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Thursday, May 27, 2010

[The following, by Ben Cohen, is crossposted from Z Word.]

Jeffrey Goldberg has a revealing interview with Marcy Winograd, who is challenging Jane Harman in California's Democratic primary on June 8th.

Here's a collection of Winograd's thoughts as shared with Goldberg:

  • Why the US brought 9/11 on itself: "Most of the hijackers were from Saudi Arabia and were angry at the proliferation of U.S. bases and forces in Saudi Arabia, so I think there's a great degree of pushback over the presence of U.S. troops all over the world."
  • In answer to the question, "if we left Afghanistan, wouldn't the Taliban shut down these women-led NGOs?" "Well, that would be the whole point in investing in women-led NGOS, to make them stronger and to help women emerge in leadership positions politically. Under the Soviet-influenced government in Afghanistan, women had far more freedom than they do today, after how many years of American occupation?"
  • Why Jews are to blame for antisemitism. "Zionism categorizes Jews as a race, which makes it easier for Jews to be targeted."
  • Why a 'one-state' solution doesn't apparently involve killing most of the Jews currently living in Israel in order to be workable. "I'm a believer in equality, one voice, one vote, Israelis and Palestinians, one voice, one vote, that's my personal position."
  • And the customary "as-a-Jew" narcissism. "I've labeled myself as a Jewish woman of conscience who is compelled to speak out because of the suffering in the world."

Awful. Just awful.

But here's a question for J-Street. According to this puff piece about Winograd, one of her enthusiastic backers is Lila Garrett, a J-Street Board Member. Is supporting a candidate who, in her own words, reveals herself to be a Soviet apologist, an advocate of Israel's elimination, a believer in the thesis that the US brought 9/11 on itself, a supporter of the equation of Zionism with racism, and an optimist on the Taliban's attitude toward the rights of women compatible with the "pro-Israel, pro-peace" branding?

1 Comment

Is there any reason that I should find a Pat Buchanan more repellant than I do Marcy Winograd? Could J-Street find anyone worse than her to endorse, or find worse than Lila Garrett of Pacifica to put on their board? (They couldn't get Amy Goodman or Medea Benjamin? Sara Roy? Judith Butler? So many possibilities.)

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