I admire former Mayor Ed Koch’s willingness to break with his own party on issues of principle, but his comments to the Algemeiner today are mind-boggling. In between some very strong denunciations of the Chuck Hagel nomination, Koch casually let it drop that he suspected Obama would abandon his pro-Israel positions after the election. The former mayor, of course, endorsed Obama’s reelection and served as one of his surrogates to the pro-Israel community:
“Frankly, I thought that there would come a time when [Obama] would renege on what he conveyed on his support of Israel,” said Koch, adding, “it comes a little earlier than I thought it would.”
“It’s very disappointing, I believe he will ultimately regret it,” Koch said, “and it undoubtedly will reduce support for him in the Jewish community, but I don’t think he (the President) worries about that now that the election is over.” …
Koch explained to The Algemeiner why he decided to back the President’s re-election even though he says he suspected that Obama would backtrack on his pro-Israel overtures. “I did what I thought was warranted and intelligent,” he said, “He was going to win! There was no question about it. I thought it would be helpful to have a Jewish voice there, being able to communicate.”
The Mayor says he has no regrets, “it’s wouldn’t make any difference. The Jews were going to vote for him no matter what. And that’s the nature of the Jews. They are always very solicitous of everybody else except there own needs and community.”
Just a reminder, here’s what Koch said in a video endorsement for the Obama campaign in October:
“I’m confident President Obama will continue his unambiguous commitment to the Jewish state in his second term, building on his record of leadership by preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and funding the Iron Dome missile defense system that is saving Israeli lives.”
To summarize: Koch believed none of that, but still vouched for Obama with Jewish voters because a.) Obama was going to win and it was important that Ed Koch maintain good relations with the White House so he could encourage pro-Israel policies (which isn’t working out too well, considering the Hagel nomination), and b.) Jews were going to vote for Obama no matter what (which would kind of mean Ed Koch’s entire schtick is irrelevant, no?).
it never occurred to Ed Koch to stay silent before the election? nWhat will Jack Lew now do re: SecTreas? Does he realize he is Obama's Court Jew?
Yeah, Koch missed a perfectly good opportunity to STFU. n nIf an 88 year old Jewish war vet, couldn't speak the truth (and he really should have felt free to speak the truth at this point), he should have kept quiet.
Oh Alana, who exactly is Jack Lew and why do people not like him? n nAnd while we are at it, is Eric Holder staying on, or who will be AG?
well, Ed_, I cited Jack Lew, not Alana. Lew is Obama's current WH Chief of Staff, and about the only name out there for SecTreas. n nFrom what I read, GOP Senators don't like Lew from when he ran OMB. n nMy beef is that Lew made his money, during a short break starting in 2006, from mostly government service, running a hedge fund for Citi that bet on the housing meltdown. (Also, I want Sheila Bair as SecTreas.) n nHowever, Jacob Lew is an observant Jew. That will certainly fuel the myth that the 'Joos run all the banks' (Paulbot alert!). n nHolder is staying for another year. The real nomination battle will be EPA!
Could Hagel merely be Obama's attempt to wear down the opposition so that the fight on the EPA nominee isn't what it otherwise would be? n nAnd if Holder is staying another year, then a lot of the stuff on Fast & Furious that was overlooked because of the presumption that he was leaving at the end of the first term now becomes relevant again….
What I can not understand about US Jews. Are they really that dense as to believe that Obama has Israels interest at heart ?Obama and Hillary welcomed the Muslim Brotherhood in the White nHouse but snubbed Netanyahu.Yet they still do not understand or read anything into that gesture nand hold on to the hope that Obama has Israels back because Obama said so ? For a people nfamous for their intelligence, it is just so freaking unbelievable that Jews can be so easily manipulated. Or their bias towards Christians is so strong that they are willing to risk their Mother country to its enemies ? n
That was pretty much Alan Dershowitz's reason for voting for Obama as well.
"he was going to win anyway" How stupid is that!
Carter lost a substantial number of the Jewish vote – people should not have figured that Obama was going to win and therefore vote for him. If the Jewish community would have stood together, it would have made a difference.
we ALL knew, Ed!
I didn't. n nAnd I *have* done that trick of voting against myself so that I could make the motion to reconsider later.
Koch: "it wouldn’t make any difference.I thought it would be helpful to have a Jewish voice there, being able to communicate.” Even a member of the Lodz Judenrat couldn't have said it better.
You should be ashamed of yourself for making this false and offensive comparison.
Let's remember that the members of the Judenrat also sincerely believed that they were acting for the greater good of the Jewish community.
Ed Koch is not acting under threat of imprisonment, torture, or death, and Obama is not a Nazi. You should be equally ashamed of yourself for attempting to defend this indefensible statement.
"Ed Koch is not acting under threat of imprisonment, torture, or death," And you consider that a mitigating factor for Koch? n n"Obama is not a Nazi" True. He is endangering the plurality of the world's Jewish population out of stupidity, bias, megalomania and ideological blindness, not out of malice. If chas v'sholom his stupidity were to lead to what many fear it would, he would go on TV and shed sincere tears of grief while making an impassioned speech about how it could all have been avoided if only people had taken his advice. And he will believe it.
Obama's actions are not out of stupidity, nor out of malice. He adheres to moral relativism, an ideology in-vogue among the intellectuals of elite universities. It holds that there is no moral superiority to US free-market republicanism, and seeks to weaken its institutions to bolster other systems. In the process, Israel and other countries with similar systems are sacrificed. Thus he wants a reduced military, and weakened economy through enhanced welfare state and disregard for fiscal responsibility.
Did I say it's a mitigating factor? Show me where I defended Koch. n nI replied because "mhloutbeltway" made an obscene and offensive statement, the illogical and sensationalist likes of which is sadly typical of the comments section on Contentions. n nHow ridiculous that his comment has 19 thumbs up and each of mine a handful down. Our differences, I expect, are not largely substantive – there's a reason I read Commentary, after all – but I aim for precision in my words, rather than cheap and false hyperbole. Who are these people that can't tell the difference?
"There is something almost charming about the left’s habit of using childish name-calling…." n– Seth Mandel in Commentary n
Whether it's because of advanced age or some other reason, Mr. Koch has become so adept at advancing specious arguments to justify his support for Barack Obama, I think he should be seriously considered for the next open cabinet position.
I was stunned when I read Koch's article earlier today. "oh yeah, I knew he was gonna stab Israel in the back EVENTUALLY, I just didn't think it'd be right now" ??? n nwelcome to liberal Judaism, 21st century style. whatever mental gyrations it takes to keep supporting Barack Obama shall be done.
Truly. Again, the term blackwhite comes to mind. Since I am not a Party member, it is not a compliment.
Koch should be (and no doubt is) ashamed. But nobody should have fallen for it. Obama's true nature as an isolationist appeaser has been clear from the start. Like all isolationists, he believes that the way to stay out of trouble is not to have allies count on you. And like all appeasers, he believes enemies can be appeased by "engaging" them while disengaging from allies. n nThis is looking like a replay of the Republican-led (and Democratic-followed) isolationism of the post-WWI years. Back then, the US decided France and Britain were the threat to European peace, and Germany was the power whose grievances needed to be appeased. n nSo, here we go again. n
No, I think it is worse now — if nothing else, imagine what Hitler could have done with a dozen laptop computers and basic copies of MicroSoft Office. n
I think your estimation of American politics with respect to isolationism is correct. It will not end well. America has always had a strong tendency towards isolationism. Our history from Dec. 7, 1941 until 2006 was an aberration. America no longer wants responsibility for the world. It is a thankless task and very expensive. n nWe are about to learn (again) that not taking on the job can be more expensive.
nwe have to more discriminating when choosing our battles
well, I'm not letting that guy recommend a personal physician, tell you that. "Oh yeah, I always figured he'd take out the wrong kidney and leave his glove in your abdomen but he sits on the board of my country club and his brother-in-law is carrying the refinance of my Marthas Vineyard home…"
The Mayor sold out two days after Weiner's Special Election, he's either crazy or a hack.
Ed Koch is pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage. Those are his primary issues. The defense of Israel rates a distant second. Why ignore the truth?
David, you are right on the mark. Those social issues trump everything for most Jews, including support of Israel. Koch is just another unfortunate reminder.
well………..hmmm……..I always thought Ed was un-remarkable. He seems like the kind of person who would go to all kinds of lengths to make sure that people would be present to laugh at his jokes. Unfortunately for Koch, his interview published today may be the final words of his which attract any attention at all. He is a joke alright, while not the least bit humerous. Oh, by the way Ed, there is not a damn thing you can do to redeem yourself. I urge Koch to join forces with Ehud Olmert. Perhaps Olmert will rent him space in his luxury hole.
Let's face it; Ed Koch turns out to be the biggest schmuck on the planet Earth. I thought he might have learned something from Obama's first term but like all the other liberal Jewish lemmings he just keeps on going over the cliff for a President whose personal animosity towards the State of Israel has been documented time and time again. Now we have Hagel and his Jewish conspiracies right out of Walt and Meirsheimer. Oh, I knew he was going to stab Israel in the back. I just didn't think it would be this soon. What? If anyone pays any further attention to Koch they are as stupid as he is. Please, let's just ignore his shape shifting nonsense and mark him for what he is. A complete and absolute schmuck.
I am likely giving Koch more credit than he deserves, but it is the same issue that is raised in defense of Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler — that of buying time. Chamberlain's infamous "peace in our time" is routinely ridiculed, but I have seen arguments that it bought a totally-unprepared Great Britain time to get onto something of the beginnings of a wartime footing, allowed FDR's Lend/Lease to become relevant, etc. n nAssume Koch is rational and sane (OK, but assume) and he knows that his support of Obama won't make a difference in either (a) the election outcome or (b) Jews voting for Obama — BUT that it will mean that Obama "stabs Israel in the back" 18-24 months from now as opposed to right now. In other words, he can buy Israel an 18-24 month delay in what he knows Obama is inevitably going to do. n nTwo words: IRANIAN NUKES — that whole mess is going to be resolved, one way or the other, in the next 18-24 months. Maybe I am trying too hard to see the good in everyone, but I wonder if he might have been thinking that Israel's peril is *right now* and if Obama's support for Israel can't be obtained for stuff *right now*, it won't matter that he isn't supporting Israel later. n nIn other words, no matter how much damage Obama might do to Israel two years from now, at least there still WILL BE an Israel over there and not just a vast expanse of radioactive glowing glass. Let's get real folks — unless the Mossad has some major trick up its sleeve, unless someone stops them, the Crazy Iranians will have a nuke within 18-24 months if not earlier and that will be a serious problem not just for Israel, not even just for the West, but for all of humanity! n nWas Koch trying to buy Israel the support it needs now at the known expense of not having it later?
You are giving Koch top much credit. Koch is a Judas goat.
Koch is a fool, yes. But Obama's personal anomsity to Israel? Can you explain that more clearly? Just because the President does not condone everything that Israel is doing does not make him anti-Israel…
Sure: here's my top 10. I could go 20 but I don't want to bore you. n n1. Immediately after being elected for his first term meets with top Jewish organizations and announces his intention to put "daylight between the U.S. and Israel". n n2. Cairo speech – adopts the Arab narrative asserting that Israel was created as a direct result of the Holocaust ignoring 100 years of Zionist efforts, all the treaties and agreements from Balfour to the League; ignores the active cooperation of the Arabs with the Nazis including the efforts of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem to actively support, cooperate and fight alongside the Nazis in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe (The Grand Mufti actively raised a division of Bosnian Muslims who fought alongside German troops on the Eastern front and were instrumental in the murder of tens of thousand Serbian, Bosnian and Croatian Jews). Invites and seats MB members in prominent places in the audience. Have you read anything Hasan Al Bana, founder of the MB, has written about Jews? Obama seems to find that enjoyable reading. n n3. Intentionally ignores Israel's claim to a united Jerusalem as its capital and insists in several policy speeches that the land formerly held by the Jordanians including the Old Jewish Quarter, the Kotel, the Temple Mount and all settlements built by the Israelis proximate to Jerusalem built after 1967 be given to the Palestinians in any settlement. n n4. Regards all Israeli settlements outside the Green Line as a violation of international law and illegal instead of recognizing UN resolution 242 which speaks to the issue very clearly. n n5. Creates a fight with the Israeli Prime Minister over Jerusalem settlement policy and treats him with complete disrespect on multiple occasions including two well publicized visits to the US and an open mike faux pas with the French Prime Minister. n n6. Puts up no fight against the U.N. General Assembly recognizing Palestine as a state in being including no threat as required by U.S. law to suspend funding. Disregards the Oslo Accords, which as I'm sure you know, the U.S. signed and guaranteed and clearly states no unilateral action by either side. n n7. Forced by Congress to implement sanctions against Iran which his State Department publicly opposed at multiple Congressional hearings. Continuously finds ways to avoid naction against the biggest terror sponsor in the world and is seen as very weak in his attempts to stop the Iranian nuclear program. The appointment of Hagel ("let the Jews pay for it") says it all much better then I could possibly make the argument. n n8. Sends money to Hamas – I believe the amount is over $350 million annually; money, as I'm sure you're aware, is fungible. Sends the money before, during and after Hamas attacks on Israeli cities. Hamas, in case you weren't aware, is a militant arm of the MB. n n9. Treats with the Muslim Brotherhood – note the remarks of his top security advisors Brennan and Clapper on the MB, Hamas and Hezbollah. WH and Obama silent. Appoints, according to the Egyptian press and numerous FBI leakers, MB members and sympathizers to key positions in his administration. Allows his Secty of State to appoint the daughter of known MB members to a key policy decision role. n n10. My personal favorite – spent 20 years in the pews of Jeremiah Wright's church but claims he never heard a bad word about the U.S., the United States or Israel. Cites Wright as his mentor and spiritual inspiration. While in Chicago treated with the likes of Bill Ayres and Bernadette Dorn, convicted terrorists, and known anti-israel activists. Considers Rashid Khalidi, Arafat's spokesperson, and known anti Israel activist as a close friend. n nI could go on with at least another 10 relevant points but I think case closed. n nSo unless you have anything to add Dr Ruebinstein, I think I'll close out my post. I hope my answer has been helpful.
Okay, well explained.
any Jew who would vote for a man who sat in the pews of Jeremiah Wright's church for 20 years nis a complete moron. n"The Jews" aren't so smart after all
make that any AMERICAN n nthe Rev Wright is a raving racist crackpot profiting from systematic effects of the condescending racism of lower expectations n nany 'white' person spewing his psychodrivel would be locked up n nor certainly shunned and ridiculed n nAll Americans have been infected with this racism of lower expectations from the affirmative action populations-very destructive to everyone concerned n n
Sorry, but all Americans did not vote for the current POTUS. nOnly about half. nAnd how many of my co-religionists voted for him? nAbout 3/4? nI had thought , with hubris aforethought, that we were smarter than that nWRONG!
Questions were raised by Obama’s participation in the Reverend Wright’s Trinity Church, and remain unanswered today. They stem from the simple math of the matter: 20 years contain 1040 Sundays. Even with time off for missed Sundays, sick days and vacations, that is a lot of sermons. (And the “guest preachers” who occasionally subbed for Wright seem to have been at least as bad). n nIn fairness, we should presume that the Reverend Wright did not breathe hellfire against white America every Sunday. But his “God Damn America” message seems so deeply ingrained in the Reverend Wright today that it is hard to imagine him keeping it under wraps for the other 1039 weeks we don’t have on tape. n nSo, we ask the questions. Did Obama really not notice the Reverend Wright’s bigotry? Or did he really regard it as only a minor quirk in an otherwise great guy? Was it just political expedience that kept him in the pews? n nOr, as seems suggested by the new, more flexible, openly anti-Israel Obama, has he always been an anti-Semite?
As to 20 years in Wright's church, above, he didn't just sit there — the Obama's kept rehiring him as minister! n nWright's church is UCC — United Church of Christ, which hires its ministers in an annual church meeting in which every church member (and that includes 16-year-old teenagers) can attend and vote. Ministers (like town managers and school superintendents) are often given multi-year contracts but those contracts have to be approved by an actual vote of the church members at the annual meeting — as does the rest of the church budget. n nFurthermore, ministers can be (and sometimes are) fired for misconduct. Just like with a Town Meeting, a certain number of church members (I forget how many) can call for a special church meeting and there is one — and subject to whatever his contract says, if a majority of the church members attending vote to fire him, the minister is fired. This isn't like a lot of other religious orders, the members themselves hire and fire the minister. n nWhat happens in reality is similar to what happened to Richard Nixon — when those seeking to fire the minister have lined up enough members willing to attend the meeting and vote to do this, they go to the minister and offer him the opportunity to resign instead which he usually does. When I was an 18-year-old college freshman, I promised that I would come back and help vote the minister out if my vote was needed, and I am very glad that I didn't have to, but that's how it works. n nAnd if the Obama's weren't happy with Rev Wright, not only could they have left the church, but if they were church members, which they had to be in order to have their daughters baptized there, then they had the opportunity to go to the annual church meetings and either raise questions about his conduct or even vote not to rehire him. n nHence, I argue, Obama kept rehiring Wright….
What was all the brouhaha over Jeremiah Wright in the 2008 running?
your community leaders just like to spout that "the Jews" created the aids virus to kill blacks. nthe Jews or anybody else don't need to invent ways to kill blacks, you all do it by yourselves, even better than the stinking KKK ever did
Okay, there is no need to be rude. I am not a follower of Jeremiah Wright. I am not a Christian. I too think that whoever made the AIDS virus thing up is delusional- AIDS was not created by anyone to kill anyone. And yes, blacks are killing each other, but there is no need to make a comparison with the KKK. I asked a question, and I wasn't even asking you.
I find it funny that Obama hasnt' even started his secon term they're already jumping off the Obama bandwagen.
Key point. The Jews are very solicitous of everybody's needs but their own. Very true. Jews marched and even died for blacks during the Civil Rights struggle. We were rewarded with what? Outright antipathy for Israel, bordering on anti-semitism. Jews are also more concerned about offending Muslims than they are about defending Israel. I am beginning to feel far more comfortable among my gentile friends, who to a man, admires and appreciates the modern state of Israel. My Jewish acquaintances, take their cue from the likes of Tom Friedman, that momser, and anybody else who writes in the New York Times, which has become their bible.
Man, are you right!
Please, African Americans have not wronged the Jews. We are not anti-Semitic. We have no antipathy against Israel. What are you trying to say here?
Name me one black leader who has defended Israel against charges of apartheid. What percentage of the black community believes that Israel was justified in retaliating against Hamas. I do not mean to condemn all blacks if that is what you are driving at. i was born in Brooklyn and raised in Brownsville and have had very close relations with blacks. But I do not have much respect for black leadership.
Black leaders tend to concern themselves with problems in the black community rather than foreign affairs. So you cannot assume that they don't care for Israel- because their interest is in their immediate surroundings. I don't know about black leaders in the WH, though. If they are conservative, they will probably denounce Israel's critics. nI don't have much respect for African American leadership either, as I feel it is disorganised, and ineffective. But there are white and Hispanic leaders who have said nothing about the accusations, too.
African-Americans continue to be significantly more likely than white Americans to hold anti-Jewish beliefs. As with whites, education level is the most important factor affecting the attitudes of blacks toward Jews. n nConfirming the three previous studies, black Americans remain considerably more likely than white Americans to hold anti-Semitic views. In the 1998 survey, blacks (34%) are nearly four times as likely as whites (9%) to fall into the most anti-Semitic category. n n The current survey reaffirms the strong correlation between education level and acceptance of anti-Jewish stereotypes among African-Americans. n nAmong those blacks without any college education, 43% fall into the most anti-Semitic group. This number drops to 27% among African-Americans with some college experience, and stands at 18% among blacks with a four-year college degree. n n n——————————————————————————– nSource: Anti-Semitism and Prejudice in America: Highlights from an ADL Survey, November 1998. Copyright Anti-Defamation League (ADL). All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.
Geesh- Well Mayor Koch you get what you deserve. You supported Obama! YOU publically endorsed him! You voted for him! YOU hoped that in so doing he would be nice to Israel because of your support. NOW we got him for four years- so please, please do not Whine to us about how Obama lied. I do not want to read anymore about liberals feigning innocence. YOU had choices and now we all have to live with the result. Shut up and maybe pray your choices are more informed in four years- assuming we have a choice then. God bless America!
Republicans should be worried about four years time. Turns out you cannot keep chopping and changing like Romney did. Why not get rid of all your dumb radicals, and out forward someone intelligent, like Chris Christie?
Ok, if you're against chopping and changing, where will the funds to close the $1T deficit come from (40% of the budget)? Obama already got his tax increase, which only cuts 10% of that. You could theoretically take everything from what Obama defines as the rich, and still not close it. The only place to get the money is the middle class, if you're not going to cut. n nOr do you think the US can borrow at this rate forever? Does your credit card let you do that?
At 88, Ed may be getting a bit dotty. Still, whatever he said in endorsing Obama and why he said and what his tortured explanation is now, which other prominent Democratic politicians, active or retired, Jew or Gentile are jumping out there to slam Obama on the Hagel nomination over the issues of Israel or Iran? n nThis is actually pretty typical Koch at every age. In his mind, he's just being pragmatic — eg, there was no value to failing to support Obama's reelection as long as he had not stabbed Israel in the back. Two months ago, there were two or three major names circulating for SecDef other than Hagel.
Yes, we could have had Susan Rice, who was the heir apparent…..
why let the facts interfere with your certainty n nwhat does AIPAC have to do to convince you? n nAnd what difference does it make? You think AIPAC can do anything to sway this cholaria? n nEvery frigging group has a lobby-but only the Jewish lobby intimidates and is suspect and seen to have malevolent agenda ? n nAnd only American Jews are alleged to have dual loyalties? NOt the Chinese or the muslims or the Russians, only the Jews? n nLike CAIR, and all those muslim lobby groups are good for this country? n n n
I guess there are tons of Democrates voted like Ed Koch. They knew Obama is a Moslium supporter, not Israel supporter and they still supported him. They knew that Obama has screwed up Libya's Begazi scandal and they still voted for him. They knew that the national deficit at 1 trillion a year can sink our future, yet they all voted for him. n nIn summary, Democrates are traitors of concious.
Obama should not have endorsed the Muslim Brotherhood. Did you hear that Egyptian Copts are now moving to the USA, because they must be worried about once again being a minority religion. Under Mubarak, for all his faults, they had security.
True. I am beginning to think most American jews have no sense.
Translation: What a shame that Obama did not wait a decent interval to return to his life long Jew hating so that Ed Koch wouldn't look quite so stupid. n nHate to break this to you Ed but your stupidity was made obvious by your endorsement
Life long Jew hating? Surely you exaggerate?
Yes, it is an exaggeration. I have seen no evidence that Obama hates those Jews who are willing to abandon their religion and worship him. Or who abandon their religion and sign onto his anti-religion agenda of the state as god. Or who simply abandon any concern for their fellow Jews and sign onto his endangering the plurality of the world's Jewish population under the guise of protecting it from its own choices and policies, which he realizes are bad for Israel due to his superior knowledge of the region, the world, and those pledged to the extermination of Israel's Jews. Or who simply keep their mouths shut. n nUnless of course they are so immoral as to live somewhere that the neighbors don't want them to, in which case they deserve whatever they get.
Okay…but surely it is not being Jew-hating to say that he doesn't condone Israel's blockades on the Palestinians? He doesn't have to do anything about it.
you really are a low information voter n n
Koch, Dershowitz, and likewise minded Jewish traitors need to come to a meeting on the beach with LEHI. They would be dealt with in an appropriate way.
By the way, the defenders of Obama/Hagel (e.g. the NY Times) are asking "Who says Hagel is anti-Israel?" The short answer is the world leader in anti-Semitism, the Iranian regime. Their news headline read "Obama to name anti-Israeli Hagel as Defense Secretary" Read all about it on mistermoleman.com.
This former admirer of Ed Koch thinks that, like most if not all Democ-rats of Jewish origin, the worst aspect about Ed are the two sides of his mouth!
In my opinion, Koch is and has always been, the lowest of the low. I remember when he called for Dennis Prager, a brilliant conservative radio talkshow host and syndicated columnist, to resign or be removed from United States Holocaust Memorial Council, (which was in response to Prager's insistence that a Muslim congressman should not be sworn in using a Quran.) duh n n“There is no question that Dennis Prager is a bigot who ought to be repudiated even by his closest supporters,” Koch said this morning in an interview with the Forward. “His statements are a disgrace … and I will be down there calling for the council to condemn him, and, if we have the power, to remove him.” nPrager authored a November 28, 2006, online column that lambasted Minnesota Rep.-elect Keith Ellison, who is Muslim, for planning to use a Quran at his private swearing-in ceremony. n“Insofar as a member of Congress is taking an oath to serve America and uphold its values is concerned,” Prager wrote, “America is interested in only one book, the Bible. If you are incapable of taking an oath on that book, don’t serve in Congress.” n nToo bad we were never able to remove Koch from public service. n
What was Dennis Prager's crime? Upholding America's tradition? Although, was the private ceremony just an intimate one?
Objecting to Keith Ellison being sworn in with a Koran instead of the Bible. nThe United States Holocaust is considered an public institution, the majority of nits funds coming from the US funds/taxpayers.
If u knew you are a M….! nDid BHO reneged on his Judeo-Christians values?
I am extremely disappointed in the Jewish people for block voting Democratic when they know that the Democratic Socialists do not like Jews. I thought the Jews were psychologically smarter than that. I grew up in a predominently Jewish neighborhood and it surprised me that they fell for the socialist tricks after all they have been through !!!
I'll add my voice to the others who state the obvious: that Koch's "I did what I thought was warranted and intelligent. He was going to win! There was no question about it. I thought it would be helpful to have a Jewish voice there, being able to communicate" is nothing more than a lie. n nBut if a self-styled opponent of Israel's enemies in the Diaspora says something like this, what are the Jews of America worth, in terms of loyalty, honor, morality and personal courage? The answer is that, with exceptions, the Jews of America are worth nothing at all. They are presently, and have been since even before WWII, a disgrace, a blot on our people's long history. n nIf only Israelis would acknowledge this, i.e., that there is a huge, irreconcilable gap between "American Jews" and "Israelis," they would be on their way to the kind of security and prosperity that our people have been dreaming about for thousands of years. It's clear from the last election where our people here stand—for nothing really. Or, for whatever faddish idea of the moment will make them look 'good.' That is the idol they worship: what their image in American society is. n nThe trouble with this particular Golden Calf is that it has a nasty habit of turning into a demonic god of vengeance. That's what all those "good" German Jews found out after Hitler took power. Suddenly, the very neighbors they were trying to impress via their "German-ness," turned on them. And this is where the American Jewish community is heading. Of course, I could be wrong. n nAs for Ed Koch, he's a miserable disgrace. But we'll get over it. We always do. After all, we have our "goodness" to protect—-and project. Ed Koch? He's one of us. Hooray for him. Way to go, yer-onner! n nLast, let us be honest for once. Our people have been doing terrible damage to the United States for some time. Why? No one really knows. But look at Israel, where a sizable number of leftist Jews hammers away at their vulnerable homeland and its people. One senses the relish with which they pursue their own parents…..as they try to hand them over to the enemies that surround Israel. It is something one has to see to believe. n nAnd what about here? How many Jews do each of us know who would willingly help defend the United States in an emergency? How many get their hands dirty helping "the other guy?" In fact, our method of "helping" is via tzedaka—i.e., charity, especially when it involves having our names put on a building or even on a flagstone or park bench! That's how Jews "help." We don't do the dirty work. n nWhereas, Israel is all about "dirty work." It's a nation of Jews—who have to do the fighting, who have to collect the garbage, dig the ditches, fix the plumbing, slaughter the cattle and chickens, wash the dishes, sell vegetables, bread and spices in the markets, drive the taxis and carry the automatic weapons that are all that stand between the Jewish state and hostile Arabs. It is for these reasons primarily—PRIMARILY—that America's Jews cannot abide Israel and would just as soon see it disappear from the family of nations. n nThe other day I told a former member of my tzibbur that I owned a pistol. He went "ballistic." "How could you?" he asked me in utter shock and outrage, as if I'd betrayed the unwritten rule of the Diaspora for the last several centuries: "Thou shalt not defend thyself, no matter what. When in fear for your life, either run or pray!" He might have added: "Or, pretend you're a goy." Anything, in other words, than to act like a man! n nAs for getting one's hands dirty, via manual labor—e.g., changing a flat tire—that too is strictly against the "Diaspora Code." n nIsrael was founded in order to flush the Diaspora Code down the toilet of history. And yet it holds on, and is today growing in strength among the Jews of America. How do we know this is so? Ed Koch just gave us the evidence—and then some! n
I am guessing that you are a Jew, but I think that you are a little harsh on American Jews. Many of them came from Europe where they were already very liberal…?
I think blackparrot is right on point.
Exactly right.
Koch is a fool. There is no need to elaborate on that point, that much is clear. I hope that Obama does not renege on his campaign pro-Israeli views. Russia Today, a news outlet I respect says that the nomination of Hagel suggests a foreign policy shift, which I do not find favourable, as an Israeli supporter. That said, I do not condone Israel bloackading the Palestinians.
Do you favor rocket fire on Israeli cities, school bus bombings, the murder of infants by cutting their throats, the shooting of 3 year old girls in the head while in their cribs, the bashing of a captive baby's head on the rocks until her brains spilled out, the bombing of pizzerias where families gather including infants in strollers, the bombing of Passover dinners, the shooting to death of high school students, the rape and murder of innocent hikers, the stoning to death of teen age Israeli boys, the murder of pregnant women – just what do you support Rubinstein? Just asking.
My comment stated that I was an Israeli supporter, so I obviously do not support these things. However, the blockades are also wrong, and I am not afraid to say so.
"Rubenstein" doesn;t have a clue
Quote: ' all past generations of suffering blacks for guidance in fashioning an instrument of black self-determination.' Is that a bad thing? I read it as motivating black people- a good thing. The bad thing is this Church, that seems racist and overly controversial. Having a black value system is not racist. It means that as a black person, you will follow certain rules. That said, I haven't sen the rest of the so called black values.
I have just finished reading these rules, and I find nothing wrong with them at all! How is this nauseating! 'The pursuit of education' is nauseating to you, is it? I am too amused to be angry. I am not a Christian, but I follow a lot of these values every day! Please can you explain your position. Are black people not allowed to have their own values? What has ANY of this got to do with YOU?!
Jews of Germany proved that conclusively when they rationalized the Nazis' actions all the way up to their one-way train rides. Despite all the "Never Forget" drivel, we're their heirs. No, Obama's not a Nazi, but he's not our or Israel's friend. He can as much damage as the Nazis just by letting our enemies have free reign.
This "going to win anyway" argument reminds me of what George Washington said to the troops at Valley Forge "Go home. The King's men are going to win anyway."
I’m looking at a not Ed Koch sent me in December of 1989 as he was leaving office. It reads in part, “The truth is still relevant.” Ed knew the truth but endorsed obummer anyhow. His fellow Democ-rats must be laughing at him and even more hartily at Upchuck Schumer. The fact is that Democ-rats of Jewish origin are the moral equivalents of compliant Judenrat members and concentration camp capos.
I do not think Obama feels he is entitled to power- can you give some examples? the Hagel nomination I suppose may not have been his best move ultimately, but Koch is a fool.
His serial scandals show his disregard for constraining institutions: n. Chrysler/GM bailout, where he disregarded more than a century of property laws to hand large stakes in the companies to unions over the more senior creditors, the bondholders n. The Senator Specter (PA) deal convincing him to switch parties, giving a filibuster proof 60 Senate seats. He attempted to bribe Specter's opponent (Joe Sestak) with a senior White House position, in violation of the FEC n. Clearing the Black Panthers of voter intimidation despite video evidence n. The Fast & Furious gun running program, where Obama invoked the Nixonian "Executive Privilege" to shield Eric Holder n. And of course Benghazi with similar Nixonian cover-ups n nSome of these are worse in magnitude and consequence than Watergate. But there's hardly a hearing, and no Woodward & Bernstein (although Woodward himself has been somewhat engaged). Still, Obama gets away with it all, no wonder he feels entitled to power.