Rev. Wright: I Meant "Zionists," Not Jews

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: In The News

(AP Photo/Douglas Healey)

On Wednesday, we reported on remarks made by Rev. Jeremiah Wright, President Obama's former pastor, where he complained that "them Jews aren't going to let [Obama] talk to me."

Now Wright has addressed those remarks, as ABC News reports. Speaking on satellite radio, Wright said he "misspoke" when he complained that "Jews" were keeping him away from the president. The word he really meant to use, Wright said, is "Zionists."

"I'm not talking about all Jews, all people of the Jewish faith, I'm talking about Zionists," Wright told Mark Thompson, according to ABC. You can listen to portions of the interview here.

Though Zionism originated over a hundred years ago as a movement to establish an independent Jewish state, the term "Zionist" is sometimes now used in a derogatory way in reference to those who strongly support Israel.

Wright criticized Israel in the interview and referenced the book "Judaism Does Not Equal Israel: The Rebirth of the Jewish Prophetic."

"They can jump on that one phrase if they want to, but they can't, they can't undo history," Wright said, according to the ABC transcription. "They can't undo the facts of Jewish historians and Jewish theologians who write about what's going on, who write about the enormous influence that AIPAC has on our government and on United States policy and the United Nations."

He added that the "Jewish vote, the AIPAC vote" is controlling the president and "would not let him send representation to the Darfur Review Conference."

"…'cause they're Zionists, they would not let him talk to someone who calls a spade what it is," Wright said.

Mr. Obama cut off contact with Wright during his presidential campaign in the wake of revelations of several controversial comments by the pastor, among them "God Damn America." Wright said in the interview that he had mistakenly used the word "Jews" instead of "Zionists" because he was "trying to talk rapidly" and get an interviewer to focus on something other than the president.

Wright said in the interview that he decried the Holocaust museum shooting that took place earlier this week. He also called the murder of abortion doctor George Tiller "insane."

"It's a very short ride between fundamentalism and fanaticism," Wright said.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
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by DeWayneE May 25, 2010 11:50 PM EDT: Zionism was created as a man made State, this in the book Luke is described to be where desolation's begin, also as punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. Certainly Christian leaders of today saying this was ordained (Gods good will) are the promised blind leading the blind.

Overlooked by these fearful men also is Ezekiel-47 describing how the Promised Land was divided as inheritance among the twelve tribes (and) the alien with children that had settled among them, the alien to inherit land within whatever tribe they settled among. Today the descendents (Palestinian certainly) of these alien are being driven by Zionists from their land's, along with Arab Christians. Read what God said shall happen to those that move boundry stones concerning this inheritance.

Neither have Christian leaders taken the trouble to discover who the non-religious Zionist were (and still are), or that this small group were rejected by true devout Jewish after discovering in 1896 what Zionist had in mind, Zionism is rebellion against Gods prophetic word within Torah, being that only the Messiah regathers into new covenant and enternal Israel a remnent (leaving those purged out) in the 'last day', who are then brought into eternal Israel.; Reply to this comment


by nolies74621 June 15, 2009 6:09 AM EDT: Of course he is flip flopping on his words. I guess BHO did learn something from the racist Reverend Wright.; Reply to this comment

by ddan1967 June 14, 2009 7:44 AM EDT

I'm a Christian and the comments of Reverend Wright are as distasteful to me as they should be to everyone.

The Reverend Wright just tried to hide his hate with a less understood word.

In the Words of the Great Martin Luther King, "When people criticize Zionists, they mean Jews. You're talking anti-Semitism."

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 25, 2010 11:57 PM EDT: I am sorry ddan, but devout Jewish rejected non-religious Zionist from the beginning (1800's), the biblical (devout) Jewish obedient to God and Torah have rejected Zionism longer than any peoples on earth.
The Zionist being in rejection of God and Torah, therefore in rebellion of God, cannot speak for Jewish. So you see, Zionist deliberately rejecting God cannot be called Jewish, they are Zionist, and Apartheid is the fruit of their works.

by YrSoWrong June 13, 2009 12:52 PM EDT

People who have realized what a sham the US really is should keep an open mind about fleeing this hell hole for the peace and freedom of the Near East. There's a real republic over in Teheran, and they have very old mystics in charge to keep it that way.

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 26, 2010 12:05 AM EDT: I found that since 1953 when the US-Gov overthrew the Iran Democracy, Iran has been a thorn in the US-Empire ever since. When the Shah and SAVAK Secret Police ended, being 1979 when the Shah fled in last stages of cancer (died 1980 of cancer in Egypt), Iran has had to suffer under covert-operations by the US-Gov ever since.
Example is 2009 elections, three US-Agencies did poll 3-weeks earlier in Iran, as a result they projected Ahmadinejad would win by 2-to-1 margin. Instead the US-Gov/Media backed Mir Hossein Mousavi, a secular hardliner who after 1979 was elected Foreign Minister, and in this post funded and directed terrorists to bomb and kill US soldiers... why did US-Gov/Media back a hard liner known that would lose the election?


by ReallyMeanIt June 13, 2009 11:57 AM EDT: yeah rev wright, Zionist sounded much better..................
Keep up the "good" work.; Reply to this comment

by Illuminated1 June 13, 2009 11:46 AM EDT

It seems hypocritical to me that an American could criticize the current citizens of Israel for occupying lands that their forefathers secured for them at the expense of displacing the existing occupants... so it goes throughout history.
Posted by oftencensord

I consider it couragous, since the people who came to this land, were not my forefathers...mine just landed on Plymouth Rock only a generation ago, so I have an open mind on the subject. As I see it, this country is a false democracy,and has been so since the Indian Removal Act....but the essence of the Constitution, and Bill of Rights show the path to freedom, which some have circumvented by raising themselves above the law, ie the CIA, FBI, DOJ and Cheney.

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 26, 2010 12:21 AM EDT: Israel is not a land that is inherited by birth, it is a covenant land about which were warned (in symbologic meaning) that it should never be sold, God saying because the land is His, and the covenant people are His tenants and alien.
It is an error to compare the man made State of Israel and the man made nation of America, both will be found having good and evil people. Very few appear willing to become informed about the true history of either the Zionist State or the US Empire. Perhaps they are better off not knowing the truth, although I've found these are always those afterward that say "If only someone had told me".


by blitzder June 13, 2009 10:23 AM EDT: No, Republicans usually worship God, that's why we are hated by loony libs. "IDOL WORSHIPPERS" are usually libs and democrats who hate God, but worship Hollywood and anyone that promises them "bling".
Posted by promaclaura at 7:01 AM : Jun 13, 2009

Well, Republicans have an 18 percent approval around the country, you are then calling 82 percent of Americans 'loony libs', Get out of this country, no one here wants you! LOSER!.; Reply to this comment

by YrSoWrong June 13, 2009 10:22 AM EDT

How dare anyone suggest that Leon Klinghoffer was thrown overboard. He went for swim in his wheelchair, that's all. Another act of kindness towards old people by the Palestinian Boy Scouts -- they helped him cross the Mediterranean, and they got a merit badge for it.

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 26, 2010 12:26 AM EDT: I find it interesting how many believe Christian, Muslim, and Jewish holy books teach evil-atrocities to be done by the followers of whichever faith. As a Christian I've also found interesting how little these same know about the Bible, Qur'an, and the Torah.

by promaclaura June 13, 2009 10:01 AM EDT

Well, you and your fellow IDOL WORSHIPPERS prostrated yourselves to BUSH/CHENEY and their corrupt cronies, for the last 8 years, and look where it got us. Down in the SEWERS, Think before you post, lamebrain.
Posted by blitzder at 6:27 AM : Jun 13, 2009

No, Republicans usually worship God, that's why we are hated by loony libs. "IDOL WORSHIPPERS" are usually libs and democrats who hate God, but worship Hollywood and anyone that promises them "bling".

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 26, 2010 12:44 AM EDT: It is common to hear Americans describe our political system as the "lesser of two evils", and then unaware these two evils have much in common (in upper hierarchy of control), continue electing this same evil (Dem/Gop) into leadership.
Bush talked to god, who apparently told him to lie and deceive not only America, but the entire world into pre-emptively killing people that had survived 10-years of previous atrocities.
America is a cHRISTIAN nation that imports 80% slave-labor Third World consumable-goods, as gods blessings. What more proof is needed???

by blitzder June 13, 2009 9:54 AM EDT

Illegal? Sorry, but the Balfour Declaration supported by the UN says otherwise. Land squatters? That's like saying Americans are land squatters for taking the Indian's land! In the end, Israel is an ally.
Posted by denn034 at 4:04 PM : Jun 12, 2009

Yes, but Israel has refused to comply with hundreds of UN resolutions on settlements. AIPAC has even called the UN 'irrelevant'.

SO, now suddenly the Balfour declaration is relevant. Seems to me, you consider the UN useful only when its supports Israel. Sheesh. What two bit hypocrisy!.

Reply to this comment


by DeWayneE May 26, 2010 12:33 AM EDT: The Balfour Declaration did nothing more than offer support to establish some in a "Homeland" within Palestine.

Because of Zionist Apartheid found in early 1900's, the British redressed this error by forming in 1938 a Woodhead Commission who produced their "White Paper". This was the (first) document of Britain establishing a State of Israel within about 5% of Palestine, the remaining 95% to be established as a Palestine State with authority to limit Jewish (secular Zionist) immigration. this is when three Zionist para-military groups began attacking British also.