Here is the text of a letter written to the ADL about the "Anti-Idiotarrian Rottweiler"; a racist, authoritarian blogger (often linked to by Instahack, who is using the symbols of my faith (not his), Judaism, to support his views. And using those symbols right next to a real symbol of anti-semitism and the slaughter of tens of thousands of Jews during the crusades:
Text on the flip:
I am extremely offended by the use of what is clearly a crusader cross next to a Magen David on a prominent right-wing blog that purports to be "pro-Israel." The blog is called "Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiller." (http://www.nicedoggie.net/2006/) The cross appears on a Crusader Shield, next to a Magen David on a similar shield.
Two reasons this offends me greatly:
- As you will no doubt know, the crusaders slaughtered Jews, both within Eretz-Yisrael (burning them in synagogues in Yerushalayim) and without (some who couldn't make it to Israel just decided to slaughter Jews as their "holy duty"). Like the Jordanians between 1948-67, Crusaders banned Jews (and Muslims) from even going to Jerusalem until Jerusalem was freed by Saladin. This is essentially the same as putting a Magen David next to a swastika and claiming you support Israel.
- Secondly, by putting the Magen David with a shield next to a Crusader Cross, it reinforces the fallacy that Israelis are modern-day "crusaders" when in fact that they are descendants of victims of the Crusades like the Palestinians. This, along with President Bush's use of the term "crusade," has hurt the cause of uniting people of all faiths against extremism by members of all faiths.
I think a letter should be sent about this to this blogger, and this person should be asked to cease (I support his right to free speech and am just saying he should be notified of how absurd and ironic using these symbols together is). This sort of thing by right-wingers (who are not Jews) is bad for the Jewish people. I hope the ADL will have the courage to call out this sort of ignorance, which is representative of many in the "right-wing" blogosphere who use symbols of the Jewish people to support their extremist and, often genocidal, fantasies. Indeed, this right-wing blogger has supported the slaughter of basically all Muslims and the killing of anyone who opposes this war, which Jews should be especially vigilant about and speak out about.
I wonder whether our right-wing Jewish friends, like Jonah Goldberg, Joe Lieberman, Bill Kristol and others, will say anything about this? Yeah right.