U.S. ATTORNEY ALAN DERSHOWITZ, in a letter to the leftist HaAretz newspaper, posits that “indicting him (Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu) endangered Israeli democracy.“
Dershowitz chose the left-leaning newspaper to carry an “open letter” to Israeli Attorney General Avichai Mandleblit. (http://tinyurl.com/yxlxf64j )
In the letter, Dershowitz’ argued that indicting the prime minister put Israeli democracy at risk. “To bring down a duly elected prime minister on the basis of an expansive and unprecedented application of a broad and expandable criminal statute endangers democracy,” he wrote.
I HAVE SEVERAL PROBLEMS with Dershowitz’ pronouncements.
FIRST, unless I am mistaken, the gentleman is a U.S. citizen residing in the U.S. He also may be an Israeli citizen, but he lives in the U.S.
SECOND, does this legal opinion carry any weight in Israel? Is Dershowitz entitled to practice law in Israel?
THIRD AND MOST IMPORTANT, if Israel’s AG bows to Dershowitz, won’t THAT have a negative impact on democracy? It seems that Dershowitz would put Netanyahu above the law.”
Almost no one in the U.S. is above the law. (The Kennedys and the Clintons are the exceptions; Nixon was not above the law and it cost him his presidency.)
Granted Dershowitz and Netanyahu are self-proclaimed “conservatives” and that may be why Dershowitz is defending a man who would be prime minister for life if he can just control the voters “one more time.”
Perhaps Dershowitz really is a leftist rather than a conservative.
If the AG follows Dershowitz’ advice, many who reluctantly support Netanyahu might mark their ballots for another party.
In Israel, voters vote by party, not by candidate. The party that wins the most seats in the Knesset usually is allowed to name the prime minister, but there never has a single party controlled the government; a coalition always is required.
For one election, voters were able to vote for the prime minister on a separate ballot; the politicians quickly realized the folly of giving voters this opportunity and the separate ballot for prime minister was history.
It seems to me that Dershowitz is endowed with one Israeli characteristic: CHUTZPAH.
I hold both U.S. (by birth) and Israeli citizenship.
Because I no longer reside in Israel, I generally refrain from commenting on Israeli politics. I have an opinion — in fact, several — but since I don’t LIVE in Israel, it behooves me to keep them to myself. My relatives who DO live in Israel are smart enough to sort wheat from the chaff. Well, most of them, anyway.
Perhaps if Dershowitz relocates to Israel, even to a U.S. ex-pat community, THEN he will have right to suggest that the AG close his eyes to potential crimes by officials high in the government.
Dealing with the accusations against a sitting prime minister is not in any way a “threat to democracy.”
Ignoring potential crimes IS a “threat to democracy.”
Holding off on investigating crime “until after the election,” also is a threat to democracy.
AG Mandleblit is well advised to ignore Dershowitz’ letter and advice. Mandleblit is there; Dershowitz is not.
Dershowitz, who usually defends Israel against attacks from its many foes has, in my opinion, done Israel no favor with his open letter in the leftist press.
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
Comments on Dershowitz
Thursday, February 28, 2019
Opuscula
Dear Alan, When
Did you become
An Israeli resident?
Dear Alan, When
Did you become
An Israeli resident?
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Opuscula
Spitting
Into the wind
Spitting
Into the wind
SPITTING INTO THE WIND IS NOT an elegant expression but it conveys the message: Doing it is stupid.
WHAT ALAN DERSHOWITZ is doing, crying Shame on Women’s March for tolerating anti-Semitism (https://tinyurl.com/y9xmjog7) is a waste of time.
The leadership of the Women’s March, WM, is solidly anti-Semitic and, by all accounts, firmly in the camp of America’s Chief Anti-Semite, Louis Farrakhan the elder, nee’ Louis X. Farrakhan out anti-Semites Barack Obama, albeit far less two-faced.
https://tinyurl.com/ybw2p9vj)
The same holds true for tsk-tsking and shaking of fingers are other anti-Semites — indeed others who allow prejudice to control them. In truth there is not much anyone can do to disabuse bigots of their misguided ways.
As long as the bigots rant and refrain from violence against their targets, let them rant.
ON THE OTHER HAND if the time comes when the rants are “enhanced” by violence, the only answer to violence is violence.
I understand we are supposed to live in nations of laws, but I also understand that we cannot depend on the laws to protect us. NOT because, in most cases, the countries don’t WANT to protect all citizens, but because there simply are not enough professional protectors to be everywhere at all times. The old expression “There’s never a cop when you need one,” is, unfortunately, all too often the case. (Caveat: My Pidyon is a policeman.)
In the U.S. (as compared to most other countries in which we are a minority) we have the right to “keep and bear arms” despite leftists’ attempts to eliminate that right.
In the U.S. we have the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) that, like Mr. Dershowitz, does a great deal of pontificating; producing hot air and an extra 15 seconds of tv “face time” or a few column inches on someone's blog. What we NEED is more JDL and less ADL.
JDL has a comparatively small Jewish following. Leftist who make up the core of Reform and similar sects consider the JDL anathema; indeed, preferring the anti-Semitic groups to one that defends Judaism. Conservatives are a “mixed bag,” but it seems — based on voting records — that many are leftists. The haridim from Europe continue to prefer burying their collective head in the sand to avoid making wakes. (Yes, I know I’m mixing metaphors.) Only the so-called “modern” Orthodox and most Sefardim and Mizrachim stand with the JDL.
Most Reform, et al, and Conservatives have never been persecuted in most places. They look like everyone else. Jews who obviously ARE Jews, and Jews from Moslem-dominated countries have experience with persecution simply for being Jewish. For them, enough is enough.
I am NOT proposing that Jews physically attack those who only promote hate, but I am proposing that Jews be prepared to defend themselves from physical attacks.
In order to do that legally we need to
- ✡ Know the laws of self-defense
✡ Know HOW to defend ourselves
✡ Be willing to defend ourselves
✡ Join, or at least support, organizations such as the JDL.
It would be great if, when threatened, we could call the cops and they would be at our side within seconds, but the reality is that is not going to happen.
Words from the mouths Jews on a soapbox are just words. The speaker may hold some impressive credentials, but no credentials will impress an anti-Semite.
It’s time to make a decision.
Cower to the anti-Semites or push back.
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
Truth is an absolute defense to defamation. Defamation is a false statement of fact. If the statement was accurate, then by definition it wasn’t defamatory.
