'Coffee' has now featured discussion about Gaza two sessions in a row, and the hosts still widely miss the mark.
On last Thursday's Coffee with the Contrarians, Jennifer Rubin brought up the 'catastrophe' in Gaza, and asked for Norm Eisen's comment.
He started by saying "You and I are proud liberal Zionists, and we stand with the Israeli people", then went on to moderately criticize only Netanyahu, He then mentioned that "Trump has the power to bring home the hostages", and added one comment about the "loss of life". He then pivoted to talking about Turkey and Hungary.
He literally did not mention Palestinians even once in his response.
He said not a single word about the mass starvation that is being enforced on the Palestinian people by Israel. He said not a word about how US contractors and IDF soldiers are killing unarmed starving civilians who are trying to get food at "aid" sites every single day. He said "loss of life" in a passive tense, as if no one was directly responsible, with no mention of whose lives were being "lost". He made it clear his only real concern was for Israeli citizens. He said nothing of the hundreds of aid organizations practically screaming to stop this travesty right now. He said nothing of the journalists, aid workers, and doctors who are being starved to death along with everyone else in Gaza.
He said nothing about not only the US power to stop this nightmare, but of the US's crucial, ongoing, and bipartisan role in this horrible war crime.
None of the three speakers uttered the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
Eisen's answer was truly reprehensible. He showed no real concern for the massive atrocity intentionally created by Israel and the US. He spoke as if the Palestinian people do not exist, as if Israel is not at this moment starving children to death and massacring the survivors.
This is especially concerning since Eisen does do great work. It is really upsetting when otherwise progressive activists can so willfully turn a blind eye to such horror.
It is crucially important that self-described "liberal Zionists" like Eisen and Rubin speak out loudly, frequently, and clearly against the ongoing nightmare now being intentionally perpetuated by Israel and the US, happening before our eyes.
it is also far past time for Jennifer Rubin, and anyone else from The Contrarian, to write a focused article on the US support for and involvement in Israel's genocide, and the urgent need to stop it.
It's also noteworthy that in the two minutes they discussed this topic Thursday, most of the time was spent criticizing activists for targeting Democrats.
On today's conversation ,. they discussed Gaza at greater length and was a bit more critical, but again, the emphasis was on what it is doing to Israelis, not to Palestinians...Eisen cannot bring himself to say the word "Palestinian". They also completely avoid the fact that support for Israel's war crimes has been bipartisan all along. The genocide didn't start just these past couple of months.
Eisen also keeps cherry picking that Israeli poll. In that same poll, 62% of respondents rated IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's handling of the war as good. Only 55% of respondents said that Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza was bad.
The point is - it's less important what the citizens of the state committing the genocide think. It is important that the world holds Israel and the US responsible for this terror, and does everything possible to stop it. It's important that the world start listening to Palestinians and not their executioners.
Rubin needs to stop calling this a 'war'. It is a slaughter, a genocide, an abject abomination and crime against humanity. It is not just Netanyahu who is guilty, it is the entire leadership in Israel, most of the Knesset, the IDF, the 'settlers' and much of the US government as well, who have made this nightmare possible across two presidencies.
I agree that the genocide in Gaza has been virtually ignored by The Contrarians. Trump and Netanyahu are equally despicable and consistently abuse their power. Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders have been accused of being "Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts" by the International Court. The Palestinian point of view is not being given adequate consideration in the The Contrarian reporting on Gaza, and the plight of Palestinian civilians, including innocent children, is ignored.
We keep talking ad nauseum about what Trump is doing and are doing nothing to put him and his cronies where they belong.
He still walks the streets a free man. When will Americans wake up??
Too late, it seems. The way I see it, Trump is now heading up the Fascist Autocratic state in America and seems to have it running like a well oiled machine.
Carry on with your discussions, they will certainly not bring back our democracy.
Yes to tennis! And don’t forget the US Open later in August. Balance the sturm und drang we are being drowned under with the spirit lifting things of your choice.
The world already disrespects the United States but it has nothing to do with the BS First Felon spews every single day. His handling of everything from foreign policy and tariffs to the crisis and famine in Gaza is disastrous. Our Senate and House are totally impotent with regard to keeping presidential power in check. The Republican Party does not exist anymore. They are the American Fascist Party. Call it what it is.
Tom, your snark is just heart-warming. This is an important conversation that deserves wide circulation. You all clarify what is happening and the reasons behind it with rare insight.
Contrarians, Norm, Jen and Tom, you report the news and with the work of Democracy Defenders often make news. You have created a community linked together by a shared appreciation of being invited to the table where respected experts in their various fields of domestic and foreign policy write and talk about the issues critical to our defense of democracy. I've thanked you before but I feel that I can't thank you enough. A lifeline.
'Coffee' has now featured discussion about Gaza two sessions in a row, and the hosts still widely miss the mark.
On last Thursday's Coffee with the Contrarians, Jennifer Rubin brought up the 'catastrophe' in Gaza, and asked for Norm Eisen's comment.
He started by saying "You and I are proud liberal Zionists, and we stand with the Israeli people", then went on to moderately criticize only Netanyahu, He then mentioned that "Trump has the power to bring home the hostages", and added one comment about the "loss of life". He then pivoted to talking about Turkey and Hungary.
He literally did not mention Palestinians even once in his response.
He said not a single word about the mass starvation that is being enforced on the Palestinian people by Israel. He said not a word about how US contractors and IDF soldiers are killing unarmed starving civilians who are trying to get food at "aid" sites every single day. He said "loss of life" in a passive tense, as if no one was directly responsible, with no mention of whose lives were being "lost". He made it clear his only real concern was for Israeli citizens. He said nothing of the hundreds of aid organizations practically screaming to stop this travesty right now. He said nothing of the journalists, aid workers, and doctors who are being starved to death along with everyone else in Gaza.
He said nothing about not only the US power to stop this nightmare, but of the US's crucial, ongoing, and bipartisan role in this horrible war crime.
None of the three speakers uttered the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
Eisen's answer was truly reprehensible. He showed no real concern for the massive atrocity intentionally created by Israel and the US. He spoke as if the Palestinian people do not exist, as if Israel is not at this moment starving children to death and massacring the survivors.
This is especially concerning since Eisen does do great work. It is really upsetting when otherwise progressive activists can so willfully turn a blind eye to such horror.
It is crucially important that self-described "liberal Zionists" like Eisen and Rubin speak out loudly, frequently, and clearly against the ongoing nightmare now being intentionally perpetuated by Israel and the US, happening before our eyes.
it is also far past time for Jennifer Rubin, and anyone else from The Contrarian, to write a focused article on the US support for and involvement in Israel's genocide, and the urgent need to stop it.
It's also noteworthy that in the two minutes they discussed this topic Thursday, most of the time was spent criticizing activists for targeting Democrats.
On today's conversation ,. they discussed Gaza at greater length and was a bit more critical, but again, the emphasis was on what it is doing to Israelis, not to Palestinians...Eisen cannot bring himself to say the word "Palestinian". They also completely avoid the fact that support for Israel's war crimes has been bipartisan all along. The genocide didn't start just these past couple of months.
Eisen also keeps cherry picking that Israeli poll. In that same poll, 62% of respondents rated IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir's handling of the war as good. Only 55% of respondents said that Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza was bad.
The point is - it's less important what the citizens of the state committing the genocide think. It is important that the world holds Israel and the US responsible for this terror, and does everything possible to stop it. It's important that the world start listening to Palestinians and not their executioners.
Rubin needs to stop calling this a 'war'. It is a slaughter, a genocide, an abject abomination and crime against humanity. It is not just Netanyahu who is guilty, it is the entire leadership in Israel, most of the Knesset, the IDF, the 'settlers' and much of the US government as well, who have made this nightmare possible across two presidencies.
I agree that the genocide in Gaza has been virtually ignored by The Contrarians. Trump and Netanyahu are equally despicable and consistently abuse their power. Netanyahu and other top Israeli leaders have been accused of being "Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts" by the International Court. The Palestinian point of view is not being given adequate consideration in the The Contrarian reporting on Gaza, and the plight of Palestinian civilians, including innocent children, is ignored.
Love you guys. You are a lifeline. Thanks for ending on a good note!
We keep talking ad nauseum about what Trump is doing and are doing nothing to put him and his cronies where they belong.
He still walks the streets a free man. When will Americans wake up??
Too late, it seems. The way I see it, Trump is now heading up the Fascist Autocratic state in America and seems to have it running like a well oiled machine.
Carry on with your discussions, they will certainly not bring back our democracy.
That has been lost!
Yes to tennis! And don’t forget the US Open later in August. Balance the sturm und drang we are being drowned under with the spirit lifting things of your choice.
The world already disrespects the United States but it has nothing to do with the BS First Felon spews every single day. His handling of everything from foreign policy and tariffs to the crisis and famine in Gaza is disastrous. Our Senate and House are totally impotent with regard to keeping presidential power in check. The Republican Party does not exist anymore. They are the American Fascist Party. Call it what it is.
Tom, your snark is just heart-warming. This is an important conversation that deserves wide circulation. You all clarify what is happening and the reasons behind it with rare insight.
Contrarians, Norm, Jen and Tom, you report the news and with the work of Democracy Defenders often make news. You have created a community linked together by a shared appreciation of being invited to the table where respected experts in their various fields of domestic and foreign policy write and talk about the issues critical to our defense of democracy. I've thanked you before but I feel that I can't thank you enough. A lifeline.
Why as a paid subscriber am I being blocked from listening