Neurotic Democrat on RJC and Jesse Jackson’s Comments

Aaron Keyak — October 16, 2008 – 5:03 pm | Democrats | Election 2008 Comments (0) Add a comment

Josh Rolnick writes a lengthy piece on the situation that you can read by clicking here.

For the purpose of relative brevity I'll just include Rolnick's update below.

UPDATE: Jesse Jackson has released a statement, saying his words were distorted. This is Jackson’s response, from the JTA.

“The recent column in the New York Post by Amir Taheri in no way represents my views on Middle East peace and security. The writer is selectively imposing his own point of view, and distorting mine.I have a long held position of a two state solution to achieve peace in the Middle East. I stand forthrightly for the security and stability of Israel, its protection from any form of hostility, and a peaceful, non-violent resolution to co-existing with its Palestinian neighbors.”

And:

Reverend Jackson is not a representative of Senator Obama. He has never had a conversation with Senator Obama about Israel or the Middle East, and was not characterizing Senator Obama’s views on these issues.

The JTA also questions Amir Taheri, the author of the report. The Nation has called Taheri a “journalistic felon” for distortions in his book, Nest of Spies. Here’s the link. The article talks about how Taheri concocted a story that appeared in the National Post of Canada, about a new law in Iran requiring Iranian Jews to wear a yellow insignia — a story quickly debunked by bloggers and journalists. Here’s the nut:

Even among a crowd notable for wrongheaded analyses, Taheri stands out, with a rap sheet that leaves one amazed that he continues to be published.

I would suggest, given the level of offense these comments have cause in the Jewish community, and given the damage to Jesse Jackson’s reputation, that Taheri has an obligation to immediately release the full transcript of his conversation with Jesse Jackson. The Republican Jewish Coalition, which has so eagerly disseminated Jackson’s statements, should lead the charge for full disclosure.

Short of that, I take Jackson at his word, and consider this ugly episode closed.

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