Abrabanel: Musings on the Jewish condition

The Jerusalem Post reported yesterday on the run-up to the April 2009 “Durban II” conference in Geneva. The article contains these surprising words:

Pakistan’s Ambassador said that the anti-racism conference “should not turn into an exercise in anti-Semitism and that doing so would be a clear violation of the Durban declaration and program of action.”

As plans for the conference proceed, “I hope we will find that the OIC member states will stick to that commitment,” said [Israeli ambassador to Geneva Roni] Leshno Yaar.

Pakistan hasn’t really got anything against Israel, but the “look of the thing” requires them to toe the line with the rest of the Organization of the Islamic Conference. It would indeed be shocking news if the Muslim nations of the world are getting a little embarrassed at the rabid anti-Semitism that will probably be on display – in Islam’s name, of course – at Durban II.

We don’t speak Arabic, Farsi or any other language of the Muslim world, so take this with a grain of salt. Still, judging by the English-language editorials we’ve seen coming out of Muslim countries, the coverage of the US presidential election often has a fairly consistent narrative.

Here’s an example from today, in Pakistan’s influential English-language daily The Nation:

The Israeli lobby with its stranglehold over the US financial institutions, media, numerous think tanks and government agencies, not only dictates the US foreign policy but also determines who gets to rule America.

The article is titled “Obama and Jews,” and is written (poorly) by a certain Irfan Asghar, described only as a “public servant.” Asghar seems to wholeheartedly believe the “stranglehold” theory, and offers examples of Obama’s pandering to the Jews:

He has over-egged the pudding by heaping scorn on anti-Israel statements pronounced by Lovis Farrakhan, the anti-Israel Chairman of the Nation of Islam. As Israel dubs Iran’s nuclear programme as the monstrous threat to it, so Obama has articulated that he does not believe that diplomacy above can deter Iran from going nuclear and that there could be a need for stick to bring Iran to heels.

But, explains Asghar, Obama should know that he doesn’t have to listen to the Jews. Why? Because despite all his pandering, they won’t vote for him anyway:

But on having mature reflection, the writer is of the viewpoint that despite bending over backwards to curry favour with the Jewish lobby and pander to its wishes, many Jews would not vote for Obama as they cast doubts on his intentions and policies towards Israel’s security. The why and the wherefore for this is that Obama has fulminated against the war on Iraq and spelled out the strategy of withdrawing US troops from there and rolling out talks with Iran and Syria.

Obama’s campaign isn’t stupid, and includes among the cadre of its most ardent supporters and advisors many senior members of that all-powerful Jewish lobby. I don’t think they’ll be taking advice from these folks. The news here isn’t the content of the advice, but the authentic sincerity with which English-speaking Muslims in Pakistan are trying to wean Obama off the Jewish conspiracy.