How Leftist Groupthink about Israel is Created-The New Yorker’s Hendrik Hertzberg Offers the Model
The June 6 issue of the New Yorker offers a lesson in how the groupthink of editors, writers, and journalists on the East Coast takes place. It reveals how they all have developed the same mindset about Israel, their view that the Jewish state bears the responsibility alone for all the travail in the Middle East.
The lead “Talk of the Town” article by one of its editors, Hendrik Hertzberg, reeks of self-righteousness, arrogance, and an overall know-it-all attitude. It is filled with the platitudes repeated so many times these days by the likes of Hertzberg, Joe Klein, and scores of their lesser-known imitators.
One can easily sum up the argument in the following words: Israel, a great country, is its own worst enemy. The best example of this is that the Israeli people elected Benjamin Netanyahu their prime minister, and his popularity in the country is growing. If you don’t get this, the editors title Hertzberg’s article “O’bama Vs. Netanyahoo.” Get it? Isn’t that so clever? (They took that from a tweet by Chuck Grassley as he was waiting to hear Netanyahu speak.)
Don’t the Israelis know they should make all the concessions to the Palestinian Authority that Obama wants them to make? Israel should start with giving up all settlements in Jerusalem — yes, the Jewish presence in East Jerusalem is a settlement — and of course, agree in advance of peace negotiations to going back to the 1967 borders.
Above all, have nothing but contempt for the Israeli PM. As Hertzberg writes:
The Prime Minister sounded more like a Fox News “contributor” than like the leader of an ally dependent on the United States for its survival.
Fear not, our president quickly corrected Netanyahu, claims Hertzberg:
“Since my position has been misrepresented,” Obama said, “let me reaffirm what ’1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps’ means: by definition, it means that the parties themselves — Israelis and Palestinians — will negotiate a border that is different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967.”
Obviously, Hertzberg must be ranked among those who have neglected to read — as I have pointed out twice already in other blogs — the explanation of what the issue really is that appeared in the “Fact Checker” column in the Washington Post written by Glenn Kessler, here and here. Kessler does real research; Hertzberg and his kind of leftist journalist simply repeat their own version of the facts as if their saying it makes it accurate. After all, how could anything Benjamin Netanyahu says be the truth?
So to cover Netanyahu, you next commence with many paragraphs putting down anything he says in a tone of utter contempt. Here are Hertzberg’s comments:
The Prime Minister ladled on the bonhomie. “Mr. Vice-President,” he said, turning to Joe Biden, “do you remember the time that we were the new kids in town?” (Biden was more likely to be remembering another town and another time: last year in Jerusalem, when his arrival to promote peace talks was greeted with the announcement of a vast new housing project for ultra-Orthodox Jews in the occupied eastern part of the city.) Bibi took it upon himself to spike the football that Barack had carried into the end zone: “Congratulations, America. Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin Laden. Good riddance!” He served up chestnuts — about Israeli democracy, Israeli stability, Israeli pro-Americanness — that have been roasted for many an Israel Bonds dinner. He had kind, if slightly patronizing, words of praise for the Arab Spring. He reiterated his verbal acceptance of the idea of a Palestinian state. He glided away from his Oval Office misrepresentations. (“As President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967.”) He praised Salam Fayyad, the technocratic modernizer who serves as the Palestinian Authority’s chief administrator.
Notice the little term “occupied” when Hertzberg refers to east Jerusalem. He might look at Omri Ceren’s post appearing today at Contentions. Ceren points out that to call East Jerusalem a settlement, which Obama does and Hertzberg says is “occupied” territory:
… ignores how Jews have indisputably been the majority in Jerusalem since at least 1853, to saying nothing of the ancient heritage of Jewish Jerusalem. Instead, it picks out the brief period between 1949 to 1967, when Jordan ethnically cleansed East Jerusalem of Jews to interrupt a continuous 1,000-year Jewish presence.
The Jordanians destroyed the Jewish quarter in East Jerusalem, and as Ceren explains:
Because they succeeded in doing that for almost 20 whole years — in contrast to 1,000 years of continuous Jewish life — the Obama administration insists that the Jewish State needs to cede portions of East Jerusalem to a future Palestinian entity on demographic grounds.
I think it’s important to understand that Hertzberg’s essay isn’t actually about the Middle East at all, except in its role as blank screen onto which the domestic partisan divide is projected. Hertzberg’s enemy isn’t Israel, or even Netanyahu–it’s domestic Republicans and conservatives, who happen to line up with Israel in general, and Netanyahu in particular, these days, on the great chart of partisan alliances that defines the left-right divide in America.
If the reverse were true–if anti-Israel Americans were disproportionately allied with the political right, and pro-Israel Americans disproportionately with the political left, as was the case in the decades immediately following Israel’s creation–then Hertzberg would no doubt be equally vitriolic in denouncing Arab brutality and its despicable American (conservative) enablers, with equal lack of interest in facts or history. Why should those matter? He’s a partisan hack, after all, not some kind of policy expert.
It’s Projection.
Actually understanding people and issues takes time and effort. The Leftists can’t be bothered so they just use an existing template.
The Palestinians act like victims and Democrats really really like victims, so they are the good guys. (And it isn’t nice to notice bad things about Muslims in general.)
Netanyahu is kind of conservative – so obviously he’s bad guy. Fill in a few platitudes and the story writes itself.
It`s an honest article on the humilating theme: Israel`s betrayal of the leftist Jewish leaders like Hertzberg and stunning servility of this leaders toward the administration and the servile contempt of Israelis including their PM,his wife as pitiful provincials.( the similar attitude towards Palin they have shown).
As the Jew I feel myself humilated and I`m obliged to American friends of Israel who tactfully endure this decayed people.
Meh – We’re not so tactfully enduring them anymore. We’re beginning to spit our gum in their hair and it’s sticking!
Jeez, Ron, that East Coast mindset seems to be shared by the former Mossad chief, who declared, “Bibi scares me.”
http://blogs.forward.com/jj-goldberg/
And quoting Conrad Black? Puh-lease! The guy’s scheduled to be sentenced for mail fraud and obstruction of justice later this month.
“The guy’s scheduled to be sentenced for mail fraud and obstruction of justice later this month.”
Why would you lament this after you libtard dolts would shrug off the likes of Marion “I likes crack and hookers” Barry, Ted “The swimmer” Kennedy, Bubba “Depends on what the meaning of is is” Clinton, William “I got 90K in my freezer” Jefferson, Anthony “I got a bulging” Weener.
Ben #2…
Can you maybe find an actual English speaker to edit your above posting so we readers can make at least a bit of sense regarding who you are supporting and who you are attacking?
I myself was totally appalled by Hertzberg’s arrogant posturing, and after loyally subscribing to the NYer for thirty years, I’ getting closer to finally bailing out, as I had to with TNR and the NYT. Likewise, did anybody catch that panel on Diane Rehm’s show last week trashing Israel, with every single panelist to the left (or is that to the right??) of of J-Street.
hanoi paris hilton writes:
“I myself was totally appalled by Hertzberg’s arrogant posturing, and after loyally subscribing to the NYer for thirty years, I’ getting closer to finally bailing out, as I had to with TNR and the NYT.”
hanoi, you’ve lasted years longer than I did. I used to love The New Republic: you could always count on them to surprise you. sometime around 2007 they became the Obama Weekly Reader, and I cancelled my subscription.
as for the New Yorker, my family’s been subscribing to that magazine since the 1950s. I think my liberal brother still does: me, I haven’t been able to stomach it for years.
I don’t know which is worse: the blatant anti-Israel sentiment, or the condescending and self-important prose used to deliver it.
for more than thirty years, I have looked forward to the arrival of The New Yorker. I mostly still do, except for when Hertzberg abuses Talk of the Town for his NOT-fact checked pro-palestinian screeds. This one angered me so much that I wanted to write a fact correction on “…vast new housing project for ultra-Orthodox Jews in the occupied eastern part of the city…” which is that Ramat Shlomo is in NORTH Jerusalem, and was built on a rocky hillside that had previously been used solely for goat grazing.
I appreciate Radosh taking Hertzberg on here, especially with the wonderful counterpoints by Ceren and Black. Since I have now successfully de-toxed for 40 years of the NYT, I will continue with The New Yorker because 90% of the content is still engaging good writing on a wide range of topics. If Hertzberg is reading this, he should know that it was Ryan Lizza’s profile of Obama as Chicago pol in July, 2008 that made me decide to NOT vote for Obama. Lizza was banned from the Obama campaign after that, and I suspect some of Hertzberg’s Netanyahu-bashing is also residual penance for regaining access.
Today I can start reading David Mamet’s new book “The Secret Knowledge”, knowing Hertzberg is probably having a stroke over whether to allow Jill Lepore to write a review
Today, the new self-proclaimed “friends” of Israel like Hertzberg [(writers input) and President Obama and Rep. Wasserman Schultz] would like Israel to satisfy their demands, made from the comfort of the Upper West Side and Park Slope, where it is so easy for them to tell Israel what is in its very best interests.
Representative Wasserman Schultz makes me sick. For her to claim that she and our president are “friends of Israel” is the apex of “chutzpah”. 90% of the left (and this includes DWS and BHO) think that Israel is the root cause of ALL OF OUR PROBLEMS.
It is better said that the Jews set no borders in being their own worst enemy.
Let’s not forget though; Hertzberg is probably directing his article to the average “big city” American Jews who are largely liberal, irreligious and unconcerned with the ancient home of their ancestors; not Jews living in Israel who subscribe to not just the Jewish religion, but also the ethnic/cultural uniqueness that being Jewish actually means.
Also poster # 1 is right about the writer being a “partisan hack”. There is absolutely no need to mention Fox News when describing Netanyahu or to chastise the fact that Jews in Israel are more fundamentalist than American Reform Jews. Hertzberg obviously meant to hint that simply because Jews in Israel are more religious than a New England “Catholic” pro-choicer like Joe Biden means that they are less likely to abide by ridiculous pre-negotiation concessions, when everyone without a liberal-progressive brain slug attached to the head can simply look back at the number of defensive wars Israel has waged (and often horrendously outnumbered either in terms of manpower or popular opinion) since its creation 50 years ago and realize through common sense that Israel has legitimate security concerns, particularly now that the largely secular and neutral Mubarak regime in Egypt has been deposed.
Jordan, you have all good points here except for one little thing. Modern Israel is not 50 years old. The country is 63 years old. Her independence was May 15th 1948. By the way, I am for Israel. I am a conservative who is Jewish. I have never liked the progressives. When I read their material it was filled with nothing but contempt for Jews and Israel in general.
Jews in Israel are more fundamentalist than American Reform Jews.
I agree they are more patriotic and pro Israel
but actually in Israel the majority of JEWS are not fundamentalist, orthodox or extremist in religion- Most Israelis pro Israel stance is based more upon nationalism, pragmatism (survival) and legality (the Mandate giving Jordan, whatis now Israel and GAzA) and distrust of so called peace partners after making concessions and getting only threats and dead JEWS in return——-rather than what you say- some kind of religious fundamentalism
I would say that in USA it is the more religious JEWS who do support Israel, and what you say about Reform JEWS may be true- moreof them support Democrat party than Judaism or Israel
Look – Obama wants Israel destroyed. That Powers hack he hired and he both said they want a continuous “palestine” which means they want to cut Israel in two. Then they both want the “right of return” which is diplo-speak for inundating and overwhelming the Jewish state. Heck, that’s what they are doing to North America right now to Mexify it.
This is not the first time that Progressive, (i.e, Communist) Jews have fronted for anti-Semites. When the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact sealing the Nazi-Communist alliance was signed Jews like Hertberg rushed to defend the treaty. After the Second World War when Stalin had embarked on the road to finish the job that Hitler started Jews like Hertzberg continued to extol the great Stalin as a light to mankind. Now, when a combination of Nazi-like antagonists in the Middle East (actually the Muslim Brotherhood isn’t Nazi like…it is an organization much inspired by Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party) seek to commit a second Holocaust Jews like Hertzberg rush to their defense.
Why is this? My theory is that Jews see themselves as being on the fringe of the Progessive (Communist) movement and they must demonstrate every day that they are loyal to the Party. Therefore they must be more Communist then the anybody else.
It should be clear to everybody by now that the Israeli-Palestinian dispute is not even a secondary issue in Middle East calculations. It has always has been about some regional power seeking hegenomy. The Palestinians are a just tool to be used and thrown away at the end. Witness Assad’s latest cynical use of the Palestinians to divert attention from his murderous regime. The Progressive movement by what ever name it has been called has always been anti-Semitic. They don’t support the Palestinians, they just hate the Jews. Hertzberg will never figure that one out because he is a Communist first and not even a Jew third, fourth or tenth.
“Hertzberg continues with the usual bromides about how Netanyahu represents ‘the religious Right, Israeli and American.’”
Even Hertzberg concedes Netanyahu represents the best of the best.
The entire issue that there should be some kind of Palestinian whatever (state, 2 state, return, talks) is based on a left liberal reading of history. And that reading of history is that some kind of unfair or simply displaced persons issue stemming from the creation of the State of Israel remains contiguous with it and its history and thus morally compelling. Whatever the cause a series of wars has produced an unfulfilled obligation to resolve this issue with Israel’s concessional cooperation.
But, this historical scheme is a fabrication of the left. When Israel was declared a state there were about 50,00 Arab displaced persons that went to Jordan. This is true. This is tragic. This is unfair. This is fact. But they did go to Jordan, and Jordan accepted them. This ends that episode.
Then there were the 1948 Wars. Many more refugees – most from the villages and towns in Arab countries that were evacuated to permit their grounds to be military operations areas. Those refugees either returned to Arab nations or Israel. That ended that issue. Up to this point there are no compelling moral questions needing or contributing to the current situation.
Then we have the 1967 and 1972 wars in which Israel took Jordanian lands, and the Sinai, as strategic necessities. In 1972 is formed Black September – a left wing group operating mostly in Europe. The group spawned a new group – Al Fatah that formed in Jordan and created the notion of the Palestinians.
Al Fatah controlled, and won , through both popularity and intimidation, enough refugees living in Jordan, and instead of the refugee’s incorporation into Jordan, became a left controlled group and attacked the Jordanian people and government.
It is this group – born of Black September and its derivatives – Al Fatah, Hamas, Hezbollah – thrown out of Jordan, Lebanon and Kuwait – that are claiming themselves to be Palestinians.
The Palestinians are a fiction perpetuated by the left. That left is allied with American and European doctrinal left groups. And neither Israel or American, common enemies of these groups, will destroy them.
Jugears stated for the world to hear, Israel should pull back to the 1967 borders. What happened after that?
How many Tornados, and what type of flood on the Mississippi?
Israel was destroyed by the world government back in 70AD. Now, the reborn Global Tower of Babel seeks to destroy the reborn state of Israel. Strange.
Fearing that which created everything is the first step in wisdom. Of course, the New World Order does not worship the G-d of Noah, Abraham, and Moses, it worships the Sun god Lucifer.
See Lucis Trust in the UN building on how to chant during full moons, be your own god, and further reading on the New Age.
Let me translate the article: Netanyahu and Israel should submit to Obama and the Palestinians.
Dhimmitude is not just a belief of Islam. “Sit down and shut up! Do what you are told!”, are the words of tyrants everywhere. Dissent is tolerated only as much as the political atmosphere restricts such tyrants from suppressing it.
There needs to be blowback to these guys. Folks need to demand Hertzberg be censured.
Well I don’t know about Hertzberg needing to be “censured”… by whom exactly, and according to what criteria?? Also I doubt whether he finds any resonance with him being called a “Communist”. But then again, neither would have, say, Jane Fonda, back in the day. Or now, for that matter.
According to his New Yorker bio, incidentally, Hertzberg was Jimmy Carter’s chief speechwriter: the gold standard for a smarmy righteous disconnect-from-reality. That “Netanyahoo” bit was too clever by half: I wonder if he moonlighted for MoveOn to coin “General Betray-us”. Hardy har har.
Hard to believe the NYer has sunk so low.
Submission to Fundamentalist Islamic hate will not make peace. People have been deluding themselves for decades, believing this was about drawing an appropriate border. It was never about borders. It’s about using their backward beliefs to conquer and enslave.
And then we have Mr. Hertzberg who thinks we can make peace. Neville Chamberlain made similar noises about peace. Chamberlian couldn’t have been more wrong then, and Mr. Hertzberg has clearly not learned from that horrible example.
When you keep doing the same things and expecting different results, why, that’s the very definition of insanity.
Hetzberg is criminally insane and belongs in a rubber room with a straightjacket. Hanibul Lector gets his talking points from this huy.
Ronnie: for all my differences with Bibi, my Senator was extremely disrespectful (who is calling whom a Yahoo?) I will remonstrate with him.
Compared to “Jewa” like Chomsky, Hertzberg, Beinart, Joe Klein and groups
like J-Street, New Israel Fund and the divers leftist Jewish “Peace”
organizations is President Obama one of he greatest friends and defenders
of Israel. The next Nobel Peace Price should be given the person, who finds
out and publishes the exact amounts of oil-dollars the diverse Jewish
traitors and groups are getting for their dirty work.
Let us not forget the “Peace Plan”submitted by no less than David Remnick, the editor of the New Yorker..
The arrogance of this gang is astonishing.
Let me brief some historical facts.
Arabs so called “refuges” came to Palestine after Jews start to cultivate the land in 1880. They came because there was plenty of work at that time.
Before that time the country was deserted with few Arabs and Jews for hundreds of years.
It got a big push after the WW1 when the British built Haifa Port and the gas pipe line from Iraq to Haifa.
In 1932, 30000 Arabs enter Palestine in one month from Syria – Horn.
Most of the Arab population in 1948 lived in Palestine for few years.
In 1956 Ahmed Shukari, proclaimed from the podium of the U.N., as the Arab League’s ambassador there, that “such a creature as Palestine does not exist at all. This land is nothing but the southern portion of Greater Syria…”
In 1977 Zahir Muhsein, the leader of the al-Sa’iqa Organization, revealed the truth in an interview to the Dutch newspaper Trouw:
“The Palestinian people do not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity.
There is no evidence that connect Palestine to Arabs in any document. But there is Balfour declaration adopted by League of Nations since 1923
“establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people”. e.g.Not for Arabs what so ever.
Hertzberg and similar Judenraete types like Adam Shapiro, Thomas Friedman, Sy Hersh and the monsters at J Street, should be treated by Jews, the same way Palestinians treat Arabs who cooperate with Israel. Sometimes we have to learn from our enemies. We are in a war of survival and no Jews should be permitted to act as propagandists for the Muslim fascists.