But it is too late for Grace Ross. She has been branded. She is anti-Semitic. Her recent efforts to protest, explain or engage further discussion show no sign of saving her reputation. She has been smeared.
Little does it matter that Grace Ross belongs to Green-Rainbow Party, an alternative political party which must, almost by definition, be inclusive of fringe positions and beliefs to be viable. How else can an alternative party buck the all powerful two party system that has evolved in this country? Grace and the Green-Rainbow Party added a welcome and thought provoking voice to the recent Massachusetts gubernatorial campaign.
Thus it strikes me as unfair and a bit of a stretch to tar Grace with the party brush. Does anyone try to pin the ugliness of the right wing Republican platform on mayoral candidate Konnie Lukes? Has Gary Rosen been labeled a union lapdog because of his Democratic affiliation? The city council race is supposed to be a non-partisan event, for good reason.
Following on the heels of Wednesday’s newspaper piece, the local news channel that evening aired an interview with Robert Adler, a local attorney who is past president of the Jewish Federation of Central Massachusetts and chair of the Southern New England Consortium. Although I do not have a transcript, it is not hyperbole to say that Mr. Adler excoriated Ms. Ross for these above mentioned tenuous transgressions. Unfortunately Mr. Adler was not called upon to comment on the recent reversal of the Jewish Anti-Defamation League’s national chairman who finally capitulated, after years of pressure, and acknowledged that the early 20th century slaughter of Armenians by Turks was “tantamount to genocide”. And although Rabbi Millstein is quite convinced that Israel’s actions in 2006 were a simple matter of a justified response to a vicious attack, it is no secret that there is much disagreement in the Jewish community on the bombing of Lebanon by Israel.
We are fortunate to live in a society that allows for vigorous political discourse. I do not challenge the right of Rabbi Millstein or Mr. Adler to make their statements, or even their condemnations, just as I do not challenge the right of Grace Ross to make awkward observations about the psychological dynamics of the Middle East crisis, or to refuse to denounce a Green Party position that she neither espouses nor feels has any place in a city council race.
I seek only to remind these commentators that personal attacks (and the allegation of anti-Semitism is a an extremely personal attack) built on such a shaky foundation do little to advance their positions, and in fact may cause only to polarize future debate.
I’m sick to death of people who lightly toss “Anti Seimitic” at every person who thinks that Israel shouldn’t be the #1 recipient of U.S. foreign aid or that other genocides have occurred or whatever. It’s like the boy who cried wolf–if someone is genuinely a threat when we need to be believed and not dismissed as a bunch of paranoid name-callers.
<
p>
She made a specific choice to carry the banner of a prty that made quite a bit of hay by supporting Palestinian terrorism. It wasn’t just a couple of nuts who happened to be Greens, it was the then leadership of that party.
<
p>
If Lincoln Chafee gets to answer for Tom DeLay, Grace Ross gets to answer for her own party.
who left that party primarily because of the party’s official statement on denial of genocide in Sudan, it is entirely predictable that such sweeping attacks on Grace Ross would occur. There are unfortunately a number of people who see criticism of the Arab leaders of Sudan’s violent atrocities towards black Africans as a racist attitude, which I believe is as absurd of calling criticism of Israeli violence as anti-Semitic. (I believe in many ways the Green Party has passed its usefulness as the Progressive Party had by time Henry Wallace ran for president and the party had become dominated by disparate groups of radicals.)
<
p>
<
p>
While I disagree on the first part (in italics), the part in bold is undoubtedly true and is the reason why just military intervention in Sudan would not be enough.
<
p>
Although I did not have voted for her governor (though I may have if Deval had not been the nominee), if I lived in Worcester I would absolutely be voting for her after seeing her deep connection to the local community and issues affecting the poor and disenfranchised. She did an excellent job highlighting the racial economic and political divide in small cities across the Commonwealth, and really will do an excellent job in Worcester.
Rabbi Jordan Millstein did not call Grace Ross “anti-Semitic.” What he said was “to compare the Jewish people to a batterer is an anti-Semitic remark.” I think that this is an important distinction – it distinguishes between the remark and the person making the remark.
<
p>
Let’s look at what Grace Ross said.
<
p>
We know that most batterers were battered themselves and we know that the young killers in Columbine High School were emotionally abused and socially ostracized. That does not and cannot excuse battering and massacring their schoolmates. Likewise, we recognize the long history of oppression of Jewish people across the world – including U.S. exclusion of refugees from Nazi Germany. That does not and cannot excuse violent acts of aggression against other innocent people. Massive bombing of civilians is not defense of Israeli people.
<
p>
I don’t believe that this remark is well-reasoned. It makes a false comparison between the Columbine killers and the Jews.
<
p>
I don’t believe that Grace Ross is an anti-Semite. I don’t think that Jordan Millstein believes that either. I think it can be argued, however, that Ross’ remarks cross a line – this is what Rabbi Millstein is arguing.
<
p>
It is another question whether remarks of this nature – and Ross’ association with a political party that denies the Darfur genocide – disqualify her from holding local public office.
I’m not too sure I can go along with such a fine distinction (anti-Semitic remark vs. anti-Semite)in this context. Rabbi Millstein is quoted referring to the above comments as “completely bizarre” and “absolutely absurd”. You say you don’t believe they are well reasoned. OK. Do you think they are completely bizarre and absolutely absurd? In this context, a tight political race in a an area with a large Jewish voting population, the anti-Semitic tag is a real bomb. And its hard to unring the bell.
<
p>
If one is a community leader (and Rabbi Millstein is a respected one) I think there is a responsibility to use care with hot button tags like anti-Semitic. I have to believe he knew he was putting a label on Grace Ross. Another candidate in this election is Moe Bergman. He’s a good friend and I proudly display his bumper sticker on my car. Moe finished a few hundred votes behind Ross in the preliminary election. I’d hate to think people who don’t have the time or inclination to research this matter will be influenced by this label appearing in the newspaper.
<
p>
Once again, I’m talking about a non-partisan local election and a woman who is going to great lengths to defend herself that she is not anti-Semitic. Is it likely she disagrees with Rabbi Millstein’s counter analysis of the Lebanon bombings (“It was a vicious attack and Israel responded.”) which seems to deny the value of any psychological analysis? Yes. Many of my Jewish friends might also disagree with him. If they state that, are they making anti-Semitic remarks? Do they “cross a line”? Are they “disqualified from holding local public office”? I hope not.
Look-
<
p>
One has to put into question why this issue is even coming up. There’s very little “dirt” on the Green Rainbow Party and people who feel threatened by their statements lean on Israel/Palestine and Darfur like it’s a crutch, simply because there is very little else to target.
<
p>
I’ve been involved in the GRP for a long time and took some time off to step back and see the greater landscape. You can see that this smear is not an isolated incident. This is simply another knee-jerk reaction by someone who claims to represent the Jewish opinion to put the Zionist-spin machine into overdrive. Pro-Israel interests know the chilling effect they can have on speech and criticism by even just suggesting the term “anti-Semite,” making most politicians shake in their boots, and thus shutting up about the atrocities Israel has committed (and we just gave them another $30 billion). This is an old and test trick that loses its effect everyday as more people are seeing the truth behind Israel and the problems it carries.
<
p>
Unfortunately for them, the GRP and Grace Ross in particular are not willing to accept that news model, and will not be disturbed or threatened by straw men such as calling “anti-Semite” on someone who dares open their mouth on the issue.
<
p>
Israel deserves all the scrutiny it can get, as we are currently feeling the drum-beat of war against Iran, something that Israel is pressing us to do, and something completely against our interests, we are giving them more and more money, and for those who are “keeping score,” we are seeing four times more Palestinians dying than Israelis. AIPAC agents who were caught spying on the US are scheduled to go on trial in January, and we continue to funnel our money that could be used for healthcare or education into bombs and ammo for the IDF to shoot at kids with stones. Switching our attentions to Darfur will not make the Palestinians go away and it will not end the occupation- the source of all strife in the region, that and the presence of the United States.