The Canadian Jewish Congress and National Post are teaming up yet again in an attempt to isoloate and marginalize Independent Jewish Voices. This time there is an all out attack on the United Church of Canada for daring to have relations with the dissident Jewish group.
United Church, Jewish group try to reconcile; At ‘breaking point'
Israeli left needs to wake up before it's too late
Looking at the way the right acts makes one go green with envy and want to learn from them. Four hundred criminal cases opened against opponents of the 2005 Gaza Strip disengagement, people who threw oil, acid, garbage and stones at soldiers and police, were closed last week and their criminal record expunged. Fifty-one MKs voted in favor of the closure, nine against. That is the true map of Israeli politics (and society). Only about seven percent of the lawmakers believed that this was a worthless and dangerous decision. All the rest agreed with it, or did not bother to vote or take an interest.Neither did anyone think to apply a similar rule to 800 protesters against Operation Cast Lead, who were arrested and charged, perhaps because they are Arabs, nor to the dozens arrested for protesting in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, perhaps because they are leftists. Left-wing demonstrators never acted as violently as the settlers do, but no one thinks about pardoning them. Not even a semblance of equality before the law, not even the appearance of justice for all - that is unnecessary in a place where public shame no longer exists.
This scandalous decision did not appear out of nowhere. It is the fruit of a campaign of pressure and solicitation, bullying and extortion. From now on, settlers and Israeli society will know that they can go as wild as they want: Even if someone dares charge them - another will arise who will know how to extricate them from trouble and penalty. In contrast, left-wing protesters are orphans. They have no public or parliamentary support. Protesters against disengagement and pogromists in Palestinian villages know they will be cleared, while leftist protesters are abandoned to their fate.
From now on the left will know that as long as it continues its winter (and summer) hibernation, its protesters will be thrown into jail and no one will spring them. From now on, Israel will know that its legal system discriminates between right and left - a strong, aggressive and violent right and a left deep in hibernation. That is the way it is when the leftovers of the left are busy with wages for authors, animal rights and useless organizing against Ehud Barak, with exemption from municipal taxes for synagogues and maternity leave for men. Meretz MKs do not even have time for Sheikh Jarrah. That is the way it is when the left wing of the Zionist establishment is dead.
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it's rich for an independent jewish group, called jewish voices being accused of "“vile, anti-Zionist” rhetoric,
but then perhaps their is a difference between being jewish and being zionist.. more folks need to be made aware of the distinction... much of this specific issue seems to revolve around anyone considering the idea of boycotting israel.... of course it is helpful to know that the national post ownership appear to have some close horse in this race as well, although the paper is techically for sale at present..
learning new catchphrases all the time... here is one from the link that i don't see very often..
"anti-Zionist conspiracy theorist"
that is a 2 for 1, lol....
thanks for the article and pointing this out aka mycroft...
Last week, the National Post published a screed yet again attacking Independent Jewish Voices and its former chair, Diana Ralph. Several years ago, prior to joining Independent Jewish Voices, Ralph wrote a chapter for a book called Hidden History of 9-11 in which her thesis was that the Bush Administration was using 9-11 as a pretext for an imperialist adventure in the Middle East and for Islamophobic measures at home.
Unfortunately, Ralph also made a few statements in passing that seemed to lend credibility to 9-11 conspiracy theories. The Post and the CJC have deliberately overstated this element of her writings in order to imply that Ralph herself is a conspiracy theorist and then tar Independent Jewish Voices by association despite the fact that IJV has never issued a single statement on 9-11 and despite the fact that an IJV spokesperson clearly told the Post that "The positions of Diana Ralph stated in those articles do not represent the positions of the IJV."
By challenging the monopoly uncritically Zionist groups such as the Canadian Jewish Congress and B'nai Brith Canada have claimed over Jewish opinion in this country IJV has undermined both the myth that Canadian Jews are of one voice when it comes to Israel and challenged the slur that criticism of Israel is tantamount to anti-Semitism. As a result, the CJC in particular has pulled out the stops in its attempt to isolate, vilify and marginalize IJV and harass any organization, such as the United Church of Canada, that has dealings with the organization.
The National Post, accordingly, when referring to IJV makes sure to also refer to it as having been "recently chaired by 9/11 conspiracy theorist Diana Ralph." The Post also takes issue with the fact that as past-co-chair, Ralph remains on IJV's executive.
There is a searing double standard here. The co-president of the Canadian Jewish Congress from 2007 to 2009 was a man named Reuven Bulka. He remains a member of the CJC's Board of Directors as "immediate past president." Now, prior to becoming co-president of the CJC, Bulka wrote a book called One Man, One Woman, One Lifetime in which he described homosexuality as "abnormal" and called on lesbian and gay Jews to seek "the help of mental health professionals and spiritual advisors". Not only that but Bulka served for years on the "scientific advisory committee" of a group called the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality which views homosexuality as a "psychological condition" and "developmental disorder" and offers "conversion therapy" which it claims will "cure" homosexuality. Despite Bulka's clear and longstanding association with a crackpot, pseudoscientific homophobic organization the good people of the National Post never follow references to the Canadian Jewish Congress with a statement such as "recently led by homophobic pseudoscience advocate Reuven Bulka" or write anything that implies that the CJC shares Bulka's views. Of course, the reason for the Post's inconsistent treatment of two Jewish groups has everything with ideology and nothing to do with journalistic ethics. Jonathan Kay has gone to great lengths sifting through the writings of IJV's former leader in hopes of finding something he can trump up into scandal but he's never given Rabbi Bulka's writings a second glance. Why?
And Mr Farber, apparently, feels it is incumbent upon him to issue guidance to an organization that is formed of presbyteries what is incumbent upon them.
Head ... desk ... Bernie Farber owes me a keyboard.
Wow. Where does one get that sense of entitlement?
yes indeed skdadl....
Y'know something? I might start going to church again. This is starting to make me angry enough to go to church again.
I'm a United Churcher. The UC needs me. *cue the William Tell overture*
From an unchecked ideological racism.
As it becomes increasingly harder for the Harperites and the Farberites and their ilk to defend Israel, they will resort to the most desperate forms of character assassination. A Jew who wants to stand up for human rights and decency had better not have a past, or these sharks will tear them to pieces. That's the unfortunate lesson of this episode. Let's hope the United Church doesn't easily fold in the face of blackmail.
By the way, aka M, I'm not convinced that dredging up Bulka's sins is the right response here. Of course it shows their hypocrisy. But doesn't it also tend to legitimize this method of avoiding the issues?
Unless there is evidence that Mr. Bulka has changed his mind about homosexuality, what he has published should be a valid cause for concern. It's not "dragging up someone's sins" to warn the public about the person's ideas or at least to divulge his or her positions on other political issues, which may confirm a general attitude. If a reactionary wants to "drag up" my sin of having published a book that favourable (or at least uncritical) toward Latin American revolution 35 years ago, expressing ideas which I have never renounced in subsequent publications, then it's their prerrogative to do so if they want to use it to caution the public about how dangerous I can be. (Ha. Ha. Armchair activist that I 've always been.) CSIS and other security agencies certainly keep track secretly of one's sins, old and new, so why can't the public be informed?
Do you think every organization that opposes zionism and supports the creation of a Palestinian state is progressive on issues concerning gay rights? Don't expect Hamas to come out for same sex marriage anytime soon. Does that discredit Palestinian supporters when it comes to discussing the situations in the Middle East? Do the two have anything to do with each other? No? Then why take an Orthodox rabbi's beliefs regarding homosexuality and try to use them to discredit and organziation's views on foreign policy?
So, aka M, you see how Bulka's sins get used by Zionists to create diversions? It doesn't take them two seconds before they get with the "look over there!!!" program.
IJV should keep their focus on putting forward progressive positions on behalf of Jews, and having utter contempt for individual attacks and character assassination. Otherwise, you're on a playing field where BB and CJC and CPC are past masters and reigning champions.
It seems that AKAMycroft has a bit of a thing about Rabbi Bulka. He posted about this back in the summer. I found this with just a little digging
http://www.rabble.ca/comment/1028004/Seems-Rabbi-Bulka-sat
As well, Isn't Rabbi Bulka an orthodox Rabbi? Orthodox Judaism still sadly have biblical issues here. Yet while Bulka was co-President of CJC, the Congress marched in two gay pride parades and its CEO spoke at a Kulanu (Jewish LGBT group) event honouring the memory of those murdered at a Gay and Lesbian community centre in Tel Aviv.
Lots of contradictions here seems to me.
Yup...looks like unionist was right.
What is a "trained psychotherapist"?
They're only moderately more dangerous than the untrained variety.
It means he has a psychology degree, or is a certified/registered counsellor
... guess supporters of the CJC and BBC, have advanced knowlege of contradictions, so are qualified to pronounce here that they think they perceive such..
I first came across Bulka's ridiculous views when I was doing some digging around the time of CJC's attack on QuAIA last June. I was reminded of it last week as a result of the National Post and CJC's attack on IJV and Diana Ralph. If that means I have a "thing" for Rabbi Bulka, so be it. As for CJC marching in two gay pride parades I think you mean they've marched in two gay pride parades since the end of Bulka's term (this year in Toronto and Montreal). A number of people commented when Bernie Farber joined this year's parade that it was the first time anyone could recall the CJC in a pride parade. Indeed, it was interesting that Farber did not march in Pride either year that Bulka was co-president and only did so after his term had expired.
I find it interesting that Kulanu had much to say about QuAIA but nothing to say about Bulka's abhorrent views while he was president. Indeed, you would have thought someone in CJC would have objected to a homophobe holding the group's highest office.
He's also a trained psychotherapist which makes his indulgence in pseudoscientific "cures" for homosexuality at best, scary, at worst, professional misconduct. I wonder how many lives he's destroyed with his hokum?
[url=http://www.nationalpost.com/story.html?id=2507128]Beautiful letter[/url] - by an Anglican priest - staunchly defending what is best in the Jewish people:
Reverend Robert C. Assaly, eh?
Sounds like another Hamas/Hizbollah operative working under cover in this fair and democratic country.
I'm declaring him an Honorary Jew. Here's some more about him:
[url=http://www.thecanadiancharger.com/page.php?id=5&a=107]Source.[/url]
Here's another letter:
Re: United Church, Jewish Group Try To Reconcile, Jan. 29.
Kathryn Blaze Carlson reports on the attempt by the Canadian Jewish Congress to blackmail the United Church into abandoning its tradition of openness and "repent" for its support of the Independent Jewish Voices of Canada. No single organization can possibly represent the opinions of an entire community, whether Jewish, Greek or Arab. The establishment of the Independent Jewish Voices of Canada, inspired by a similar group in Britain, has brought diversity to the monolithic image of Canadian Jewry promoted by the Canadian Jewish Congress.
This is particularly grievous since the Congress creates a dangerous false impression, namely that Canadian Jews are united behind Israel and its military actions, even though many Jews have qualified these actions as crimes of war. It is this kind of misrepresentation that foments anti-Jewish sentiment in our country that the Independent Jewish Voices is trying to contest. The United Church has no reason to be ashamed of its help to the then-fledging organization.
It is the Canadian Jewish Congress that should be ashamed of its unconditional support for Israel, "my country right or wrong," and of its self-righteous arrogance in pressuring the United Church.
Yakov M. Rabkin, professor of History, University of Montreal.
I'm guessing, from the 416 area code, that the above is taking place at the centre of the universe?
And thanks for linking to the letter, Mycroft. Why do you think the NP is printing these replies? A crise de conscience? Is this what CCAA protection does?
Sorry. Yes: Lowther Avenue is in Toronto.
*skdadl trudges away, suitably ashamed*
I know Professor Rabkin having had some contact with him in Montreal. Don't you think he should have indicated that he is a member of the "Independent Jewish Voices"?
I found a good online discussion of the work CJC has done regarding the LGBT community here at the NOW site.
http://www.nowtoronto.com/daily/story.cfm?content=170150
Both sides well represented...even Farber seems to have posted. In the end I think it tilts more positively towards CJC but that's just my view
Farber was taken to task for pandering by wearing a "Nobody knows I'm gay" t-shirt when not only is he not gay but hadn't been seen at a Pride parade until the Palestinian issue came up. Had Farber marched at Pride when Reuven Bulka was co-president it would have been more impressive. (Or are you suggesting that perhaps he did and wore a "Nobody tell Rabbi Bulka I'm here" t-shirt?)
I hardly ever see letter writers identify their organizational affiliation unless they are actually authorized to speak on behalf of the organization. I sign myself as being with this or that organization when I'm writing in an official capacity and do not do so when I'm just speaking for myself and while there may be an expectation that an officer or employee of an organization identify themselves as such when writing a letter to the editor about their organization I don't think there's any such expectation for rank and file members. If there were then then the complexion of every letters to the editor page would be quite different. I frequently see letters about Canadian politics by people I know to be a member of this NDP riding association or that Liberal or Tory riding association who do not declare their party membership in their correspondence (unless they are actually members of a party executive - and even then...)
Or are you suggesting that rank and file or even mid-level members of CJC, Bnai Brith etc who write to newspapers always identify themselves as such? I'm pretty sure we can find examples of that not being the case without much trouble.
Anyway, if posters who were affiliated or even employed by the CJC identified themselves as such when they post to babble then you might have a point. (Not suggesting that you are - just that others have been)
Ain't no such thing as a "certified/registered counsellor" as far as I know. That was the point I'm making. Anyone can call themselves a "psychotherapist" or a "counsellor". You don't have to have any qualifications whatsoever to call yourself those things. It's "psychiatrist" and "psychologist" and "doctor" that you have to be certified and registered to call yourself. Might differ from province to province, though, I don't know.
I don't know if Bulka calls himself a "trained psychotherapist". I know he's been described as a psychotherapist and I believe he has a PhD in psychology and writes books on psychology, psychotherapy etc.
Most certainly there are registered and certified counsellors Michelle, who do not have a degree, even in Ontario, just do a search engine search, to see for yourself.
Registered and certified by whom?
Psychiatrists are regulated but, until recently, in Ontario anyone could call themselves a "psychotherapist" without necessarily having any credentials.
This changed in 2007 with the passage of the Psychotherapy Act and the creation of the College of Psychotherapists and Registered Mental Health Therapists of Ontario. I believe we are still in the transitional stage were regulation hasn't been fully implemented.
http://www.ccpa-accp.ca/
The Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) is a national and bilingual organization dedicated to the enhancement of the counselling profession in Canada.
According to the website of Rabbi Bulka's synagogue:
"He received his Semicha (Rabbinic ordination) from the Rabbi Yaakov Yoseph Rabbinical Seminary, New York, in 1965 and his Ph.D. (concentration in the Logotherapy of Viktor Frankl) from the University of Ottawa in 1971"
Ok, now let's talk about 9/11, and let the CJC and the NP totally off the hook.
Why would anyone care whether the CJC harbours a homophobe, or whether IJV harbours a conspiracy theorist? Only if they're overly interested in avoiding the real issues, or if they're overly defensive when a McCarthyite attack is launched. This thread is a serious example of how not to respond to a vicious and dirty attack.
akamycroft, I was at the Gay Pride parade marching with kulanau, The Jewish LGBT group, and frankl;y I'm pretty tired of this ongoing smear of my kulanu friends and Farber.
We were selling that t-shirt to gays and straights as a momey maker. Farber and about 75 others bought the shirt and wore it in solidarity with their LGBT brothers and sisters. No one but you and a few others then decided to use this against him and us.
Second, Farber marched in the gay pride parade in 08 as well. He wore a CJC hat and t-shirt. Enough with this already!!
Sorry for my part in the thread drift, Unionist. But for those of us who have been around this merry-go-round with the CJC cavalry on babble for years on end, we're so used to the deflection that it gets routine. Doesn't mean we haven't noticed the substantial issue in the thread, and it doesn't mean we don't recognize attempts to sidetrack it. But you're right, we shouldn't play along. Mea culpa.
I'm curious about the way the McCarthyite attack has ramped up fairly steeply just over the last year, even less than that. Am I wrong to sense that it has? Is that just in Canada, where there is a cabal within the government that actually has some power to do institutional damage and is intent on using it (the Kenney party)? Is it in reaction to the Goldstone report? Because people are saying and doing some extreme things, things with consequences.
Jaku, what actions did kulanu take in response to CJC electing an advocate and practiioner of "conversion therapy" as its co-president? Any protests? Press release perhaps? Op-ed in the Canadian Jewish News? Demand that Bulka repudiate his former position? Anything to actually advance the cause of LGBT rights with the organization that is the self-styled representatives of the Jewish people?
For the first year or so of IJV's existence the CJC tried to ignore it. That didn't work so they've moved on to a campaign of vilification and attempted isoloation. One should ask why the CJC is so obsessed with IJV that they are making relations between IJV and UCC a major focus of their own discussions with UCC.
Goldstone is certainly part of it and there is, similarly, an international campaign of vilification aimed at the South African jurist and self-described Zionist. Related is the "new antisemitism" campaign which has recently been revived and attempts to smear virtually all criticism of Israel as anti-Semitic.
In regards to Goldstone, See for example this article from Ha'aretz:
Dershowitz: Goldstone is a traitor to the Jewish people
Meanwhile, despite the throroughgoing thrashing Goldstone has received, the government of Israel has been forced to admit backhandedly that he is on to something.
Israel reprimands top officers over UN compound strike
Meanwhile, despite the throroughgoing thrashing Goldstone has received, the government of Israel has been forced to admit backhandedly that he is on to something.
Israel reprimands top officers over UN compound strike
I see you chose not to deal with Jaku's allegations that completely explain how you have tried to misrepresent Farber and the T-shirt issue. Not surprising.
Ummmm ... As I recall, Farber's participation in Gay Pride last year was a little more complicated than Jaku and Gus are saying.
Farber had earlier attempted to instruct the Toronto Pride organizers on the very nature of their march. He had claimed that political groups do not belong in a gay pride march, which I thought was very funny, or at least it would have been if we didn't know that so many people think in his sort of categories.
So he [URL=http://www.rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/andrew-brett/2009/07/gay-panic-cjc-a... for it,[/URL] y'know? He asked for it by being bossy and presumptuous. Just as he is doing now with the UCC, an organization founded on presbyteries that are never going to take the kind of "national guidance" that he thinks they should, in his incurably patriarchal way.
The one good thing about neocons -- they always overreach. When they see that they have a small advantage, they jump the shark and try to take over too much too fast, and suddenly decent people start to think, omigosh, this is going too far. Bernie Farber has gone too far.
See, aka M, if you question Bulka and Farber on their LGBT creds, you have served a 57-course meal of diversionary bullshit upon which the defenders of the murderous Israeli regime will feast for years.
It doesn't matter if Bulka hates gays. It doesn't matter if Farber is only a recent convert to Pride parades. It doesn't matter if Diana Ralph has some bizarro notions about how little green men working for Dick Cheney toppled the Towers. It's all grist to the mill of those who want to betray the finest traditions of the Jewish people. Don't follow them down that path.
I'm saying this as someone who admires the principled and consistent work that you do.
Sorry, Unionist. I lost my temper. Bad habit. You are right.
Not sure, skdadl. I've been taking heat for my anti-Zionist politics for some 40 years now, so it's hard for me to detect the ebbs and flows. But I must say that there are hordes of Jews today - compared to back then - who have seen through the evil that Israel commits on a daily basis. That is gratifying, and it's the one thing that keeps me from following [url=http://www.nyu.edu/projects/ollman/docs/resignation.php]Bertell Ollman's example[/url].
You're right Unionist; let's focus on the essential issue here: Israel's hasbara machine has gone into superdrive in an effort to vilify any criticism from Israel as witnessed by this new attack by Dershowitz on Judge Goldstone calling him "evil" and a traitor. Groups like the CJC are doing their part by vilifying Jewish critics in Canada, in particular IJV. Where once CJC could claim to be the "parliament of Canadian Jews" today they act like thought police within the Jewish community - hunting down heretics, casting them out, and ostracising them to the extent of even attacking the United Church for daring to associate with Jewish dissidents.
Israel once claimed to be a democratic state, however, that illusion is evaporating as the state ramps up repression not only against vocal Palestinian citizens of Israel, termed "Israel Arabs" but against NGOs and even the Jewish left. According to one report I've received:
And from the Jerusalem Post article linked to above about the attacks on the Israeli Jewish left: