On Thursday, the left-wing Jewish outlet The Forward published an article comparing Richard Spencer's white nationalism to the State of Israel. Ironic, considering the paper was founded as a platform promoting socialism, also a dystopian vision, which targeted the Jews in the Soviet Union and other places.
Aligning herself with Richard Spencer to falsely attack the only democracy in the Middle East, Naomi Dann wrote: "This is what’s so chilling about Spencer’s comparison of white supremacy to Israel – not its anti-Semitism but the kernel of truth at its core."
"Richard Spencer, whose racist views are rightfully abhorred by the majority of the Jewish community, is holding a mirror up to Zionism and the reflection isn’t pretty," she added.
For a publication that has denounced and even explained the meaning of the "alt-right" and white supremacy, to take what they've written and apply a related explanation to Israel is bigoted in it of itself.
Dann, the media manager of the anti-Israel group Jewish Voice for Peace, which has celebrated terrorists Rasmea Odeah and Marwan Barghouti, wrote: "Now, of course, the comparison is not literally true," only to contradictorily state in the next graf "But still, there are ways in which Spencer’s description of Israel hits a little too close to home."
For one, she wrote: "There is a disturbing alliance between Zionists and white nationalists in the White House these days, and it doesn’t come from nowhere." Despite the removal of White House chief strategist Steve Bannon and his apparent nationalist views, Dunn tweeted: "Great news but don't forget, even Bannon-free it's still a White Supremacist House #byebannon."
The author proceeded to demonize Israel and its apparent "obsession" with demographics as an oppression of the Palestinians, despite them being under the corrupt Palestinian Authority, which rewards terrorism. Moreover, Palestinians can become Israeli citizens if they want.
Moreover, Dann ignorantly correlates actions with causations, such as "the demolition of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, the state sanctioning of Jewish settlers who seize Palestinian homes in Hebron, and the policy of seizing the property of 'present absentees' after Palestinians were displaced during the war to establish the state of Israel are just some examples," without recognizing that Israel demolishes homes of terrorists and their sympathetic families and, like after Israel recaptured Jerusalem in the Six-Day War in 1967, accomodated Arabs who had to be resettled.
While Dann is correct in that the Jewish homeland has societal isssues between Israelis and Palestinians and Ethiopians and "African refugees seeking asylum," it's no different than any other country, like the US, which have problems with race relations.
More importantly, she compared those Israeli societal issues with that of Spencer's goal of creating an ethno-national state, which Israel has done anything but in airlifting and rescuing Ethiopians in Operation Solomon in 1991. While, like any country, Israel cannot accept unlimited refugees, it has treated Syrian victims of President Bashar al-Assad's five-year genocide against his people. Not sure if victims of genocide would be treated in an ethno-nationalist state that prides itself on state-sponosred terror.
More examples of Dann's ignorance in comparing Israel's principles to Spencer's includes, "During the Israeli assault on Gaza in the summer of 2014, leftist Israeli friends who opposed the war reported being chased by fascist mobs on the streets of Jerusalem," despite Hamas instigating by launching rockets from Gaza's schools, hospitals, and other civilian areas, into Israel.
She concluded her article that "At times, [this will] require us to hold up that mirror to ourselves and to our communities. Let’s do it together."
No, Dann: At times, there are issues with which we can for once not let our emotions get ahead of the facts and reality and not advance a bigoted agenda. Advocating bigotry in response to hatred only furthers the flames of prejudice. In 1968, in response to an anti-Zionist remark, Martin Luther King, Jr. said: "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking anti-Semitism." Which this piece, which could be a chapter in a sequel of The Elders of Zion, exemplified.
Although the Forward does disclose at the bottom of each opinion submission piece, "The views and opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect those of the Forward," the outlet would be wise to examine its moral standards, especially as a Jewish-centric outlet.
