Des Moines JCRC deplores analogizing the president to Hitler and Lenin

Statement from JCRC       July 15, 2010

The Jewish Community Relations Commission of the Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines, Iowa

 

JCRC deplores the rhetoric and imagery displayed on a billboard in Mason City analogizing President Obama to Hitler and Lenin.  Such analogies are distortions and are disrespectful of the president, those who were murdered by the dictators, and those whose families suffered the tragic loss of loved ones.

 

Steven Schoenebaum,  JCRC Chair

Mark S. Finkelstein,  JCRC Director

 

Contact: jcrc@dmjfed.org

The Jewish Federation of Greater Des Moines is online at http://jewishdesmoines.org

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For news pertinent to the Jewish community, read the Des Moines JCRC InfoBlog online at http://jcommunitynews.blogspot.com  and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jewishnewsblog

Hoenlein's radio commentary: The Obama/Netanyahu meeting, Palestinian reactions, and Iran

  Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chair of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, is excellent at interpreting and explaining Jewish current events. 

He is given an opportunity to do so weekly on The John Batchelor Show, on WABC radio, available over the internet.   Hoenlein's radio commentary is excellent and worth hearing.

On Thursday night, Hoenlein analyzed the meeting, this week, between President Obama and Israeli PM Netanyahu -- an event that Hoenlein characterizes as very positive.  He also talks about the Palestinian leadership's reaction to that meeting.  And later in the program talks about the main problem he sees: that of dealing with Iran.

Please listen to some or all of the conversation,  employing the links below.  

//Mark Finkelstein jcrc@dmjfed.org

Thursday, 07/08/10 -  John Batchelor  Show  10pm  segment 

GUESTS: Co-host Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; David Pollock, Washington Institute; Boaz Ganor, Lauder School of Government

Listen  http://wabcradio.com/FlashPlayer/default.asp?SPID=33447&ID=1869241

 or Download this show   http://wabcradio.com/getpodcast.aspx?sid=33447&lid=5145&id=1869242&source=1&url=http://podloc.andomedia.com/dloadTrack.mp3?prm=10803xhttp://podfuse-dl.andomedia.com/800185/podfuse-origin.andomedia.com/citadel_origin/pods/WABC/WABC-Batchelor/jbs_070810a.mp3

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Thursday, 07/08/10 - Batchelor 11pm  segment 

GUESTS: Co-host Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; Bob Zimmerman, author; Ann Marlowe, Hudson Institute

Listen  http://wabcradio.com/FlashPlayer/default.asp?SPID=33447&ID=1869240

 or Download this show    http://wabcradio.com/getpodcast.aspx?sid=33447&lid=5145&id=1869240&source=1&url=http://podloc.andomedia.com/dloadTrack.mp3?prm=10803xhttp://podfuse-dl.andomedia.com/800185/podfuse-origin.andomedia.com/citadel_origin/pods/WABC/WABC-Batchelor/jbs_070810c.mp3

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Posted By Mark Finkelstein to J-NewsLine at 7/09/2010 08:59:00 AM
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AP produces misleading text. Local papers reprint it.

1. The Associated Press (AP) puts online a video clip in which an al-Qaida spokesman issues 6 demands, the first two of which are:

"First, you must pull every last one of your soldiers, spies, security advisers...... and all other American personnel, ships and aircraft out of every Muslim land from Afghanistan to Zanzibar," the spokesman, Adam Gadahn, said.

"Second, you must end all support, both moral and material for Israel." 

2.  The AP  reports the above as follows:    Adam Gadahn set out al-Qaida's conditions for peace with the U.S., including cutting support for Israel and withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g_JBe70QtSzgxcmZWYlmjV7luvsgD9GF4GT00

 So, the AP cuts the 6 demands to two.  It places, first, the demand that the U.S.. cut support for Israel -- boosting its relative importance -- and reduces al-qaida's demand that the U.S. remove all personnel from every Muslim land to the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan.    This is bad and manipulative reporting.


3.  The local newspapers, such as ours in Des Moines, reprint the AP report, including the news that 

"Adam Gadahn set out al-Qaida's conditions for peace with the U.S., including cutting support for Israel and withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan." 

Is it true that al-Qaida's conditions for peace with the U.S. included cutting support for Israel?  Yes.          Was it the most important item listed by the al-Qaida spokesman?   No.

What impact is made on readers when they see that demand listed first?

Who bears primary responsibility for the inaccurate report?  The AP
The local newspapers that reprint the AP report depend on the AP for accurate reporting.  The local papers are not going to take responsibility for the content of the AP.  Yet the local newspapers are complicit in publishing inaccurate and damaging material, when they publish such demonstrably inaccurate work by the AP as exemplified here.

//Mark Finkelstein    jcrc@dmjfed.org  

USCJ Passes Resolution in Advance of Presbyterian Church Vote on MidEast Study Committee Report

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism Resolution on the Presbyterian Church USA Middle East Study Committee Report

Approved at June 6, 2010 General Assembly

Whereas Jews and Presbyterians in the United States have cooperated in joint advocacy on many social issues and we wish to further that productive relationship; and

Whereas the Presbyterian Church USA at its General Assembly in July 2010 will consider a report of its Middle East Study Committee (MESC) which if adopted would damage the relationship between our communities; and

Whereas the report is distinctly one-sided, traffics in troubling theology, distorts history; and

Whereas we determine that the report specifically:

(1)  misrepresents Jewish history when it indicates that there is no scientific evidence that contemporary Jews are linked to their ancestral home in Palestine;

(2)  describes Israel as the occupying army and the major impediment to peace without acknowledging that the Israeli government has the ethical imperative to defend its citizens from terrorist infiltration;

(3)  considers the settlements as the obstacle to peace without recognizing that there has been longstanding hostility to Israel predating the defensive 1967 War;

(4)  and praises the Kairos Palestinian document, ignoring its virulently anti-Israel content. The Kairos document employs retrograde theology that has been rejected by most Christians as supercessionist.  It refers to Palestinian terror as “legal resistance,” and calls for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel; and

Whereas we believe that the Middle East conflict can be resolved with the kind of two-state solution that is promoted by moderates in Israel and among the Palestinian leadership and has been endorsed by most world leaders and the United Nations; and

Whereas we further affirm that it is important for both sides of the conflict to recall that the United Nations recognized the State of Israel in 1948 and the government of Israel has recognized the rights of Palestinians to a state of their own.  Israel will defend its citizens against terrorist attacks and provide for their security. It is a tragic consequence of this conflict that innocent people on both sides continue to suffer; and

Whereas our friends and colleagues in the Presbyterian Church should understand that slander of the State of Israel will be felt deeply in the American Jewish community;

Therefore be it resolved that the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism urge our rabbis and congregational leaders to familiarize themselves with the content of the MESC report. They should approach their Presbyterian colleagues and specifically delegates to the July General Assembly and advocate for the defeat of that report.  Towards that end, the USCJ will provide our regional leadership with names and contact information for local delegates.

For additional information, contact: Rabinowitz/Dorf Communications. Jason Edelstein    jason@rabinowitz-dorf.com

 

Pro-Israel analysis of current events on radio. April 15, 2010

Thursday, 04/15/10 - John Batchelor Show 10pm-11pm 

 

GUESTS: Co-host Malcolm Hoenlein, Conference of Presidents; Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA); Aaron David Miller, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

Listen or Download this show as a podcast

Des Moines: 2 programs celebrating Israel's 62nd anniversary of Independence!

Happy Birthday, Israel!  

1 . April 18.   A Taste of Israel.  Join Drake Hillel  for Israeli food -- including falafel, hummus, Israeli salad, and more!  Sunday, April 18th, 1pm  - 3 pm, on campus at Drake University in the  Morehouse  Residence Hall  Ballroom  Charge:  $5; all proceeds donated  to the Drake Hillel's designated mitzvah organization:  Save A Child's Heart. Contact:   duhillel@drake.edu 
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2. April 21.  The Meaning of Israel Indepence Day. A Young Israeli Reflects.  With Drake University College Tennis Star, Maor Zinkin.  Wednesday, April 21, 7:00 pm at Temple B'nai Jeshurun, presented by JCRC and the Jewish Federation Community School.  Contact: jcrc@dmjfed.org  (This information replaces that on p. 3 of the May, Jewish Press.)

Maor Zinkin won 28 of his 29 tennis matches for Drake University in his senior year on the team.