ALERT

AlertToday is non-partisan and does not support either candidate. In the interest of informed debate, we present below a pair of opposing perspectives from American voters living in Israel on an issue of deep concern to our readers.

Americans in Israel Need Obama in the White House

“Barack Obama and his running mate, Sen. Joe Biden, have established a firm record as true friends of Israel. They have both defended Israel’s right to self-defense against terrorism, and both have visited our country and been moved by and impressed with what we accomplish daily despite the threats facing us.

In the last eight years, the Republican administration in Washington has pursued a reckless foreign policy that has left Israel less safe and our enemies stronger than ever.

Iran has been the major beneficiary of the war in Iraq, and as a result Hamas and Hezbollah have strengthened their positions in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon. The Bush administration, whose foreign policy John McCain pledges to continue, for years failed to pursue peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and actively thwarted the Israeli government’s attempts to negotiate with Syria.” Read more

Obama’s Positions, Associates Should Alarm Israel Supporters

“There is a deep wellspring of positive feeling in Israel toward McCain, who has been a reliable supporter and a friendly and frequent visitor to the Jewish state over the past three decades. He made his first visit with the late Sen. Henry “Scoop” Jackson and his most recent trip with Sen. Joe Lieberman.

Many in Israel are Scoop Jackson Democrats — people who understand that the United Nations is not a trusted friend of Israel or the United States, and do not believe in outsourcing U.S. military and foreign policies to U.N. and European diplomats.

Jackson would be hopelessly out of place in today’s dominant Obama/Carter wing of his party. Lieberman already has been exiled by the Obama Democrats and is supporting McCain.” Read more

New Campus Publication Educates about Israel

The Jerusalem Post, in cooperation with StandWithUs, are introducimg Campus Post, a new, free monthly newspaper distributed on college campuses across North America whose aim is to inform, challenge and entertain readers who seek dependable information about Israel, especially given the confusion about Israel on far too many campuses.

Comprised of material provided by students, campus leadership and faculty and a wealth of pieces published in the Jerusalem Post, Campus Post is nonpartisan and aims to shed light on the richness of Israel’s diversity, fashion trends, innovations, as well as highlighting issues that are critical to understanding Israel in the world. Read more

Israeli Official Connects Hamas Social Work to Political Power

“DALLAS - Cradle-to-grave social support - from kindergartens to medical supplies to aid for needy families - helped Hamas win the hearts and minds of Palestinians and vault the terrorist group to power, an Israeli security official said Monday.

“Avi, a lawyer with the Israeli Security Agency, was accepted as an expert witness on Hamas’ financial infrastructure in the trial of five men accused of illegally funneling millions of dollars to the terrorist group. He was allowed to testify anonymously for security reasons. Spectators were cleared from the courtroom before his testimony and a camera feeding the proceedings to a second courtroom was covered.” Read more

Vandalism at Bucharest Cemetery

“Officials say that 200 graves and 100 monuments have been vandalized at a Jewish cemetery in Bucharest.

“Romanian Jewish community spokesman Paul Schwartz says it is the worst act of vandalism in the nation in recent times. He says the destruction was discovered early Thursday in the Jewish Cemetery in south Bucharest.” Read more

U.S. General Says Israel Can’t Hit Iran Nukes

“The former United States army head of operations in the Middle East, retired general John Abizaid, believes that Israel is incapable of causing serious damage to Iran’s nuclear program, Newsweek reported earlier this month.

The weekly magazine quoted the former Commander of the U.S. Central Command, who oversaw operations in the Middle East, as saying he doubted whether the Israelis have the capability to make a lasting impression on the Iranian nuclear program with their military capabilities.

Last year, the retired general said that, There are ways to live with a nuclear Iran.” Read more

Sarkozy Wary of Obama’s Position on Iran

“French President Nicolas Sarkozy is very critical of U.S. presidential candidate Barack Obama’s positions on Iran, according to reports that have reached Israel’s government.

Sarkozy has made his criticisms only in closed forums in France. But according to a senior Israeli government source, the reports reaching Israel indicate that Sarkozy views the Democratic candidate’s stance on Iran as utterly immature and comprised of formulations empty of all content.”

But Sarkozy’s pessimism does not stem only from Obama’s stance; it also stems from the overall behavior of the international community toward Iran’s nuclear program, and particularly its inability to agree on a fourth round of Security Council sanctions against the Islamic Republic. This foot-dragging will make it impossible to effect a change in Iran’s nuclear policy, Sarkozy believes.” Read more

Dennis Ross on Talking with Iran

“WASHINGTON - Ahead of the American elections, Dennis Ross, the man who used to work as President Bill Clinton’s envoy to the Middle East, has been busy working the shuls in Florida, a key battleground state in the presidential election. Aside from sitting on the boards of many different research institutes, Ross also acts as Democratic candidate Barack Obama’s Middle East advisor. In addition, he is a leading contender - among some 300 candidates - for the post of secretary of state in an Obama government. This week he sat down and talked to Haaretz:

Obama wants to use our willingness to talk as a means to get others to actually apply more pressure on the Iranians, as a way to ensure the talks’ success, but also because the talks themselves send a signal [to] those who fear [that] applying more pressure means you’re descending toward a slippery slope of confrontation. This is a way of saying, ‘Look, we’re trying to see if there’s a way to avoid that.’ Preventing Iran from going nuclear is a very high priority for him, not only because it’s such a threat to Israel, but because it’s such a threat to the United States. Read more

Disturbing Incident of Anti-Semitism in U.S. School

A good friend of ours in San Francisco sent us the AP article printed below from yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle. A report on the incident appeared the previous day in Haaretz (followed by extensive comments from readers) and in Missouri newspapers but has not received national media attention.

Friday, October 24, 2008 (SF Chronicle)
Students to be punished for ‘Hit a Jew Day’
Jim Salter, Associated Press

(10-24) 04:00 PDT St. Louis –
At least four students from a suburban St. Louis middle school face
punishment for allegedly hitting Jewish classmates during what they called
“Hit a Jew Day.”

The incident happened last week at Parkway West Middle School in
Chesterfield.

District officials said Thursday they believe that fewer than 10 of the
district’s 35 Jewish students were struck.

District spokesman Paul Tandy said that in most cases, the students were
hit on the back of their shoulders; one student was slapped in the face.

It began with an unofficial “Spirit Week” among sixth-graders that started
harmlessly enough with a “Hug a Friend Day.” Then there was “High Five
Day.”

Soon, though, the days moved from friendly to silly. Next there was “Hit a
Tall Person Day” and, finally, “Hit a Jew Day.”

District officials believe a handful of children were directly involved.
Those who actually struck classmates could face suspension and required
counseling, Tandy said. Others who weren’t directly involved but taunted
Jewish students or egged on classmates could face lesser penalties.

“There is a mix of sadness and outrage,” Tandy said. “The concern is a lot
of kids knew about it and they didn’t take action or say anything.”

Karen Aroesty, St. Louis regional director of the Anti-Defamation League,
said this was more than a case of bullying. Officials from the group will
meet Friday with district leaders to discuss the matter.

Our San Francisco friend teaches a Psychology course in a college in that city and last week the presidential election came up in a classroom discussion. One student expressed his annoyance that Obama had chosen to “meet with those AIPAC Jews.”

The remark reminded this editor of the first time she heard “Jews” being dismissively referred to in public. It was on a train in the spring of 04 and the people behind me were talking about Mel Gibson’s “Passion” movie. “The Jews are pissed off about it,” one man said. Half a year later, I heard in a small town’s peace group a discussion about Israel and the Palestinians turn into an anti-Semitic gab fest. In the same town four years later a friend at a bus-stop overheard adolescents intoning a schoolyard ditty that included the words “dirty Jew.” A few days later, on the bus, in conversation with another passenger, she heard him questioning why his brother, a commodities trader in Chicago, would “want to crawl around on the floor with Jews.”

These are merely the incidents of which only one person has direct knowledge.

Now this incident in a middle school in the American heartland indicates an escalation in the expression of anti-Jewish sentiment. These kids are simply picking up on what’s floating around.

While we don’t think the incident should be blown out of proportion, we believe it deserves serious attention and discussion because of implications beyond one sixth grade in a Missouri middle school.

Remembering the past is not necessarily a defense against it. The San Francisco Jewish Community Center, for instance, is now showing a series of films about Italian Jews during the Holocaust and will have a speaker next week about the massacres of Jews in Ukraine during World War II. American JCC’s frequently present Holocaust-related programs. But they should not take place in a vacuum. There should be a connection made with what happened at the U.N. a few weeks ago when Ahmadinejad called for the annihilation of Israel in a speech which received applause.

Perhaps the old adage that those who don’t remember the past are condemned to relive it should be changed to those who don’t connect with the past…

In a post last month we quoted ADL director Abraham Foxman stating that “the most lethal form of hatred that could be directed against the Jewish people was delivered from the platform of the United Nations and that no other such diatribe against any other religious or ethnic group could possibly flow from that august site.”

We are glad that the ADL is becoming involved in the “Hit a Jew” incident. Organizations like the Anti-Defamation League are needed now more than ever. And, as we discussed in our last post, grassroots action is also imperative.

Please help us help build a grassroots community based on common concerns and an activist perspective. Let us know your thoughts.

Dear ADL, Money Isn’t Everything

In our last post this blog printed a letter from ADL asking for contributions to combat increasing anti-Semitism on the Internet that has been sparked by the global financial crisis. Today we link to an open letter to the Anti-Defamation League published on a Zionist Web site which states the case for grassroots activism as an alternative to fund-raising.

The people who are posting these racist messages are doing it for free. If the ADL really cares about anti-Semitism, if you care about anti-Semitism, you can fight it for free in the same way. Volunteer action and grass roots activism are the best way, and perhaps the only way, to fight for political causes. Money is needed, but money can’t be the main motivator. Would you believe a person who is paid $100,000 a year to fight anti-Semitism? I wouldn’t.

Jewish charity has a long and honored tradition. Teachers and rabbis must be paid. Money can buy food and shelter for orphans and refugees. Towns burned down in pogroms could be rebuilt by money, and arms can be bought by money. But anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism can’t be fought only by giving money or by those who take the money. In democracies, causes are fought and won by people who believe in them, not by mercenaries. And anti-Semitism cannot be fought by Jews alone. There has to be an outreach effort. There is not much point talking to Jews about anti-Semitism, is there? Read more

This issue is central to the motivation for publishing the blog you are now reading. AlertToday gives you who share our core commitments valuable information and commentary while providing you with a persuasive outreach tool. Of course we need organizations like the ADL. But we can’t depend on them to do it all for us. We need to get involved. You could start today by e-mailing the link to this blog to any and all who you think could benefit from it.

Israeli Official Comments on Nazi-era Pope

(Haaretz) Cabinet minister Isaac Herzog declared his opposition on Wednesday to the proposed beatification of Pope Pius XII - a highly unusual move in the often delicate relationship between the Israeli government and the Vatican. Pius served as pope during World War II, and many Jews believe that he could have saved thousands of lives had he publicly condemned the Holocaust instead of keeping silent.” Read more

Debate about Motives for Attack on Jewish Soldier

NEW YORK (JTA) — All sides agree that a beating last month left a Jewish U.S. Army trainee, Pvt. Michael Handman, with facial wounds, severe oral injuries and a concussion. What’s in dispute is whether the assault — at the base in Fort Benning, Ga. — was carried out by multiple attackers, and if it was the product of an anti-Semitic campaign waged by Handman’s superiors. The military has charged just one person, a fellow trainee, and insists that he was not motivated by anti-Semitism. Handman’s supporters, on the other hand, believe multiple attackers were involved and feel the incident was connected to anti-Jewish slurs dished out to Handman by two company drill sergeants. Read more

Last week we told you about the disturbing new wave of anti-Semitic reactions to the financial crisis. We’re now finding that as the economic crisis becomes global, anti-Semites around the world are using this crisis to spread their hatred.

We are asking you to support ADL, and help us stand up to this international surge in anti-Semitism, tied to the global economic crisis. We have acted quickly by exposing this hate, and online service providers and media outlets are responding to our concerns. But as this dangerous threat turns global, your support is even more critical.

“The banks used to be Jewish-owned … has anything changed?” - published on the Web site of a mainstream British newspaper. “Most of Europe is sick of their Zionist puppet governments … Another Hitler, running a united Europe, could be elected in a heartbeat” - published on a prominent Russian Web site. “When it comes to money Jews are always in the say” - published on a German Web site.

We’re seeing new and troubling cases of this anti-Semitism in the Spanish and Latin American media. Spanish op-eds are associating Zionism with the current economic crisis, calling it a “gruesome scene of savage capitalism,” while Venezuelan radio claims the $700 billion bailout is evidence “that the U.S. government is controlled by the Jewish lobby.”

This surge of dangerous global anti-Semitism is a threat to Jews everywhere. ADL’s voice is more important than ever, and we need your support as we protect the Jewish community both at home and abroad.

Quotes from Producer of Fitna

Heather Robinson quotes Geert Wilders:

“The majority of Muslims are not terrorists or crazy people; they are trying to do their best. But Islam is a threat [because] the Koran is used today as a source of inspiration, a justification for violence.”

“The History of the Holocaust can’t be taught in my country for fear of offending Muslims. Muslim parents were making threats, and many of the teachers gave in.”

“Nobody likes war, but we are in a war in Europe…Not a conventional war, but a soft jihad, using immigration…”

“America is the last one standing. You are losing Europe every day, every month. If you don’t take it seriously, in a few years or decades you may be the only ones to defend the values of Athens, Rome, and Jerusalem.”

Soft-Pedaling Link between Religious Extremism & Violent Acts

“A U.S. military Red Team charged with challenging conventional thinking says that words like jihad and Islamist are needed in discussing 21st-century terrorism and that federal agencies that avoid the words soft-pedaled the link between religious extremism and violent acts.” Read more

Israel & Possible U.S. Talks with Iran

“Israel expects the U.S. to initiate direct talks with Tehran if Senator Barack Obama is elected president, in which case a critical Israeli interest would be to condition any talks between the West and Iran on halting uranium enrichment, according to a senior government source.” Read more

Haaretz Analysis: Israel Must Adapt to Reality of U.S. Iran dialogue

“If Livni forms a government and if Obama is elected, the most important issue that will come up in their meeting will be protecting Israel’s deterrence, and preventing its being sacrificed to a deal with the Iranians or a global disarmament initiative.” Read more

36 Jews with Key Roles in Election

“The John McCain-Barack Obama contest has been one in which the issues of Wall Street and fitness for the presidency have far overshadowed the subject of Israel. But the Jewish vote remains a key element in battleground states, and, playing a wide variety of roles, Jews have helped to shape the campaigns. Thirty-six of them are mentioned below.” Read more

Reflections on Prize & Prejudice

“There is, though, a much more sinister side to Jew-spotting. There probably wasn’t a Jewish home from Ashkelon to Auckland this Rosh Hashanah, Erev Yom Kippur and Sukkot where the specter of an anti-Semitic backlash following the global financial crisis didn’t loom over the dinner table. Personally, I don’t believe that, asides the usual rantings of hatemongers, there is going to be much of a backlash, but the fears are real.” Read in their entirety these interesting reflections.

Saturday Night Live Skit Raises Concerns

“Regardless of whether the writers intended to paint Jews as responsible for the crisis, the skit is almost sure to aggravate a growing concern: that Jews ultimately could find themselves blamed for the nation’s financial meltdown.” Read more

Conspiracy Theory Faults Jews for Lehman Brothers Collapse

“A new anti-Semitic conspiracy theory has been spreading online over the last few days, claiming that on the eve of Lehman Brothers’ collapse last month, the firm transferred $400 billion to Israel.

“The theory, which comes in the form of a news report, has already been distributed on dozens of anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli sites. It alleges that senior Jewish officials at the Lehman Brothers investment bank passed their clients’ money on to three Israeli banks, with the intention of then escaping to Israel to enjoy the take without fear of extradition.” Read more

Hamas Blames “Jewish Lobby” in U.S. for Global Financial Crisis

“The Palestinian militant group Hamas on Tuesday accused a “Jewish Lobby” in the United States of fomenting the global financial crisis.

“The crisis was the result of bad administrative and financial management and a bad banking system put into place and controlled by the Jewish lobby, Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum said in a statement.” Read more

Mideast Muslims Say that U.S. Financial Crisis Is Divine Punishment

“We are witnessing the collapse of the American Empire,” Ismail Haniyeh, the Hamas prime minister in the Gaza Strip, told worshippers during Friday prayers. What’s going on in America is a result of the violation of the rights of people in Palestine, Somalia, Iraq, Afghanistan and Muslims around the world.” Read more