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September 25, 2008

Congressman Alcee Hastings on black-Jewish relations

Ed Lasky
Congressman Alcee Hastings (D-Fl), a man impeached, convicted and removed from office as a federal judge for corruption and perjury, had this to say at a panel of African-American and Jewish Democrats, according to Jennifer Rubin of Commentary:

If Sarah Palin isn't enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with Barack Obama, then you damn well had better pay attention," Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida said at a panel about the shared agenda of Jewish and African-American Democrats Wednesday. Hastings, who is African-American, was explaining what he intended to tell his Jewish constituents about the presidential race. "Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don't care too much about what they do with Jews and blacks. So, you just think this through," Hastings added as the room erupted in laughter and applause.

After telling attendees that the most important thing Jewish and African-American Democrats could do to support one another was to get Sen. Barack Obama elected president, Hastings had one more message: "For those of you like me that supported Sen. Hillary Clinton, she lost! Get over it!"

If there were ever time for Barack Obama to show some leadership on race and religion this is it. Will he condemn the comment and banish Hastings from any campaign role? It is time to step up to the plate.

So where can one go with a statement with such ominous implications? Is Hastings holding Jews preemptively responsible if Barack Obama does not win (Florida is a critical state and Florida's Jews played an unexpectedly and accidentally important role in the Presidential contest between Al Gore and George Bush)?

Is this a shot across the bow-an implied threat that the relationship between African-Americans and American Jews will suffer if not enough Jewish support is showered upon Barack Obama?

Did Jewish Democrats register any objection to this objectionable statement?  No they laughed and applauded at the NJDC meeting. Is this funny- if you hunt and skin moose, you will do worse to blacks and Jews?

Will the Congressional Black Caucus wreak revenge on Israel if Obama does not do "well enough" among American Jews? Will Israel be held hostage to the outcome in November? The Congressional Black Caucus already has members with a problematic record on this issue (though Alcee Hastings is a supporter of the American-Israel relationship).

Jewish organizations have been in high dungeon regarding criticism of Barack Obama but have not only remained silent in the face of anti-Palin smears but, in some cases, Jewish leaders are complicit in spreading them (as Congressman Robert Wexler has in slurring Palin as being a supporter of Pat Buchanan).

David Bernstein writes:

On January 16th, the New York Times reported that "the leaders of nine Jewish groups released an open letter on Tuesday condemning what they called 'hateful e-mails' that they said spread lies about Senator Barack Obama's religious beliefs and his intentions." As I've pointed out before, despite allegations that there was an anti-Obama email campaign targeting the Jewish community, the emails in question seemed to be written for a Christian audience, though they were also forwarded to Jews.

Flash-forward to this Fall. "Lies about [Sarah Palin's] religious beliefs and [her] intentions" are spreading like wildfire through the Jewish community. And this time, it's not a shadowy email campaign, but prominent bloggers and sometimes Obama spokesmen who are doing the spreading. And this time, Jews are the direct targets.

I've noted before false claims, at times emanating directly from the Obama camp, that Palin was a Pat Buchanan supporter in 2000 (she supported Steve Forbes), and that this in turn indicated that she is anti-Israel or even anti-Semitic.

So, if a coalition of Jewish organizations thought it necessary to condemn a false anti-Obama email campaign in January, when the campaign does not seem to have targeted Jews, isn't it about time they condemn the much more open and blatant campaign of lies directed at Sarah Palin and targeting Jewish voters?

Bernstein notes that members of the Jewish community are actively spreading slurs against Palin that are expressly dircted to members of the Jewish community.

Rabbis: where are you? Nien hundred took time out to listen to a conference call Barack Obama arranged on the campaign trail. Rabbis have written a slew of letters  and op-ed columns in newspapers to condemn critics of Barack Obama. Rabbis are supposed to be moral exemplars for the community. Rabbi is Hebrew for "teacher". What are thwey teaching when they practice a doubel-standard and remain silent when members of the community slander and slur?

Their silence is very revealing-as is the silence of Barack Obama when it comes to the statements of Alcee Hastings (of course, he also remained silent in the face off much worse from Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr.).

Barack Obama promised that he would help to bridge the chasm between America's black and Jewish populations. In the Cleveland debate with Hillary Clinton he was asked about his ties to Pastor Jeremiah Wright, Jr. and about Louis Farrakhan's endorsement of Barack Obama. He said he hoped to:

rebuild what I consider to be a historic relationship between the African-American community and the Jewish community..

Barack Obama has also made the bold claim that "nobody has spoken out more fiercely on the issue of anti-Semitism than I have". 

Is such a promise a contingent one-depending on the level of Jewish support Barack Obama enjoys (already high, by the way)? This would be extortionate. Alcee Hastings statement is pregnant with such meaning, however.

Ethel C. Fenig adds:

Proving once again that Jews and blacks really have no shared agenda no matter how much liberal jews desperately stretch it.  While halacha (Jewish law) condemns killing animals for sport, obviously this has nothing to do with blacks or Jews.  Actually Sarah Palin  behaves in the fine tradition of Jewish women of the past who worked hard and took care of the children, keeping the family together.  Her love of family is very Jewish.

Hilary Clinton lost; get over it and vote for who you think is best--and for the Jewish community it is not really

Obama.  Get over it Hastings.  Get over it liberals. 

Posted at 09:32 AM | Email | | | Share Share
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