Beck & Limbaugh: Defenders of the Jews?

David Streeter — January 21, 2010 – 3:45 pm | Abusive Holocaust Rhetoric | Domestic Policy | Election 2008 | Israel | Stop the Smears Comments (1) Add a comment

Right wing talk show hosts Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh are, presumably, trying to increase their Jewish audience by claiming to have insight into the Jewish community and Jewish interests during their respective radio programs. However, upon further examination of their statements, they’re not showing very much love to Jews. Instead, they are using their pulpits to display almost unthinkable disrespect to Jewish communal values and sensitivities.

First, a quick review of Beck’s interesting history regarding Jews:

• He has a long history of invoking the Holocaust to rile up his audience 
• He tried to co-opt Yom Kippur for his own demagogic purposes 
• He declared that he would not vote for Joe Lieberman (I-CT) “because of the way the Middle East would use it”
• He attacked the Anti-Defamation League because they labeled him “Fear Monger in Chief”

 

And last week he uttered another seemingly harmless gem (click here to view).

Beck is correct to the extent that there is anti-Israel sentiment and even anti-Semitism on the political fringes. But he ignores the fact Jews are overwhelmingly “liberals” and “progressives.” Is he saying that all “progressive” Jews are anti-Israel and anti-Semitic?

This week, Beck proclaimed another disturbing aspiration (click here to view).

That’s right. Beck soiled the legacy of Israeli Nazi-hunters by saying that he would use their tactics to “hunt progressives.” If the majority of the Jewish community is “liberal” or “progressive”, how will his love for Jews impact his hunt for those who defend separation of church and state, a woman’s right to choose, health care reform, and environmental responsibility? Essentially, where do Jewish Democrats fit in with his hunt?

 

Limbaugh, who NJDC has repeatedly criticized for flippantly invoking the Holocaust — a historical tragedy that he also dismissed the significance of during his show— went on a slightly more disturbing diatribe (click here to view).

There are a lot of things to take away from his rant. But Limbaugh’s main points are:

1. “Bankers” is some sort of code word for Jews
2. Norman Podhoretz’s Why are Jews Liberals is a definitive analysis of the Jewish community

Limbaugh is correct in one aspect; there are some on the fringes who do associate Jews with the banking industry. But his correct observations end there. As Media Matters Blogger MJ Rosenberg wrote:

This is classic. Limbaugh doesn’t directly equate Jews with the banks. He merely says that ‘some people’ do. But then he says that Jews should be offended by the attacks on the banks because ‘a lot of the people on Wall Street are Jews.’ So, obviously, he is one of those ‘some people.’

 

Limbaugh’s twisted logic is just his feeble attempt at using anti-Semitism to stymie banking reform. He’s not concerned with defending American Jews; he just wants to bash President Barack Obama with whatever disgusting smears he can dream up in his addled mind.

Only slightly less shameful is Limbaugh’s plug for Podhoretz’s widely attacked and dismissed polemic about Jewish liberalism; especially when he says “he’s Jewish, he would know.” Rush should probably familiarize himself with the old adage “ask 2 Jews, get three opinions” before he disregards the nuances of the Jewish community. And at the very least, he should probably learn that not all Jews know each other.

 

With leaders like these, it’s no wonder conservatives have problems with Jewish voters, and vice versa.

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