posted July 14, 2004 04:40 PM            

Wednesday, July 14, 2004 3:25 p.m. EDT
Michael Moore on Israel

The Republican Jewish Coalition recently detailed Michael Moore's views on Israel.

We thought we would share their release with our readers. Michael Moore on Israel:

Quotes from Michael Moore’s book, "Dude Where’s My Country?” (Warner Books, 2003) regarding the United States support for Israel:

Moore dedicated his book "Dude, Where’s My Country?" to Rachel Corrie, an International Solidarity Movement volunteer who was killed March 16 when she climbed in front of a Caterpillar bulldozer that was destroying tunnels used by Palestinian terrorists to illegally smuggle weapons from Egypt into Gaza

"Of course many Israeli children had died too, at the hands of the Palestinians. You would think that would make every Israeli want to wipe out the Arab world, but the average Israeli does not have that response. Why? Because IN THEIR HEARTS, THEY KNOW THEY ARE WRONG, AND THEY KNOW THEY WOULD BE DOING JUST WHAT THE PALESTINIANS ARE DOING IF THE SANDAL WERE ON THE OTHER FOOT."

"Hey, here’s a way to stop suicide bombings – give the Palestinians a bunch of missile-firing Apache helicopters and let them and the Israelis go at each other head to head. Four billion dollars a year to Israel – four billion dollars a year to the Palestinians – they can just blow each other up and leave the rest of us the hell alone."

"Now I’m not just talking about your everyday anti-Semites. No, I’m talking about a perceived notion that we Americans are supporting Israel in its oppression of the Palestinian people. Now where did those Arabs come up with an idea like that? Maybe it was when the Palestinian child looked up in the air and saw an American Apache helicopter firing a missile into his baby sister’s bedroom just before she was blown into a hundred bits."

In 1987, Moore was honored by the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee for his "courageous efforts in journalism." (ADC Times, January 1990, page 4)

In 1990, speaking before the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, Moore announced that he would refuse to attend a screening of his movie "Roger and Me," which was being held in Jerusalem. He was quoted as saying that he would not attend until Israel ceased to occupy the West Bank and Gaza. (Arab American News, 1990)

Moore attended and spoke at a June 5, 1990, demonstration protesting the continued Israeli occupation at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. (Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, July, 2001)

In October 2003, Moore was honored by the Muslim American Public Affairs Council (MPAC) with a media award. (www.mpac.org)

In his book "Stupid White Men and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation," Moore proposed that Congress give Israel 30 days to end the bloodshed taking place in its name, and if Israel did not do so, funding to Israel should be cut. He also noted that while individual terrorism is bad, state-sponsored terrorism is truly evil. Moore also proposed that the Palestinians be given their statehood and receive twice as much economic assistance from the United States as Israel receives.

"In Liverpool, [Moore] paused to contemplate the epicenters of evil in the modern world: "It’s all part of the same ball of wax, right? The oil companies, Israel, Halliburton." (David Brooks in the New York Times, June 26, 2004)

Recently Moore had no comment when questioned about the rumor that members of Hezbollah had been involved in the distribution of "Fahrenheit 9/11." (http://www.moorewatch.com)

Moore tried to prevent "Fahrenheit 9/11" from being shown in Israel. (New Yorker Magazine, February 16, 2004)

Moore stated: "Anyway, the support Bush and the Republicans feign for Israel is because Israel is near our oil. If the oil wan't there, I bet those same Republicans wouldn't [care] about Israel." (Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2004)
Michael Moore on America:

While promoting his book "Dude, Where’s My Country?" in Germany, Moore gave a speech in which he asserted that "Americans are possibly the dumbest people on the planet ... in thrall to conniving, thieving, smug pricks. We Americans suffer from an enforced ignorance. We don’t know about anything that’s happening outside our country. Our stupidity is embarrassing." (The Washington Dispatch, June 26, 2004)

"I want Bush paraded in handcuffs outside of a police house as a common criminal because I don’t know if there’s a greater crime than taking people to war based on a lie. I’ve never seen anything like Bush and his people. They truly hate our Constitution, our rights and our liberties. They have no shame in fighting for their corporate sponsors." (Quote from Moore in The Mirror, Nov. 3, 2003)

In "Dude, Where’s My Country?” Moore proposed that the Patriot Act is as un-American as "Mein Kampf." He wrote: "The Patriot Act is the first step. ‘Mein Kampf’... ‘Mein Kampf’ was written long before Hitler came to power. And if the people of Germany had done something early on to stop these early signs, when the right-wing, when the extremists such as yourself, decide that this is the way to go, if people don’t speak up against this, you end up with something like what they had in Germany. I don’t want to get to that point."

In October of 2003, Moore was quoted in the University of Michigan’s student newspaper, The Michigan Daily, as saying "there is no terrorist threat in this country. This is a lie. This is the biggest lie we’ve been told."

On his book tour to promote "Dude, Where’s My Country?" Moore stopped off in Cambridge, England, where he lamented before a large audience, "You’re stuck with being connected to this country of mine, which is known for bringing sadness and misery to places around the globe." (NewsMax.com, June 6, 2004)

While on his recent book tour, Moore told a crowd in Berlin: "Don’t be like us. You’ve got to stand up, right? You’ve got to be brave." (David Brooks in the New York Times, June 29, 2004)

posted July 14, 2004 05:39 PM            

It would be one thing if he preached "change" in America and then did something to promote that change, but like the anarchists that march outside of conferences and b1tch about the ills of the world, he will do nothing to stop it.

It makes me sick that there is a fringe element like him- people that are eager to point out the wrongs, violently demonstrate against it, yet they DO NOTHING to change it. If someone doesn't like the political climate- then get involved and CHANGE IT. If someone hates big oil and SUV's then get an engineering degree or find the money to fund a study that can make a better car and then go out and educate people.

But people like Moore really don't want change. They just want anarchy- anger and in his case, he just hates who he is.

posted July 14, 2004 10:00 PM            

I don't know if the "dozer" operator ran over her on purpose of if he just couldn't see her. I'm not inclined to accept the opinion of people with an ax to grind on the subject.

What is known is that tunnels used to smuggle arms from Egypt to the Palestinians were being searched for and collapsed.

posted July 14, 2004 10:54 PM            

Collateral damage is a phrase I wish had never been coined. But, I doubt the operator of that CAT had any idea Rachel was an American and therefore had no intent to kill an American. It's easy to assign blame TINK but you can't know what was in his mind....or even if he saw her.

Can you imagine what the reaction would be if Mexican nationals were sneaking across the border of the US and blowing up shopping centers and killing US citizens, including women and children in San Antonio, TX, San Diego or LA under the guise that the American Southwest really belonged to Mexico?

posted July 14, 2004 11:11 PM              

In your scenario I would say the Israelis would be the Mexicans - not the Palestinians.

Of course it is quite the mess over there and neither you nor I are qualified to speak the final word. But I would say that where once my sympathies lay with the Israelis they are slowly moving towards the Palestinians. (Despite their woeful lack of a good publicist). I would like nothing better than to see a Ghandi or a King or a Mandela rise up out of the Palestinians to face down the Israelis. But neither party seems able to take the high road.

"The Israelis are striking people responsible for attacks on Israeli citizens." But, jwhop, where is their proof? When I hear that an Israeli bomb was dropped on a "suspected terrorist" where is the proof? What about a trial? And please remember, that "terrorist" killed Israeli civilians because an Israeli killed a Palestinian civilian. And on and on and on.

posted July 15, 2004 12:20 AM            

As for publicists TINK, the truth doesn't need a publicist, lies do however, in an attempt to sway public opinion which seems to have worked with you.

I keep hearing the refrain of Ghandi, King and Mandella but Saddam, Stalin, Mao and Arafat would simply have killed them and got on with their reign of terror. How is it that you don't understand that non violent techniques only work when there is an adversary who is civilized and seeking a solution to a thorny problem?

The proof that Israel is hitting the leadership of Hamas, Hezballoh and Islamic Jihad comes from those groups themselves when they swear the death of their
leadership(s) will be avenged. Just for your information TINK, the Israelis have arguably the best intelligence service in the world. Certainly better than ours after Clinton and the Democrat Congress, including John Kerry decimated the CIA by cutting their funding and instituting rules whereby only choir boys and girls could be CIA informants. Absolute stupidity, DUH

posted July 15, 2004 03:35 AM              

I don't think I've been so moved by anyone since little Mattie Stepanek...

posted July 15, 2004 11:50 AM            

quote:

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How is it that you don't understand that non violent techniques only work when there is an adversary who is civilized and seeking a solution to a thorny problem?

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I couldn't have said it better myself. Many, many Palestinians have tried using wide-scale non-violent disobedience but they find that the IDF has little qualms with simply killing them and such murders go virtually unchallenged in the international community. Seems the world at large cares little for the lives of Palestinians. Non-violent resistance only works when someone gives a d@mn about your life.

posted July 16, 2004 09:26 AM              

Get what I'm saying now?

If the truth doesn't need a publicist, why do the Israelis have so damn many of them? And why are they all in White House? It would seem that they are also at Jwhop's house.

"Non-violent techniques only work when there is an adversary who is civilized and looking for a solution to the problem"

Hmm. I'm thinking about what Ghandi and Mandela and King went up against. I'm wondering if they would have considered their adversaries "civilized and looking for a solution". I'm thinking you are doing a bang-up job at proving my point. At this point, I think most of the world is fed-up with both parties involved. If the Palestinians would take up wide-spread non-violent resistence many would die. Absolutely. The Israelis would have a free- for-all. But world opinion would almost immediately swing in their favor. If you hit me and I hit you back, we are both jerks. But if you hit me and I turn the other cheek, then you are the bad guy and I am the good guy. Many died in India, many died in the American South, many died in South Africa. But maybe it is a deal worth making?

I quite agree with you concerning the talented Israeli secret police. If I say right now that I swear vengeance on Bush, does the CIA then have the right to carpet bomb my village? No proof, no trial? That's a whole lot of power you're giving them. Gosh, they could just kill anyone they wanted then, couldn't they?