Jews Must Never Be Afraid to Use Their Well-Earned Power

by Alan M. Dershowitz • March 27, 2019 at 5:00 am

No other group is ever accused of having too much power and influence. That false claim – dating back to times and places where Jews had little or no influence – is an anti-Semitic trope that tells us more about the anti-Semites who invoke it that it does about the Jews.
History has proven that Jews need more power and influence than other groups to secure their safety. During the 1930s and early 1940s Jews had morality on their side, but they lacked the power and influence to save six million of their brothers and sisters from systematic murder.
"The truth is that if Israel were to put down its arms there would be no more Israel. If the Arabs were to put down their arms there would be no more war." -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
When Jewish power and influence are used in the cause of peace and justice -- as it is today -- there is nothing to be ashamed of. It should be a source of pride.

Alan Dershowitz. (Photo by John Lamparski/Getty Images for Hulu)

Recent comments by members of Congress and their defenders once again raise the question: Are Jews too powerful? This question, which has never been raised about other groups, manifests a double standard against the Jewish people. It must not be ignored. Here is my answer.

When I hear that Jews are too powerful, my response is, we are not powerful enough. When I hear that AIPAC is too influential a lobby, I say it must become even more influential. When I hear that Jews contribute too much money to support pro-Israel causes, I say we must contribute more. When I hear that Jews control the media, I ask "Why is so much of the media so anti-Israel?" When I hear that Jews have too much influence on the outcome of elections, I say we need to increase our influence. We aren't doing enough. We must do more.

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Israel-Bashing Season Re-Opens in Turkey

by Burak Bekdil • March 27, 2019 at 4:00 am

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's political and social engineering has changed the way the average Turk identifies himself: Most Turks used to identify themselves as "Turks first." Now they identify themselves as "Muslims first" -- the way Erdoğan seemingly wanted them to.
Most recently, Erdoğan threatened his own citizens -- citizens who practice a different faith, of course -- Turkey's already dwindling Jewish community, now at around 16,000. "Do not provoke [us]," he said, before noting that he had not yet taken any action against Turkish Jews or their houses of worship.
If Erdoğan is curious to know on what course he is taking Turkey, he might check the official statistics on Turkey's huge brain drain.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan recently threatened his own citizens -- citizens who practice a different faith, of course -- Turkey's already dwindling Jewish community, now at around 16,000. "Do not provoke [us]," he said. Pictured: Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. (Photo by Elif Sogut/Getty Images)

Another round of Turkish elections and another wave of Israel-bashing at election rallies. This has become a pattern since 2009 and Turks have not shown any sign of frustration: They simply love it.

Blaming the man who brought Israel to public rallies is the easier thing to do, a kind of intellectual laziness. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been correct in thinking that his diplomatic wars with Israel, his more than undiplomatic language and outright anti-Zionism would work like a ballot box cash machine. It did.

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