For Jews who already feel the Obama Adminstration is hostile to Israel, the news that Mary Robinson will receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom must have gone down like a dirt milkshake.
The former president of Ireland will accept her award at an Aug. 12 White House ceremony. Among the 15 other honorees, the late Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, Chita Rivera, Sandra Day O'Connor, Rev. Desmond Tutu and Sen. Edward Kennedy. None of them could be considered controversial, other than Robinson.
The 65-year-old Robinson has led a distinguished career as a human rights activist, advocating for women's rights, LGBT rights, and combating hunger, war and genocide. It's a commendable resume, with one glaring exception: While serving as the United Nation's High Commisioner of Human Rights, she oversaw the notorious 2001 Durban Conference, which turned into a sickening anti-Israel hatefest. No excuses: That event was a travesty, and whether Robinson had a direct role in the hateful rhetoric that came out of it, or whether she was merely an unwitting "useful idiot" for the anti-Israel mob, she nevertheless bears much responsibility.
That said, I have a problem with the outcry coming from many quarters in the Jewish community over giving Robinson the Medal of Freedom.
For starters, some have objected to giving the award to a foreigner. This is patently absurd. The medal is routinely given to foreign heads of state (Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher and Vaclav Havel are past awardees) and other foreign dignitaries.
More to the point, critics say Robinson's term at the U.N. -- especially her role at Durban -- as well as her frequent sharp criticism of Israel, makes her persona non grata in the Jewish community and therefore not worthy of the nation's highest civilian honor.
This is where we are collectively put to the test: Are we Jews really just a single-issue community, or are we democratic, worldly, engaged and multi-faceted? Do we mean it when we claim it is possible to criticize Israel while still firmly supporting its right to exist? Or do we have knee-jerk responses to any and all criticism of Israel, always assuming critics MUST be aligned with Hamas or other Israel-haters simply because they voice a negative opinion? Do we dismiss with a sneer the many laudable accomplishments of someone like Robinson, or do we strip her of those good deeds because some perceive her as having an anti-Israel bias? And worse, do we project ourselves to the world as petulant whiners when the U.S. President includes her as one of 16 award recipients?
I condemn the Durban farce as strongly as anyone, and Robinson deserves all the criticism she has gotten over it. But I don't see this strike against her as a reason to exclude her from this award, especially when she has done plenty of good in this world.
The Jewish community needs to pick its battles. Mary Robinson is not, and should not be, one of them.
If we don’t object to awards being given to people who promote anti-Semitism, then we are useless to ourselves and the world. Human rights and tolerance begins at home.
We have to stand up against this kind of behaviour. Mary Robinson might have been a world leader in human rights, but she forfeited her credentials when she openly supported Durban I and openly criticized Israel, to the exclusion of Israel’s enemies, who were guilty of many more sins ove the decades since 1948 and before.
She is a disgrace to the term “human rights advocate”, and I for one do not wish to see her recognized by my government. Just by the way, perhaps you should read her response to the outcry from the Jewish community… predictably anti-Semitic.
“More to the point, critics say Robinson’s term at the U.N.—especially her role at Durban—as well as her frequent sharp criticism of Israel, makes her persona non grata in the Jewish community and therefore not worthy of the nation’s highest civilian honor.”
Silly me, I was not aware that this was a Jewish nation. Who knew? Of course there has been a Jewish presence here for more than 300 years, so perhaps . . .
Well, in any case, if some small portion of some even smaller portion of the general population objects to anything, I guess we all oughta salute and jump to attention.
But these attacks on Robinson has little to do with Durban - where Robinson was guilty of absolutely nothing even remotely anti-Semitic - and everything to do with her criticism of Israel, which has been sharp and consistently on the money. If Robinson was not up for the award, then Tutu would the one attacked as anti-Semitic, as he has been over and over again.
No one can appease the supporters of Israel, as Obama is learning, and no one is allowed to criticize Israel, not without first vetting one’s complaints by Abe Foxman, et.al., first. If not, well then, you’re just another lousy anti-Semite.
Israel’s behavior is the problem, not Mary Robinson.
It is clear to me as an Israeli that Israel’s behavior is focused on surviving in a dangerous neighborhood.
Now there are people who say that Israel should not exist at all and the Zionists should go back to where they came from - such as the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Polish shtetls and the work camps of the Third Reich.
What is grf’s position?
Should Israel exist? If yes, what should it do when being shot at?
I personally think that when people are being shot at their choices become limited and it depends on whether they just try to stay safe or alternatively get really pissed off.
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08/06/2009 at 11:50 AM
If we don’t object to awards being given to people who promote anti-Semitism, then we are useless to ourselves and the world. Human rights and tolerance begins at home.
We have to stand up against this kind of behaviour. Mary Robinson might have been a world leader in human rights, but she forfeited her credentials when she openly supported Durban I and openly criticized Israel, to the exclusion of Israel’s enemies, who were guilty of many more sins ove the decades since 1948 and before.
She is a disgrace to the term “human rights advocate”, and I for one do not wish to see her recognized by my government. Just by the way, perhaps you should read her response to the outcry from the Jewish community… predictably anti-Semitic.
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