'Renegade Jew' reveals bitterness of Republican rift
We've had the Iron Lady , Slick Willie and The Governator . Political monikers are not a new thing. But a new and controversial one has emerged as a result of Republican divisions over the prospect of Donald Trump becoming the party's candidate for the US presidency.
The term "renegade Jew" is trending after one right-wing news organisation Breitbart News used it as part of a headline attacking William Kristol , the editor of another conservative journal the Weekly Standard .
The full headline reads "Bill Kristol: Republican spoiler, renegade Jew prepares third party effort to block Trump's path to White House". It accompanies a hostile profile of Kristol by the Jewish writer David Horowitz whose name has also been trending.
Kristol is one of the prominent Republican voices opposed to Trump (although in fairness, Kristol does seem to have softened his support of the #NeverTrump campaign recently ). Trump is the last remaining Republican candidate in the Presidential race, although that doesn't mean he's a shoe-in for the GOP candidacy.
There's speculation in Washington that Kristol is one of the a group of anti-Trump Republicans - which is said to also include Mitt Romney - allegedly seeking ways to keep the businessman from running for the Oval Office. The conspirators are said to want to elect a third-party candidate to challenge Trump for the nomination in defiance of the will of those who voted for him in the primaries.
However, much of the online conversation resulting from Horowitz's article has been less about Trump's personal merits or lack of them and more about the pungent phrase in the headline. For some on social media "renegade Jew" encapsulated h
Might this be a what a "renegade Jew" looks like wondered one online wit.
Some wondered what a 'Renegade Jew' could be.
While others expressed the view that this was nonsense because, they argued, Horowitz couldn't be anti-Semitic about another Jew.
So what does lie behind the phrase? Horowitz has admitted that he came up with the headline as well as the text of the article. So it wasn't a Breitbart sub-editor who was looking for an eye-catching title that has little to do with the words underneath.
In the body of his Breitbart text, Horowitz doesn't actually use the word 'renegade'. He writes, citing several examples, that Kristol's opposition to Trump risks "splitting the Republican vote" . This, as Horowitz sees it, is Kristol's real offence as undermining Trump, the argument could hand victory to the Democrats.
In his article he writes "half of world Jewry now lives in Israel, and the enemies whom Obama and Hillary have empowered — Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood, Hezbollah, ISIS, and Hamas — have openly sworn to exterminate the Jews. I am also an American (and an American first), whose country is threatened with destruction by the same enemies. To weaken the only party that stands between the Jews and their annihilation, and between America and the forces intent on destroying her, is a political miscalculation so great and a betrayal so profound as to not be easily forgiven."
Kristol is unlikely to be chastened by this rebuke. He said of the article: Bill Kristol said of the article: "I haven't read it, and can't say I intend to."
Blog by Megha Mohan
http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-trending-36303627
Tags
Who is online
303 visitors
Red Box Rule is be nice and this concerned JUST the American Election! Not the state of Israel or Palestinians or Jewishness around the world!
So, in the terms of the American election, what is a "renegade Jew"? And can only one Jew say it about another? Or is it impossible for one Jew to accuse another of it?
I'll repeat what I said about this on the article on this topic that I seeded this morning.
What this article and the Breitbart article leave out is something that is obvious to people who are aware of the writer, David Horowitz. Horowitz is considered one of the biggest Islamophobes and anti-Muslims in America . His website FrontPage Mag has anti-Muslim stories and op-eds on a daily basis, and he funds other anti-Muslim websites such as Robert Spencer.
So Horowitz has his motive to back Trump and attack those that oppose Trump. He is essentially calling Krystol a traitor to Israel because he opposes Trump.
But Hillary is a friend to Israel as well. Horowitz knows that. So what is the problem? Simple - Hillary is not anti-Muslim like Trump is.
I am curious about something here. What is the purpose of identifying him as an Islamophobe, when being an Islamophobe has nothing to do with the topic - which is using the expression "Renegade Jew". Why don't you bring up the fact that he uses Jockey shorts instead of boxer shorts underwear? That has about as much to do with what this discussion is about as Islamophobia is. I guess you just couldn't wait to broadcast your anti-Islamophobia crusade anywhere there is an empty space to write upon.
Him being an Islamophobe or anti-Muslim is very relevant Buzz. It is why he is attacking Bill Kristol for being "never Trump".
Weekly Standard editor Bill Kristol is among the leaders of a conservative group trying to draft an independent presidential candidate, so it’s no surprise that a headline on the pro-Trump Breitbart News website would label him a “Republican spoiler.” Kristol’s mission is indeed to spoil the White House ambitions of presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump.
But another description of Kristol in the same Breitbart headline has some journalists aghast: “renegade Jew.”
Let’s note at the outset that the author of the accompanying article, David Horowitz, is Jewish, as was the late Andrew Breitbart . Horowitz writes the following:
To summarize: Kristol’s opposition to the Republican standard-bearer is tantamount to a betrayal of his fellow Jews; therefore, he is a “renegade Jew.”
But Horowitz’s rationale, if you want to call it that, doesn’t arrive until the final paragraph of an 1,800-word story. The rest of the piece has nothing to do with Israel or religion. Unless you make it all the way to the end — and perhaps, even if you do — you’ll leave with the impression of an anti-Semitic attack.
Other journalists — including some Jewish ones — decided to co-opt the term as a mark of pride, suggesting “Renegade Jew” would be a good name for a band, film hero or wrestler.
What does Kristol think, though? Nothing, apparently.
For what it's worth, Breitbart did revise the original headline, but simply to make it shorter. The “renegade Jew” language remains intact.
It’s an unapologetic approach that mirrors the style of the site’s favorite candidate. And it's one that achieves similar results, too — plenty of controversy and hand-wringing."
I am curious about something here. What is the purpose of identifying him as an Islamophobe, when being an Islamophobe has nothing to do with the topic - which is using the expression "Renegade Jew".
I agree with John on this Buzz. Horowitz is attacking Kristol (which I find hilarious, one hardcore right winger attacking another) for not hating Muslims as much as he does and (IMHO) that is one of the main reasons he supports Trump and is angry that Kristol doesn't.
Red Box Rule is be nice and this concerned JUST the American Election! Not the state of Israel or Palestinians or Jewishness around the world!
I see no violation of that red box rule. You are of course free to disagree and to not participate in this discussion because of it.
I'm sorry John. Did I repost an article you already posted? I wasn't up this morning, so I'll take this one down and comment on yours if you like.
No need, I just wanted to explain the text of my comment.
In any case, I can't resist agreeing with you on this posting right here:
David Horowitz. Horowitz is considered one of the biggest Islamophobes and anti-Muslims in America . His website FrontPage Mag has anti-Muslim stories and op-eds on a daily basis, and he funds other anti-Muslim websites such as Robert Spencer.
The key to this is that Trump is anti-Muslim and Clinton is not. That is one reason Horowitz would be against anyone (in this case Bill Kristol) who is against Trump.
I agree completely. Horowitz is among the last people I would take seriously when it comes to anything to do with Islam and Muslims. His hatred of them is well documented and so is his pride of that bigotry.
As I asked above, what is the relevance of that, other than to smear him in order to discredit anything he says. I am not posting this comment for the purpose of bolstering his credibility, nor do I necessarily agree with whatever he has to say - I just think that intelligent people can see through the method of smearing those they don't agree with.
Buzz, what is it that you think makes Kristol a Renegade Jew in Horowwitz' eyes ?
I was of the opinion that the comment has a lot more to do with support or non-support of Israel than it does with Islam, but I am not quite so sensitive about Islamophobia as you are.
In any event, I had no idea who Horowitz was, and I thought Cristol was an actor who acted in When Harry Met Sally, so that is the extent of my focus on both of them. John, you pointed out to me who Horowitz was because I might have posted a Gatestone Institute article written by him but I don't recall it, nor am I as concerned about whether a person is an Islamophobe or not as you are. Perhaps that particular article made some sense to me or contained some irrefutable factual information.
Does Kristol not support Israel?
This is Bill Kristol. He is the editor of The Weekly Standard.
This is David Horowitz. He is a columnist for Breitbart.
Both are very, very, very big in right wing GOP politics. In fact Bill Kristol is often credited with being one of the founders of the NeoCon movement.
I shouldn't comment any further on this article because I have never read the websites that either of them run, (nor have I knowingly posted an article that appeared on their sites) so I am not sufficiently familiar with them to render an opinion. I guess Horowitz has written for Gatestone Institute but there are many others who do, and a lot of them are Muslims.
Thank you Buzz. Sincerely.
As I asked above, what is the relevance of that?
I answered above.
Kristol is a neo con and a supporter of Israel of course. But he is "never Trump" and that is why Horowitz refers to him as the Renegade Jew. Hillary Clinton is also pro Israel, so why is Horowitz so hot and bothered about it? Because he wants Trump. Trump is not only pro-Israel he is also anti-Muslim, and that is important to Horowitz.
How do you know what is important to Horowitz?
I see no violations of the red box rules as this disagreement between these two men is certainly germane to the American election, being as that's what they are discussing with their comments to each other. However you are free not to comment or post here. Thank you.
Thank you, yes it is your right to say what goes and what doesn't. And thank you for allowing my opinion to stand.
Fair enough.