Listening and learning, but standing strong 💪🏽 pic.twitter.com/7TSroSf8h1— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) February 11, 2019
I'm reading about this in the NYT.
The leadership statement came as concern crescendoed over Ms. Omar’s twitter comment linking money from Aipac to political support in Washington for Israel. That raised the anti-Semitic trope of Jewish money holding inordinate power over foreign policy. But it came on top of earlier flash points that pitted Ms. Omar against Israel’s fiercest supporters in Congress, Republican and Democrat.
Last month, in an interview with Yahoo! News, she said when politicians “still uphold” Israel “as a democracy in the Middle East, I almost chuckle.” In 2012, she tweeted, “Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel.” Ms. Omar had been trying to mend fences over those comments when she tweeted on Sunday night that support for Israrl [sic] was “all about the Benjamins, baby,” a reference to hundred-dollar bills....
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278 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 278 of 278J. Farmer - let me know when there are BDS movements for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Syria.
While I think she is anti-Semitic for other things she's done, I don't think this particular tweet is so horrible. Maybe she was trying to make a Jew joke with the "Benjamins" comment, but it does refer to money, which is what lobbyists use. There is an Israel lobby just as there is a Russia lobby, a China lobby, an EU lobby and a Mexico lobby and so on. Maybe our politicians are selling out to the Israelis, but they are selling out to plenty of others too.
Only when the criticisms turn towards Israel do people start presupposing that you must be motivated by some irrational bigotry towards Jews. What James K said.
If Israel wishes to rule over people who have no ability to participate in Israeli politics, it will get resistance. Israel does not want non-citizens participating in Israeli politics. Had the Palestinians accepted statehood in 1947 there would have been no wars or occupation.
Muslims were killing Jews way before the occupation ever happened. The need to defend against the Muslim doctrine of supremacy and jihad is the reason for the occupation. If that is not known then people are clueless.
King lost his committee seat didn’t he? Unless Omar loses her seat on foreign affairs this is just theatre.
@fullmoon
> Plenty hated vietnamese after that one.
I didn't see any of that. Do you have any evidence for that assertion?
It's not the lobbying per se. It's what's being lobbied for.
Thank you for acknowledging that your objection is to the existence of Israel.
This sorta sounds like the old Joke:
"Never say the Jews control Hollywood. If you do, you'll never work in this town again."
In this case: "Never say AIPAC controls Congress. If you do, Congress will force you to apologize"
"So? 80% of Black people voted Democratic for decades during Jim Crow!"
Well? What were they going to do? Turn to the Republicans? Hahahaha!
J. Farmer - you obviously have no interest in studying the history of Zionism, Israel and the Middle East. Please explain how you would have done something different in 1967.
Finally, some Congressman has the guts to criticize AIPAC.
And its a Muslim....
{insert Southpark cartoon}
We need to stop writing about Democrat Muslims attacking Jews.
Says Robert Cook.
Lets talk about Segregation in the 1950s!
@RC,
Well? What were they going to do? Turn to the Republicans? Hahahaha!
Cookie don't be such an historically illiterate tool!
In the days of Jim Crow, the Republicans were located in areas other than the South & were more supportive of civil rights for blacks than the institutional Democratic Party!
The Republicans didn't have a Dixiecrat wing to placate.
@Alex:
J. Farmer - let me know when there are BDS movements for Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Syria.
Well, to be fair to those godawful regimes, none are involved in an occupation. But inconsistency is not anti-Semitism. It's human. Why, after all, does America criticize Iran's human rights violations while simultaneously aiding and abetting its neighbor in committing human rights violations?
I think she was the victim of selective editing, and really said "It's all about the Benjamins and the Reuvens and the Moshes."
@Alex:
J. Farmer - you obviously have no interest in studying the history of Zionism, Israel and the Middle East. Please explain how you would have done something different in 1967.
Theodor Meron, the chief legal counsel to the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1967, opposed the building of Israeli settlements and correctly pointed out that they violate the Fourth Geneva Convention. I agree with Meron.
'occupation' during witch Israel has given up more land(as %) than any 'conqueror' in the history of the world. F.e., the Sinai to Egypt in the early 1980s. Gaza in 2005. Israel on 2 separate occasions offered the PA a state and they refused. Israel is not obligated to offer a 3rd time. So you know what - fuck 'em.
If all you ever read about Omar was what the local Minnesota press wrote about her, you wouldn't know about her anti-Semitism, you wouldn't know about how she engaged in immigration fraud to benefit her brother, etc. etc.
@rcocean:
We need to stop writing about Democrat Muslims attacking Jews.
See how easily and sneakily criticizing Israel turns into "attacking Jews."
According to Pew research:
Indeed, while roughly four-in-ten Israeli Jews (42%) said that the continued building of settlements helps the security of Israel, three-in-ten (30%) said the settlements hurt the country’s security, while a quarter (25%) said they do not affect Israel’s security one way or another. Roughly a year earlier, Israeli Jews were less sanguine about the benefits of settlement building: In 2013, only 31% said such construction improved Israel’s security.
First you got to convince a clear majority of Israeli Jews to dismantle the settlements, otherwise it's a non starter. Also good luck with your boycott/divestment, considering companies like Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple are pouring billions into 'Silicon Wadi'.
Douglas - MN-05 is a traditional Communist oriented place since the 1960s. Not shocked that their press is totally corrupt.
"Criticism of Israel as a political entity is certainly not innately anti-Semitic."
Who says criticism of Israel is "innately anti-semitic"?
"Those who assert it is are simply intending to make any criticism of Israel tantamount to heresy or blasphemy."
Who asserts it? Who in the world considers it "tantamount to heresy or blasphemy"?
But since Cook is a serious person, and I assume for the sake of charity that he does not mean to use his criticism of criticism of Israel to immunize any anti-Israel argument against charges of anti-semitism, unlike the usual Israel-haters, I have a serious question: is there a point, or zone, where "criticism of Israel" does veer towards "anti-semitism"? Are there forms of criticism that are anti-Semitic, and if so how would you identify them?
@Alex:
'occupation' during witch Israel has given up more land(as %) than any 'conqueror' in the history of the world.
That "as %" is a nice qualifier. Of course the US occupied Japan and gave back all 145,000 square miles of its territory. Would it have been better, in your estimation, for the US to maintain a permanent occupation, create American cities within Japanese cities, and then send American troops to maintain the dual rules for Americans versus Japanese. How great do you think post-war Japan would be under such a situation?
Israel on 2 separate occasions offered the PA a state and they refused.
As with anything, the devil is in the details. If I offer you $100 for your house and then come back and offer $125, and you say "no" both times, is the problem with the deal your reluctance to take it or that it's a bad deal?
Theodor Meron, the chief legal counsel to the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1967, opposed the building of Israeli settlements
Appeals to "authority" are a lame form of argument. The Fourth Geneva Convention devotes a lot of attention to the obligations of occupying powers. That should be a bit of a hint that occupation per se is not a violation.
The Pew link - No consensus among Israeli Jews about settlements’ impact on security
@Alex:
First you got to convince a clear majority of Israeli Jews to dismantle the settlements, otherwise it's a non starter. Also good luck with your boycott/divestment, considering companies like Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple are pouring billions into 'Silicon Wadi'.
As has been my position for years, the best thing for the US to do is stay out of the conflict. I don't believe we should be involved in a peace process on either side, and I don't believe in giving money to either side. Also, it's worth pointing out that there are plenty of people who are critical of Israel and involved in Palestinian activism (e.g. Norman Finklestein) who are also not particularly supporting of BDS.
@j.farmer wrote: "inconsistency is not anti-Semitism. It's human." The US State Department defines anti-Semitism to include the systematic application of double standards to Israel. This isn't some new Trump thing, either, this definition has been around a while. So own it. You want to boycott Israel but turn a blind eye to China putting 1,000,000 Uighur Moslems in concentration camps, barring the celebration of tradition Uighur moslem holidays and forcing Uighur Moslems to eat pork. Not to mention the fact that Chinese Han people are systematically colonizing and settling all of Xinjiang - the former East Turkestan. Nothing that Israel has done comes close. Nothing. It's only when Jews do things to Moslems that you get all excited, amirite? That makes you and Omar and all her ilk anti-Semites, first class.
J. Farmer - Japan is physically separated by 5600km of ocean. What you call 'legit Israel' within the so-called 'green line' is literally adjacent to a territory filled with murderers and terrorists launching constant attacks.
But of course you will utilize useless analogies. So far all I'm coming up with is you really, really despise Zionists.
@James K:
Appeals to "authority" are a lame form of argument.
So if you needed legal advice or questions about a medical procedure, you'd never go to a lawyer or doctor right? That's just an appeal to authority. If you recall the comment I was responding to, Alex assumed that my position must be a result of having "no interest in studying the history of Zionism, Israel and the Middle East. Please explain how you would have done something different in 1967." I thought he might find the opinion of the Israeli Foreign Ministry in 1967 instructive.
Are the American-Ameicans American by legal jurisdiction, constitutional fidelity, or diversity class?
the US occupied Japan and gave back all 145,000 square miles of its territory.
Well, yeah, but we did nuke 'em twice to get their attention. Then remade their entire system of government. And demilitarized them. Maybe the Palis should consider themselves fortunate.
So if you needed legal advice or questions about a medical procedure, you'd never go to a lawyer or doctor right?
So you consider political opinions in the same category as medical opinions? The point is that for every Israeli you find holding one view with which you agree, I can find one holding the other. Not helpful. Explain why you think occupation violates the Geneva Convention. Cite the specific language that prohibits occupation.
She is anti-Jew.
She is anti-Israel.
I may read the comments now.
@Alex:
What you call 'legit Israel' within the so-called 'green line' is literally adjacent to a territory filled with murderers and terrorists launching constant attacks.
From your own data, nearly 1 in 3 Israelis do not believe the settlements provide security and another 1 in 4 are agnostic issue. That means that more than half of Israelis either don't believe the settlements provide security or don't know if it does or not. So my question is, what do you know that half of Israelis don't know?
But of course you will utilize useless analogies. So far all I'm coming up with is you really, really despise Zionists.
Zionism has nothing to do with me. I'm not Jewish. If I were, and I was told in the late 19th or early 20th century that my empowerment was to come through living in a socialist kibbutz in Palestine, I'd like to think I'd be skeptical at least.
Israel is another country, and I wish them the best. I just don't think that the US needs to have anything to do with it. Maintain normal political and economic relations, fine. But all this talk about "no daylight" between the US and Israel or about Israel being our great ally is histrionic nonsense.
@James K:
Explain why you think occupation violates the Geneva Convention. Cite the specific language that prohibits occupation.
The issue is over Article 49 regarding the transfer of one's population into occupied territories. Israel's position has always been that it does not apply because of the lack of a state sovereign prior to the 1967 war. Every single body that adjudicates international law has rejected that position. The US and all of our major allies have considered the West Bank to be occupied territories for six decades.
The anti-semitic tell is not that Israel is being criticized, the tell is the "jew run media" and "dual loyalty" slur Omar and her ilk freely toss out when they try to explain why a majority of americans support Israel. The only thing they leave out is how the jews use the blood of the new born to make matzo crackers.
@GK1:
There is also an element of the alt-right that absolutely obsesses on stuff like "jews run media" or "dual loyalty." It's all over sites like Unz and further to the right on Stormfront.
"My intent was never to offend my Jewish constituents, only kill them. That's what my Qur'an says we Muslims are to do. Inoffensive killing of Jews is my aim."
Farmer: "Well, to be fair to those godawful regimes, none are involved in an occupation."
Yep.
From Jerusalem to the sea, eh Farmer?
You can stop pretending now.
According to the islamists, any land ever controlled by islam must be returned.
Otherwise you have an islamist as an enemy.
Next up for Farmer: Lets give Spain back.
J Farmer, thats true but I see it as a common theme with the black activists, hip hop artists and other ignorant people of the left openly spouting this with little to no push back because of their race. The democratic party used to police this sort of garbage but has obviously given up.
@Drago:
You can stop pretending now.
Yawn. Please @ me when you have something other than overwrought nonsense to say.
Next up for Farmer: Lets give Spain back.
Right, by saying we should stay out of the Israel-Palestine conflict, I'm obviously saying "let's give Spain back." By all means, please keep deploying that flamethrower in the field of straw men. You have a real talent for it.
@Gk1:
J Farmer, thats true but I see it as a common theme with the black activists, hip hop artists and other ignorant people of the left openly spouting this with little to no push back because of their race.
It's also a common theme on the far right. Why do you think this issue brings together white and black activists and left and right? Generally I think it's true that stereotypes are based on truth. What your seeing on the fringes, I think, is the distortion of something true moving through people's worldview and preconceived notions.
The democratic party used to police this sort of garbage but has obviously given up.
This precise story is about the Democratic Party policing her and forcing her into an apology.
Every single body that adjudicates international law has rejected that position.
Yawn. The fact is that there were never any international boundaries established, other than those rejected by the Arabs in 1947. Nor was there a sovereign entity in those territories. And Israel has not "deported or transferred" its population into these areas. Population movements have been entirely voluntary.
But since you like appeals to authority, check out what Professor Julius Stone had to say regarding Israel: "Irony would...be pushed to the absurdity of claiming that Article 49(6), designed to prevent repetition of Nazi-type genocidal policies of rendering Nazi metropolitan territories judenrein, has now come to mean that...the West Bank...must be made judenrein and must be so maintained, if necessary by the use of force by the government of Israel against its own inhabitants. Common sense as well as correct historical and functional context excludes so tyrannical a reading of Article 49(6.)"
Farmer: "Right, by saying we should stay out of the Israel-Palestine conflict.."
That's not what you were saying.
You adopted the arab/islamist line whole.
Because...well, we know why.
@James K:
And Israel has not "deported or transferred" its population into these areas. Population movements have been entirely voluntary.
That is irrelevant. Building settlements is a form of population transfer. When Israel wanted to build a settlement, it consulted the Foreign Affairs ministry's counsel and was told that such a settlement would violate the Fourth Geneva Convention. This has been the opinion of the US and all of our allies since the late 1960s, but only Israel, which has a vested interest in the continuation of settlements, is reading the law correctly. Gotcha.
@Drago:
That's not what you were saying.
Me two hours ago: "As has been my position for years, the best thing for the US to do is stay out of the conflict. I don't believe we should be involved in a peace process on either side, and I don't believe in giving money to either side."
Because...well, we know why.
Because people like you turn into SJWs whenever the subject of Israel comes up. That you have to immediately start acting that way over one narrow subject should probably tell you something. But I'm sure it'll go right over your head.
J Farmer Omar is still on the Foreign Affairs committee and has learned nothing by what I see on her "apology". I could point out other anti-semites the democrats have coddled but why bother? Its pretty evident one party is nurturing this poison with a wink and a nod. If they were serious about policing this they would have bounced her ass off the committee this afternoon and stated why. They chose not to. That speaks volumes right there.
@Gk1:
I didn't even think she should have to apologize, so I'm not going to get too busted up about her not getting removed from committees. For what it's worth, this exact playbook was tried on Kevin McCarthy when he tweeted, "We cannot allows Soros, Steyer, and Bloomberg to BUY this election!" He was also attacked for trafficking in "antisemitic tropes." I defended McCarthy completely in that ordeal.
Right, by saying we should stay out of the Israel-Palestine conflict, I'm obviously saying "let's give Spain back."
You’re the one who set the standard, J Farmer. You call Israel an “occupation”, but don’t call Spain an occupation. Why? It’s a legitimate question, if the standard is that the land was once owned by Muslims.
That aside - you said a lot more about Israel than we should “stay out”.
Building settlements is a form of population transfer.
Now this a stretch. First, it assumes that the original land belongs to the Palestinians. It doesn’t. Israel is a country where anyone can live where they want. When someone builds a subdivision in the open field near my house, are these “population transfers”?
That "as %" is a nice qualifier. Of course the US occupied Japan and gave back all 145,000 square miles of its territory. Would it have been better, in your estimation, for the US to maintain a permanent occupation, create American cities within Japanese cities, and then send American troops to maintain the dual rules for Americans versus Japanese. How great do you think post-war Japan would be under such a situation?
The lands that Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Egypt etc stand on today were once Christian lands (the crusades were efforts to retake them once they were conquered by Islam). Does Islam have any obligations to those Christian peoples they displaced?
Am I the only one beginning to suspect that all of the White sheets in Farmer's house have holes cut in them?
@I Callahan:
You’re the one who set the standard, J Farmer. You call Israel an “occupation”, but don’t call Spain an occupation. Why?
Because Israel is occupying the West Bank and the Gaza, and no such occupation is taking place in Spain. Pretty straightforward. The Israelis themselves apply the Hague Convention of 1907 and parts of the Fourth Geneva Condition to the territories. They simply prefer to say "disputed territories" rather than "occupied territories." Every other power has used the latter formulation.
That aside - you said a lot more about Israel than we should “stay out”.
You're confusing two things. One is a question of the history and current conditions of the conflict, and the other is what the US should do about it. I say nothing. Similarly, I don't want the US to do anything about Turkey occupying Cyprus or Morocco occupying the Western Sahara or Russia occupying the Crimea, Donetsk, or Luhansk. And interestingly, whenever Morocco, Turkey, or Russia or described as occupying somewhere, it doesn't matter much. Only when you say Israel is occupying somewhere do people start getting the vapours.
@Gahrie:
Does Islam have any obligations to those Christian peoples they displaced?
That's nonsensical. Islam is not a sovereign political entity that can have "obligations." Also, the applicable treaties to which Israel is obliged (e.g. Hague Convention, Fourth Geneva Convention) are, like Israel, 20th century creations.
Am I the only one beginning to suspect that all of the White sheets in Farmer's house have holes cut in them?
Not sure if this is some allusion to the sex life of the Hasidim or what, but I can assure you you have significantly misjudged the situation.
“My intention is never to offend my constituents or Jewish Americans as a whole."
According to Garrison Keillor, offending her constituents doesn't matter:
"I'm sorry Margaret Anderson Kelliher isn't going to Congress but Minneapolis liberals couldn't help but vote for a Somali woman candidate, it makes them feel better about themselves. I could go on.
If the West Bank is an occupation, so it the entirety of the Mexican Cessation. When will America be giving that back?
@alanc709:
If the West Bank is an occupation, so it the entirety of the Mexican Cessation.
No, those issues were settled 171 years ago with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
If the West Bank is occupied territory of anyone, it's not the Palestinians but the Jordanians. Why is that fact never mentioned?
And since Jordan declared war on Israel in 1967, Israel would have ever right to annex the West Bank as reparations for the war.
'Palestinians' don't believe Israel has a right to exist. Does anyone really believe that 'Palestinians' would ever be content to live alongside Jews even if concessions were made? There has never been comity between Jews and Muslims and there never will be. While I basically agree with Farmer that we should stay out of ME conflicts I think there is good cause to support the only stable democracy in the area.
@alanc709:
If the West Bank is occupied territory of anyone, it's not the Palestinians but the Jordanians. Why is that fact never mentioned?
Hussein lost his ability to speak for the Palestinians after the 1974 Arab League summit. The Jordanians later relinquished any claims to the West Bank.
And since Jordan declared war on Israel in 1967, Israel would have ever right to annex the West Bank as reparations for the war.
If Israel were to annex that territory, the people would become citizens of Israel. Israel will not do that, which puts it in the unenviable position of ruling over people who have no capacity to participate in Israeli politics. That's part of what makes it an occupation.
@mockturtle:
Does anyone really believe that 'Palestinians' would ever be content to live alongside Jews even if concessions were made?
They already do. Nearly a fifth of Israel's population are Arab Muslims.
While I basically agree with Farmer that we should stay out of ME conflicts I think there is good cause to support the only stable democracy in the area.
I have no idea why this "only stable democracy" is supposed to mean anything. Considering that one of our largest trading partners is a one-party state and considering that much of our posture in the Middle East is premised on supporting autocrats who keep a lid on populist forces, it is pretty laughable that we should be compelled to do something for "democracy."
They already do. Nearly a fifth of Israel's population are Arab Muslims.
I said content. Note the emphasis.
@ J. Farmer -- wrote: "Because Israel is occupying the West Bank and the Gaza..." FYI -- Israel withdrew entirely from Gaza in 2005 for the sake of peace. Peace didn't happen. Hamas took over and Gaza turned into a terrorist stronghold from which Hamas launches rocket attacks financed by Iran. The children in Gaza are trained to be jihadis.
"... the White sheets in Farmer's house have holes cut in them?"
J. Farmer: "...Not sure if this is some allusion to the sex life of the Hasidim or what... " That's the kind of absurd and insulting comments which Anti-semites make.
Strange wealth of false and insulting information that Farmer has shared concerning Jews and Israel. But of course he's just opposed to the principle of the US defending our allies and providing foreign aid to any country. LOL.
RJ Chatt:
FYI -- Israel withdrew entirely from Gaza in 2005 for the sake of peace.
It removed the settlements in 2005. Gaza remains under Israeli occupation, because Israel exercises effective control over the Gaza. Israel continued to control five of Gaza's six border crossings as well as its airspace and territorial waters and maintained control of the Palestinian Population Registry.
That's the kind of absurd and insulting comments which Anti-semites make.
It's a joke about the myth of having sex through a sheet. Get over yourself. I still have no idea what "all of the White sheets in Farmer's house have holes cut in them" means. Do you?
Strange wealth of false and insulting information that Farmer has shared concerning Jews and Israel. But of course he's just opposed to the principle of the US defending our allies and providing foreign aid to any country.
Israel is a client state, not an ally. And you're right, I don't support US military aid to other countries. That includes Israel and Egypt. Odd how no one ever accuses me of harboring an irrational bigotry against Arabs when I make the argument about Egypt.
Stalin thought that he had guaranteed endless strife between Poland and Germany when he gave Poland huge chunks of what had been east Prussia for the Poles to occupy. The Germans in what was one of their smarter strategic moves didn't take the bait and have equably accepted Polish sovereignty over Kant's birthplace. The German occupation of Alsace-Lorraine after their victory in the Franco-Prussian War was one of the underlying causes of Germany's inability to enter into a strategic alliance with France. Germany seems to have gained more from her acceptance of defeat than from the hubris of her earlier victory. Perhaps there's a lesson for the Palestinians to be learned from this. Or perhaps the Israelis. History takes a lot of hairpin turns......If the Palestinians could find some way of making peace among themselves and accepting those Palestinians in their midst who define themselves as Christians, I would be more sanguine about their ability to make a just peace with Israel.
Because half of all Egyptians werent wiped off the face of the earth, in the last century
The fact she isn't being pressured more by her own party should be an interesting juxtaposition to their adamancy about punching Nazis in the face.
Many of Israel's muslim citizens are Druze, not Palestinian. Druze are very insular, considered heretical by other muslim, and serve willingly in the Israeli military. They mainly want to be left alone to practice their faith as they see fit, and the Israeli government has done that.
David Duke is supporting her!
"In the days of Jim Crow, the Republicans were located in areas other than the South & were more supportive of civil rights for blacks than the institutional Democratic Party!"
Apparently, the majority of black voters who continued voting for the Democratic party didn't feel the Republican party offered them the support they wanted.
That includes Israel and Egypt. Odd how no one ever accuses me of harboring an irrational bigotry against Arabs when I make the argument about Egypt.
Nobody is trying to destroy Egypt and wipe out the Arabs.
@ J. Farmer:
"I still have no idea what 'all of the White sheets in Farmer's house have holes cut in them' means. Do you?"
I think it's a dumb person's way of suggesting you are a bigot and probably belong to the KKK, so your sheets have eyeholes cut into them.
It's so easy to avoid countering criticism by replying with accusations of bigotry. Hence, the default position by many that any criticism of Israel is, by definition, anti-semitic.(And Jews who criticize are the mythical "self-hating" Jews. There's an answer for everything when you can pull it out of your ass.)
I find the chasm between the persistent smug certainty by your interlocutors that they have effectively refuted your arguments and the reality of their utter failure to do so highly amusing. Also, I always find your comments valuable and informative.
@narciso:
Because half of all Egyptians werent wiped off the face of the earth, in the last century
So because Germany tried to wipe out European Jewry, American taxpayers have to pay Israel in perpetuity?
@alanc709:
Many of Israel's muslim citizens are Druze, not Palestinian.
You mean many of Israel's Arab citizens. You can't be Muslim and a Druze. And Druze are less than 10% of the Arab population.
@Gahrie:
Nobody is trying to destroy Egypt and wipe out the Arabs.
Israel is a rich and advanced society. It has more than enough resources to provide for its security and defense. There are people who are under much greater threat than Israel that we don't give a cent to.
I thought her choice of words carried an additional and subtle spitefulness - a double dipping of insults. “Benjamins”, in addition to referencing currency, also refers to a name prominent for its Hebrew origins. https://www.behindthename.com/name/benjamin
J. Farmer uses an interesting argument: Israel is strong militarily, therefore we shouldn't bother helping Israel. However we all know that Israel wouldn't be strong militarily and might not even exist today if we had not helped at certain critical moments. Still he favors cutting aid even though Israel is still at risk from terrorist states like Iran and non state actors like Hezbollah.
Does he want the US to stop funding NATO entirely as well?
Anti missile technology developed in cooperation between the US and Israel has benefitted the US, US allies as well as Israel. This alliance is mutally beneficial, we get tremendous value in return in counterterrorism intelligence as well. That's a big reason why the US helps Israel more than other states like Yemen or Somalia for examples. Also that's why aid to Israel is a better deal for the US than aid to Pakistan or Egypt.
The thing I wonder about Farmer is whether he intentionally favors policies which are detrimental to Israel (and the US) out of conscious animus, and does he protest too much in his claims not to be be a Jew hater? Or is his prejudice against Jews so deep-seated it is unconscious bigotry? Like the Congresswoman from MN whose anti-semitism is so engrained she claims doesn't even know she's a bigot. She also makes jokes about Jews, ha ha.
As an example of a possible unconscious bias Omar offers an apology with the caveat that she reaffirms the problem of lobbyists, "whether it be AIPAC, the NRA or the fossil fuel industry..." If she were honest and unbiased she would have included CAIR, Council of American Islamic Relations and the other Muslim PACs from which she reportedly received $60K. This is why her apology is treated with skepticism.
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