Strange Bedfellows

May 29, 2002

The Israeli-Palestinian dispute has proved fertile ground for right-wing Christians and neo-nazis. Supporters of both sides have shamelessly quoted from and/or accepted support from these supposed "friends" who in truth have no use for Palestinians, Israelis, Muslims or Jews. Today, the Israeli Newspaper Ha'aretz, for example, writes happily of a new program called "Stand With Israel." The program, aimed at "institutionalizing evangelical support for Israel," is the brainchild of Rabbi Yehiel Eckstein, president of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. "In order to realize his idea," Ha'aretz writes, "Eckstein has enlisted the support of Ralph Reed, the (former) head of the Christian Coalition and one of the leaders of the Republican Party." Eckstein allies in this endeavor include Christian Coalition founder Pat Robertson and the preacher Jerry Falwell. Another example came in an
article in the Kansas City Jewish Chronicle which extolled the work of a local women who was organizing an event in Washington with the likes of Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Gary Bauer, Janet Parshall, and the Rev. Billye Brim. Jews who look to the likes of these rabid fundamentalist preachers and politicians for allies are horribly deluding themselves. The only use such fundamentalist have for Jews is in their dream of a second coming which they believe requires all the Jews return to Israel, followed by the conversion of a few and the death of the rest.

In an equally troubling vein notorious neo-nazis and anti-Semites have found a home in the Arab press. Earlier this month The Arab News, an English language Saudi newspaper which publishes with Saudi government support reprinted an article by David Duke. This is not an isolated incident. Duke has been heard from in the Oman Times, as well as in Muslims, a New York-based English-language weekly, which also featured a lengthy critique of U.S. foreign policy by William Pierce, head of the rabidly racist National Alliance. Nazis and racists are not friends of the Palestinian people (Though they do share a certain similar ideology with the religious fascism of the likes of bin Laden). Their current "support" which has included demonstrations at the Israeli embassy in Washington is based on their hatred of Jews. Who can doubt that once done with the Jews the white supremacist would turn on their Arab "friends." For example, following Sept. 11th National Alliance deputy Billy Roper wrote of those who carried out the attack: "The enemy of our enemy is, for now at least, our friends. We may not want them marrying our daughter, just as they would not want us marrying theirs. We may not want them in our societies, just as they would not want us in theirs. But anyone who is willing to drive a plane into a building to kill Jews is all right by me. I wish our members had half as much testicular fortitude." Adolph Hitler, who himself once found favor in the eyes of the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, the late Haj Amin Al-Husseini, to his friends described Arabs as "lacquered half-apes who ought to be whipped."

Ironically, a few weeks ago someone emailed me the article "The World's Most Dangerous Terrorist." It is a diatribe aimed at Ariel Sharon (perhaps it was sent because the Oread Daily has labeled Sharon as a war criminal on numerous occasions). At the conclusion of the article I noted it had been written by David Duke. In fact, it is the same one printed in the Arab News described above. I contacted the person who sent it to me (whom I do not know and was not an OD reader, I'm happy to report). First, she told me Duke was actually a Jew. Later, she admitted she was mistaken, but told me he was a good man whose ideas should not "frighten" me. I told her Duke was a white supremacist, a Kluxer, for whom I had no use. She called me a "filthy Zionist Jew" and never contacted me again.
Sources: SPLC Intelligence Report, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, Ha'aretz, Arutz Sheva, Newhouse News

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