Jewish billionaire funding the birther movement?

I have said many times that birtherism has a number of strains and that it is not a simple expression of racism. Some part of the movement has a pro-Israel/anti-Arab motivation. The Huffington Post highlights such an idea in its article:

“Irving Moskowitz, Controversial Backer Of Israeli Settlements, Gives $1 Million To Anti-Obama Super PAC.” Moskowitz gave $1 million to America Crossroads, and according to HuffPo:

Now, at age 83, Moskowitz has turned his money on the American political realm in a more prominent fashion than ever before, funding "birther" groups that question the legitimacy of President Barack Obama’s U.S. citizenship and others that stoke fears about the president’s alleged ties to "radical Islam."

The HuffPo article is repeated on Jewish news web sites such as Jewish Telegraphic Agency and The Times of Israel.

What is not exactly clear is whether contributions to “birther” groups is necessarily supported in the story. The only “birther groups” mentioned by HuffPo is (singular) Joseph Farah’s Western Center for Journalism. While there is no question that Farah and his enterprises are a wellspring of birtherism, they also support anti-Muslim activities and right-wing politics in general. I don’t see the evidence that Moskowitz is himself a birther or has donated money specifically to advance birtherism.

About Dr. Conspiracy

I'm not a real doctor, but I have a master's degree.
This entry was posted in Follow the money and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.

20 Responses to Jewish billionaire funding the birther movement?

  1. JPotter says:

    Revealed in Mississippi: Moskowitz backs Taitz!

    No, that would be too fantastic. It is not all all surprising that those favoring Jewish settlements oppose Obama, considering the firestorm his reference to 1967 borders caused.

    Elderly and reactionary, he fits the birther profile.

    The same vague claim is at JPost:

    “Moskowitz, 83, has also donated to “birther” groups that question the legitimacy of Obama’s US citizenship and to groups that claim Obama has ties to radical Islamic groups.”
    http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=266109&R=R101

    If true, which ones? From this bare outline, it sounds like an “Oppose Obama at all costs” strategy. Hardball politics, decency be damned. Throw the kitchen sink at him!

    More depth at ThikProgress, but basically the same as the HuffPo piece:
    http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/04/12/463610/american-crossroads-irving-moskowitz/

    Supporting Western Center for Journalism and Center for Security Policy. He’s supporting the fomenting of ultra-right position in the public consciousness here. Thanks … indirectly(?) supporting birtherism and islamophobia.

  2. Sef says:

    This could be an attempt by some to stoke anti-semitic fears. Let’s not go there.

  3. Terry K. says:

    While Farah co-founded the Western Center for Journalism, he claimed in 2009 that he and WND have “no connection” to the current version of the group. That’s disingenuous at best, and a lie at worst — WND worked with the WJC on its laughable book “The Case for Impeachment,” and current WJC head Floyd Brown has occasional columns published at WND.

    It may not be quite accurate to call it “Joseph Farah’s Western Center for Journalism,” but it’s not inaccurate either. Farah may not be involved in WJC’s day-to-day operations (as far as I know), but there are clearly some links there. Given that, there’s an intriguing question: Is Moskowitz also funding WND too?

  4. JPotter says:

    Terry K.: Given that, there’s an intriguing question: Is Moskowitz also funding WND too?

    Wait, you mean WND isn’t turning a profit on all those gangbuster publishing endeavors? Ha!

    Having worked in digital publishing, I know just how bleak that marketplace is, the low returns, the really, really low conversion rates.

    I never really gave much thought to the legal structure of WND, and or its financing.

  5. Terry K. says:

    JPotter: A few years back, I looked into the early backers of WND — mostly California conservatives (where Farah was based at the time), plus a guy named Robert Beale, a Minnesota businessman who is currently in prison for tax evasion after going on the lam for several months. Fun side note: Beale is the father of WND columnist Vox Day.

  6. traderjack says:

    JEWISH billionaire, And not just Billiionaire, kind of like Maher giving I million to Obama, but with an emphasis on Jewish!

    How about JEWISH Soros giving millions to Obama, Same thing?

  7. J. Potter says:

    traderjack:
    JEWISH billionaire, And not just Billiionaire, kind of like Maher giving I million to Obama, but with an emphasis on Jewish!

    How about JEWISH Soros giving millions to Obama,Same thing?

    Yes, Jack, you’re absolutely correct, the keypoint about the story is that Moskowitz is Jewish. Likewise in the examples you noted, key points about Maher and Soros is that they are Jewish, too.

    Right.

    Jeeeee-zzzusss.

  8. misha says:

    traderjack: How about JEWISH Soros giving millions to Obama, Same thing?

    Evangelicals have the highest praise for Israel, but denigrate the Jewish people. Soros believes in evolution, reproductive freedom, and science. That’s the difference. Don’t get me started on the forced baptisms by the Cornerstone Baptist Church, in Colorado Springs.

    As a minister in the Anchorage AoG (Palin belongs to the Wasilla AoG), said to me: “Auschwitz was divine retribution because you people have refused to accept God’s only son.”

    When I told him my best friend in college is Ukrainian Catholic, his mother survived Auschwitz and his father survived the Gestapo, he said “That’s impossible. It was Jews only. Your friend’s parents were not Christians.”

    I will remember that every time I go into the voting booth.

  9. roadburner says:

    J. Potter: Jeeeee-zzzusss.

    he was jewish too

    😀

  10. misha says:

    62% of U.S. Jews would reelect Obama, 4% say Israel is most important issue

    Of the Jews who voted for Obama in 2008, 86% would like to see him reelected, while 7% said they have switched sides and would prefer to see a Republican candidate win this time round. Fifty-eight percent of the Jewish voters approve of Obama’s performance as president

    Sixty-seven percent of Jewish voters hold “mostly” or “very” unfavorable opinions of Mitt Romney

    Read on:
    http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/survey-62-of-u-s-jews-would-reelect-obama-4-say-israel-is-most-important-issue-1.422405

  11. misha says:

    Poll: 100% of dogs hold “mostly” or “very” unfavorable opinions of Mitt Romney

    In a poll taken at Philadelphia’s South Street dog run, 100% of canine respondents said they have unfavorable opinions of Mitt Romney.

    The mastiff mayor of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky said, “if that Willard, or Mitt, or whatever he is called, ever sets foot in my town, I’m going to do a romney on his shoes.”

    Dogs Against Romney – http://www.dogsagainstromney.com/

  12. misha says:

    http://www.haaretz.com:
    Poll: 100% of Jewish dogs hold “mostly” or “very” unfavorable opinions of Mitt Romney

    Kelef, a dog who speaks mostly Hebrew and Yiddish, said “Romney? I should vote for that momser? How crazy do you think I am? I wouldn’t ride on the roof of an Alfa Romeo, even if Dustin Hoffman was driving.”

  13. JPotter says:

    roadburner: he was jewish too

    Yup 😉

    Hey, Misha, I hear now Ann Romeny is insisting the dog loved it. I assume she means being on top of the car, not the diarrhea. Here, it is not an uncommon site to see pickups with dogs loose in the bed. They do seem to enjoy the view, but their enjoyment does not excuse the inhumane stupidity. Ann should get back to work on her rationalization.

  14. The Magic M says:

    misha: Poll: 100% of Jewish dogs hold “mostly” or “very” unfavorable opinions of Mitt Romney

    Do dogs get circumcized, too?

    Did I ever mention that the funniest claim from our German ultra-right-wingers is that the porn industry is controlled by Jews because nearly all male actors are circumcized?

    Besides, if anyone wants to join my “Cats against Taitz” movement, feel free to sign up.

  15. misha says:

    The Magic M: Did I ever mention that the funniest claim from our German ultra-right-wingers is that the porn industry is controlled by Jews because nearly all male actors are circumcized?

    No, it’s because Jewish men are great kibbitzers. [bada-bing]

    An Empire of Their Own: How the Jews Invented Hollywood
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An_Empire_of_Their_Own:_How_the_Jews_Invented_Hollywood

    If you buy the book, please use Doc’s link on the side.

  16. Thomas Brown says:

    traderjack:
    JEWISH billionaire, And not just Billiionaire, kind of like Maher giving I million to Obama, but with an emphasis on Jewish!

    How about JEWISH Soros giving millions to Obama,Same thing?

    If I were rowing a lifeboat with twelve open seats and you and eleven Jews were foundering in the North Atlantic, I’d pull the eleven Jews aboard and leave the last seat empty.

  17. The press, including the Jewish press has emphasized that Moslowitz is Jewish. It’s relevant because because his support for Israeli settlements can be construed as a motivation for the contribution. George Soros isn’t making, to my knowledge, contributions to Obama to further Jewish interests.

    So it’s not the same thing.

    traderjack: JEWISH billionaire, And not just Billiionaire, kind of like Maher giving I million to Obama, but with an emphasis on Jewish!

    How about JEWISH Soros giving millions to Obama, Same thing?

  18. misha says:

    Dr. Conspiracy: George Soros isn’t making, to my knowledge, contributions to Obama to further Jewish interests.

    Soros is making contributions to futher human interests and progress. He doesn’t tell Settlers that the bible justifies stealing from Arabs, like evangelicals and their ilk do. Politics make strange bedfellows.

  19. Thrifty says:

    Reminds me of a joke from The Office.

    Michael Scott: If I were in a room with Adolf Hitler, Osama Bin Laden, and Toby, and I had a gun with 2 bullets, I would shoot Toby twice.

    Thomas Brown: If I were rowing a lifeboat with twelve open seats and you and eleven Jews were foundering in the North Atlantic, I’d pull the eleven Jews aboard and leave the last seat empty.

  20. misha says:

    Dr. Conspiracy: It’s relevant because because his support for Israeli settlements can be construed as a motivation for the contribution.

    “Israel will have to choose whether to be a Jewish state or a democratic state. It cannot be both,” said George Mitchell, the former Democratic senator of Maine, to a University of Utah audience on Thursday.

    Or Israel can forge a two-state solution to its 65-year conflict with the Palestinian people, he said. The only way Israel can get the secure borders it desires is to grant its antagonists a viable state, while Palestinians must assure an end to their campaign of terror.

    “Neither can achieve their principal objective by denying the other side their principal objective,” said Mitchell, himself an Arab-American.

    The unrest in Egypt and other nations that erupted in last year’s Arab Spring will not be resolved anytime soon, nor in predictable ways, according to Mitchell.

    “There will be some good results by our standards and some bad,” he said. “History teaches us that when bad governments are removed by revolution, they are often succeeded by even worse governments.”
    complete story:
    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/53949490-78/mitchell-israel-state-arab.html.csp

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.