Blogs > PRAY FOR GABBY GIFFORDS, JEWISH CONGRESSWOMAN

Jan 12, 2011

PRAY FOR GABBY GIFFORDS, JEWISH CONGRESSWOMAN



A prayer for a speedy recovery. Her doctors ensure us that she, thank G-d, will survive.

He is a dangerously deranged as his college classmates immediately noticed. That does not mean we can ignore his ultimate target selection.

Memo notes Giffords’ Judaism in motives of alleged attacker

(JTA) -- A U.S. Department of Homeland Security memo reportedly notes that Gabriel Giffords is Jewish in describing the motives of the Arizona congresswoman's alleged assailant.

The memo, obtained by Fox News Channel, says that Jared Lee Loughner mentioned American Renaissance, an extremist anti-immigrant group, in some of his own postings.

"The group's ideology is anti-government, anti-immigration, anti-ZOG (Zionist Occupational Government), anti-Semitic," says the memo sent to law enforcement, which also notes that Giffords, a Democrat, was the first Jewish congresswoman from Arizona.

Apparently, Antisemitism has been on the rise not only in Europe but also in the United States though MSM does its best to ignore it.

Division of Criminal Justice Services report says increase in attacks on Jews, Jewish institutions leads 14% rise in hate crimes

Ironically, the same day the report was released, a threatening letter was sent to an Upper West Side synagogue threatening to blow it up on New Year's Eve, according to the New York Post. The note was discovered in the late afternoon on December 30, at the Congregation Ohab Zedek synagogue on 95th Street near Columbus Avenue, said Rabbi Allen Schwartz.

"We have reasons to believe someone wants to spread fear," Schwartz told The Post. He speculated that a similar letter was sent to at least 10 other synagogues, however authorities declined to comment due to an investigation. Police evacuated the synagogue building, combing it for explosives, but found nothing suspicious.

Ah, yes, Antisemitism continues to go viral

Also see, Giffords’ account of her trip to Israel

In an interview the Giffords' Reform Rabbi downplays the problem of Antisemitism as liberal Reform rabbis tend to do:

In Tucson, the kinds of really overt signs of anti-Semitism have not been huge in our community at all."

"Of course," she explained,"there's been anti-Semitic graffiti, but it hasn't been something that's been on the front burner. It's always on the back burner in Jewish life. It feels like...I hope this isn't it, rearing it's ugly head. It's scary."

Asked about how the congregation has responded to the tragedy, Rabbi Aaron replied,"We've been devastated by what happened to Gabrielle Giffords and to the members of the Tuscon community who were murdered and the ones who were wounded."

To be honest, the man was clearly unstable and though he was an admirer of a book favored by many antisemites including Hitler, Friedrich Nietzsche's"The Will To Power," Antisemitism does not seem to been his primary motive.

In other words, as of this moment, Bill Barker seems right. I, for one, am glad even if I am not as sanguine about the rise of Antisemitism as Rabbi Aaron.



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William Robert Barker - 1/10/2011

Anti-Semitism is indeed a problem - one might even make the argument a growing problem depending upon whether one views the latest stats as part of a trend or an aberration - however this doesn't mean that the shooting of Congresswoman Giffords had any real tie to or motivation in anti-Semitism.

Professor. Com'on. You know I'm right.

Admit it. For a moment your emotions got the best of you and you simply latched on to an exceedingly thin bit of "evidence" that fits in to your worldview.

Loughner is not some sort of neo-Nazi or white supremacist; he's a nutjob!

He didn't go after Gifford because she was Jewish; he went after her because she was "his" congresswoman and thus (geographically speaking) an easy target.

Hey... find me the evidence that Loughner was planning on going after Joe Lieberman and Mike Bloomberg and then we'll have something further to discuss.

Again... com'on... you KNOW I'm right here.

BILL BARKER
Harriman, NY


Judith Apter Klinghoffer - 1/9/2011

Antisemitism is a growing problem in America and it seems to have played a part in this attack. It is time to stop ignoring its growth


William Robert Barker - 1/9/2011

***Correction***

Sorry! What I meant to write was:

With all due respect, do you suppose the fact that Loughner RESIDED at 7741 N. Soledad Ave. in TUCAN, Arizona had... er... a little something to do with the fact that it was Rep. Gifford - congresswoman representing Arizona's 8th Congressional District - whom he targeted as she was speaking in... er... Tucan, Arizona?


William Robert Barker - 1/9/2011

(*ROLLING MY EYES*)

This Loughner guy is a nut; end of story.

(*SIGH*)

With all due respect, do you suppose the fact that Loughner RESIDED at 7741 N. Soledad Ave. in TUCAN, Arizona had... er... a little something to do with the fact that Rep. Gifford is the congresswoman representing Arizona's 8th Congressional District?

My God, it's bad enough that haters such as Andrew Sullivan and Paul Krugman are polluting the media with their slurs in a disgusting display of partisan expediency; do we really need to play the "it's a conspiracy against the Jews" card?

I'm sure that Loughner would have been quite content to shoot Sen. McCain had he been there... or President Obama for that matter.

ONE...

MORE...

TIME...

Loughner is a nut; he's mentally ill.