In the previous post, I quoted from Paul Krugman who explained why he never wrote about Israel:
The truth is that like many liberal American Jews — and most American Jews are still liberal — I basically avoid thinking about where Israel is going. It seems obvious from here that the narrow-minded policies of the current government are basically a gradual, long-run form of national suicide — and that’s bad for Jews everywhere, not to mention the world. But I have other battles to fight, and to say anything to that effect is to bring yourself under intense attack from organized groups that try to make any criticism of Israeli policies tantamount to anti-Semitism.
In other words, he does not write about Israel for the same reason most journalists choose not to. He does not want to arouse the wrath of the Grand Poobahs of the Jewish community who work to shut down anyone who dares criticize Israel. It just isn’t worth it, especially if Israel isn’t your be all and end all.
Like clockwork, William Daroff, the (uber-Republican) Vice President for Public Policy & Director of the Jewish Federations of North America, the largest Jewish charity in the world, responded to Krugman in a tweet.
On this #YomHaZikaron @NYTimeskrugman slams #Israel & seeks to squelch all criticism of her critics nyti.ms/HZvaNG
— William Daroff (@Daroff) April 24, 2012
Let’s deconstruct Enforcer Daroff. First, he notes that today is Yom HaZikaron which is the day Israel commemorates its war dead. Daroff is saying that Krugman, an American, should not be indicating any disagreement with Israel on Israeli Memorial Day which, of course, has nothing to do with Krugman. This is like attacking an Israeli for criticizing U.S policy on our May 30th Memorial Day, as if anyone would care.
Two, Daroff just lies. Krugman did not “slam” Israel at all, although he did criticize “the narrow-minded policies of the current government” which is not the same at all. Daroff, a partisan right-wing Republican his entire life has criticized the policies of every Democratic president who has served in his life time. The Republican Jewish Coalition, of which he was Deputy Executive Director, is a virtual hate machine against all Democrats and especially President Obama.
Three, Krugman nowhere “seeks to squelch criticism of “her [Israel's] critics].” Not one word Krugman writes remotely does that, not even by inference. And Daroff knows it, but lying about what critics of Israeli policies say is part of his job description, I guess.
The best part is that Daroff proves how right Krugman is when he says that he does not want to get into the dirt with communal enforcers. I mean, he is Paul Krugman and William Daroff is some Stasi-like bureaucrat, compiling files on critics of Israel and, in the case of 60 Minutes, personally using the power he has to try to prevent CBS from criticizing the world’s only perfect government and country: Israel. In other words, Krugman tries to write the truth (as he sees it) and Daroff tries to squelch truth in the name of Israel.
Who does Daroff think he is? AIPAC?
