A SCURRILOUS ATTACK

Zionist Organization of America President-for-Life, Morton Klein, could not be expected to hold back his vituperation for more than a week or two. So it was no surprise that he would issue a statement regardless of its inaccuracies; just surprising the lengths he would go on August 1 to attack Deborah Lipstadt, an American hero and a Jewish one.  Here is the Statement:

"The ZOA opposes the expected nomination of Emory University lecturer Deborah Lipstadt to be the U.S. Combating Antisemitism Envoy, because of her statements displaying partisan left wing bias. Lipstadt obscenely and falsely likened President Trump to Nazi murderers and propagandists; helped promote a video that wrongly did the same; promoted the Charlottesville Hoax (despite President Trump’s clear condemnation of neo-Nazis and white supremacists); and falsely called President Trump (the grandfather of Orthodox Jewish children) an “antisemitic enabler.” Lipstadt’s abuse of false Nazi and antisemitism charges against those with whom she disagrees politically should disqualify her from serving as the U.S. Combating Antisemitism Envoy.  

 

Lipstadt’s primary focus is antisemitism on the right (both real and imagined), at a time when the major threat is Islamist and far-left antisemitism. We are concerned that Lipstadt will ignore and/or give far too little attention to antisemitism from groups such as the Black Lives Matter organization, and leftist and Islamist BDS groups and Israel-bashing NGOs.

 

President Biden promised to heal and bring all Americans together when he assumed office. Nominating and confirming Lipstadt would increase partisan divides. The Combating Antisemitism Envoy is a sensitive position that requires someone non-partisan, who will honestly and strongly address all real forms of antisemitism, from the left wing to the right wing, and who will not make inaccurate charges of antisemitism to defame political adversaries. Lipstadt is a bad choice."

There was no "Charlottesville Hoax." Trump "decisively" proclaimed there were  "good prople on both sides" in Charlottesville. As American Jews we are fully capable of reaching our own conclusions about former President  Trump's statements providing comfort to Neo-Nazi anti-semites. It was shameful that Trump decided to support the Tiki-flamers who chanted their way through  Charlottesville: "They shall not replace us" as they marched on a Synagogue.

The position of Combating Antisemitism Ambassador is in excellent hands; the presidency of the ZOA, not so much.

Rwexler