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PrintThe Mable Elmore controversy over Zionism is truly embarrassing
This is one of those mornings when I feel sick and disgusted and embarrassed to be a working journalist in B.C.
It relates to the ridiculous controversy that has erupted over comments that Vancouver-Kensington NDP candidate Mable Elmore made to an on-line publication called Seven Oaks in 2004.
Elmore, a critic of Israel’s actions in the Middle East (which have often been condemned by the United Nations), said it was difficult to generate opposition to the war in Iraq because of vocal Zionists in the workplace.
The war in Iraq was illegal. Elmore was correct in trying to prevent Canadian kids from getting killed and wounded in this illegal war. And I have no doubt that she probably encountered opposition from vocal Zionists in her workplace.
I’m not going to apologize for saying this.
Elmore, however, was forced to apologize because NDP Leader Carole James—whom I’m tempted to describe as a dimwit—didn’t understand that the term “Zionist” describes someone who supports the establishment of a Jewish homeland in the Middle East.
“The comments were clearly unacceptable and they were offensive and she has issued an apology,” James told reporters.
The Zionist movement was created in the late 19th century by journalist Theodor Herzl to encourage the migration of people to the land now known as Israel. The term is used regularly in the Israeli media.
Herzl's idea probably prevented some of his fellow Jews from being killed by the Nazis.
Yet we’ve come to a state in B.C. in which a politician can’t utter the word “Zionist” in conversation because this has somehow become offensive. I bet they’re guffawing at us in Tel Aviv.
James demonstrated a similar level of idiocy in 2005 when she condemned another very capable NDP candidate, Rollie Keith, for suggesting that former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic’s war-crime trial was a farce.
Many people agreed with Keith’s remarks, including Michael Mandel, a law professor at Osgoode Hall.
Keith was forced to step down because James kowtowed to gutter journalism.
Our local reporters and columnists also egged Elmore into apologizing, and then James chimed in with her condemnation of her newest candidate.
Some B.C. journalists who've dealt with this story have probably never read a book about the history of the Middle East, but they knew that jumping all over Elmore would please the bosses at Canwest Global Communications Corp.
It smacked of sycophancy to me. That’s why I feel sick and disgusted and embarrassed to be a working journalist in B.C. this morning.
Comments
People may think that I'm being sycophantic here but I know damn well that you'd be just as willing to call me an idiot if I deserved it. Sure, it might sting but it would be my wake up call to smarten up. Good critical analysis is the mark of a good journalist.
And that's why you should never feel embarrassed.
You're a great journalist Charlie, and I agree with you that your colleagues are an embarrassment to the profession. Instead of engaging in a serious enquiry, they do sound like they're dancing for the boss.
Where is the difference between the NDP and the Conservative parties, when both make the biased and false claim that anti Zionism is anti Semitism?
In fact, the opposite is true - “Zionism and anti-Semitism are two faces of the same coin; they both believe that Jews do NOT belong to their respective homelands because they are a ‘different race or nationality’, they are ‘superior’ or ‘inferior’ and they belong somewhere else.” See my recent article about Jason Kenney’s outrageous statements and actions: http://mostlywater.org/jason_kenney_promoting_racism
It is about time to call for a new Canadian party that cares about the Canadian working class, and cares about human rights, freedom, justice and democracy all over the world. Maybe we should call it the Integrity Party.
Hanna Kawas
I mean how stupid does a person have to be to make such a comment. But Carole James should have sent her packing , but James instead cut her parties throat by keeping Mable Elmore on.
I want all to understand that I do NOT support party politics, I believe in "independent candidates " ONLY.
Cheers Wayne Coady
We live in strange times when someone who speaks honestly is punished because s-he is running contrary to kowtow fashions.
We live in strange times when people can enhance their careers by falsely bashing Musloims and Islam, but careers can be ruined if one criticises Israel's atrocities or, the BLIND supporters of Israel.
We live in strange times when few care about the reasons why we invaded Iraq or Afghanistan and have the deaths of over two million on our charge-sheet, but everyone seems to care about 'Victory" agaionst "terrorism".
We live in VERY strange times when children can be locked up for years in Gitmo, but Ashcroft, Gonzales and Cheney (not to mention King George the Worst) are walking free.
Thank you, Charlie, for taking a moral stand.
DonQuixote
It is frightening that on top of the government we have certain organizations that are spying on Canadians and perhaps keeping files on them. How else would you explain a five year old comment on an obscure internet site surfaces when an activist contemplate running for office.
Riadh Muslih
Coquitlam
Personally in my view Ms. Elmore should have just resigned. If she resigned she could hold on to her convictions and and continue to be a leader within the progressive community. As it stands today, Canwest and others will ensure she loses this riding and she will be viewed as a sellout within the community she has long been a leader in. Its a shame really.
During the last Federal election I donated $800. Ms James should not expect a cheque from me. I don't donate to petrified dimwits. So if the party is reading this: Every party has to make choices. You can stand for something, or you can sell out your principles yet again. I think Ms. James has made her choice clear. Goodbye for now Provincial NDP.
A story today from Georgia, where the manufacturers of political smears are real pros - http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/26/world/europe/26georgia.html?ref=world
The comments were obviously meant to more than hint at the suggestion that Jews make it difficult to oppose the war in Iraq. This sounds like the tired and worn conspiracy theory mash that is trundled out any time something in the Mid-East doesn't conform to the new-left-cum-anti-Semite cheering section.
I doubt very much that the original concept of Zionism i.e. a return to the historical homeland for a perpetually persecuted people has much to so with the common usage we see today.
If you really want to be a free speech advocate, then start lobbying your federal NDP to work with the minority government to abolish the "Human Rights Commission" and its churlish provincial subsidiaries.
And no, there is no guffawing in Tel Aviv, just a sad recognition of the fact that to the western left it's more acceptable to be a self-detonating Islamofascist than a Jewish citizen of the State of Israel.
Israel is far from perfect, but when you guys start obsessing about the real human rights abuses of Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, the PA, Sudan, Zimbabwe, etc., etc. I'll start to take you a little more seriously.
Please spare us the comparisons to other regimes that have human rights issues as a means of papering over the fact that for nearly 42 years Israel has illegally and belligerently occupied the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip (still occupied by Israel as for over 16 months it has controlled its entrances, exits, airspace, sea access, imports and exports while at the same time delivering less than 20% of the essentials of life it is committed to under the June 17/08 cease-fire agreement.) Israel also still illegally and belligerently occupies Syria's Golan Heights and Lebanon's Shebaa Farms. Israel has also been repeatedly accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by accredited international human rights organizations. Thankfully, the western world, including Canada (despite the Harper government's slavish devotion to the pro-Israel lobby) and the U.S. is now seeing though Israel's propaganda and misrepresentation/distortion of history and current events. People everywhere now comprehend the basic facts: Palestinians are the occupied, Israel is the occupier; Palestinians are the dispossessed, Israel is the ethnic-cleanser; Palestinians are the victims, Israel is the victimizer. As the Canadian Jewish Congress discovered much to its shock through a national survey, the more Canadians learn about the Israel/Palestinian conflict, the more pro-Palestinian they become.
My answer: "The Georgia Straight regularly covers human-rights abuses in Iran and has highlighted the Kazemi case, the work of Nazanin Afshin-Jam, and Shirin Ebadi. We've published several Gwynne Dyer columns on human-rights abuses in Zimbabwe. We put Osama bin-Laden on the cover of the paper. I interviewed Bill Sampson and wrote about his horrible ordeal in a Saudi prison. I've assigned several articles on the situation in Sudan, including a cover story that coincided with the opening of the Beijing Olympics. We could do a better job on Syria and the PA, but they haven't gone uncommented on. Gwynne Dyer has focused on issues involving the PA and I wrote about Loretta Napoleoni's books, which highlighted Fatah corruption."
In sum, I think Mr. Ross is tossing a little mud our way. But his claim doesn't stand up to serious scrunity. In my years as a journalist, I've learned that when people don't like the message, they often resort to attacking the messenger. Sometimes, I take that as a sign I'm on the right track.
If Ms. James really wants to be considered a leader she would have allowed Ms. Elmore the opportunity to explain the context of her statements.
Mable is an excellent candidate for that riding and one hopes after weathering this "embarrassment" she gets elected and represents her constituents and not Ms. James.
Mr. Muslih comments regarding organizations spying and keeping files on Canadians to use against them should they ever decide to run for office caused me some thought.
First I thought this may be the work of the Clarkites (Glen) who have been very active in ensuring 'their' NDP picks get nominated but then another name popped into my head, Patrick Kinsella. Since hearing the other incorrect rumour that Elmore was a former member of the Liberal party it made me think of the 'tricks' Kinsella is known for.
It has been reported that Kinsella in a past lecture at SFU told his audience about his backroom role for the Socreds (now Liberals). A former Vancouver Sun, McLean's and Financial Post columnist, Alan Fotheringham wrote this about Kinsella's SFU lecture, "He was only too glad to lay out how he had tricked the media, manipulated the public and generally gave a primer on cynicism."
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