A 17% Negative view
of Jews
by Americas
Last week, the Anti-Defamation
League announced the results of a survey they conducted from April 26
of this year to May 26. This nationwide survey showed an increase in the
number of Americans with anti-Semitic attitudes; that, say they, reverses
a ten-year decline and raises their concerns that an undercurrent of Jewish
hatred persists in America."
As a results, the Anti Defamation League is labeling this 17% as an anti-Semitic fever in this nation. The Anti Defamation League has conducted similar surveys and polls for the last 20 or more years in this nation.
Last year the Chinese community conducted a similar survey and found that they had a 27% unfavorable rating/perception. They went into action to try to combat that number, meeting with Mayor Willie Brown and other officials. But since Jewish groups are already in action, what more can they do that they are not already doing?
The Jewish community has the strongest lobby of any ethnic group in this Nation. They also have one of the strongest political lobbies of most other groups--whether political, business, or otherwise. Each year they pour millions of dollars into political campaigns from Democrats to Republicans in order to have legislative influence. This lobby is so strong until even presidents pause when making comments about Israel and matters of Jewish interest. Furthermore, it is no wonder that Israel is the largest recipient of US foreign aid.
Since they exercise considerable political influence in the halls of Congress and exert comparable influence in the media, it is not strange that last week, Robert Fisk, the world noted journalist who writes pointedly about Middle East matters for the Independent in Britain, was here in America and in the bookstores signing his book and being interviewed on talk shows, that he spoke so harshly and candidly about the Jewish Lobby--a term often tossed about and refuted vigorously by many political Jewish commentators.
Fisk made an astute observation that dovetails with the latest ADL survey of attitudes toward Jews. He observed that last week's firing of the Israeli tank into a crowded Palestinian club, killing unarmed people has occurred over and over again, and American papers seldom ask the right questions or even pick up such stories. He attributes much of their failure to report and bias reporting when it occurs to the strength of the Jewish Lobby in this country.
On one talk show he was interviewed on along with a SF Chronicle Newspaper manager, that point was graphically shown, although inadvertently, by the SF Chronicle person. A caller asked about the Israeli tank firing into a crowded club where unarmed Palestinians were socializing, and Fisk commented that as a reporter from and on the Middle East, he has seen these atrocities over and over by Israeli military, and they go unreported or white-washed. The SF Chronicle person was very slow and cautious to say anything that seemed condemnatory about this incident. It was as if there was a certain fear had come upon him.
Fisk is harshly criticized by the ADL and other Jewish groups as being pro-Palestinians, but he counters that such criticism is part of the continuing effort of the Jewish lobby to pressure all to see their point of view. Furthermore, he chided CNN and a few other media networks for swaying to Jewish pressure. He also cited the capitulation of the President to Ariel Sharon's action, even when Bush had said he wanted Sharon out of the Palestinian territories ASAP. Sharon simply ignored Bush and the White House back-peddled.
Indeed, such frank observations by Fisk had won him awards, but none with the Jewish community. They, he observes, have and will always keep up the pressure on newspaper and media like the SF Chronicle to be more pro-Israeli by claiming that they are pro-Palestinian.
Therefore, if his claim of the vigorous Jewish Lobby is true, how will the ADL take this 17% unfavorable rating? Will they not see the 83% positive, only the 17% and pressure for 100% acceptance and favorability? []
