Chuck Hagel has served as chairman for theAtlantic Council <http://www.acus.org/>. His vice chairman is Chas Freeman. In a speech in Moscow on December <http://www.mepc.org/articles-commentary/speeches/hasbara-and-control-narrative-element-strategy>, Freeman took to decrying the “fifth column” of disinformation agents in the United States who act on Israel’s behalf. Aside from the fact that Jews in particular have been branded for hundreds and hundreds of years as disloyal to their countries, the speech is a shocking diatribe that builds on the notion that behind any pro-Israel journalism is a “fifth column” of Jews. [image: Chuck Hagel]Chuck Hagel (Dave Kaup/Reuters)
A reader asks whether Freeman was actually singling out Jews. Let’s take a look. Freeman began his speech by using a Hebrew word to describe this purported enterprise. “In the brief time available to me as a panelist, I would like to put forward some thoughts about the control of narrative and the manipulation of information as an essential element of modern warfare. The Israelis call this ‘*hasbara*.’ Since they are without doubt the most skilled contemporary practitioners of the art, it seems appropriate to use the Hebrew word for it. And, since Israel’s most recent war (against the Palestinians in Gaza) sputtered to an end just ten days ago, I’ll cite a few examples from that war to illustrate my main points.” A Hebrew — that is, Jewish — moniker for his conspiracy is appropriate, you see. He asserted these people are traitors to America: “In some countries, like the United States, Israel can rely upon a ‘fifth column’ of activist sympathizers to amplify its messages, to rebut and discredit statements that contradict its arguments, facts, and fabrications, and to impugn the moral standing of those who make such statements.” Each and every one of these fifth columnists, wouldn’t you know it, is Jewish. He called out a Jewish organization: “[T]he Jewish Agency for Israel has sponsored an online ‘Hasbara Handbook’ for students around the world to use as advocates of Israel and its policies.” And then he cited another Jewish cabal: “The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America – an organization notorious for the viciousness of its efforts to blacken the reputations of those who criticize Israel or advance accounts of events that deviate from the official Israeli narrative by branding them as ‘anti-Semitic’ or ‘self-hating Jews.’ [The handbook] notes that CAMERA provides a free monthly magazine full of timely hasbara materials for Jewish students in the United States.” He was not done. Next come the rabbis: “In addition, many American rabbis see it as their duty to rally their congregations to Israel’s defense. One typical example was a rabbi who, as the Gaza fighting began, stressed to his New York congregants that ‘making yourself well informed and able to articulate Israel’s case clearly and compellingly is … important. … No slanted print media article or editorial or electronic report that is … unbalanced and unfair can be allowed to go unchallenged. … Those media organs that are habitually anti-Israel should be flooded with letters and e-mails when their stories and pictures paint a … portrait of what we know to be other. Conversations at the water cooler, in health clubs, and particularly at holiday parties and gatherings so common at this time of year. … All of these are our challenge. Get informed, stay informed, and let your voice be heard.’ ” No mention was made of the thousands of Christian churches or the largest pro-Zionist organization in America, Christians United For Israel, all of which strongly support the Jewish State and work to combat media bias against Israel. (And Freeman never actually looked at whether the media *is* actually anti-Israel; he simply assumed it is accurate and everything to the contrary is propaganda.) The rest of Freeman’s twisted version of Middle East events I leave to others. But can there be any doubt that this is a smear on Jewish Americans in particular? None from my vantage point nor, I would suggest, from that of any fair-minded person. (Someone should ask Hagel at the hearing what he thinks.) And more to the point, what is Hagel and his organization doing with someone on their board who spews this verbiage? Hagel should be asked about these words, his relationship with Freeman and why, for goodness sake, he would agree to serve with him. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/people/jennifer-rubin> Jennifer Rubin writes the Right Turn blog for The Post, offering reported opinion from a conservative perspective. On Sunday, October 18, 2015 at 1:52:08 PM UTC-5, Travis wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > <http://www.investors.com/default.htm> > > * <http://www.investors.com/rss.axd?path=perspectiveRSS.xml>* > Meanwhile, An Islamic Fifth Column Builds Inside America > > BY PAUL SPERRY > <http://www.investors.com/search/searchresults.aspx?source=filterSearch&Ntt=PAUL+SPERRY&Nr=OR(Author%3aPAUL+SPERRY%2cAuthor%3aPaul+Sperry)> > > > http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-perspective/100115-773707-tapper-scolding-of-carson-ignores-islamic-fifth-column-building-inside-america.htm > > 10/01/2015 06:12 PM ET > > In berating GOP presidential hopeful Ben Carson for suggesting a loyalty > test for Muslims seeking high office, CNN host Jake Tapper maintained that > he doesn't know a single observant Muslim-American who wants to Islamize > America. > > "I just don't know any Muslim-Americans — and I know plenty — who feel > that way, even if they are observant Muslims," he scowled. > > Tapper doesn't get out much. If he did, chances are he'd run into some of > the* 51% of Muslims living in the U.S. who just this June told Polling > Co. they preferred having "the choice of being governed according to > Shariah," or Islamic law. Or the 60% of Muslim-Americans under 30 who told > Pew Research <http://research.investors.com/> they're more loyal to Islam > than America.* > > Maybe they're all heretics, so let's see what the enlightened Muslims > think. > > If Tapper did a little independent research he'd quickly find that > America's most respected Islamic leaders and scholars also want theocracy, > not democracy, and even advocate trading the Constitution for the Quran. > > These aren't fringe players.* These are the top officials representing > the Muslim establishment in America today.* > > Hopefully none of them ever runs for president, because here's what he'd > have to say about the U.S. system of government: > > • *Muzammil Siddiqi*, chairman of both the Fiqh Council of North America, > which dispenses Islamic rulings, and the North American Islamic Trust, > which owns most of the mosques in the U.S.: "As Muslims, we should > participate in the system to safeguard our interests and try to bring > gradual change, (but) we must not forget that Allah's rules have to be > established in all lands, and all our efforts should lead to that > direction." > > • *Omar Ahmad*, co-founder of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, > the top Muslim lobby group in Washington: "Islam isn't in America to be > equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Quran should be the > highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on > Earth." > > • *CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper*: "I wouldn't want to create the > impression that I wouldn't like the government of the United States to be > Islamic sometime in the future." > > • *Imam Siraj Wahhaj*, director of the Muslim Alliance in North America: > "In time, this so-called democracy will crumble, and there will be nothing. > And the only thing that will remain will be Islam." > > • *Imam Zaid Shakir*, co-founder of Zaytuna College in Berkeley, Calif.: > "If we put a nationwide infrastructure in place and marshaled our > resources, we'd take over this country in a very short time. . . . What a > great victory it will be for Islam to have this country in the fold and > ranks of the Muslims." > > These Islamic luminaries, who arguably spend more time with Muslims than > Tapper, say the American Muslim community would rather live under a > theocracy. > > "Every Muslim who is honest would say, I would like to see America become > a Muslim country," Shakir said. > > Why? Because Islam preaches that Allah's laws are superior to man-made > laws and therefore requires the faithful to not only convert others, but > also establish Islamic rule over others. > > In this, Islam is unique. > > It's a key departure from Christianity, for one, which instructs followers > to respect secular leaders — rendering "unto Caesar what is Caesar's" — > while living godly lives within secular societies. > > So for devout Muslims, the Quran is more than just a holy book. It's a > blueprint for government. > > While Tapper's ignorance is breathtaking, it's par for the course for the > inside-the-Beltway crowd. > > The Washington punditry continues to harbor dangerously naive assumptions > about Islam, which only emboldens Islamic supremacists growing > exponentially within our borders. > > • Sperry, formerly IBD Washington bureau chief, is author of > "Infiltration: How Muslim Spies and Subversives Have Penetrated Washington." > > > > Read More At Investor's Business Daily: > http://news.investors.com/ibd-editorials-perspective/100115-773707-tapper-scolding-of-carson-ignores-islamic-fifth-column-building-inside-america.htm#ixzz3ogaZHFbm > > Follow us: @IBDinvestors on Twitter > <http://ec.tynt.com/b/rw?id=dW0sw4iSyr3P7iab7jrHtB&u=IBDinvestors> | > InvestorsBusinessDaily > on Facebook > <http://ec.tynt.com/b/rf?id=dW0sw4iSyr3P7iab7jrHtB&u=InvestorsBusinessDaily> > > > __._,_.___ > ------------------------------ > Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected] <javascript:>> > ------------------------------ > > > Visit Your Group > <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmamw0bWZ2BF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NDUxODc5MTg-> > > > > [image: Yahoo! 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