Extreme Looney Leftist David Foreman wrote an extremely subjective op-ed for the Jerusalem Post.
It's a perfect example of the way egocentric people judge others. I'm perfectly slim/religious. Those thinner than me are obsessive anorexics, and those less slim than I are out of control obese. Those who don't follow the religious laws I do are sinners and those who follow more are religious extremists.
Foreman uses Daniella Weiss and Baruch Merzel as examples of American immigrants who are extremists. Merzel came on aliyah as a young child. He was educated here, and I never heard anything about Daniella Weiss being a former American. But I guess if Shimon Peres could tell Ruth Matar to go back to America, as if if was her birthplace, Foreman's no better.
The article lists olim from America who have done things Foreman approves of.
Now, I don't give a hoot about Foreman's approval. I don't approve of him, and I have no doubt that Baruch Merzel and Daniella Weiss feel the same.
Actually, when it comes to the Land of Israel and the security of the State of Israel, I'm proud to be an extremist!!
12 comments:
Actually, Daniella could be considered an American through her father but I think he renounced his American citizenship at one point and she never applied for it but I'd guess that she actually does have, if only on paper.
If her father renounced his citizenship before her birth, then she doesn't have it.
Regardless, it doesn't make her among the "American Jewish immigrants."
The man who wrote the column chose his words carefully, I think. Extremist is pretty well known as a euphamism for terrorist among those to cowardly to brand REAL terrorists as such.
So when he wrote the Daniella Weiss was an extremist he was indicating what he truly believes Zionists are.
I consider Daniella Weiss a community activist which is a far far cry from extremist.
It sounds like the person who is criticizing Ruth Matar is using the Israel, love it or leave it approach to discredit her, not unlike the Conservatives in the US during the 70s who told anti war activists "America, love it or leave it."
Follow our idea of what a good and patriotic American, Israeli, etc is or just leave.
Easy to dismiss as rhetoric were it not for the fact that Jews have been forced out of so many places.
I was on a message board in 2005 and innocently asked where the people forced out of Gush Katif would be relocated, stupidly asking if they'd be forced to leave the country.
Basically I was laughed at but I still wonder about that in the future.
Wow, I love what you had to day about this guy! Have you noticed how the JPost has been leaning farther to the Left lately?
BTW: I have Israeli citizenship (lived in Israel) and am currently staying in America and I love the fact that I'm an "extremist" too.
Good for you! I'm gonna link to you. Feel free to check out my blog.
Keli Ata, The extreme looney left is the most dangerous, but here he used examples of people who aren't even real "former Americans." Those taken by their parents, or who may have possible rights to be citizens, don't fit the bill. Of course he could have used me, but I'm an unknown.
Eitan, I'll certainly check out your blog. The jpost has always veered Left, but now In Jerusalem has Leftist political articles, which seem to be reject feature peaces from the Jpost magazine.
Batya: thanks for visiting! I've actually tried getting a job with the JPost. I know someone who's within the upper echelons of the JPost think-tank. Also, I'm trying to make my way back to Israel. I wonder if you would happen to know anything about a job writing/translating/editing in J'lem or the nearby yeshuvim...
Boker tov!
Eitan, I wish.
I know of someone who got some columns in jpost recently after lots of negotiations. It's not an easy field. Keep pushing. A7 had advertised, not long ago, for English stuff. Just keep trying.
Good luck and stay in touch via the blogs.
Aren't op-ed's SUPPOSED to be subjective? The "op" bit means opinion, no?
Asher, subjective, but don't ignore facts. Extreme looney leftists like David Forman are immune from facts, I guess. Facts get in the way of their wishful thinking.
Asher, yes. But even columnists writing opinion pieces cannot deliberately write things that are not true. Fair and truth commentary is fine, even if it's scathing. There's no excuse for a columnist not having his or her facts right.
Batya--it sounds like the guy you wrote about is trying to establish for himself who an Israeli is. If you're an extremist by his terms you're not an Israeli. Scary. Really scary.
It reminds me of the US in the 1950s and McCarthyism. Anyone who was even suspected of being a Communist was blackballed. Israel could be on that road, too. Anyone who is a Zionist is an extremist and hence not an Israel whether he or she holds Israeli citizenship or not; whether native born or an immigrant.
It's the McCarthyism mentality. Things could get really bad in that regard.
Just remember the House Un-American Committee.
If I recall Akiva from Mystical Paths was even called in by Israeli police because of his blog--which is pro-Israel but very sweet and religious.
Thanks, ka, re: Akiva, I think it was Reb Nati, not Akva interrogated.
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