by Mark Silva
Who knew the national security advisor is a comedian?
The White House, insisting today that peace talks in the Middle East are moving forward, said the president had not asked his national security advisor, retired Marine Gen. Jim Jones, to apologize for his joke about a Jewish merchant and Taliban fighter.
Jones took care of that on his own, saying he regretted telling a joke that ultimately detracted from the message he was delivering at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy over the weekend.
While it drew a good laugh from the audience, the Anti-Defamation League's Abe Foxman told ABC News that the joke was "inappropriate" and "stereotypic."
"Some people believe they need to start a speech with a joke; this was about the worst kind of joke the head of the National Security Council could have told," Foxman said.
Relations between Israel and the United States lately have grown strained under the Israeli government's insistence on the expansion of settlements. The U.S. envoy to the region, retired Sen. George Mitchell, has returned on a diplomatic mission which the White House insisted today is moving forward.
"I wish that I had not made this off the cuff joke at the top of my remarks, and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it," Jones said afterward in an issued statement. "It also distracted from the larger message I carried that day: that the United States commitment to Israel's security is sacrosanct."
The president himself dropped by a meeting between Gen. Jones and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak this morning, a White House spokesman said.
"The president reaffirmmed our unshakable commitment to Israel's security and our determination to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East,'' Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "including a two-state solution with a secure Jewish state of Israel living side by side in peace and security with a viable and independent Palestinian state.''
This is the general's joke, as seen above:
"In order to set the stage for my remarks, I'd just like to tell you a story that I think is true. It happened recently in southern Afghanistan.
"A member of the Taliban was separated from his fighting party and wandered around for a few days in the desert, lost, out of food, no water. And he looked on the horizon and he saw what looked like a little shack and he walked towards that shack. And as he got to it, it turned out it was a little store own by a Jewish merchant.
"And the Taliban warrior went up to him and said, "I need water, give me some water." And the merchant said, "I'm sorry, I don't have any water but would you like a tie. We have a nice sale of ties today."
"Whereupon the Taliban erupted into a stream of language that I can't repeat, about Israel, about Jewish people, about the man himself, about his family, and just said, "I need water, you try to sell me ties, you people don't get it."
"The merchant stood there until the Taliban was through with his diatribe and said, "Well I'm sorry I don't have water for you and I forgive you for all of the insults you've levied against me, my family, my country. But I will help you out. If you go over that hill and walk about two miles there is a restaurant there and they will have all the water you need."
"And the Taliban, instead of saying thanks, still muttering under his breath, disappears over the hill, only to come back an hour later, and walking up to the merchant says, "You're brother tells me a I need a tie to get into the restaurant."
Comments
Inappropriate, no doubt about. Apology accepted. Let us get on with all of our problems, thanks, in no small part, to the Cheney&Bush regimes !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | April 26, 2010 2:33 PM
When is the Commander in Chief going to appologize for ALL his offensive remarks?
Obama Attempts to Clarify "Typical White Person" and Which Offensive Comments He Heard at Church
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/obama-attempts.html
He has a long history of not only being offensive, but encouraging class envy, hate, and jealousy. I think that's a much bigger story.
Posted by: Free to Watch Liberals Tax and Spend | April 26, 2010 3:25 PM
85% of the American Jewish population voted for the Democrats in the last two elections. They get it that the Israeli population is being fed a steady dose of fear-mongering from far right wing American hate groups like Faux News and AM Hate Radio. Netanyahu is nothing more than Israel's version of Shrub Jr - a right wing clown suffering from delusions of grandeur.
Posted by: HHH | April 26, 2010 3:46 PM
Republicans (Drudge, Breitbart) concerned about bigotry and ethnic stereotyping?
What's next...the Taliban concerned about the rise of Islamic fundamentalism?
Posted by: HHH | April 26, 2010 4:03 PM
The joke was offensive and old, but the delivery was downright painful.
Posted by: Independent Thinker | April 26, 2010 4:05 PM
Very many of my Jewish relatives and friends and I tell each other jokes in this vein. It's funny, and there's nothing especially offensive about it.
First of all, the stereotype is based on truth--as stereotypes so often tend to be. Jews of the Diaspora have a long standing mercantile tradition because historically their Gentile overlords specifically forbade them to earn a living with manual skills (they didn't want the Jews to take work away from Christians, you see.)
But more importantly, Gen. Jones' stereotyping is the very OPPOSITE of negativity. The Jews in Jones' story outwit their dim witted thuggish oppressor. It's a very common and uplifting theme in Jewish humor.
It's too bad that the general was bullied into apologizing.
Posted by: Reality Czech | April 26, 2010 4:19 PM
The last 20 DNC Swamp articles featured:
An Obama advisor
Obama's press secretary
Obama aide Axelrod
Dem Senator
Obama
Obama
Obama
Obama golfing
Defense of obama's SEC
Obama
Obama
Michelle Obama
Obama
Anti-Reagan
Obama aide
Democrat talking about Earth Day
Blame Bush
Obama
Anyone notice a trend here? Anyone notice which party went 0 for 20?
Posted by: Equal time | April 26, 2010 4:23 PM
Stop calling the Israeli building settlements! It is called housing as in building new apt. in NYC. Look up the word SETTLEMENT. If you are going to write, publish etc get your facts straight.
Posted by: Penni | April 26, 2010 5:08 PM
----------------------------
Anyone notice a trend here? Anyone notice which party went 0 for 20?
Posted by: Equal time | April 26, 2010 4:23 PM
------------------------
Bobby's Mommy sock puppet,
If you Rethug mouth-breathers want people to talk about you try winning a few elections first.
.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAk7Hrf2joU
.
Posted by: HHH | April 26, 2010 8:05 PM
REPUBLICANS VOTE AGAINST REFORMING WALL STREET!
As Republicans stand in tight formation, working each member to insure there is no waiver at the last minute, to insure that the Right Wing Authoritarian Party spin is maintained, the result is always the same.
Republicans Voted Against Reforming Wall Street!
.
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/04/26/wall-street-reform-showdown-looming-in-senate/
That is the frame.
That is the meme.
Republicans voted against reforming Wall Street.
Simple.
Straight forward.
No wiggle room.
No nuance.
No quarter.
With more than 65% of the population supporting reform, let's nail 'em with this failure to proceed to debate and amendment in a way that even the low information Republican/Teabagger voter can get their fat heads wrapped around.
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http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/banking-financial-institutions/93433-a-majority-of-americans-support-financial-regulatory-reform-poll-says
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http://voices.washingtonpost.com/behind-the-numbers/2010/04/most_back_stricter_financial_r.html#more
.
Posted by: HHH | April 26, 2010 8:38 PM
Being military or NSA is never having to say you're sorry.
Posted by: Erich Segal | April 26, 2010 8:48 PM
HHH - Would the white house be able to actually post on topic?
Are we to believe that the dem bill you are trying to cram through without reading or discussion will do what you liars say it will? How many ex-Goldman thieves, Fed tax cheats and SEC pron hounds consulted on this bill?
Sorry white house, I hear your talking points, you just aren't saying anything.
Posted by: Hans | April 27, 2010 10:33 AM