NIF look good. Mention of her past association is suspiciously absent from NIF sites. Her far-left background makes it seem as if the NIF knew her views when she was hired and wasn’t bothered by them.

Yet all of this is relatively unimportant compared to the rest of the leaked cable. The NIF solicits contributions in the United States by presenting itself as a pro-Israel liberal group promoting social justice in Israel including assisting the poor, helping the handicapped, promoting equality for Arabs, and other good causes. In reality, much of its funds go to support left-wing full-time “community organizers” and to subsidize political movements. In a sense, the NIF might be Israel’s equivalent of George Soros. The difference is that Soros knows the political goals his money being used for; the NIF’s contributors don’t.

So Radovanitz tells the American diplomat that the big problem is the “disappearance of the political left wing,” giving as an example one such NGO had shrunk from 5,000 members to less than 800. The left wing, she continued, only hold demonstrations by using NGO staff members, presumably paid with NIF grants, to pretend they were regular concerned citizens.

The NIF’s plan, said Radovanitz, was to create “a movement rather than just a lot of NGOs.” This strategy worked. Eighteen months later, the NIF was main funder of a large “social protest” movement.

A new NGO Monitor report details how NIF funding has gone to left-wing groups more involved in political propaganda and organizing than in charity or social welfare work. The money is used for challenging Israeli policies, helping its enemies, and rebuilding the Israeli left.

In other words, the NIF really doesn’t agree with Radovanitz that the New Israel should be a dead Israel. Rather, it wants the New Israel to be an Israel in debt with high unemployment, inflation, a sick economy, a strangling government bureaucracy, and even more onerous taxes.

Again, the social protest movement is contending with real problems. The demonstrators don’t want an anti-capitalist revolution but reasonable adjustments to make their lives easier.

But will the movement focus on solving shortcomings in a realistic manner—reducing government bureaucracy to increase construction; limited, focused help to those needing housing; and better competition to cut prices–or attacking capitalism and advocating massive government subsidies like those playing havoc with Western economies?

Uniquely Israeli factors may determine events. Possibly violent Palestinian demonstrations in late September; end of the fun-to-demonstrate summer period; growing Egyptian radicalism; and big UN mess over unilateral Palestinian independence may push Israeli conversation back toward the usual stuff. A new party based on the social protest movement might actually sabotage the existing left. Former general Shaul Mofaz might become leader of Kadima, the main opposition party, a development equivalent to Senator Joe Lieberman becoming head of the Democratic Party.

Finally, those far-left (rather than moderate left of center) tendencies in the movement are likely to turn off most Israelis. When a half-dozen kids recruiting for the scout movement at my son’s elementary school show up wearing red shirts with a picture of Che Guevara (who supported anti-Israel terrorists) and the slogan “Change,” it sets off alarm bells. Unlike many in Europe and North America, building fantasy utopias and ignoring reality are things whose high price will discourage Israelis even more than the cost of apartments and cottage cheese.


Barry Rubin is director of the Global Research in International Affairs (GLORIA) Center, editor of the Middle East Review of International Affairs (MERIA) Journal, and Middle East editor and featured columnist at PajamasMedia http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/. His latest books are The Israel-Arab Reader (seventh edition), The Long War for Freedom: The Arab Struggle for Democracy in the Middle East (Wiley), and The Truth About Syria (Palgrave-Macmillan). GLORIA Center site is http://www.gloria-center.org.His articles published originally outside of PajamasMedia are at http://www.rubinreports.blogspot.com>  ed

Media Matters Eric Boehlert; Propaganda Minister For a Jew-Bashing Machine

A funny thing happened while I was taking my Shabbos nap the other day, Mr. Media Matters himself, Eric Boehlert read one of my posts. Exciting right? I mean it's not as cool as when Andrew Breitbart takes one of my posts from one of the "Bigs"  and puts it on his refrigerator, but it’s still pretty cool.

I was a bit surprised though when he said I wrote a"Jew-bashing"post. Particularly when one realizes my nickname "Yid With Lid" is slang for Jew wearing a yarmulke. The nickname stems from the fact that I am relatively observant of Jewish customs and religious ritual.

The Media Matters big-shot was talking specifically about a post called, Obama Forming an "I Really Love Israel" PR Squad To Try and Rescue Jewish Vote, an article where I criticized:

"…some low-level Jewish players have decided to seal their place in the progressive movement rather than act for the best interests of both the United States and its valuable Mid-East ally,  Israel."

After giving it some thought I realized that Eric Boehlert may be correct, maybe I am a Jew-basher.  I don't bash all Jews, only  ones who allow themselves to be used as tools of people who want to hurt other Jews (and some of the Jews on my wife's side but I don't write about them).  Interestingly most of the Jews I bash are associated with Eric Boehlert or his Jewish sugar-daddy George Soros.

Take for example, M.J. Rosenberg. Rosenberg employs anti-Semitic buzz words that seem to come right out of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. He writes about the "pro-Israel lobby," controlling government decisions, a nice way to say that the Jews control the government; he complains that you can’t write anti-Israel pieces in the media, a nice way to say the Jews control the media; and uses the word "neocon" as a nice way to say "those dammed Jews."

Who pays Rosenberg to spew his hate?  Eric Boehlert and Media Matters for America pay Mr. Rosenberg (with the help of George Soros and the U.S. Government).

Maybe I am a serial Jew basher, after all via my blog The Lid, I’ve been bashing Boehlert's sugar-daddy George Soros for years, ever since his anti-Israel article in the NY Review of Books in 2007. That’s  when he spewed the anti-Semitic meme that the powerful Israel Lobby, those damned Jooooze, were preventing peace in the Middle East.

 In fact years before Glenn Beck talked about it, this site was explaining about how Soros helped the Nazi's as a teenager and called it the best time of his life. At the same time we talked about how Soros was pushing the new Barak Obama to stay on his anti-Israel path.

Now that I think about it, there are times when my bashing was directed against big groups of Jews, like the George Soros funded J-Street.

Until the election of Barack Obama J-Street was generally ignored by mainstream Israel advocates because its views generally did not take into consideration the safety of Israel. Indeed many (including me) have called the group anti-Israel. Obama tried to raise the profile of J-Street because they shared his negative perception of the Jewish State.

During the conflict with Hamas at the end of 2008, which was a response to thousands of missiles sent into Israeli civilian areas, J Street called Israel's "escalation in Gaza counterproductive" saying it was "disproportionate." The Soros-funded group also made a moral equivalency argument between the policies of Israel and Hamas, stating they found difficulty in distinguishing "between who is right and who is wrong" and "picking a side." Of course, they were ignoring the years of Gaza terrorism and the fact that Israel left the territory years before.

The group has felt my wrath because they advocated that the US negotiate with the terrorist group intent on destroying Israel, Hamas.

I bashed the entire J-Street group as they advocated for Hamas and fought the Congressional move to place additional sanctions on Iran.

My Jew-bashing even was directed toward the George Soros funded, Jewish Funds For Justice when they made false charges of Antisemitism against Glenn Beck and then two weeks later when they rounded up 400 Left-Wing Rabbis and published an anti-Beck letter in the Wall Street Journal.

The Rabbinical letter broke the Jewish laws against loshen hora (evil speech). Using Jewish Law, something the 400 progressive Rabbis should have been practicing, I explained how before they could make charges against Beck as they did in the letter, the Rabbis had to   among other things, research the veracity of the accusations and examine the motivation of the accuser. Jews are taught that even if charges are true (which was not the case this time) in the vast majority of cases there is a command to keep   that kind of talk to themselves. Because of ignoring the rules they were supposed to be teaching, the 400 “teachers” brought shame upon themselves, their holy profession, the entire Jewish people, and even worse, have committed a Chillul Hashem (desecration of God's name).

Put it all together and you realize that Eric Boehlert is right (sort of). I am a Jew-basher.  I bash Jews who use their Jewishness as an excuse to abandon Jewish law, to slander the Jewish people with anti-Semitic memes, or to de-legitimize the Jewish State.

A day after his original charge Eric Boehlert asked a follow-up question

Boehlert is referring to this line the original post:

I am at a loss at how these how these modern day Kapos-in training will be able to convince people of the President is really a buddy of the Jewish State.

The answer is no, I am not embarrassed.  I do wonder if Boehlert is embarrassed by the fact that he needs some remedial reading and history classes.  My use of the word these means I was not talking about all of Obama's Jewish supporters, just the four mentioned in the piece. As far as the use of the word kapo, all not all concentration camp inmates were kapos. A kapo was a prisoner who worked inside German Nazi concentration camps in lower administrative positions.  The reason for the disparagement of the kapo is many of them were very brutal to their fellow camp inmates. So Boehlert's comparison of kapos to concentration camp victims is an insult to those victims.

What is an even bigger insult to the memory of the Holocaust is that Boehlert, who works for someone who spreads anti-Semitic stereotypes ,and employs someone who spreads anti-Semitic stereotypes has the nerve to even mention the Holocaust.

Boehlert has the nerve to imply that I am misusing the memory of the Holocaust when his puppet-master George Soros uses the term Nazi as often as he changes his shorts.

As he does here comparing George Bush to the Nazis




Or here as he says Fox News uses Nazi  propaganda tactics:



The truth is, Eric Boehlert is part of the propaganda arm of a Jew-bashing machine.  Most of these Jew-slandering, Israel-bashing Jews described above are connected to Media Matters and/or with their sugar-daddy  George Soros.  Others like the Jews involved with "David Axelrod's Jewish PR Squad" are connected to the most anti-Israel President in American history, who has almost singlehandedly destroyed the economy of the United States. Both the Soros connected Jewish pawns and the pawns of the Obama campaign are willing to put their status in the progressive world before the good of their people, Israel, and most importantly the needs of the United States.  And for that reason those Jews earned their bashing.

As a senior member of the Soros Jew-bashing machine, Eric Boehlert's disingenuous actions as some sort of Holocaust police is quite frankly disgusting, and it is he should be ashamed of himself. Sadly if his work with Media Matters for America has proven anything, Boehlert will never be ashamed of himself because Boehlert like most of the Soros-run hit squad,  has no shame.