JSF in the JC

Well the JC's been in JSF enough times! Today the Jewish Chronicle began what promises to be a weekly media page including a quarter of a page of extracts from Jewish blogs.

This week the NATFHE vote on Israel has been dominating debate on Jewish blogs. There were suggestions by pro-Israeli bloggers for ways of fighting back, as well as support for the motion from anti-Zionist bloggers. Meanwhile the evangelist, Pat Robertson, caused a stir.

I have been warned by a friend who knows about these things not to say that the vote was racist or antisemitic, as could be laying myself open. So I am definitely not saying that: what I am saying is that the vote will give comfort to those who support racism and antisemitism. And in my view, will make life for Jewish students, let alone academics, unbearable. And soon they will probably have to sign a waiver that they did not go on gap year to Israel and that they do hot believe that Israelis the legitimate home of the Jewish people. And then where will it end?" http://irenelancaster.typepad.com

Most of the Natfhe dumbos that voted for this resolution may be too young to remember [Joe McCarthy] and too stupid to understand. I am waiting now for a notice about an email address and a phone humber where I could report a few closet Zionists that still support and condone secretly, while dissociating publicly. [http://simplyjews.blogspot.com]

Henceforth I will require any UK journal that asks me to referee an artice to give me a signed affidavit that the journal does not honour the Natfhe boycott and that the author(s) do not either." [Comment by ‘Acad Ronin"] http://www.eclectecon.com

I think an honorary affiliation with Israeli universities is a great start. in fact, it reminds me of the story of The King of Denmark wearing a Yellow Star in support of Danish Jews during the war. The message was obvious — all Danes ‘became’ Jews. One of the things we need now is Project Yellow Star. I think British and other academics should have the opportunity to declare themselves to be decent human beings; not racists. They should have the opportunity to affiliate themselves with Israeli universities and to become ‘honorary Israelis’." [Comment by Inna"] http://www.engageonline.org.uk/blog/

An anti-Zionist blog took a different view

"The idea of boycotting Israel is important because it stresses Israel’s status as a pariah state like no other. It is a state based on colonial settlement, ethnic cleansing and racist laws. I do hope that any academics considering opposing the proposal will have a good took at the Engage site [ http://www.engageonline.org.uk ]. Look for their professed opposition to the occupation. That could take a while. They won’t have to look for the smears about antisemitism. They are there for all to see. But a peek at the comments is a real eye-opener. There they will see the Engage groupies in all their glory, ‘contributing to the debate’." [Posted by Levi9909] http://jewssansfrontieres.blogspot.com

Pat Robertson, the American Christian evangelist, meanwhile, was reported to have used an appearance on the Christian Broadcasting Network to question the need for Israeli soup kitchens, stating that: "When you think of Jewish people, you think of successful businessmen" who are ‘very wise in finance and who are prosperous." According to transcripts, Robertson expressed shock that there’s poverty in Israel," because "Jewish people" are "very thrifty and extraordinarily good business people." At the jewschool blog, sarcasm was the general response:
"Oh no! Pat Robertson is complimenting us! The nerve of that guy" [Comment by cyh]
We’ve been called worse by better.’ [Comment by David Kelsey]
"I still can’t believe that a synagogue in Massachusetts had this guy speak on the bimah a few years ago." [Comment by Matt Borus] http://jewschool.com

Something has definitely changed at the Jewish Chronicle. They wouldn't have published an extract from my blog even months ago.