Dor Chadash is a Zionist organization, whose goal is to facillitate Jewish American and Israeli friendship, dialogue and understanding. It is an abomination that this supposedly 'Zionist' organization would invite some to speak who said that Israel acts like Nazi Germany. This is some sort of a 'legitimate' viewpoint?
And so, it happened that last night I went to the launch of "Z-Mag" (a Zionist blog) with the American Jewish Committee, and I was able to speak with the organizers of the Avrum Burg event from Dor Chadash. These people literally have no idea what Avrum Burg really said and think that he has a "legitimate viewpoint" that "deserves to be aired" and "it is censorship" to deprive him of a viewpoint. I told them that his "viewpoint" is nothing short of libels and hysteria, and says that Israel is essentially the new Nazi Germany. I said that his perspective is no more "legitimate" than Ahmadinejad, and if Dor Chadash allows Avrum Burg to speak, they might as well allow Ahmadinejad to speak. (why not? Columbia did!) I further said that if you were going to have a self hating Israeli come to speak, there should be some counterpoint to his hysterical perspective. I was told there was going to be someone from the "Forward" as a moderator. I replied that the "Forward" is a leftwing newspaper and not an effective counterpoint. I said a true counterpoint would be a Nonie Darwish or a Khaled Abu Toameh - Arabs who are pro-Israel. She replied "Well, we found it really hard to schedule people, it's not easy to bring people in to speak!" I said "Well, then you should not have scheduled Avrum Burg, because it is NOT an effective counterpoint to simply have the audience respond to him. The ONLY TRULY efective counterpoint to his perspective is to have an academic who is an Arab refusnik counter his blood libels." She basically was left speechless. I think I got through to the organizer from Dor Chadash, and she understands it might have been a mistake to invite this anti-Israel blood libeller to speak at what is *supposed* to be a Zionist organization.
If you are in the NYC area on April 1, I heartily encourage you to attend the Avrum Burg event to ask the difficult questions that need to be asked.
[UPDATE: Please go here for a fuller interview with Avrum Burg, so you can understand exactly who this man is.]
1 comment:
With "spokesmen" like this, it's no wonder that Israel has such a crappy image in the world.
Where's Bibi when he can do some good?
Post a Comment