Foxman, a naturalized U.S. citizen born 75 years ago in Baranovichi, Byelorussia, takes umbrfage, according to a Times of Israel article, that Ms. Regev is refusing to finance anti-Israel "artists." From the Times article:
First there was a statement by an Israeli actor, Norman Issa, saying he would refuse to participate in a performance of his acting company in the Jordan valley. Next came a movie about an individual who murdered an Israeli soldier which seemed like a defense of his actions. And then surfaced a film about Yigal Amir, the assassin of Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin, which appeared to express sympathy with the killer.
There are so many things wrong with Foxman and his holier-than-thou attitude that it almost laughable.
ASK YOURSELF AS A LIBERAL - and TRY to be honest with yourself - would you encourage and finance someone who promotes ideas that threaten your life even if only by promoting hatrid of you and yours?
If someone came to you and asked you to be an "angel" for a play that denigrated you and your way of life, that castigated you.
I'm not sure I personally would object to a film that protrays Yigal Amir proin a less than dastardly light knowing Rabin's history and willingness to murder fellow Jews (on order of his master, Ben Gurion). At the same time, as a politician, even a Likudnik, I doubt I would contribnute state money to the project. It happens in Foxman's self-flagellating America, but it need not happen in Israel.
The Times reported that the minister of culture focused on the expenditures of her budget. She distinguished between the right of individuals or institutions to say or put on productions of the most obnoxious things, and the question as to whether government should fund such things. On the face of it that appeared to be a legitimate distinction — except for the fact that leaving that discretion to the minister of culture could lead to disturbingly high levels of politics in the decision as to what to fund, and what not.
It's OK, per Foxman's ADL, to criticize Israel, free speech and all, but G-d forbid that an Israeli politician should say an unkind word about the U.S. or its political "leader"ship. Convenient double standard.
Israel has enough problems with far left liberals within its own borders without having to deal with the likes of Foxman and his useless ADL.
