I have received a number of emails from Jewish friends and family asking me what I thought about Barack Obama in relation to the Jewish community. I think it is clear that the viral email that circulated in mid-Janurary about Obama being anti-semitic was a smear tactic. Many American Jewish leaders, including my good friend Rabbi David Saperstein, published an open letter to the Jewish community in which they denounced the email saying that these tactics are “despicable” as they “attempt to drive a wedge between our community and a presidential candidate.” I agree whole heartedly.
In recent weeks the open anti-semite Louis Farrakhan, the leader of The Nation of Islam, endorsed Barack Obama. Once again concerns flared up in the Jewish community and understandably so.
In tonight’s debate Tim Russert directly asked Obama about Farrakhan. At first Obama denounced the endorsement and then, after Hillary Clinton insinuated that denouncing is not the same nor as strong as rejecting, Obama rejected the endorsement.
Tonight Obama eluded to a speech he gave at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia in honor of Martin Luther King. In the speech he spoke about the involvement of the Jewish community in the civil rights movement. Tonight he spoke about the growing disconnect in recent years between the two communities and how he is dedicated to bridging them back together, healing wounds.
In a recent interview with Ha’aretz, foreign policy expert and top Obama advisor Samantha Power pointed out the strong disconnect between what the candidate’s positions on Israel are versus what his critics in the Jewish community are claiming them to be. According to the article “she thinks that a problem with Obama’s critics is that they tend to ignore completely what he himself says. As though his words are merely of secondary importance, and what reflects his true opinion are all sorts of past quotes from close and not-so-close aides.”
Obama is not anti-semitic; he is not anti-Israel. To fear Obama without the facts and because of your religion is absurd. Disagree with policies, not perceptions.
2 Comments
February 27, 2008 at 3:46 am
[...] Julia Moss’ Political Playground wrote an interesting post today on Jews and ObamaHere’s a quick excerptI have received a number of emails from Jewish friends and family asking me what I thought about Barack Obama in relation to the Jewish community….In recent weeks the open anti-semite Louis Farrakhan, the leader of The Nation of Islam, endorsed Barack Obama…. [...]
February 27, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Everyone knows that the post-civil-rights-movement rift between the Jewish and Black communities started out as a fight over Asian girls… sheesh.