Why do non-Jews bashing Israel claim to be Jewish?

[oberliner]

Defending his participation in the latest flotilla operation in an attempt to break Israel’s naval blockade of Hamas-controlled Gaza, Gabriel Matthew Schivone, an American university student, stressed in a late June Ha’aretz opinion piece that he is one of a growing number of young American Jews seeking to disassociate himself from Israel.

There is, however, a rather large factual wrinkle with Schivone’s account – he appears to have falsified his Jewish identity.

Writing in an August letter to the editor in Ha’aretz,Valerie Saturen, a pro-Palestinian activist and acquaintance of Schivone, noted, “In his editorial about joining the flotilla to Gaza, Gabriel Schivone represented himself as a Jewish college student. I feel I must point out that this is not his true identity, but one he has created in order to generate insider credibility, shield himself from accusations of anti-Semitism, and resonate with a target audience.

“Gabriel is not Jewish, whether in terms of ethnic ancestry, religious belief or cultural identity. He has never identified as a Jew until it became useful in advancing his political agenda. When asked why he did this, he explained that he has a distant Jewish relative and that ‘you use what you have.’”

http://www.jpost.com/International/Article.aspx?id=233141

[LiberalFighter]

1. If the only way to appear to be honest and convey a reasonable approach.

Then it must not have been reasonable.

[aquart]

2. They think it gives their hatred credibility.

And there are many happy to believe them. Although Jews who bash Jews exist, too. Think Eastern European Jews have a good word to say about German Jews? Not so much.

[leveymg]

3. Because the ayatollahs who run the Israeli rabbinate insist they make that distinction

That's why. It sounds like Mr. Schivone, like many American Jews, isn't nearly pure enough for the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (הרבנות הראשית לישראל).

[xchrom]

4. That is a problem.

Whether it's a problem in this case - indent know.

[oberliner]

6. The Israeli rabbinate having nothing to do with this

This was a Ha'aretz reporter making the correction.

[azurnoir]

8. It was Valerie Saturen who wrote to Ha'aretz it was JPost who reported it

Ms Saturen is touted as a 'pro-Palestinian' activist BTW here is her blog people can decide for themselves how high on her list Palestine is

http://saturen.blogspot.com/

The closest she gets is an interview with Laurence Silberstein about post and neo Zionist as it relates to American and Israeli Jews

[oberliner]

9. You have no idea who that is, do you?

This is the first time you've looked up the name, yes?

[azurnoir]

13. really I cut and pasted the name from the snip in your OP n/t

[oberliner]

17. That's what I figured

Thanks for the confirmation.

[azurnoir]

18. now for part2 the next thing I did was researched her

Google is a friend, but do let facts get in your way

[mike_c]

5. somehow I doubt that's a very significant social movement, LOL....

I mean, you can pretty much find someone who's done just about ANYTHING you can imagine, but that doesn't mean that lots of people do it. :shrug:

[azurnoir]

7. non-Jew in what sense? If one has never claimed to be a Jew

bur indeed has Jewish ancestry what of it? and if one has how is that proven? You use one example to what end, except that it is one person

The article claims 'distant. but how distant? Schivone doesn't say does he?


Schivone defines himself as a “Chicano Jew.” When asked specifically if he converted to Judaism or if his parents or grandparents are Jewish, Schivone told the Post “I mean that I foremost am a person of color -- a ‘Chicano’ simply means someone of Mexican heritage and ancestry, with cultural ties to Mexico and to the preceding indigenous lands, and with national ties to the United States... I am a first generation immigrant youth in the US.

“At the same time I also retain Jewish heritage and ancestry, from parts of my family who are from Mexico

but delegitimization is weapon that is used allegedly by both sides, guess Adam Shapiro was too big a target eh, use other means for that one self hating ect ect

Thanks for the revealing article for a publication you have attempted to 'delegitimize' here recently but any port in storm as they say BYW I've never heard of this Schivone gut prior someone must be quite investigative

[oberliner]

10. In the sense that they are not Jewish

Also, just because you haven't heard of someone doesn't mean they don't exist.

[King_David]

11. I encounter this all the time,

I have no idea why they do it.

[azurnoir]

12. Lol I'm quite sure you do at that

if fact I somewhere that supposedly my father was a Jew and a transvestite and Roma it was written by someone a Canadian I believe who has a queer(odd) sense of justice or something but in fact my father was a Jew and my maternal grandmother was Roma

eta neither was a tranvestite

[King_David]

16. Huh ?

Wat does all that mean ??

[LeftishBrit]

14. Same reason as some antisemites say 'Some of my best friends are Jews'

Some antisemites do have best friends who are Jews, or are even Jewish themselves (Bobby Fischer, Gilad Atzmon). But some are doubtless making it up.

Same goes for other groups. The principle is that if you're criticizing your own group, or one which you know well, you're more likely to be objective. Which is not necessarily true even for people who genuinely do belong to these groups; cf. aforesaid Gilad Atzmon, or Wafa Sultan, or that female state senator who said that women shouldn't have the vote. But people may feel that if they present themselves as Jews or close friends of Jews, they are less likely to be considered unreasonable or bigoted, even if they then come out with antisemitic statements.

On the other hand, people who bash their own group, or even criticize its actions non-bashingly, are also more likely to get treated as 'traitors' so it's a double-edged sword.

[azurnoir]

15. well anyone who says some of my best friends are ___________

fill in anything you like before saying something bigoted is suspect but your last bit is absolutely correct