J Street's anti-Zionist conference

http://www.examiner.com/x-7095-NY-Israel-Conflict-Examiner~y2009m10d31-J-Street-holds-antiZionist-conference#

J Street holds anti-Zionist conference

Street removed “pro-Israel” from its student affiliates’ slogan, let it embarrass them. The conference was notably anti-Zionist.

“Indeed, some J Street Conference attendees openly said they had problems describing themselves as Zionists.”

An invited panelist, Hillary Mann Leverett, denounced criticism over Iran’s nuclear negotiating tactics [of delay, changed mind, non-commitment or raising demands after an agreement, arranging to boost weapon-making capability] as “fundamentally racist,” because it is “reinforcing stereotypes of Iranian duplicity.”

“Also addressing the Conference was Salam Al-Marayati, the executive director of the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC), despite the fact that he has called for Israel’s destruction and blamed Israelis for 9/11. Leaders of MPAC have also praised both Hamas and Hizballah.”

Union for Reform Judaism’s Rabbi Eric Yoffie, himself a prominent leftist, criticized the Goldstone U.N. report on Gaza as distorted. Earlier, Rabbi Joffie had criticized J Street for not joining most Jews in the U.S. and in Israel in supporting the Gaza military. The audience loudly booed him.

Some attendees proposed conditioning U.S. aid to Israel on new concessions, but did not propose the same for the Palestinian Authority, “despite its not having fulfilled its obligations to end terrorism and incitement to hatred and murder.”

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported, “References to the creation of a Palestinian state frequently garnered loud applause at sessions, though talk of a Jewish homeland received little crowd reaction.”

Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) said he was proud to have refused to vote for a Congressional resolution “to condemn a hateful 1994 anti-Semitic speech by an official of Louis Farrakhan’s Nation of Islam, Khalid Abdul Muhammad.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Have matters really come to this pass where a mainly Jewish group is opposed to condemning anti-Semitism? No less absurd and perturbing is the reason given for opposing condemning an anti-Semitic speech – that one must protect the right to free speech. Since when has the right to free speech meant that one may not express one’s own view – if it is one’s own view – that the speech…” merits condemnation?

Can J Street still pretend to be a pro-Israel organization? Does it? (10/29 press release from ZOA, headquartered in New York City, and of which I am a member.)

As J Street tears off its pro-Israel mask, will it be able to complete with AIPAC?



BOSTON GLOBE EDITORIAL:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/11/01/irans_watchdogs_still_need_help/