Letters to the Editor
The Washington Post

To the Editor:

Richard Cohen gets it wrong when he suggests that Rep. James P. Moran merely overreacted in suggesting that the Jewish community was responsible for the U.S. military buildup against Saddam Hussein, and holds the power to reverse it ("Offensive - but not Anti-Semitic, March 13"). The heinous charge that Jews are more loyal to Israel and have undue influence in power is pure, unadulterated anti-Semitism.

Why was the Congressman's remark anti-Semitic? First there is history. For centuries, Jews have been stigmatized and branded as "outsiders" with no loyalties but to their own kind. This dangerous canard continues to captivate modern-day conspiracy theorists, and surfaced during the 1991 Gulf War, when Pat Buchanan blamed the Jewish "amen corner" for provoking the conflict. Rep. Moran's words have successfully reignited this pernicious myth.

Second, anti-Semites have long spoken of a Jewish conspiracy controlling the U.S. government. While most rational Americans reject such bigoted fantasies, the unsettling fact is that fully one-third of Americans still accept the notion that Jews have "dual loyalties." This was apparent in a May 2002 Survey of Anti-Semitism in America, which also found that 20 percent of the American public agrees that, "Jews have too much power in the U.S. today."

We wish Richard Cohen would have identified the anti-Semitic remarks of Rep. Moran's remarks for what they were.

Sincerely,

 

Sincerely, Chris Wolf Board Chair Washington, DC Regional Office David Friedman Director Washington, DC Regional Office