Lerner is the one on the left.
Posted on 02/11/2003 3:58:11 AM PST by SJackson
The following letters are being circulated by Marc Cooper of The Nation and by Tikkun Magazine, respectively.
Rabbi Michael Lerner has been banned from speaking at the antiwar rally in San Francisco this Sunday, February 15. One of the rally organizers, Act Now to Stop War and End Racism (ANSWER), has stated that it will not allow a "pro-Israel" speaker to take the stage -- despite the fact that Rabbi Lerner has been an outspoken critic of Israeli policy in the occupied territories, has endorsed ANSWER's antiwar rallies in the past, has signed the Not in Our Name petition against the war, and is widely known to be among the most progressive of American rabbis. Other coalitions organizing the rally, including Not in Our Name and United for Peace and Justice, have acceded to ANSWER's opposition to Lerner, on the grounds that they had previously accepted as a condition for participation in the demonstration the agreement that if one of the groups vetoed a speaker that all would have to agree.
We, the undersigned, protest ANSWER's refusal to let Rabbi Lerner speak at this Sunday's rally. At a time when the antiwar movement needs as broad a platform and as broad an appeal as possible, ANSWER has chosen instead to put the interests of sectarianism ahead of the interests of all those who oppose this foolish and unnecessary war. We believe this is a serious mistake, and that it exemplifies ANSWER's unfitness to lead mass mobilizations against war in Iraq.
- Michael Berube and Marc Cooper
Progressive Rabbi Banned From Speaking at Peace Rally Because of His Pro-Israel Stance
Rabbi Michael Lerner can not speak at the peace rally in San Francisco, February 16th. That was the response given when various groups proposed Rabbi Lerner, thinking it logical to have him speak since he is one of the most prominent peace voices in the Jewish world.
But Rabbi Lerner was blackballed and banned by A.N.S.W.E.R., one of the four organizing committees for the S.F. demonstration expected to attract hundreds of thousands. The reason: Lerner had been critical of the way that A.N.S.W.E.R. has used the anti-war demonstrations to put forward anti-Israel propaganda.
Lerner, editor of Tikkun magazine, is himself an outspoken critic of Israeli policy. But he is also a Zionist who believes in the State of Israel and supported his son to serve in the Israeli army in a combat union (the tzanchanim or paratroopers). But Lerner and Tikkun magazine have been equally critical of acts of terror by Palestinians, and they have called for Palestinians to follow a path of non-violence. In his 2003 book Healing Israel/Palestine, Lerner calls for a "progressive middle path" that is both pro-Israel and pro-Palestine, and argues that the best interests of each can only be achieved if the other side also achieves its best interests.
Other coalitions supporting the rally , including the United For Peace and Justice and the Not In Our Name, went along with the ban, arguing that they had previously accepted as a condition for participation in the demonstration the agreement that if one of the groups vetoed a speaker that all would have to go along. A.N.S.W.E.R. spokesperson, speaking on the Brian Lehrer show of WNYC, said that they would not agree to have a "pro-Israel" speaker at their rally. Meanwhile, there are many in the organized Jewish world who will not let Lerner speak because he is too critical of Israeli policy.
Beyt Tikkun synagogue, where Rabbi Lerner serves as a rabbi in San Francisco, issued the following statement: "Rabbi Lerner has urged us to continue to support the demonstration for peace on February 16th, and we will be there to show that many Jews oppose this war. However, we do not believe that had A.N.S.W.E.R. been criticized by a major feminist or gay leader and then vetoed that leader to speak at a demonstration that the other coalition partners would go along with that. So why should criticism of anti-Semitism and Israel-bashing be treated differently? A.N.S.W.E.R. doesn't believe that Israel has a right to exist. We are enthusiastic supporters of Israel, even though totally critical of its current policies. So why should our voice of critique of A.N.S.W.E.R.'s anti-Israel policy serve as a justification for excluding our rabbi from speaking? This seems a dangerous double-standard and conveys, probably unintentionally, the message that somehow anti-Semitism is not a significant issue for anti-war protesters."
Rabbi Lerner said, "I'm honored that some people wanted me to speak, and dismayed that the specific reason I'm not allowed to speak is my criticism of the anti-Israel bias of A.N.S.W.E.R. But I believe that the message of peace is far more pressing at the moment than the message of fighting the anti-Semitism among some of the march's organizers."
- Tikkun Magazine
He is barred by A-N-S-W-E-R because he is a J-E-W.
How fools like this can be suffered is beyond my comprehension.
Who speaks from the platform at these rallies? Why bless my soul if it isn't the largest contributors and vociferous supporters of the Democrat party. Little Susie Sarandon shows up to vent her wrath. Clark Clifford shows up. Union officals show up. The Sierra Club shows up. N.O.W. shows up. The homosexual lobby shows up. The NAACP shows up. Al Sharpton Shows up. Once in a while sitting Democrat Congressmen show up. These people and groups aren't sending their designated political coins to conservative organizations, that's for sure.
Now you can say what you want about the above people. You can defend their right to be anti-war if you like. You can defend their right to be anti-Bush or even anti-Republican. I don't agree with them, but hey, this is a first ammendment right. Right?
Where things go very very south for me, is when I listen to the speakers who take the stage inbetween the above people. Those folks are radical Moslems, Palestinain activists who damn Israel and the United States in every sentence, they are far leftist pro-illegal immigration groups with radical views about how the US has abused Mexico and it's citizens, avowed marxists from Central and South America and even radical insurgents from the Phillipeans. When I say radical insurgents, I'm actually talking about folks who like to mingle with the Taliban and Al Qaeda connections in South-East Asia. Linked through Malaysia, these groups are closely affiliated with the same middle-eastern groups that plotted the 09/11 event.
This coalition of ties the Democrat party to the very people who have targeted our nation for terrorism. A.N.S.W.E.R is directly tied to the rabid anti-capitalist thugs who marched in Seattle, Canada and Europe.
This is why I find it funny. When sitting members of our Congress jump on that stage, they are outing the party better than I ever could. Now, if we could just get the media to string this stuff together in print, perhaps the nation's populace would see the Democrat Party for what it's truly been since the mid-1960s.
Fat chance!
If you want to know what these people are like, watch the next A.N.S.W.E.R. rally in Washington, D.C. on C-Span. Look up their web sites, the world workers party and A.N.S.W.E.R. You'll get an eye full.
I see a shift in voting from Jewish voters.
When Leon Trotsky bragged about being a Communist to a Rabbi, the holy man uttered these famous words, "the Trotskys will make the revolution and the Bronsteins will pay for it." The Rabbi was right -- especially as Trotsky was killed by Stalinist agent Mercador in Mexico in 1939.
Lerner thought because he was a leftist like the others he would be accepted by them, but, as the very patriotic and assimilated Jews of Germany found out, this was not true. The German Jews shaved their beards and were as patriotic and nationalistic as the rest of the Germans, but, when the head of the National Socialist German Worker's party (N.S.D.A.P), Adolf Hitler, took over, it did not matter.
When you have a BIG tent, you gotta fill it up with somebody.
Despite all this, Hillary gets the Jewish vote like she was the only one running. Go figure.
Lerner is the one on the left.
Actually Hillary is thought to have gotten about 54% of the NY State Jewish vote, below her statewide margin and well below the 80% Gore received. Lots of split ballots.
I would think it would be 98% for the Republicans knowing how the left feels about the PLO etc.
Did you see the SNL skit about the War Protestors? I try to recreate one of my favorite parts:
Protest Leader: WHY ARE WE HERE!?!
Guy in Crowd: GAY RIGHTS!!!
Protest Leader: No, we're NOT here for gay rights...
Guy in Crowd: HOMOPHOBE!!!
This "protest movement" is just a grabbag of typical leftwing nutcases.
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