The Left’s rule of thumb is that when Jews accuse lefties like Corbyn or Omar of anti-Semitism, they’re just trying to “score political points.” But when lefties try to shamelessly exploit anti-Semitism, while showing no interest in the priorities and issues of the Jewish community, that’s the real deal.
Jeffrey Goldberg decided to give J Street boss Jeremy ben Ami space in The Atlantic to accuse critics of Rep. Omar of just trying to “score political points”.
Ben Ami threw out the usual lies and anti-Israel smears in alliance with the Islamic terrorists that J Street supports.
This week’s furor over Representative Ilhan Omar’s tweets highlighted the unhealthy state of the discourse. Omar engaged in an exchange on Twitter, singling out financial contributions from a prominent pro-Israel group as theexplanation for American policy when it comes to Israel. While money plays a significant and detrimental role in many areas of our politics, including pro-Israel politics, Omar’s comments evoked disturbing anti-Semitic tropes about Jews, money, and power.
The tweets played into the hands of those looking to enforce limits on criticism of Israel—allowing House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who has justly faced criticism for his own tweet evoking anti-Semitic tropes, to try to claim the moral high ground.
McCarthy mentioned some billionaires who happen to be Jewish. Elizabeth Warren did the same thing. He did not target Jews as a group.
Omar did.
Jeremy Ben Ami suggests that Omar’s critics are trying to score political points with accusations of anti-Semitism, even as he actually tries to cynically score political points that way.
J Street was partly financed by George Soros, a supporter of anti-Semitism who has engaged in anti-Semitic rhetoric, and Ben Ami claimed that criticism of his lefty financier is anti-Semitic.
In particular, the president and GOP leaders have spread vicious conspiracy theories about the prominent Jewish philanthropist George Soros. Relying on a classic anti-Semitic trope, official campaign ads funded by the National Republican Campaign Committee have portrayed Soros as an evil, all-powerful puppet master controlling Democratic candidates, refugees and protesters.
That is indeed a trope. It’s also true. And it’s irrelevant.
Soros critics, many of them Jewish, aren’t attacking him for promoting Jewish interests. Critics of Israel are attacking Jewish for promoting Jewish interests.
A trope is most relevant when it’s used to tap into prejudices about the group to attack the group.
Claims that criticisms of Soros are anti-Semitic are a cynical attempt to exploit a real problem in order to protect the anti-Semitic sugar daddy of the anti-Israel Left. And that is very much a case of trying to score political points.
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