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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.
". . . 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?
He would have a right to speak his mind if he had one. He's an old fool..
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.
One could even get the impression that, if Christians and Jews were actually to get along, peacefully, Foxman might be out of a job.
Perhaps Foxman is afraid of his own obsolescence?
Given I am jewish and think abe foxman is a POS, If you believe that there is the "jewish media" then there is anti-semitism. The "jewish media" simply doesn't exist, and if it does than I want my cut.