That was gorgeous.
I'm blown away.
— Jordan Lustman (@itsjustlust) February 17, 2017
There’s been a lot of talk about Donald Trump’s rather heated exchange with a Jewish reporter at today’s press conference over a question about anti-Semitism. Unsurprisingly, that got the attention of many liberals in the media, as well as the Anti-Defamation League, who sent out these tweets afterward:
Trump shut down a Q about bomb threats against Jewish centers. Let's ask @realDonaldTrump: "What about the bombthreats"? #answerthequestion pic.twitter.com/EMffFgcEoH
— ADL (@ADL_National) February 16, 2017
We are disturbed by the disregard by @POTUS when asked about #antiSemitic incidents https://t.co/rvX2fyi3gG #TrumpPressConference
— ADL (@ADL_National) February 16, 2017
At today’s #TrumpPressConference, @POTUS aggressively dodged questions on #antiSemitism. Our reaction: https://t.co/rvX2fyi3gG
— ADL (@ADL_National) February 17, 2017
you cant shout down the truth. there is a simple Q all Americans want answered: what will @POTUS do to halt the surge of #antisemitism? pic.twitter.com/SU6588XUek
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 16, 2017
And while the exchange absolutely newsworthy and deserves to be spotlighted, it’s also notable in that it’s gotten so much more attention than blatant anti-Semitism from the Left ever seems to garner.
Fed up, New York Post op-ed editor Seth Mandel is shining a light on the Left’s flaming hypocrisy when it comes to anti-Semitism. Mandel only needed to look to earlier today, at the confirmation hearing for prospective U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman, for a sickening example:
Okay, I honestly can't believe I need to explain this to @JGreenblattADL and @ADL_National, but here's why their silence is deafening:
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
Today, a Democratic senator (Menendez) grilled a Jewish ambassador-designate to Israel over suspicion of dual loyalty. This matters because
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
aside from the obvious, there's a lot of history here. This from JJ Goldberg summarizes the history well: pic.twitter.com/EA5IT9NzSQ
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
In other words, it was a loooong time before a Jew would even be considered noncontroversial for the Israel post b/c of dual loyalty. So,
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
when Menendez interrogated Friedman over his loyalty, he called back to a time when Jews weren't trusted in gov't *because they were Jews*
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
There is no other description for this than rank anti-Semitism. It can't even pose as anti-Zionism! Menendez wasn't critical of Israel,
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
he was critical of the idea that a Jew like Friedman would put his country first. Indeed, he focused on the "passion" that Friedman has
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
for Israel, and suggested this would cloud his judgment. He also suggested Friedman might take orders from Netanyahu instead of Trump!
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
There is literally no defense of this. Indeed, Friedman during the hearing was slammed repeatedly for his suggestion that Team Obama's
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
classic canard that moneyed Jews were trying to buy Congress on Iran to protect Israel qualifies as anti-Semitic. You may disagree w/him
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
but point his: Dems said HOW DARE YOU take offense at hints of dual loyalty. And then in the same hearing Dems accused him of dual loyalty!
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
It is actually insane. The silence from those who spent two days hitting Trump–deservedly!–over his avoiding the anti-Semitism question
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
sat and watched a Jew be accused of dual loyalty by the party that's going to vote against his nomination. Amazing!
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
If, say, Hillary had nominated a Cuban envoy to Cuba, and Republicans had asked him or her that question, it would've been an earthquake.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
And yet, because it was a Democrat, crickets. So three brief but important lessons before we wrap this up. First: the journos and officials
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
who said nothing today about Menendez should be completely and totally ignored when they complain about anti-Semitism, because they showed
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
that they don't actually care about anti-Semitism–indeed, they approve of it!–when it's directed at a Republican by a Democrat. So
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
to these folks, anti-Semitism is a purely partisan cudgel. The second important lesson here is related: Where on God's green earth are the
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
Jewish organizations??? The @ADL_National tweeted again in the last half hour, still about Trump's presser. NOTHING on Menendez. Which
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
should shame @JGreenblattADL to no end. Such groups are partisan organs, and they are–crucially–proving that they don't have your back
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
if you're the "wrong" kind of Jew: Orthodox or Republican. You're on your own. That's dangerous, b/c it signals to the broader public
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
that maybe anti-Semitism isn't really a problem, that it's all in the Jews' heads, and that anyway it's open season on certain Jews–the
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
ones who LOOK Jewish. So it's not just about condemnation. It's about the real danger @ADL_National & the media are putting Jews in. yes,
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
you read that right. ADL is putting Jews in danger, slapping targets on the back of anyone suspected of being Jewish. And the last lesson:
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
What Menendez and the Democrats did today, and what @ADL_National and others are doing with their silence, is casting a pall of suspicion
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
over anything Friedman does or says now, esp. if he's confirmed as ambassador. It was the green light to wonder, the whole time he's amb,
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
if he's really loyal to the United States or if he's taking orders from the Israeli government. And that's appalling. Quite simply, today
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
the Democrats attempted to hobble a president by suggesting his Jewish ambassador to Israel can't be trusted. Fuel on the fire. And what of
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
the Dems who sat there? Looking at you, @CoryBooker. How could you let that go? How can you look yourself in the mirror? And then there's
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
the shomer himself, who has yet to comment on all this, @SenSchumer. Senator Schumer, do you have something to say about this?
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
So that's what we learned today. Make sure you don't ever forget who was silent today when Menendez accused David Friedman of dual loyalty
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
and his party, journalists who supposedly care about anti-Semitism, & groups like @ADL_National offered nothing but silent approval.
/end.
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) February 17, 2017
Well, the ADL wasn’t entirely silent on Friedman. They clearly said something to him — to get him to apologize for criticizing them:
.@ADL_National accepts David Friedman’s apology and appreciates his outreach: pic.twitter.com/cFEreTmce5
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) February 16, 2017
