>> *In many ways, Blankfort's and Chomsky's positions simply mirror each
>> other (though the latter lacks the odious racism of the former).
>Now this is the kind of thing that really demands substantiation. Just what, in the case of Blankfort, is it that you're talking about? Actual quotes are in order, I think.
I wasn't the one who made that comment, but I don't think it's out of line, although I'm not sure I would use the word "racist". Blankfort seems unable to comprehend that people might disagree with him on issues regarding the lobby and BDS because they've examined the situation and have different opinions. No, it has to be because they're Jewish, at least when he's talking to Jews.
For example: http://dissidentvoice.org/2010/08/the-right-and-legitimacy-of-boycotting-a-non-violent-means-of-resisting-oppression/
----------------------------------------------------------- Jeffrey Blankfort said on August 4th, 2010 at 10:20pm
Hammond, buddy boy, be like Chomsky, and tell us how about the Zionist household in which you grew up? Did you ever visit Israel or think about making aliyah.? You know how it is with names. Hammond could be Protestant, Quaker, Methodist, Catholic, or, in this case, I suspect Jewish. And why? It seems that only Jews, thus far, have become hysterical over my critique of Chomsky which will come back to haunt them when they wish people to take them seriously. Now you like any number of Jews on the Left may be think that being Jewish is irrelvant, that the fact that the administration has been penetrated a score of pro-Israel Jews is not to be discussed in Jewish terms, that the majority of neocons including the founders of the movement are Jews is, we are told irrelevant. Being Jewish is only important when you do something positive as, of course, many Jews have done. But saying or pretending that being Jewish is irrelevant when it comes to dealing with any aspect of the Israel-Palestine conflict is the same as saying that when it comes to black-white relations, the color of one’s skin is also irrelevant. So tell us about yourself, Jeremy. What are you trying to hide? ----------------------------------------------------------- Or on Jewbonics:
http://www.maxajl.com/?p=4007#idc-container Why, I wonder, among all those Jews out there who say such nasty things about me for having criticized their guru, do none have the guts to debate me? Green's response is revealing. But if you want part of my analysis in short it is that the fact that the Palestine solidarity movement, which I have been a part of since 1971, has been such an utter failure is because it has been dragged down, held back and stifled by Jews.
To which Max replied: Maybe that's because you can't chalk differences of opinion or analysis up to anything other than ethnic-religious identification when you debate said Jews in print or on the internet.
And Blankfort replied:
The sad fact of the matter is that I can find no other reason than ethnic-religious identification that explains why otherwise intelligent Jews have not only a blind spot when it comes to the question of Jewish political power in the US, but are so ready with insults, as opposed to arguments by anyone who raises the issue. ------------------- Indeed, how could anybody disagree with Blankfort for any reason other than because they're Jewish?
Now, this caused a problem for Blankfort when Joseph Massad and As'ad Abu Khalil took a different position on the lobby.
http://www.counterpunch.org/blankfort02242007.html http://dissidentvoice.org/Apr06/Blankfort11.htm
Here Blankfort did not try to ask Massad or Abu Khalil if they grew up in a Zionist household, or whether their names might be Jewish. So he was more restrained, and limited himself to actually trying to respond to their points, although of course he had to bring up Chomsky ("Massad seems to be channeling Noam Chomsky"), although I don't think either even mentioned Chomsky.
So it might actually be possible for Blankfort to engage in discussion with those who disagree with his analysis without resorting to discussion of others' family backgrounds. But he doesn't.