Wife of Israel's interior minister tweets, and deletes, racist joke about President Obama

[hue]

Source: BUSINESS INSIDER

Judy Mozes, an Israeli talk-show host and the wife of the country’s Interior Minister, tweeted a racist joke about President Barack Obama on Sunday morning.

She then quickly deleted it and apologized.

Mozes, who is married Silvan Shalom, a Likud party member and currently vice prime minister and head of the Ministry of the Interior, tweeted a joke she said she heard that compared Obama's skin color to a weak cup of coffee.

She has nearly 75,000 followers.




Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/wife-of-israeli-minister-tweets-racist-joke-about-president-obama-2015-6

[dhill926]

1. Sorry if I caused any offence to anyone....

yeah, right. Don't bother apologizing....own it, you piece of shit....

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. yep

[Laurian]

2. I am so tired of this shit. Every damn day....

What ignorance.

[BumRushDaShow]

3. There was a GD thread on this earlier on this

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026875997

Was wondering how long it would take to hit the M$M. I love their apologist rhetoric claiming she has "weird outbursts", rather than calling her out for what she is. People tend to instinctively react with their true selves when in some sort of comfort zone. Unfortunately anyone in elective office (including their families), regardless of what they really feel, are under the microscope for certain behaviors - notably anything that can generate a quick media frenzy.

[truthisfreedom]

4. If that's all she said, who cares?

Other than her being married to a high political figure, it wasn't exactly racist. If she'd called bohner orange would anyone have given a shit?

[Chicago1980]

5. He is orange...

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

7. So the joke implies Obama is weak?

Like in a weak cup of coffee? If that's all it is, I don't find it funny and it's not much of a joke. But it doesn't sound very offensive or mean-spirited either.

[HardLineDem]

21. His skin is some color or other. True. So what?

So, your skin is some color or other and mine is...what, a sort of pale pinky-yellow? So what? But whatever is funny about any of that?

[pscot]

10. Tepid stuff

She seems to have a history of making a fool of herself in public

[yardwork]

18. Giving this type of thing a pass is what eventually leads to racist massacres.

I'm not exaggerating. Every time we ignore or justify racism, we allow it to build and eventually the logical conclusion is that some weak-minded individual is going to act on the rhetoric, as we saw in South Carolina last week.

It absolutely is racist to talk about Obama's skin color. It's not comparable to talking about the white guy's skin tone. The reason it's not comparable is that blacks and whites in the U.S. are in no way "equal" in any historic, economic, or social sense. It's simply disingenuous to pretend that they are.

Two buddies in a bar who belong to the same socio-economic demographic can taunt one another and it is "equal." Taunting the first black president about his skin color is not comparable to taunting Boehner for having a weird skin tone.

[cosmicone]

31. +1 well said n/t

[red dog 1]

36. + 1

Well stated!

[oberliner]

38. It wasn't given a pass

The person was attacked on twitter for the tweet. She deleted it and apologized. What else ought to happen?

[yardwork]

43. I'm responding to the poster up thread who said that this is no big deal.

[Schema Thing]

65. can't agree with you there.

It's exactly the same, your special pleadings aside.

Boehner is orange hued, and Obama is coffee hued.


It's tacky in most context, but not racist, to comment on either - but it happens ALL THE TIME here on DU. Not nearly as bad in either case as commenting on Hillary's ankles or someone else' fat.

[LanternWaste]

68. I'd rationalize it if my bias depended on it too...

I'd rationalize it if my bias depended on it too...

[jwirr]

6. These Israeli haters are no different than the ones in the USA and they should not wonder why

our country is getting less and less willing to fall for their hate. And why our citizens are getting more anti-Israeli. Of all people in the world the Israeli people should know what hate leads to. Yeah they have a nuclear bomb to back up their hate but the use of such a bomb will lead to an end to all support for them.

Wake up Israel before you push all of us away.

[Frustratedlady]

41. Thanks. I thought I was the only one who felt this way. eom

[jtuck004]

8. Racist piece of crap. Why are we letting kids here go hungry and sending these fools money?

Let them dry up and blow away. Fuck the whole occupying country.

[oberliner]

12. "Let them dry up and blow away. Fuck the whole occupying country."

This is in reaction to the wife of an Israeli politician tweeting an offensive Obama joke?

[Comrade Grumpy]

15. More like the reaction to the last 40 years. n/t

[oberliner]

29. So the post is unrelated to the OP?

It seemed to be in response to it.

[jtuck004]

37. Did history just start for you this A.M.? cya

?resize=480%2C480

[Psephos]

66. Haven't read much Eibl-Eibesfeldt I'm guessing.

His book "Love and Hate" would be a good place to start.

Anyway, science says you have it backwards. We come genetically prewired with a predisposition toward identifying in-groups and out-groups. We show extreme loyalty to our in-group, and viciousness toward out-groups. We are blind to the flaws and hypocrisies of our in-group, and treat utterances and actions of the out-group as evil and threatening.

Racism is not taught. It's a genetic relict from tribal times when it conferred a survival advantage. What can be taught is how we have far more in common than in difference, reminding us all at a deep emotional level that we are all members of the same ingroup.

It's a tall order, but at least it's an evidence-based strategy. The current fetish to factionalize and Balkanize racial, political, and religious differences has proven catastrophically unproductive.

[grossproffit]

78. And so is bigotry. CYA!

[Blue_Tires]

9. Not surprised...Racism is rife among the Israelis

[oberliner]

13. Not quite as rife as in the United States

[Comrade Grumpy]

16. That's debatable. n/t

[Chakab]

17. Has the US tried to sterilize its black citizens in the past five years?

[yardwork]

19. It's been suggested by some white politicians. /nt

[arikara]

20. Who knows for sure?

But cops attack and kill them just for being black.

[Chakab]

22. ...and that doesn't happen in Israel?

[oberliner]

26. Have you heard about what happened in Charleston, SC (USA) last week?

A white racist shot and killed nine people just because they were black.

[Chakab]

32. Isn't there constant violence based on ethnicity/religion in Israel? And isn't the government

subjugating an entire ethnic group within its borders?

[Mosby]

45. no, Israel is not "subjugating an entire ethnic group within its borders?"

Everyone in Israel has the same rights.

There has been a great deal of violence against Israelis which is coming from the Palestinians living in the west bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem. More than 1000 israelis have been murdered.

[6chars]

72. link?

[grossproffit]

75. Bah, rumor and innuendo is all that's needed for some.

Interesting how a post on racism would bring out so much bigotry. Actually, not really around here.

[Chakab]

80. "Rumor and innuendo" that was reported by mainstream news outlets all over the world.

[Chakab]

79. Here you go.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/eliseknutsen/2013/01/28/israel-foribly-injected-african-immigrant-women-with-birth-control/
http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/israel-admits-ethiopian-women-were-given-birth-control-shots.premium-1.496519
http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel/israel-admits-ethiopian-women-were-given-birth-control-shots.premium-1.496519
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/feb/28/ethiopian-women-given-contraceptives-israel

[6chars]

81. Ah. And here is something a little more recent.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethiopian_Jews_in_Israel

According to a TV program in 2012, female Ethiopian immigrants may have been given the Depo-Provera birth control drug without full explanation of its effects,[56] although the Israeli health ministry has instructed all health maintenance organizations not to use the treatment unless patients understand the ramifications. Ethiopian Jewish women awaiting aliyah were given birth control while in transit camps. The drug has existed for around thirty years but only about five percent of women elect to use this method of birth control in the US.[57] The effects of Depo-Provera last for three months.

The practice was first reported in 2010 by Isha le'Isha, an Israeli women’s rights organization. Hedva Eyal, the author of the report, stated: "We believe it is a method of reducing the number of births in a community that is black and mostly poor." [58] Haaretz criticized the coverage,[59] alleging that there was no plan to deliberately reduce the birth rates of Ethiopian Jews, and there was no evidence for coercion.


=======

Seems that what Israel should have done if they want to reduce the number of Ethiopian origin Jews in Israel would be to not have airlifted them in. Not sure what the motivations are here.

[Purveyor]

25. Oh pleazzzzzeee...

[oberliner]

27. You don't think racism is as serious a problem in the US as it is in Israel?

Is that what the laughing jester is meant to indicate?

[bravenak]

51. You know I think so. I think they take cues from us on that shit.

[Blue_Tires]

70. You might have a point

but the OP's story wasn't about the U.S., was it?

[grossproffit]

74. Stereotyping an entire country isn't any different than what this OP is about.

[C Moon]

14. What a fool. What a freak.

[oldandhappy]

23. She has a Facebook page

Go find her and send a message. I did. Thanks.

[oldandhappy]

24. Email for the husband is --

[e-mail]

Just emailed him. Join me.

[oberliner]

28. Pretty sure he isn't responsible for his wife's tweets

That's not how it works.

[oldandhappy]

34. I agree with you.

And, noise is noise. He may never see my email, in fact, I strongly doubt he reads any of his emails. That is staff duty. But someone has to read and count and that person knows international relations can hinge on the dumbest things. And this was really dumb! Anyway ...

[elehhhhna]

30. let's fork over a couple billion

A year so they can afford shit we don't have. Like national healthcare and education.

[oberliner]

39. We can afford national healthcare and education

We just choose not to direct our resources that way.

[yardwork]

44. That is true.

[Enthusiast]

47. +1

[The Stranger]

54. Who is the "we" directing those resources?

AIPAC?

[HassleCat]

33. Some people think Obama is weak because...

...he doesn't "support" Israel. True, he's not as "strong" a supporter of all Israeli policies as some presidents have been, but consider the circumstances. Israel has taken a rightward turn in recent years, and some Israeli politicians have scored points by questioning Obama's "weakness" and lack of support. When Israel steps to the right, it's difficult for the US to support everything it does, and Obama is not the first US president to hesitate at unconditionally going all-in for Israel. Of course, some people just cannot resist the temptation to look at the president's skin color and conclude that makes him sympathize with Arabs.

[Sunlei]

60. sounds like your "some people" are all the republicans who visited Israel to schmooze, while their

wives all gossiped and twittered all day, the horror of a Decent, Honest, American President.

[red dog 1]

35. She's a stupid, racist pig,

just like that war-monger Netanyahu & his racist Likud Party, which her husband is part of.

[Enthusiast]

48. +1

[63splitwindow]

40. Every once in a while they drop their guard (get drunk)...

and for a moment honestly express their thoughts and feelings. Then, in a bizarre twist, they will somehow blame their actions on someone else. You know, just like a 3 year-old would.

[catbyte]

42. And Israel expects how much money from the United States?

[oberliner]

50. Your post is in response to this tweet from this woman?

That seems a bit incongruous.

[The Stranger]

53. Makes perfect sense.

Stop supporting racists.

How's that for congruity?

[catbyte]

57. Seriously? Her husband is Interior Minister & she feels free to toss out racist jokes

about the President? And you don't see any connection? I guess I'm just strange.

[4now]

46. It's sickening and sad what Israel has become.

[oberliner]

49. This is in response to this one woman's tweet?

We have people running for president in this very country who have said much much more offensive things about Obama.

[The Stranger]

52. Then start your own thread about people running for President.

This is about a racist tweet from someone close to the most powerful in Israel.

It was and is unforgivable, especially in the wake of a Terrorist attack on African-Americans that is very clearly known about internationally.

[geek tragedy]

56. Such as? Michael Oren is another data point. nt

[LanternWaste]

69. This is in response to an entire spectrum of belief and behavior exemplified by one tweet.

This is in response to an entire spectrum of belief and behavior exemplified by one tweet.

Forest, trees, etc...

[Sunlei]

59. what IYO has Israel 'become'? More republican obama haters?

[grossproffit]

76. Yes, it's sickening that a post on racism would bring out so many bigots.

[McCamy Taylor]

55. Israel is different from old South Africa...how?

[oberliner]

62. Your comment is in response to this woman's tweet?

Lots of Americans have tweeted much much more offensive things about Obama, including some who are currently running for President.

[6chars]

73. are you saying that response is an overreaction?

nt

[betterdemsonly]

83. She is a popular talk show host and the wife of an elected official so she is not just

an individual. She represent the popularly elected view in the Israeli state.

[oberliner]

84. Sean Hannity is a popular talk show host

Last edited Wed Jun 24, 2015, 03:23 PM - Edit history (1)

Does he represent the popular view of the United States?

This woman was not elected to anything and holds no position in government. She is a talk show host along the lines of Hannity (a man who regularly says repellant things about Obama much more offensive than this tweet).

[betterdemsonly]

85. We have a republican congress so yes he does. n/t

[Sunlei]

58. lets hope the twitter- woman didn't hear the 'joke' from her husband. republicans have spent

MILLIONS (republicans fake political charities paid) on several recent 'secret vacations meetings' in Israel to spread their Obama -hate.

She probably 'joked around' and caught the republican cancer they've infected so many Americans with.

[oberliner]

63. There are much more offensive anti-Obama jokes going around Republican circles I am sure

Spend a few minutes listening to any of the RW radio shows for instance.

[Sunlei]

64. oh I know. The republican 'bone nose' & watermelon emails were very offensive. republican birthers

campaign was also very offensive.

[En Garde]

61. What a putz.

[Hekate]

67. I like my president like I like my coffee: hot, strong, with a dash of cream.

Nothing weak about him.

[DCBob]

71. Sick joke.

[grossproffit]

77. Very disappointed to read this.

I don't understand how some can feel that comments like these are funny in the slightest. Having said that, I've caught friends using 'jokes' like these about nationalities, races and religions. The sad part is that they don't even realize what they're doing until you point it out to them and I always do, point it out.

[betterdemsonly]

82. Likud gained power in Israel by pandering to racism,

provoking racial strife, and violence, then claiming to defend Israelis from the the strife they created. There is a reason their apologists in the US, such as Bill Kristol are also defenders of neoconfederates and the confederate flag. They have a lot in common.