See also,

*Media reportage (lack of) graphs:
w.ifamericansknew.org

*Video “Off the charts” with Alison Weir:
vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1139517289

*Documentary, “The Israel lobby – The influence of AIPAC on US Foreign Policy”
google = 2894821400057137878#

I updated the post too. Thanks for letting us know.

Before I start this comment let me say two things: (1) thank you for taking the time to create and update this blog. I think there is a lot of good and useful information here, and (2) yes, I realize you posted this article months ago, but I only just got to it and something about it bugged me and felt like I needed to comment.

After I read this the first time, I was left asking: what’s the point you’re trying to make about the new principal? Debbie Salzberg- a religious Jew with a strong connection to Israel (a country where Arabic is an official language)- has been made the principal of the city’s first (to be) Arabic charter school. It begs the question…so what? She’s bad because she’s a religious Jew?

Considering Salzberg’s dedication to the school and the effort she had previously put into helping design it’s curriculum I’d say the school was fortunate to have someone installed who may actually care about the school’s mission. Salzberg, a well known liberal in the education community and others in the NY Jewish community have been lobbying for the creation of this school since before its inception. These are key points, not to be taken lightly, when discussing this.

Don’t get me wrong, the irony is not lost on me, I get it. But I think what you- and others in our community- may not get is: ultimately this is about creating a succesful Arabic charter school in NYC. This is not a tit-for-tat power-play on the world stage. Sure, it lends itself to that sort of an analysis, but that’s the lens you choose to see it through. I personally think its cool that the first Arabic language charter school in NYC has a Jewish principal. I think Khalil Gibran would too. If we want tolerance and acceptance, let’s practice tolerance and acceptance.

In a nutshell that’s what bothers me about this article, but for the fact that she’s Jewish, the post fails to describe any fault Salzberg may have. Let’s not do to Salzberg what was done to Almontaser. Our community, this institution and the children have so much to gain from from working together.

If the goal of this posting is to contribute and sustain a constructive dialogue about the disgraceful- and arguably racist and Islamaphobic- way in which Almontaser was forced to resign, this falls short. If anything, injecting this sort of non-sense into the debate is something I’m sure Almontaser would want to (and should) distance herself from. We all should.

It’s easy to spout off noisy, reactionary political rhetoric [Almontaser can tell you all about that]. It’s much harder to create beautiful poetry. And even harder still, to teach it. I wish Debbie Salzberg and the Khalil Gibran school (and most particularly its inaugural class) the best of luck.

Happy Belated Eid and Thanksgiving!

“does not preclude the fact that most aren’t when it comes to Palestinian issues.”

after writing this:

“but NO WAY in New York (Little Likudish Israel)

Pot call kettle.

“Actually I did address much of what you said if you had read my comments carefully.”

No you didn’t. You said there are, what you call, “fair minded jews”. You didn’t address:

1. why taxpayer dollars should fund any of these schools.

2. the fact that many Jews in what you call “likudish New YOrk”, including a prominent rabbi, support Debbie and the school.

“it was about the Israel lobby” ”

I have no doubt that AIPAC has lots of power on capital hill. Noone denies that.

“that will gnaw you up at the smallest sign of resistance to its extremist cause.”

Gnaw who up? Walt and M seem to be doing very well getting their word out there, Saudi Arabia is closer than ever to the current administration (getting billions in arms), Hamas is ruling the Palestinian territories and still getting American aid, and terrorist supporting front groups like CAIR and the HLF are still operating in this country, while the Mosques in Brooklyn (right down the street from me) preach Islamic domination.

Amad:

Do us all and your fellow Muslim/Arabs a favor. Be productive. Get a Patent. Pressure your fellow Arabs to do something about the genocide in Sudan.

And stop your whining about the Jewish Lobby, ‘little Israel’, and the ADL.

It’s tired.