Post by Moses on Dec 6, 2004 13:11:18 GMT -5
American Jewish Hot Dogs are annoying even to Israelis, AND the AJC will be headed by an Israeli. What does that tell you?
Pinkas comments to 'Post' infuriate US Jews
By URIEL HEILMAN
NEW YORK
Less than four months after stepping down as consul-general of Israel in New York, Alon Pinkas is rankling some American Jews with comments he made to The Jerusalem Post about the failed priorities and mistreatment of Israel by American Jewish organizations.
In a story that appeared in last Sunday's Post, Pinkas said American Jews treat Israel like a "d**n synagogue," all Jewish communities outside of America and Israel are "insignificant suburbs" and the behavior of American Jewish organizational officials reads like a chapter out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Pinkas's remarks have been harshly criticized by many Jewish officials.
"It's almost sad to have a guy of his caliber totally misrepresent the relationship that exists between Israel and the American Jewish community," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). "It seems that he either did not learn very much in all his years of public service, or he totally forgot."
The executive director of the American Jewish Committee, David Harris, said, "For Jews to be invoking or citing the 'Protocols' against other Jews is frankly both bizarre and outrageous." In his remarks, Pinkas said it is not Israel's responsibility to educate American Jews about Israel and Jewish identity, but the American Jewish community's – and it is not doing a very good job.
"Where the hell has American Jewry been?" Pinkas demanded. "Rather than play foreign minister and go to the world's capitals and deal exclusively with anti-Semitism," he said, referring to Jewish organizational officials, "they should focus on educating American Jews." "What–are you writing the next chapter in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?'" he asked rhetorically.
After leaving the consulate this summer in part over differences with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Pinkas was offered a job as CEO of the American Jewish Congress. He accepted the post, but the appointment was put on hold after Israel's civil service commissioner said his acceptance violated a two-year "cooling-off period" required of Israeli foreign envoys seeking to work in the countries of their postings. Pinkas has submitted a request to circumvent the rule and is awaiting word on approval.
For his part, the executive director of the American Jewish Congress, Neil Goldstein, said this week that he agreed with Pinkas's viewpoints. "What Alon says about the need for addressing continuity issues in America and getting Jews to be more committed to the interests of the Jewish people here domestically are in fact valid goals," Goldstein said.
"We are living in new times, and we have to start addressing those issues," he said. "It's one of the reasons we thought it would be a good idea to bring Alon on board."
This is not the first time Pinkas has blasted American Jewish organizations and how they spend their time. In October 2001, Pinkas, then consul-general, sent a cable to the Foreign Ministry rebuking officials for holding countless useless meetings with US Jewish organizational officials.
"Another breakfast with the ADL in New York," he wrote in a widely publicized cable, "only adds calories–bagels and lox. If anything threatens the world's salmon population, it is Israel's information campaign policy."
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, called Pinkas's remarks to the Post "insulting," "outrageous" and "contradictory." "For a guy who wants to head a Jewish organization, this is a strange comment," Hoenlein said. "He was consul-general for four years; what did he do about these things?"
Hoenlein also said Pinkas was inconsistent, as he said that Diaspora Jews have the right to tell Israel what they think because the Jewish state is a project of the Jewish people, but then rebuked them for telling Israel what they think.
Told this week of the reaction of American Jewish organizational officials to his comments, Pinkas was unrepentant.
"It is unfortunate that instead of responding to the challenge of engaging in a substantive dialogue about the real priorities of US Jewry, some people resort to personal pontification stemming from their sense of infallibility," he said. "The knee-jerk reaction only reinforces my argument – some American Jewish organizations should revisit their agenda before it is too late."
Privately, some officials said Pinkas's remarks are part of his posturing for a job in the Knesset, where he really sees his future. Criticism of American Jewish organizations would likely play well in Israel, these officials said.
Pinkas has said that if things don't work out for him in the US, he will return to Israel and would strongly consider running for the Knesset.
Arye Mekel, who succeeded Pinkas as consul-general in New York earlier this year, said he considers the work of American Jewish organizations to be "very positive and important," especially when it comes to helping convince other countries to take less hostile positions to Israel in the UN.
"When the Jewish organizations get into the picture," Mekel said, leaders of other countries "realize that we actually have very potent allies, which is the American Jewish community as represented by its organizations. This does a very good service to the State of Israel because this proves that we are not alone."
Pinkas comments to 'Post' infuriate US Jews
By URIEL HEILMAN
NEW YORK
Less than four months after stepping down as consul-general of Israel in New York, Alon Pinkas is rankling some American Jews with comments he made to The Jerusalem Post about the failed priorities and mistreatment of Israel by American Jewish organizations.
In a story that appeared in last Sunday's Post, Pinkas said American Jews treat Israel like a "d**n synagogue," all Jewish communities outside of America and Israel are "insignificant suburbs" and the behavior of American Jewish organizational officials reads like a chapter out of The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
Pinkas's remarks have been harshly criticized by many Jewish officials.
"It's almost sad to have a guy of his caliber totally misrepresent the relationship that exists between Israel and the American Jewish community," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). "It seems that he either did not learn very much in all his years of public service, or he totally forgot."
The executive director of the American Jewish Committee, David Harris, said, "For Jews to be invoking or citing the 'Protocols' against other Jews is frankly both bizarre and outrageous." In his remarks, Pinkas said it is not Israel's responsibility to educate American Jews about Israel and Jewish identity, but the American Jewish community's – and it is not doing a very good job.
"Where the hell has American Jewry been?" Pinkas demanded. "Rather than play foreign minister and go to the world's capitals and deal exclusively with anti-Semitism," he said, referring to Jewish organizational officials, "they should focus on educating American Jews." "What–are you writing the next chapter in The Protocols of the Elders of Zion?'" he asked rhetorically.
After leaving the consulate this summer in part over differences with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, Pinkas was offered a job as CEO of the American Jewish Congress. He accepted the post, but the appointment was put on hold after Israel's civil service commissioner said his acceptance violated a two-year "cooling-off period" required of Israeli foreign envoys seeking to work in the countries of their postings. Pinkas has submitted a request to circumvent the rule and is awaiting word on approval.
For his part, the executive director of the American Jewish Congress, Neil Goldstein, said this week that he agreed with Pinkas's viewpoints. "What Alon says about the need for addressing continuity issues in America and getting Jews to be more committed to the interests of the Jewish people here domestically are in fact valid goals," Goldstein said.
"We are living in new times, and we have to start addressing those issues," he said. "It's one of the reasons we thought it would be a good idea to bring Alon on board."
This is not the first time Pinkas has blasted American Jewish organizations and how they spend their time. In October 2001, Pinkas, then consul-general, sent a cable to the Foreign Ministry rebuking officials for holding countless useless meetings with US Jewish organizational officials.
"Another breakfast with the ADL in New York," he wrote in a widely publicized cable, "only adds calories–bagels and lox. If anything threatens the world's salmon population, it is Israel's information campaign policy."
Malcolm Hoenlein, executive vice chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, called Pinkas's remarks to the Post "insulting," "outrageous" and "contradictory." "For a guy who wants to head a Jewish organization, this is a strange comment," Hoenlein said. "He was consul-general for four years; what did he do about these things?"
Hoenlein also said Pinkas was inconsistent, as he said that Diaspora Jews have the right to tell Israel what they think because the Jewish state is a project of the Jewish people, but then rebuked them for telling Israel what they think.
Told this week of the reaction of American Jewish organizational officials to his comments, Pinkas was unrepentant.
"It is unfortunate that instead of responding to the challenge of engaging in a substantive dialogue about the real priorities of US Jewry, some people resort to personal pontification stemming from their sense of infallibility," he said. "The knee-jerk reaction only reinforces my argument – some American Jewish organizations should revisit their agenda before it is too late."
Privately, some officials said Pinkas's remarks are part of his posturing for a job in the Knesset, where he really sees his future. Criticism of American Jewish organizations would likely play well in Israel, these officials said.
Pinkas has said that if things don't work out for him in the US, he will return to Israel and would strongly consider running for the Knesset.
Arye Mekel, who succeeded Pinkas as consul-general in New York earlier this year, said he considers the work of American Jewish organizations to be "very positive and important," especially when it comes to helping convince other countries to take less hostile positions to Israel in the UN.
"When the Jewish organizations get into the picture," Mekel said, leaders of other countries "realize that we actually have very potent allies, which is the American Jewish community as represented by its organizations. This does a very good service to the State of Israel because this proves that we are not alone."