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Dr. Charles Jacobs of
Americans for Peace
and Tolerance and Dr.
Eugene Greenstein,
president of local ZOA
Wake-Up Call
Speaker calls radical Islam "biggest
threat" to Jews since WWII; criticizes
level of official Jewish response.
Don Cohen
Contributing Writer
correctness" that labels criticism of Islam,
mosques and Muslim organizations as
racist.
omebody better think this
He says Muslim political and religious
through and develop a strategy
leaders, leftists, academics and some
because we're flying blind;'
church leaders promote a narrative where
Charles Jacobs says of American Jewish
Israel and Jews are the problem and "if
responses to radical Islam in America.
you are an Islamic person nothing you do
"I don't blame the Jewish organizations is blameworthy, and whatever is done by
for not seeing this coming," he said, but
you is justified:'
he does blame them for "not acknowledg-
"Big lies repeated long enough can
ing the problem and not discussing it
win hearts and minds," he said, explain-
with the community."
ing that after the 1967 Six-Day War, "the
Jacob's view resonated with the crowd
Soviet Union, who were masters of pro-
of more than 250 at a forum sponsored
paganda, joined with pseudo-academics
by the Zionist Organization of America
to flip the story" about Israel. Instead
(ZOA) and StandWithUs-Michigan
of a story of a Jewish survival and tri-
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
umph over hate, it became one of "white
Southfield on April 6. His talk broke new
colonialists who stole the land from
ground by challenging Jewish Federations the dark-skinned indigenous, innocent
and their Community Relations Councils, Palestinians."
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and
"After 40 years, this has become the
the American Jewish Committee (AJC) to view in all of Europe, on American col-
more loudly and effectively identify and
lege campuses and in the media elite,' he
challenge the threats against Jews and
said.
Israel.
He urged Jews to "lay aside our furi-
He called Islamic anti-Semitism "the
ous left/right debate and focus on mak-
biggest threat we've had since WWII."
ing Israel's basic case" as a democracy,
"The failure of Jewish leadership is not American ally and bulwark against
an unknown phenomenon in our people's Muslim extremism and terrorism.
history': he said. "The consequences [of
We must "find and face the truth': he
failure] to us are enormous."
said, by going beyond the mainstream
The Boston-based Jacobs has formed
media and "ally ourselves with other
four organizations to address what he sees victims of Islam" and lauding evan-
as inadequacies of the Jewish "establish-
gelical Christians as "absolutely our best
ment." He helped found the media-moni-
friends." He also asked his audience to
toring Committee for Accuracy in Middle
"hold our Jewish leaders feet to the fire:"
East Reporting in America (CAMERA) in
Asked if there are moderate Muslims,
1983, the American Anti-Slavery Group
he responded, "I know there are moderate
in 1993, the David Project in 2002 and,
Muslims because I work with moderate
together with a Muslim and a Christian,
Muslims. But I don't know if they will
his current organization Americans for
win. The moderate Muslims I work with
Peace and Tolerance in 2008.
are frightened, too."
While Jacobs says things in Europe are
Vladimir Kovner of Bloomfield Hills
worse than here, he sees us going down
says he's been coming to ZOA programs
the same path. A major reason is multi-
for several months and finds it "energiz-
culturalism, whereby "nothing is better
ing for Jews to see how many other Jews
than anything else, and there are no
are sick of the threats to Israel and want
absolutes:' he said, resulting in "political
to do what we can to help." Fl
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April 14 - 2011
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