Opinion: Ann Coulter vs. Mahmoud Abbas

Ann Coulter (AP)

Frustrated by the Republican candidates, a conservative American political commentator used insensitive wording, while the leader of the Palestinian Authority deliberately described Jews in vicious, racist terms. Who is the true anti-Semite?

American political pundit Ann Coulter’s recent tweet, asking how many “f…ng Jews” there could be in America, was thoughtless and impulsive, and she really should apologize. The offensive comment caused many people to question whether the conservative Fox News analyst is indeed an anti-Semite.

However, the statement that should have created a greater uproar – but didn’t – was the truly anti-Semitic outcry by Palestinian Authority Chair Mahmoud Abbas that same day about the “filthy” Jews.

As for Coulter, she was admittedly frustrated by the focus on Israel – as well as on the issue of abortions and on late President Ronald Reagan – by all candidates who participated in the televised Republican leadership debate last Wednesday evening. Responding to accusations of anti-Jewish racism and demands that she be fired, Coulter tweeted, “I like the Jews, I like fetuses, I like Reagan. Didn’t need to hear applause lines about them all night.”

“It’s not about Jewish people; it’s about Republican panderers,” she claimed, adding that it was time to hear debate about matters on which not all Republicans agree.

“I’m accusing Republicans of thinking the Jews have so much power,” Coulter told The Daily Beast on Thursday. “They’re the ones who are comedically acting out this play where Jews control everything.”

Meanwhile, regarding the extreme violence on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem – the holiest site to Jews – Abbas declared:

US President Barack Obama has not condemned Abbas’ anti-Semitic coment to date. (AP/Andrew Harnik)

“Al-Aqsa is ours and so is the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. They [Jews] have no right to desecrate them with their filthy feet.”

Journalists across the globe immediately slammed Coulter for her seemingly anti-Jewish tweet. Is it not possible that the crass adjective used before the word “Jews” did not reflect racism? Perhaps it could be compared to a statement such as, “How many f…ng shards of glass are on the floor?” which might be uttered by someone cleaning up after a vase was broken. Surely the person isn’t anti-glass, but merely upset.

In comparison, rarely a peep was heard from world leaders, other than the Israelis, regarding Abbas’ genuinely anti-Semitic statement and incitement against Jews. Certainly not from US President Barack Obama nor from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who continue to pressure Israel to negotiate a two-state solution with Abbas, an alleged peace partner.

Perhaps the time has come for all supporters of Israel and the Jewish people to call a spade a spade and to recognize the leader of the Palestinian Authority for what he is: not a so-called moderate, but a true anti-Semite. Certainly that would be far more meaningful than focusing on a vulgar remark by a news analyst known to support Israel and to fight against actual threats to the Jewish state, such as the Iran nuclear deal.

By: Atara Beck, United with Israel

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