To stunned silence, Israel’s rep scolds Jewicidal J Street to ‘stand by us’

Well done. Wise words wasted on traitors and JINOs, but well done nonetheless. Too bad he doesn't address the Muslim funding (or that of former Nazi collaborator George Soros) of this masquerading "Jewish" org, J Street (the J apparently is for jihad).

To stunned silence, Israel’s rep scolds J Street to 'stand by us' Israel Hayom

Deputy Ambassador Barukh Binah attends advocacy group’s annual conference but surprises by criticizing the group, asking for more sensitivity toward Israel • " At the end of the day the Israelis must bear the ultimate burden and pay the ultimate price."

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Israel Hayom Staff

In this 2009 photo, Barukh Binah greets U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

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Photo credit: State Dept. [Archive]

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Audiences at the annual J Street conference in Washington on Monday were shocked when one of the event’s honorees, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Israel in Washington, DC, Barukh Bina, stood at the podium and issued a respectful yet scathing criticism of the advocacy group’s policies. As he took the podium at the event's gala dinner, Binah received rapturous applause, according to the tweets of several conference-goers. However, as the tone and content of Binah's speech became more apparent, the crowd was stunned into silence.

The presence of a high-level diplomat at this year’s conference, entitled “Making History,” marks a significant shift in attitudes toward the organization. J Street, an advocacy organization that describes itself as “pro-Israel and pro-peace,” is known for its adversarial position toward Israel's traditional lobby in the U.S., AIPAC, which was largely vilified at this week's J Street conference. Last year’s conference was not attended by any Israeli diplomats, and two years ago only a junior embassy representative attended. This year, however, following speculations and consultations, the embassy decided to send Binah to the event, and he took advantage of his captive audience to deliver a harsh yet measured rebuke to the organization which official Israel sees as a less than constructive force.

“I come to you today not only as the second highest ranking Israeli diplomat in the U.S., but as a brother (and I have an extensive American family). We share your democratic values. But unlike your secure existence between these happy shores, an ocean apart from the bad guys, our borders are curved and dusty, and made of missiles and mayhem,” Binah said.

Addressing the prevalent view among American Jews who call themselves "Progressive Zionists" – a group that J Street purports to champion – that Israel's current government is steering Israel away from its democratic character, Binah told the gathering, "Nobody is perfect, and, as a seventh generation Israeli born I know full well what needs to be fixed in my own society. I salute those individuals and organizations working for grass-roots improvements within Israel, and I personally attempt these corrections every four years when I cast my vote. Sometimes I have it my way, and sometimes I do not. It is called democracy.

"We share your democratic values … as we continue to face intolerable threats, we sometimes have to make decisions of life and death. We welcome the opinions of our brethren in the Diaspora, especially on issues of Jewish identity and pluralism, but at the end of the day, it is we, the Israelis, who must bear the ultimate burden and may have to pay the ultimate price. And we, dear friends and family, have no margins of error, none whatsoever.

"I understand that you, my friends, are all about future and hope. So are we, the young and most energetic country that we are. But while our view is towards the future, we dare not forget our past. History must not shackle us, but its lessons must guide us," Binah said.
 
Taking aim at various voices within the American Jewish community, as well as a growing theme among some American pundits, who think that the current Israeli government is abusing the memory of the Holocaust to point to the threat from Iran, Binah said, "And please, do not tell me that it is no longer relevant, because it is. (It is alive and scorching just like the trail left by an Israeli Air Force F-16, flown over Poland's valleys of death by the granddaughter of the commanders of a ghetto revolt. It is alive in ink on paper as long as a 12-year-old, an eighth generation Israeli born, dedicates her bat mitzvah book to 'members of my family whom I never met,' though nobody coached her in this direction."

Binah went on to issue a thinly veiled dig at the group, saying, “We need you to stand with us. It is as simple as that, and someone ought to say it. Internal activism is a central part of democratic society, but pressures on the elected government of Israel can present us with a problem, when we need you the most. Friends, I urge you to stand by our side as Americans, as members of your community, as Jews. For the sake of our forefathers and our future, we must keep our brotherhood strong."

Further admonishing J Street's focus on highlighting Israel's settlement enterprise, Binah said, "You may be critical of settlements, but if you choose to show the most extreme, it behooves you to present the greater mass of moderates as well. If you show them [politicians J Street brings to Israel] negative aspects of checkpoints, please show as well the catastrophe and grief of terror victims. If you show them Israel’s failings, show them also our triumphs such as the aliyah of the Jewish community of Ethiopia. I urge you to strive for balance, so that these lawmakers may become friends of Israel who might be critical, and not critics of Israel who are not friends."

As the audience sat in near-silence, Twitter users who were live-tweeting the event immediately began detailing the mood in the conference hall. “Awkward! Israeli #2 Ambassador Barukh Binah is slamming #JStreet at its annual gala,” Twitter user @MeatyButcher wrote. @EmilyCadei added, “#Israel deputy chief of mission addresses/scolds #JStreet gala, NOT well received, heard some hisses.”

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William Bowen

12 years ago

The Deputy Chief of Mission was FAR too kind to J Street. As that old saying we learned in childhood goes “With ‘friends’ like J Street who needs enemies?”.

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Patti

12 years ago

Good for him!

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mcwrath

12 years ago

Good on him. A crowd who needed telling…maybe he has shaken them to a greater understanding…just maybe and they might vote republican this time around.

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W. C. Taqiyya

12 years ago

I would like to see more of that from Israeli officials. It’s not far fetched to imagine needing Israel to bail out this country some day. With Obama, that day may come very soon. And that hissing audience, is there anything more disreputable, cowardly and shabby than a self-hating, commie loving Jew? Yuck.

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Choi

12 years ago

If ever a group needed to be TOLD OFF,it’s that DAMNED “J Street”.
They’re a Democratic Party/Obama PUPPET CREATION.

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fern

12 years ago

Seen this shit Pam?
Actors, directors and playwrights giving their support to anti-semitic groups hiding behind boycotting progs – this one, re Habima at the Globe Theatre. The public should boycott these actors! Disgraceful.
http://jews4big.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/globe-olympic-shakespeare-festival-challenged-for-inviting-israeli-national-theatre/
Jeesh I am getting sick of this. Maybe we should demand theatres not to employ these anti-semitics!

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fern

12 years ago

Name and shame these people wherever you can! (and boycott them)
Full list of further signatories:
 
David Aukin, producer
Poppy Burton-Morgan, artistic director, Metta Theatre
Leo Butler, playwright
Niall Buggy, actor
Jonathan Chadwick, director
Michael Darlow, writer, director
Annie Firbank, actor
Paul Freeman, actor
Matyelok Gibbs, actor
Tony Graham, director
John Graham Davies, actor, writer
Janet Henfrey, actor
James Ivens, artistic director, Flood Theatre
Andrew Jarvis, actor, director, teacher
Neville Jason, actor
Ursula Jones, actor
Professor Adah Kay, academic, playwright
Sonja Linden, playwright, iceandfire theatre
Frances Rifkin, director
Alexei Sayle, comedian, writer
Farhana Sheikh, writer
Andy de la Tour, actor, director
Hilary Westlake, director
Susan Wooldridge, actor, writer

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fern

12 years ago

George Galloway (the Respect party) makes a comeback in Bradford (overrun with the cult), and wins with over 18,000 votes tonight. Another slap in the face for sanity!

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Agnostic

12 years ago

For what its worth, I think Binah was brilliant. Precisely by delivering his message as an appeal rather than as a rebuke, he made it all the more difficult for his audience to dodge.

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jus frkn bullshit

12 years ago

let us hope jimmah cartah had nothing to do with verifying this as completely fair and accurate
G-d help you

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pat

12 years ago

This was funny. The J Street gang and liberal news outlets, even overseas, like The Economist have been bragging about this appearance for a month.
These Jew/Israel sellouts will be angry. Expect trouble.

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chilipalmer

12 years ago

“J Street’s official live-feed of the event made no mention of Binah’s appearance” per HuffPo guy Joshua Hersh. J Street reaction to Binah’s words: “Dismissing J Street’s policy proscriptions and panel discussions as mere “Quidditch games,” he (Binah) added, “Internal activism is a central part of democratic society, but pressures on the elected government of Israel can present us with a problem.”
“Disrespectful,” muttered one diner, as he tucked into his fish dinner once the speech was over. “Classless,” said another. J Street’s official Twitter live-feed of the event made no mention of Binah’s appearance.” 3/28/12, “Pro-Israel J Street Group Faces Growing Pains At Annual Convention“

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Michael Teuber

12 years ago

Disrespectful! Classless! *smirk*
“You don’t need to see his identification.
This isn’t the high ranking Israeli diplomat you were just listening to…Move along!”
May classless J[edi] Street’s pains continue growing.

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Choi

12 years ago

“Disrespectful”? LOLOL–J Street DESERVES NO RESPECT.
“Classless”? LMAO-J-Street and EVERY one of its members and donors are the DEFINITION of CLASSLESS and its LEFTY Jewish members are BLOOD TRAITORS as well.
When one is DOING WRONG,being told about it is NEVER WRONG.
J-Street should GO TO H%1l!

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