Posted on 09/07/2007 11:04:48 AM PDT by theothercheek
NEW YORK, September 6, 2007--Abe Foxman’s limo circled the 92nd Street Y warily a couple of times to give him a chance to survey the scene across the street. A group of 40 to 50 young Armenians and Jews were protesting the Anti-Defamation League’s continued lobbying to have HR/SR 106 (a symbolic Congressional resolution that recognizes the Armenian Genocide) die without a floor vote, at the behest of Turkey.
Finally, Foxman ducked into the building to participate in a panel discussion on "anti-Semitism in the modern world and its implications." Ironically, the discussion was moderated by Fordham Law Professor Thane Rosenbaum, author of "The Myth of Moral Justice: Why Our Legal System Fails to Do What's Right." The event had been sold out for days, so The Stiletto does not know whether Rosenbaum asked Foxman why he failed to do the right thing in recognizing the Armenian Genocide until several communities in MA refused to accept the ADL’s tolerance promotion program, "No Place For Hate" in their schools.
Some protestors were holding handmade signs demanding that the ADL fire Foxman over his Armenian Genocide Denial, others were holding signs demanding that Foxman support HR/SR 106. Among the slogans they chanted non-stop for more than an hour:
"Fox’s bargain is a shame!
No more denial in our name.""Gars, Auschwitz, Rwanda Sudan.
Many a murder, when will it end?""What did Hitler say?
Who remembers the Armenians?
We do. We do. We do.""ADL must support Resolution 106"
And the ever-popular:
"What do we want? Justice.
When do we want it? Now."
The Stiletto caught up with a woman who gave her age as "60ish," just as she was about to enter the Y to hear Foxman. She was interested in what Foxman had to say about "contemporary anti-Semitism." Asked what she thought about the crowd protesting the ADL’s Armenian Genocide denial, she mused, "Does ‘never again’ mean for everybody or just for Jews?" She answered her own question: "It is important for Jews to recognize the Genocide. We are conscious of other people’s oppression, not just our own."
As it was nearly 8:15 pm and the rest of the ticket-holders were scurrying inside so they could take their seats before the evening’s program got under way, The Stiletto crossed the street to meet some of the protesters and find out why they opposed Foxman’s positions on the Armenian Genocide and on HR/SR 106.
"I am Jewish," said documentary filmmaker Lauren Kesner, 30, "but I have very strong Armenian connections because I lived in Armenia for several years working on a film" about the 1994 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the Nagorno Karabakh region. That film, "A Story of People In War & Peace," had its U.S. premiere (video link) at the Tribeca Film Festival a few weeks ago.
Kesner believes the ADL’s position on the Armenian Genocide is realpolitik, plain and simple: "Turkey is Israel’s most important ally in the Middle East. Because the Jewish community supports Israel, they don’t want to get on Turkey’s bad side." Recognizing that the Armenian Genocide is "a sensitive issue" for supporters of Israel, she nevertheless insists that, "Jews – of all people – need to stand up to the injustice of genocide, because of how the Holocaust traumatized the Jewish community worldwide."
The Armenians she lived amongst are still haunted by the Genocide, and "it rubs salt in the wounds to deny it."
The anti-Foxman protest is the first of many that will bring Armenians and Jews together to fight for justice, said Doug Geogerian, 38, who sits on the board of the Eastern Region of the Armenian National Committee (ANCA), a grassroots lobby that promotes Armenian-American issues. He marvels at how Foxman "is using the ADL and its reputation of having fought the KKK and neo-nazis, to collaborate with the Turkish government and deny the Armenian Genocide."
Geogerian added, "Supporting Turkey benefits Israel. But there is also a cost - a cost in public integrity. Many Jews are starting to feel that the cost is too great."
Note: The Stiletto writes about politics and other stuff at The Stiletto Blog.
Although I very mucg support the State of Israel, I never was a fan of Abe Foxman’s. He’s an old kvetcher that has lost any logic he may have possessed. Too much kvetching and too many geshrei (crying and bellyaching) and no one takes you seriously.
Real Jews should be the ones picketing this fat bastard. He has done more to hurt the image of Jews than to help it (yes I am a Jew and despise Foxman beyond words)
What about the genocide against the poor American native Indians? Will the ADL put on pow wow dress and protest that, too? And what about the genocide against the buffalo?
Can I ask you something? Who, exactly, supports him. Because everytime his name comes up, every Jewish person within earshot says exactly what you just did.
Are you comparing the slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians to buffalo? You’re a sick, sick man.
PC BS for PC BS.
The same kind of victimology came at Jewish people from the Serb Defense League types, the Russians, and now...
Hmmm. A quick search with the keywords, “antisemitism armenia” (without the quotes), revealed some information from Turks (heh),...
Antisemitism in Armenia: Two Examples
from the Journal of Turkish Weekly
http://www.turkishweekly.net/articles.php?id=117
Armenian Anti-Semitism in the Ottoman Period
from the Journal of Turkish Weekly
http://www.turkishweekly.net/comments.php?id=1132
...from Radio Free Europe,...
Armenia: Country’s Jews Alarmed Over Nascent Anti-Semitism
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2005/01/162399d3-7533-454c-b935-b5933b68c75c.html
...and well, one more link,...
ANTI-SEMITISM IN ARMENIA
(2002-2006)
Vyacheslav Likhachev,
Rimma Varzhapetyan, Chairman of the Jewish community of Armenia
“Armenians and Aryans”: Displays of anti-Semitism
“Among Armenian thoughts that have contributed to anti-Semitic attitudes is the theory that Jews organized the Genocide in 1915.”
But many more hits were returned from the search engines.
And BTW, did Armenia join Russia’s SCO, or is its leadership still hemming and hawing about that?
The Russians have really been stirring stuff up around here and also doing so through several other proxies.
And I'm not Jewish, BTW.
What is PC about the Armenian Genocide? And, for that matter, what is BS about it? Explain yourself.
hehe, the Rainbow/push website is blocked at my office...
Yeah - Jackson can’t exist without the Rainbow Coalition and Foxman can’t exist without the ADL. Good point!
Ah...that “one more link” here. There’s often something else behind the projections we see.
ANTI-SEMITISM IN ARMENIA
(2002-2006)
Vyacheslav Likhachev,
Rimma Varzhapetyan, Chairman of the Jewish community of Armenia
http://www.eajc.org/program_art_e.php?id=39
“Armenians and Aryans”: Displays of anti-Semitism
“Among Armenian thoughts that have contributed to anti-Semitic attitudes is the theory that Jews organized the Genocide in 1915.”
No, you explain yourself. It’s old news. The Jews did not try to exterminate the Armenians, as is implied in the projection. The story is cover for what’s going on in Armenia now (one of Putin’s new proxies).
no, I believe that "he's" comparing the slaughter of American Indians to buffalo. I know, how dare we live here before you.
Frankly, I'm sick and friggin' tired about who killed who back in the 40's when the US saved the day.
People should spend more time fighting in the present and learning from the past...
no, I believe that "he's" comparing the slaughter of American Indians to buffalo. I know, how dare we live here before you.
Frankly, I'm sick and friggin' tired about who killed who back in the 40's when the US saved the day.
People should spend more time fighting in the present and learning from the past...
No, I was asking as to why any Jewish organization (even a lefty one) should put its resources into broadcasting about every historical war that happened. It’s obvious as to where the tactic is coming from.
Abe Foxman is the Al Sharpton of Judaism.
Could be some type of exclusive rights or franchise agreements.
By acknowledging that millions of other people were killed during that war for many reason it kind of dilutes the holocaust claims
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