This morning on Talkline communications – A Saturday night Jewish Radio program hosted by Zev Brenner – I had the honor to debate non other than Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
Rabbi Shmuley, initially called in to respond to my criticism of the Republican Jewish Coalition as an organization that has failed the Jewish community, and for their misconduct in convening a leadership convention last week Shabbos. But other than defending the RJC, Rabbi Shmuley diverted the debate into a personal attack on me, accusing me of unethical violations for reporting out of a closed meeting with Netanyahu’s advisor last week.
According to Rabbi Shmuley, the event was organized from one minute to the other in less than 12 hours, which raises the question why I had already managed to RSVP for the event 25 hours prior to the event. As a matter of fact, Rabbi Shmuley announced the event on Twitter, and over 80 people squashed themselves into the office of Michael Steinhardt in NYC for a briefing, that was taped by his daughter, with Ron Dermer, PM Netanyahu’s outgoing senior advisor over the past 5 years.
I didn’t secretly record Mr. Dermer’s opening remarks because I didn’t hide. My camera was visible to all. Only as Rabbi Shmuley stood up at the start of an Q&A, which may get off script, to announce that the event is off the record, did I stop recording.
Mr. Boteach accused me of uploading the video and taking Mr. Dermer’s words out of context. Had he known that I, as a blogger and a fan of Benjamin Netanyahu, has over the past 6 years blogged about him, obsessively some might claim, on my Blog ‘The Bibi Report’ or on Twitter, He wouldn’t of accused me of undermining Israel or a spokesman defending Israel.
But back to the facts, Rabbi Shmuley failed to answer a simple question Why is the Republican Jewish coalition ignoring the Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox community? Why they have failed in the most recent Presidential elections in achieving victory, spending $6.5 Million from Sheldon Adelson?
My point was clear and crisp: The Republican Jewish Coalition, vying to represent all Republican Jews, must not ignore one of the Republican party’s strongest and growing voting blocs – The Orthodox Jewish community.
Diverting the conversation and going off topic, may gain Rabbi Shmuley some political points and get him some more $$ for a future run, but that will not defy the skeptics or set the record straight on a failed organization that has more interest in mingling at cocktail parties with the most richest people in America, rather than focusing on reaching out to its loyal electorate.