Rev. Wright: I Meant "Zionists," Not Jews
(AP Photo/Douglas Healey)
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.
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See all 141 CommentsThe 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."
Keep up the "good" work.
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.
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!.
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".
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!.
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.
So quit recreating history to serve your narrow minded purposes and look to the future and celebrate the great parts of our history. If you want atrocities, then look at the atrocities ignorant savages perpetrated upon each other. You can enjoy those and then be depressed about those realities.
Posted by megawhy at 5:28 AM : Jun 13, 2009
I'm just making a comparison that the US Government & other European governments policy towards Israel and the treatment of "Palestinians" has been the same as it's treatment of the Native American people in the USA, Canada, Mexico, etc...
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 enriquieGonzales at 5:47 AM : Jun 13, 2009
Oh, I think they knew it. A very anal group that dissects Bush, Rush, and Palin has the ability to find out every little tidbit about Obama's radical pals. They just didn't care because they were in the heat of the moment getting "Bush", forget that it wasn't Bush that ran, they were so busy stomping on anything Bush that they checked their morality and brains at the door. Well, I guess for some their chickens are going to be coming home to roost, realizing their "zombie" vote for Obama was really a vote for the radicals that "prepped" him for the office.
Go Reverend Wright!
Posted by summarex at 1:37 AM : Jun 13, 2009
I don't admire ANY preacher that spews hate and lives in a million dollar home built by his church. A REAL man of God would not accept "a million dollar home" and preach about the poor and downtrodden. Just think how far that million dollars would have gone for the poor in Chicago.
Have a look at
www.jewsagainstzionism.com/
And you'll get some answers
Posted by summarex at 2:10 PM : Jun 12, 2009
+ report abuse + permalink
It was my ancestors who came to this country and made it the greatest nation on the earth, until our recent election. I am sick and tired of all the whining about past injustices that are being viewed through the weak lenses of todays screwed up morality. Had my ancestors not come to this country it would have been overrun by godless countries and you would not be here.
So quit recreating history to serve your naroow minded purposes and look to the future and celebrate the great parts of our history. If you want attrocities, then look at the attrocities ignorant savages perpetrated upon each other. You can enjoy those and then be depressed about those realities.
.
If you voted for Barak Obama you have NO roight to be angry. His beliefs were clear for anyone who would listen. So if you, as a Jew, voted for him then you were a fool. Next time actually listen to what the candidate says and study who his mentors are. Maybe you were just too enamored with Obama's empty speeches to think. You would think the Jewish people would have grown wiser over the last century. Some apparently never learned or have forgotton the dangers of a Tyrant.
I didn't vote for Barak Obama because I know what he stands for and he doing exactly what he said he would. Just wait it will only get worse.
As for these anti-zionists, anti Israel posters here: How is the dislocation of "Palestinians" any different than the dislocation of the Native Americans who were killed, formed treaties with US Government, Spanish Government, French Government, were given land grants and reservations only to have those treaties broken and their land stolen, and they be herded into the smaller reservation lands we now have today? Somewhere there is a displaced "first nation American" who could claim ownership to your house, are you willing to give it back? or would you die fighting to protect your ownership?
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