Foxman’s Fearmongering

Jewish Press ^ | 11-21-05 | Jason Maoz

[SJackson]

For a media columnist facing a deadline and a slow news week, Abraham Foxman is truly a gift that keeps on giving. The national director of the Anti-Defamation League can barely open his mouth without inviting incredulity and ridicule from anyone not currently on the ADL’s payroll (and probably many who are).

Foxman’s latest foray into the absurd came earlier this month when, in a speech at the ADL’s national conference in New York, he drew an apocalyptic picture of conservative Christians laying waste to the citadels of American democracy and urged organized Jewry to come together to man the ramparts.

“Today we face a better financed, more sophisticated, coordinated, unified, energized and organized coalition of groups in opposition to our policy positions on church-state separation than ever before,” Foxman told his audience. “Their goal is to implement their Christian worldview. To Christianize America.”

Foxman warned that conservative Christian groups have “built infrastructures throughout the country” as part of their effort “to ‘Christianize’ all aspects of American life, from the halls of government to the libraries, to the movies, to recording studios, to the playing fields and locker rooms of professional, collegiate, and amateur sports; from the military to SpongeBob SquarePants....”

Whew! Either contributions are seriously down at the ADL or Foxman was suffering the kind of acute withdrawal familiar to all publicity addicts who haven’t seen their name or mug in the paper or on the tube for any period exceeding 72 hours.

Which raises the question of why publications like the Forward and The Jewish Week, both of which featured Foxman’s outburst as front-page news, continue to cruelly feed Foxman’s addiction. A little tough love would seem in order here. If Foxman called a press conference and no one showed up, would he make a sound (and would the public be any worse off)?

Political activist Jeff Ballabon told the Forward that the “ADL’s assault on Christians is classic Foxman: fund raising by fearmongering.”

Foxman a fearmonger? Consider this: The ADL commissioned a poll, to which Foxman made reference in his speech, showing that nearly 64 percent of Americans believe religion is under attack, 56 percent say creationism ought to be taught in school, and 64 percent have no problem with religious symbols being displayed in public buildings. Speaking to reporters after the speech, here’s how Foxman spun the poll’s findings, according to the Forward’s E.J. Kessler:

“If 60 percent think religion is under attack, who do they think is attacking them? Hollywood, the media and the ACLU? And who is behind those three institutions? The Jews, right?”

These are the remarks of a man intent on reading the darkest of implications where it is far from obvious that any exist. It’s as though Foxman wants to feed the perception among some Jews that conservative Christians opposed to liberal policies are by definition opposed to Jews — and the perception among some conservative Christians that the words “Jewish” and “liberal” are interchangeable.

In a biting opinion piece in The Jerusalem Post, author and essayist Hillel Halkin took Foxman to task for hypocritically complaining about Christian conservatives doing precisely what Jewish groups like the ADL have been doing for decades — attempting to influence social and cultural mores in the courts of law and public opinion.

Halkin wondered “whether there is any wisdom, from the American Jewish perspective, in declaring war on a Christian public that in recent years has been Israel`s strongest supporter in the United States” and “whether, in a huge country in which Jews form barely 2% of the population and church-going Christians an estimated 40%, Jews should be telling Christians, as does Foxman, that they have no right to campaign democratically for what they perceive to be their own values.”

Jews, Halkin continued, “are hardly threatened as Jews” by the politics of conservative Christians, but they will indeed feel threatened “if there is ever a Christian backlash against them, which sooner or later will happen if believing Christians come to view the Jewish community not merely as liberal but as anti-Christian.”

A Christian backlash against Jews? Why, business would never be better for the ADL!

[SJackson]

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Foxman`s (New) Frolic
Posted 11/16/2005
By Editorial Board

Anti-Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman was at it again last week. Once again, with the help of his friends in some of the Jewish media, he created news by going public with yet another caper designed to put him in the forefront of Jewish life. It will be recalled that his last major headline-grabbing antic involved an unsuccessful — and as it turned out, wholly unnecessary — public battle with the actor/producer Mel Gibson over a movie Foxman claimed would lead to pogroms against Jews. The fact that Foxman single-handedly made Gibson`s movie one of the most talked about in history does not seem to have dampened his ardor. He has now unilaterally declared war on millions of conservative Christians because they, in his words, seek to "Christianize America."

Foxman`s antics wouldn`t be so worrisome if he weren`t the head of the Anti-Defamation League and thus someone who is accorded respectful coverage by journalists who actually believe he has a constituency beyond the four walls of the ADL’s national headquarters. (For further details on Foxman’s statements, see this week’s Media Monitor column on page 15.)

Foxman is, of course, entitled to his own views regarding such issues as judicial nominations, stem cell research, religious institutions participating in general governmental programs, aid to parochial schools, abortion and same-sex marriages. Our overriding concern with his speech is that he seeks to delegitimize a community that has been key to Israel`s ability to withstand the anti-Israel/anti-Semitic culture prevalent in much of today`s world. As former prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in story on the front page in last week`s Jewish Press,

The greatest support Israel has today is in the United States. And the greatest support Israel has in the U.S., besides the Jewish community, is that of Evangelical Christians... These people ... support us not because of a shared ethnic identity, but because of a broader partnership based on values.

To our mind, Foxman`s gratuitous attack is not helpful. And we wonder why he continues to be indulged. After all he was in the forefront of support for the disastrous Oslo process and ridiculed and tried to penalize those who opposed it. And despite his group`s mandate to focus on anti-Semitism, he seems more interested in operating as a champion of liberal causes and critic extraordinaire of those on the political Right, in the U.S. as well as in Israel.

Abe Foxman certainly has the right to speak his mind. The rest of have the right not to pay him any mind.

[dynachrome]

The ROP would have an easy time with him in charge of the Jews.

[Ostlandr]

". . . and urged organized Jewry to come together to man the ramparts."

"Organized Jewry?" The only place I've seen that particular phrase previously was in a certain banned book written in the '30s.
I may be wrong, but isn't the US the only place on earth never to have had a serious mass murder or deportation of Jews?

[sheik yerbouty]

He would have a right to speak his mind if he had one. He's an old fool..

[Salem]

Isa 59:19 ...When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

In Defense of Christian Conservatives - Rabbi Daniel Lapin

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[pierrem15]

"...their effort “to ‘Christianize’ all aspects of American life,..."

That's right! We're even planning to put crucifixes inside urinals!

Oh, I forgot, somebody already thought of that one...

Perhaps Mr. Foxman might be better off considerng why so many Christians (and observant Jews) think there is a relentless assault upon the Christian and Jewish faiths in this country.

[Alouette]

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[Cicero]

Foxman is a jerk.

There was a time when the ADL did a lot of good and necessary work. They should dump Foxman and get someone else to lead this important organization. If the NAACP could admit their mistake, so should the ADL.

[goldstategop]

They've run out of people who really hate them... Oh wait there's the ROP. But they're untouchable on the Left and the ADL can't go after the real anti-Semites. So they go after safer game. Abe Foxman and his ilk don't really know what endangers Jews these days. Its not the sight of a cross on a hill.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

[Torie]

What is ROP? Thanks.

[AZ_Cowboy]

Foxman, as usual, is out tilting at windmills again.

This poor guy can't see the forest for all the trees.

By the way, how 'bout that anti-semitic violence that we were warned would happen after "The Passion" hit theaters, hmm?

[dynachrome]

The "Religion of Peace", a reference to islam.

[Torie]

Thanks. Not the Quakers eh?

[justiceseeker93]

Superb analysis of Foxman and his ADL by author Jason Baoz.

Regrettably, the ADL re the Jewish community has become the spitting image of the NAACP re the black community: whereas both were founded to perform the noble task of combatting bigotry, they have both been captured by mindless radicals in the past several decades.

It's about time that Foxman was eased out of his job, having long since become irrelevant, if not senile.

[xJones]

“Their goal is to implement their Christian worldview. To Christianize America.”

Well, that was our goal and we thought about prgressive car burnings, but unfortunately our police forces aren't nearly as understanding as the French gendarmerie.

And Christianizing SpongeBob SquarePants was a piece of cake once we started pulling the arms off of Patrick Starfish.

Foxman`s antics wouldn`t be so worrisome if he weren`t the head of the Anti-Defamation League...

That's the shame of it all, because Foxman is succeeding in reducing the public opinion of the ADL to a sick joke. And in these days of rising world-wide anti-semitism, it is very important to have a respected, credible Jewish watchdog organization even in the U.S, yet the ADL with it's continued support of Foxman has trashed it's own reputation. For instance, if a big pogrom broke out in Berkeley tomorrow and Abe Foxman was the only one reporting it, who outside of the ADL headquarters would believe him, who would care?

[Convert from ECUSA]

Foxman inserts foot in mouth up to kneecap again - ping!

I wonder what tune Foxman would sing if (Heaven forbid), Israel's enemies attacked Israel, and thousands of conservative Christians volunteered to go and fight with Israel against Israel's enemies.

Foxman is about as representative of Jews and Judaism as John Shelby Spong is as representative of Christians. He and his fellow liberals would be among the first to feel the ROP's sword if the ROP ever took over the US (Heaven forbid).

[veronica]

Foxman is such a bonehead sometimes. He does so much good, then ruins it.

[FFIGHTER]

It is always amazing how the ADL on so many occasions takes shots at their allies and gives a pass to their real enemies. They have a hard time resolving their Jewish faith, with their liberal politics and serving one God, the God of Abraham, not the false idol of liberalism.

[Zionist Conspirator]

The Jewish Press is hardly a rightwing publication (other than on the issue of Israel), but Jason Maoz is doing the L-rd's work there. Yeyasher kocho!