RNC blast Dems for lack of "outrage" at alleged anti-Semitism at Wall Street protests

A participant who asked not to identified and a dog begin the day along with others at the Occupy Wall Street protests at Zuccotti Park in New York, Monday, Oct. 17, 2011 as the protest enters its 30th day.

/ AP Photo/Craig Ruttle

As Democratic leaders increasingly begin to lend their support to the "Occupy Wall Street" protests, the Republican National Committee (RNC) is targeting those who have supported the movement for a lack of "outrage" over a string of alleged anti-Semitic incidents that have recently been reported at the protests.

In a memo on Tuesday, the RNC's Sean Spicer writes that Democratic leaders who have come out for "Occupy Wall Street" (OWS) have "been silent" when it comes to "protestors' extreme anti-Semitic, anti-Israel comments."

"Where's the outrage?" he asks. "While protestors are seen spewing hate against Jewish Americans, President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz have declared their support for the demonstrations. Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Steve Israel even circulated a petition saying he's 'standing with' Occupy Wall Street."

A handful of conservative blogs and Jewish organizations have recently pointed to anti-Semitic incidents at the Wall Street protests - most recently in the form of a video put out by the Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI), among whose board members include former presidential candidate Gary Bauer and conservative columnist Bill Kristol.

The video shows protesters making disparaging and offensive comments about and/or directed at Jews, including one man's cry that "Jews control Wall Street."

"Why are our leaders turning a blind eye to anti-Semitic, anti-Israel attacks?" the narrator in the ad intones. "Tell President Obama and leader Pelosi to stand up to the mob. Hate is not an American value."

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which fights anti-Semitism in America and abroad, has also called on OWS organizers to condemn the remarks - but the organization has noted that the incidents do not appear to be widespread or characterize the protests.

"I really don't see any endemic anti-Semitism at these rallies at all. Anybody can show up at these things," said Oren Segal, director of the organization's Center on Extremism, in the Jewish Week.

ADL National Director Abraham Foxman noted in a statement that "There is no evidence that these anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are representative of the larger movement or that they are gaining traction with other participants."

Jesse Ferguson, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, argued in a statement that the calls of anti-Semitism had been "discredited" and that Republicans were using the issue as a "distraction" from the real issues at play.

"We're not going to listen to lectures on anti-Semitism from the same Republicans who continue to stand behind one of their biggest donors, the Koch Brothers, doing business with the Iranian regime that threatens Israel's very existence," said Ferguson, referencing reports tying the Koch brothers to business deals with Iran.

"Republicans are casually throwing around discredited accusations of anti-Semitism against top Jewish leaders in an attempt to distract from the fact that hundreds of thousands of Americans are rightfully angry about Republican economic policies that led to lower home values and incomes, fewer jobs and weaker retirement savings."

[weedouthate]

The fact that the President of United States justified selective demonization sent chills up and down my spine last Sunday, while attending the MLK Jr. Memorial Dedication in Washington D.C. last Sunday. Not too many generations ago, Jewish stockbrokers were depicted as devils in disguise for Nazi propaganda chldren's books (Der Giftpilz, Nuernberg, 1938). As a society we need to evolve from scapegoating insitutions and people, to scapegoating our inner weeds, our weeds of embedded hatred. While at the Dedication, I passed out 50 OCCUPY THE DREAM: Weed Out Hate signs. CBS posted a picture of people displaying these signs in their archive of 16th October.

[noloyalisti]

ANYTHING that is said against the US-funded apartheid, genocide and terrorism in Israel against the Palestinians is anti-Semitism to the Grand Oil Party bozos.

[MTATL67]

The GOP has become so desperate that they are now leveling anti-Semitic accusations. That is more than sad. Hey GOP where are the jobs. GOP what have you done to improve this country. The only thing GOP seem to be able to do is hurtle accusation.

[wdrussell1]

Republicans can't even tell the truth to each other, why would you expect them to tell the truth to America.

[RobAla]

The video shows protesters making disparaging and offensive comments about and/or directed at Jews, including one man's cry that "Jews control Wall Street."

Liberal politicians and a large part of the media trashed the Tea Party people and falsely accused them of racism. TV cameras followed at Tea Party rallies across the nation, yet there was no evidence of racism. Here, we have some of the OWS people blatantly hold racist posters against Jews, and liberal Democrat politicians and majority of the media ignores it. This tells American citizens all we need to know about liberal Democrats and the left leaning media.

[barbh8]

thank you for pointing that out. Tired of liberals blaming Repubs and Tea Party yet they are violent and nasty, name-calling, ...

[rayward73446]

The Republicam party has shown it's true un-Amaerican colors. They have instigated changes to the voting rules on a state by state basis to prevent persons that do not have a picture ID from voting, most all are aged or poor. Structured reaportionment to favor the GOP, and now some alarming stories are coming to light that show bias againt blacks and other minorities.
They seem to believe that the poor and the aged should just die because it costs too much to support programs they have historicly tried to dismantle for decades. Even though Social Security is completely funded by the workers during the years up to retirement.
They are funded by doctors, lawyers, corporations, Wall Street, big banks, and unfortunately by too many working class individuals that are too lazy to look into any of the problems in America today for themselves. To Those I say that you will find that your income will decrease and your taxes go up to feed the enourmous apetite of the greedy 1%. Every tax/spending plan I have heard of from the GOP presidential field is rife with benefits for the 1% and raises taxes on everyone else.
I have worked hard all my life, paid in substancial taxes over my lifetime. They now treaten my social security, while pandering to those that are probably bilking millions out of medicare.
Now the GOP by deregulating Wall Street has trashed everyones American Dream, and are still telling the big lie: That Obama is the problem. They have scrapped every proposal, refused to compromise on the budget, even though 80% of Americans polled wanted them to do so. They DO NOT represent the average American. Their Partison politics has done irreputabe damage to the America I know. In my opinion, the GOP and the Tea party do not deserve to be dog catchers, much less be in congress. Let's vote the whole bunch of do nothing scoundrels out of office!

[mowthpeece]

It is NOT ANTISEMITIC TO CRITICIZE ISRAEL. They are a country and their policies can be criticized.

It is anti-Jewish to hate and attack the Jew for no other reason than they are Jews, and they can be of any race.

The Ashkenazi Jew is barely semitic, they are virtually all of the Kazar race from Kazaria, a region in eastern Europe (as taught to me in my Jewish History class by a Jewish Professor, when majoring in Modern Jewish Studies - because I actually LIKE Jewish people, just not manipulative liars).

Do not fall into the "anti-semitic" trap. Anytime anyone accuses you of this call it as it is, a ploy used to end the conversation. The tactic is BS and has no business in rational and well justified discussion about Israel and her policies.

[mowthpeece]

I used to like Israel. I used to be a real supporter, until I noticed how much they mettle in our country's business. I still like Jewish people, although some are really not very nice. BUT ISRAEL WILL NOT MAKE UP MY MIND FOR ME ON ANY ISSUE. I AM AMERICAN, not Israeli.

A group such as the 99% is going to have a rainbow of different opinions, and some not so pleasant, so what? It doesn't change a single thing. Why are Jews trying to make this about them???

It's time Americans started acting like Americans and put OUR interests first, before we get the life sucked out of us for good because of some other country's constant interference. After we heal we can reapproach our relationships in the world. BUT WE ARE DEAD BROKE AND HEADED FOR DISASTER.

There is ONLY ONE option to bring this country back, vote RON PAUL for President in 2012. www.ronpaul.com. All the others are shills for Israel, who clearly doesn't give a hoot about this nation, or they would back off and let us get strong again.

When you're in survival mode, that is not the time to be entertaining guests.

[tvwatcher5345]

it depends on what is considered anti-semitism, i think that we should not give billions of US taxpayer's money to israel every year, is that anti-semitism? i think jonathan pollard should spend the rest of his miserable life in jail, is that anti-semitism? but at some of the occupy protests over the end of last week they celebrated succoth, i didn't have a problem with it, by the way is disagree with the use of the word "anti-semitism" since arabs are also semitic people, so you see the israelis and the arabs are really one and the same

[AmeicanCustom]

How about the billions we give the Arab countries? That doesn't seem to bother you. We all know Arabs are semitic people also and are distant kin through Abraham and Issac's and his twins sons Jacob and Esau.
These Occupy bigots are anti- semitic against the Jews.
Stop playing your little word games.
You must be one also.

[tvwatcher5345]

i would also stop all US taxpayer dollars going to arab countries as well, perticularly iraq, which the war in iraq the pro-israeli neocons pushed dumb george into, there i said no more money for arab countries, do i get the bigot label removed??

[catmomtx]

So, what calling them nasty, dirty, crazy, unemployed, freeloaders, mobs didn't work so now they are trying anti-semetic?

[AmeicanCustom]

What do you mean these things didn't work?
Since they are all true and real Americans see these weirdos and phonies on the their TV's and reading the things these idiots are doing, it is turning Americans off. Only the 2 percent of leftwingers like them approve of their insanity.
Occupiers, please keep doing the things you have.
It's the rope that is hanging them and their cause what ever it is.
No one sane seems to know???