"The paradox of anti-Semitism is
that it is invariably up to the Jews to explain away the charges. The
anti-Semite simply has to make them." --Jack Schwartz
Leon Klinghoffer & an Anti-Semitic Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Leon Klinghoffer was a Jew shot by terrorist members of the Palestinian Liberation Front aboard the passenger liner Achille Lauro and dumped from his wheelchair into the Mediterranean. He was murdered for being Jewish.
Leon Klinghoffer & an Anti-Semitic Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
Leon Klinghoffer was a Jew shot by terrorist members of the Palestinian Liberation Front aboard the passenger liner Achille Lauro and dumped from his wheelchair into the Mediterranean. He was murdered for being Jewish.
“The Death of Klinghoffer” is an
anti-Semitic American opera. It was first produced in Brussels,
Belgium, and New York City, USA, in 1991. It is based on the hijacking
of the Achille Lauro in 1985 and the Klinghoffer murder that took place
on board, but it is anti-Jewish revisionism that depicts the evil
Palestinians as the real victims and accuses Klinghoffer’s wife of being
the true slayer of her husband for insurance money.
Liberal Hate Speech
This money-hungry stereotype of Jews will endear this opera to Islamists, and its American origin will legitimize it, since liberals, such as the writers of this opera, are surely broad-minded and fair on the subject of Jews, right?
The truth is that “liberals” are anything but philo-Semites: witness the anti-Semitism of Occupy Wall Street and the Obama Administration's repeated naming of Israel as an apartheid state.
All of this has worked to embolden CAIR (the American face of Hamas) and its efforts in its BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) against Israel. The failure of Democrats to speak out against these harms, coupled with liberal media failure to report them, has left American Jewry at a tremendous disadvantage.
This money-hungry stereotype of Jews will endear this opera to Islamists, and its American origin will legitimize it, since liberals, such as the writers of this opera, are surely broad-minded and fair on the subject of Jews, right?
The truth is that “liberals” are anything but philo-Semites: witness the anti-Semitism of Occupy Wall Street and the Obama Administration's repeated naming of Israel as an apartheid state.
All of this has worked to embolden CAIR (the American face of Hamas) and its efforts in its BDS campaign (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) against Israel. The failure of Democrats to speak out against these harms, coupled with liberal media failure to report them, has left American Jewry at a tremendous disadvantage.
Progressive Art: Renewing the Legitimization of Evil
On November 15th, 2014, the Metropolitan Opera, the largest classical music organization in North America, had plans for simulcasting “The Death of Klinghoffer” to 66 nations! Eventually, the Jewish outrage brought to bear was just enough to shut the simulcast down. However, the Met is going forward with the rest of its production plans, no holds barred!
This is truly a sad state of affairs, as it will spread, once again, the false Palestinian claim that Klinghoffer’s widow is a greedy, Jewish murderess. The Islamic world uses these fictionalized dramatizations to legitimize the writing of anti-Semitic revisionist history. This latest anti-Jewish libel will, eventually, have an impact on the entire Jewish people. How immoral, and how tragic! It was bad enough that this opera was written in the first place, without the Metropolitan Opera's becoming a messenger for Islamist ideals.
On November 15th, 2014, the Metropolitan Opera, the largest classical music organization in North America, had plans for simulcasting “The Death of Klinghoffer” to 66 nations! Eventually, the Jewish outrage brought to bear was just enough to shut the simulcast down. However, the Met is going forward with the rest of its production plans, no holds barred!
This is truly a sad state of affairs, as it will spread, once again, the false Palestinian claim that Klinghoffer’s widow is a greedy, Jewish murderess. The Islamic world uses these fictionalized dramatizations to legitimize the writing of anti-Semitic revisionist history. This latest anti-Jewish libel will, eventually, have an impact on the entire Jewish people. How immoral, and how tragic! It was bad enough that this opera was written in the first place, without the Metropolitan Opera's becoming a messenger for Islamist ideals.
Following the terrorist attacks of
September 11th, 2001, the Boston Symphony Orchestra cancelled a
performance of excerpts from the opera scheduled for November 2001,
because a member of the Tanglewood Festival Chorus had lost a family
member on one of the hijacked planes. But in the current environment of
an ultra-liberal, anti-Semitic media, this opera is eminently doable.
Letting it go forward, without any denunciation from any liberal
Democrat anywhere, also sends a strong message to anti-Semitic Islamists
(now a growing community of voters): We, the Democrats, are your party.
With Great Freedom Comes Great Responsibility
We have a near-unfettered freedom of speech in our country, a good thing to be sure, but with great freedom does come great responsibility. And the subject matter for this opera is beyond irresponsible; it is no less than the beginning of a cultural suicide within the Met. All of the values being expressed are upside-down with regard to any civilized ethical standard. There is a romanticization of Jew-hatred deeply embedded in this opera.
We have a near-unfettered freedom of speech in our country, a good thing to be sure, but with great freedom does come great responsibility. And the subject matter for this opera is beyond irresponsible; it is no less than the beginning of a cultural suicide within the Met. All of the values being expressed are upside-down with regard to any civilized ethical standard. There is a romanticization of Jew-hatred deeply embedded in this opera.
Anti-Semitism & Anti-Americanism, Brought to You by Team Obama
Today,
in an America where 34% of the country approves of President Obama’s
release of the Taliban Dream Team from Guantanamo Bay, we are all in
trouble. Anti-Semitism is on the rise, and President Obama has been
giving weapons to Qatar, Hamas’ weapons supplier, to thwart the efforts
of Israel in its war against terrorists. As anti-Semitism increases, so
does the endangerment of traditional American values, those values
whose dissemination protects all Americans from the injustices now being
fueled by liberal progressives against Jews.
Also, the growth of the Islamic State has been brought about by its leader, Caliph Ibrahim, who was a prisoner at Camp Bucca, Iraq, until Obama had him released. With anti-Americanism in his eyes, he told his former captors, as he was leaving, “See you guys in New York!”
Today,
in an America where 34% of the country approves of President Obama’s
release of the Taliban Dream Team from Guantanamo Bay, we are all in
trouble. Anti-Semitism is on the rise, and President Obama has been
giving weapons to Qatar, Hamas’ weapons supplier, to thwart the efforts
of Israel in its war against terrorists. As anti-Semitism increases, so
does the endangerment of traditional American values, those values
whose dissemination protects all Americans from the injustices now being
fueled by liberal progressives against Jews.Also, the growth of the Islamic State has been brought about by its leader, Caliph Ibrahim, who was a prisoner at Camp Bucca, Iraq, until Obama had him released. With anti-Americanism in his eyes, he told his former captors, as he was leaving, “See you guys in New York!”
Responsible Information & Enforcement of the US Constitution
The best defense of American Jews against anti-Semitism's bubbling up into government is for Jews to inform themselves responsibly and to insist on the Constitution's being enforced as the law of the land. A dictatorial chief executive who goes around the Congress to make law should be rebuked by the Jewish community. The Constitution is important as a limitation on government, to ensure that ideas such as anti-Semitism are not allowed any kind of official status. An anti-Semitic government, unhinged from the Constitution and headed by a scofflaw chief executive, can only be a nightmare government, not only for Jews, but for all Americans.
The best defense of American Jews against anti-Semitism's bubbling up into government is for Jews to inform themselves responsibly and to insist on the Constitution's being enforced as the law of the land. A dictatorial chief executive who goes around the Congress to make law should be rebuked by the Jewish community. The Constitution is important as a limitation on government, to ensure that ideas such as anti-Semitism are not allowed any kind of official status. An anti-Semitic government, unhinged from the Constitution and headed by a scofflaw chief executive, can only be a nightmare government, not only for Jews, but for all Americans.
Supporting traditional American values is,
in fact, a very Jewish thing to do, since these values all have as
their basis ethical Judaism (thus the term Judeo-Christian values).
Haym Solomon was an early American patriot who helped to finance the
American Revolution. He immigrated to New York from Poland and helped
to convert French loans into ready cash by selling bills of exchange for
Robert Morris, the Superintendent of Finance.
Solomon advanced direct loans to the
government and gave generously of his own resources to pay the salaries
of government officials and army officers. It appears that Solomon
never requested repayment of the loans. His early support of American
ideals played an important role in the establishment of the country,
ultimately helping to lay the foundation for the encoding of its highest
ideals in the US Constitution.
America has, historically, been exceptional in its promotion of what is good and right. Let us all strive together as Americans to make sure that this tradition continues. And, for a fact-based opera about a Jew, might I suggest somebody write “The Haym Solomon Story”?
America has, historically, been exceptional in its promotion of what is good and right. Let us all strive together as Americans to make sure that this tradition continues. And, for a fact-based opera about a Jew, might I suggest somebody write “The Haym Solomon Story”?
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