Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky

Nathan Guttman March 1, 2013

Tony Perkins Image by Wikicommons

Once more, it’s the “Jewish lobby,” that troubling term that has Jewish leaders crying anti-Semitism while politicians from both sides use it to discredit their rivals.

For opponents of the administration, remarks by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel about the “Jewish lobby” that “intimidates” lawmakers in Washington, were seen as a hint — or worse — of anti-Semitism. The term, claimed the critics, invoked the notion of a powerful Jewish network influencing American politics behind the scenes. Hagel apologized for the offensive remarks, both in conversations with Jewish leaders and during his Senate hearing and eventually got confirmed as Secretary of Defense.

Now, liberals feel it is payback time. They are gladly pointing to a similar remark made by one of the Christian-right’s most well known activists. Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, a right-wing think tank based in Washington, was caught talking on his daily radio show about the “Jewish lobby” and on how American Jews fund Democratic candidates, all in the context of how bad a choice Hagel would be for Secretary of Defense.

Here’s the quote:

“The Democratic Party and the Democratic senators that supported Hagel, in spite of the fact that he has a record that’s deplorable on Israel, it comes from Democratic senators who are mostly aligned with a lot of the Jewish lobby here in Washington and around the nation, enjoy the money coming from the Jewish community. The Jewish community tends to be liberal, not all, but a lot of it is, and it supports Democratic candidates. But yet the Democratic Party works against the benefit of Israel in many ways, and this is an example of it.”

The remarks by Perkins were highlighted by Right Wing Watch, which is part of People for American Way, a liberal organization dedicated to “monitoring and exposing the activities of the right-wing movement.” The group criticized Republican lawmakers who attacked Hagel for his remarks but did not say a word about Perkins. “Don’t hold your breath waiting for conservatives to denounce Perkins’ comments,” the group wrote in its blog.

Meanwhile, the National Jewish Democratic Council called on Republicans to condemn Perkins’ remarks, which they described as “outrageous”.

Just how problematic is the term “Jewish lobby?”

Here’s one sign it is not a good idea for public figures to use it: This week Louis Farrakhan expressed his support for Hagel for talking about the “Jewish lobby,” and even claimed credit for bringing up the issue. “Guess what?” he asked a crowd in Chicago, “I said the same thing 30 years ago.”

This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.

We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.

This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.

With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.

The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.

Don't just read the Forward - invest in it. Make a matched gift today.

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$120 $180 $360 OTHER AMOUNT