Anyone Know Why Randi Rhodes Avoids Talking About Israel?

[davidlynch]

She seems to avoid it like the plague. Does anyone know why?

[eleny]

1. Why not send her an email and ask her

[Roxy66]

2. I think she is Jewish...someone correct me if I'm wrong. I think she

just doesnt want to go to that dicussion at this point

[Behind the Aegis]

31. Don't know...

...but, it seems that "Randi was brought up in a Jewish household, but refuses to discuss her religious views openly." source

[acmejack]

3. Because it is an issue that cleaves the left?

It is a subject that evokes great passion, both for and against. Just a guess...

[laheina]

23. It is one of the greatest wedge issues

that they seem to have against us.

[Behind the Aegis]

24. Yes it is...

...that and gay equality.

[ThomWV]

4. Maybe It Doesn't Matter Much To Her

Everyone does not have to carry the banner for every cause. If you find yourself not particulary interested in something you normally find you won't know much about it and that is better not to comment on it. That might be the cause. Its an old virtue, not talking about something you don't know anything about.

[Behind the Aegis]

10. good comment

"Its an old virtue, not talking about something you don't know anything about." If more people heeded this virtue, conversations about any topic would be more productive.

[BuyingThyme]

11. The problem is not that she doesn't know about the topics, it's that

she leaves Israel out of the equation.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. This makes no sense.

Perhaps you meant to reply to the person I replied to? :shrug:

[Jim Sagle]

17. And in some cases, non-existent.

;)

[rqstnnlitnmnt]

5. post about it on her message boards

www.therandirhodesshow.com

those people know everything about her, maybe you just haven't heard her talk about it. I've been listening to her for about a year every day, and it just seems like she always has more important stuff to talk about.

[Jim Sagle]

6. I dunno...maybe she's prosemitic?

:shrug:

[aquart]

7. Flamebait, much?

[BuyingThyme]

8. Refer to post #7.

Many liberals bow to a particular brand of supremacists.

[Cleita]

9. Can you say hot potato?

A reason many of us don't discuss Israel.

[JNelson6563]

13. Yeah, I generally refrain too

That "discussion" is one big vortex. I steer clear.

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Behind the Aegis]

26. There is some "progressive" thought!

:eyes:

"another reason might be that so many big wigs at studios & news venues are jewish themselves.." Those 'pesky' media-controlling Jews I have heard so much about! :eyes:

[scarletlib]

14. you are right.

She was on air here in West Palm Beach for many years before going to AAR. THe Israel/PLO thing has come up on her show from time to time. She refuses to get into it for the same reason DU has a separate forum for Israely/Palestinian issues. You generally can't make any headway with either side and everyone ends up pissed off. She prefers not to go into that issue on her show.

[Talismom]

12. I'm a practicing, tho' not orthodox,, Jew who has dared to question the

establishment line on this subject at gatherings in my community and all but had my head bit off! I continue to support organizations working for negotiations and peace and civil justice, but I'm careful about whom I will discuss this subject with--cause who the hell needs to be attacked and threatened? I don't blame her a bit. There are plenty of other very important issues to tackle now...like the growth of fascism right here, right now!

[clbuck]

15. Mike Malloy talks about it occasionally

In fact, he even had guests representing both sides of the issue on separate nights a few months ago. While I don't think that Mike has really chosen a side, he seems to lean closer to the Palestinian point of view. However, he doesn't have a vested interest in picking a side, since he's critical of most religions, anyway.

[porphyrian]

18. Factoid Supplement

The thing about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is that it isn't just about religion or politics, it's about both. Not all Israelis are Jews, and not all Jews are Israelis (although they can apply for and get citizenship in Israel easily just for being Jewish). Israel is a political state based on a religious ideal, largely as interpreted by those reacting to anti-Jewish sentiment in the wake of WWII. By the same count, not all Palestinians are Muslim, and by and large most Muslims are not Palestinians. The Palestinians were treated poorly because they were part of the losing side of WWI, and the British "won" them as spoils. As empirical colonialists, they had no problem with giving the Jews a chunk of their desert (better than a piece of Europe, after all)to create Israel and make land ownership laws the Palestinians didn't understand. The other Allies didn't mind, either. However, the dispossesed Palestinians did mind, got violent, and were stomped upon. When surrounding Arab nations used this as an excuse to attack Israel, they were repelled and actually lost land to Israel. This happened a number of times (three?), with them losing more land each time, thus the "occupied territories."

Prior to the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Zionist colonization of Palestine, Jews and Muslims got along really well. In fact, the religions have more in common than most realize. While the groups tend to be identified by their religion more often than any other factor, the real source of the conflict is political.

[RagingInMiami]

21. Mike Malloy talks about it a lot

[The Sushi Bandit]

20. Why is it so important?

I think we spend too much time on it.

what the Neo-cons are doing to us are much more important issues to talk about

[undeterred]

22. Randi never talks about the environment either

I remember hearing her say that that "liberal" cause isn't very important to her.

[JI7]

25. does she discuss Tibet ?

[Behind the Aegis]

28. Are there oppressed people there?

OH shit! There are!!!!

I could give you a hint why it's not discussed by her (it would be opinion) or why it is not discussed here (it would require a simple search).

[rpannier]

27. Call her show and ask her

Maybe it's an issue that doesn't really interest her.

[tsuki]

29. Maybe she is more worried about what is happening in the US. eom

[Behind the Aegis]

30. Maybe...

...or it could be..."Randi was brought up in a Jewish household, but refuses to discuss her religious views openly." source

[tsuki]

32. They also say this:

Rhodes gained national attention, soon after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, by being particularly critical of President Bush, and closely monitoring questions surrounding the incidents of the World Trade Center's destruction, damage to The Pentagon, and related issues. She was, and remains, highly critical of rightists, fascists, Neoconservatives, and Christian, Islamic and Jewish religious fundamentalists.