JTA Covers Pat Robertson's Death, Cites Robertson Calling Mikey Weinstein a “Little Jewish Radical”

Friday Afternoon, June 9, 2023

ICONIC JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY (JTA)

COVERS PAT ROBERTSON'S DEATH, CITES ROBERTSON CALLING MIKEY WEINSTEIN

A “LITTLE JEWISH RADICAL”

"In 2014, he called the director of the Military Religious

Freedom Foundation, which advocates against proselytizing

in the military, a 'little Jewish radical.' The subject of that epithet,

Mikey Weinstein, was not mourning Robertson on Tuesday.

“'I know quite well what it felt like to be savaged by him

just for being a Jewish person who fights for civil rights

in our armed forces,' he said in a statement."

— Jewish Telegraphic Agency (JTA)

JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY (JTA)

COVERS MRFF

Pat Robertson, pastor who personified American Jews’ dilemma with evangelicals, dies at 93

By: Ron Kampeas

Friday, June 9, 2023

While noting that Pat Robertson did have some friends among Jewish conservatives, JTA also makes it clear that “Robertson’s message carried with it the baggage of age-old stereotypes that caused Jews discomfort. Those came alongside a history of statements denigrating feminism, LGBTQ people and Muslims.”

The article cites Robertson’s 2014 attack on Mikey Weinstein (emphasis added):

“In 2014, he called the director of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, which advocates against proselytizing in the military, a ‘little Jewish radical.’ The subject of that epithet, Mikey Weinstein, was not mourning Robertson on Tuesday.

“‘I know quite well what it felt like to be savaged by him just for being a Jewish person who fights for civil rights in our armed forces,’ he said in a statement.”

Click to read article on JTA

Pat Robertson's full 2014 "one little Jewish radical" rant against Mikey Weinstein

“There’s a left-wing radical named Mikey Weinstein, who has got a group about people against religion or whatever he calls it, and he has just terrorized the armed forces … You think you’re supposed to be tough, you’re supposed to defend us, and you got one little Jewish radical who is scaring the pants off of you … You want these guys flying the airplanes to defend us when you got one little guy terrorizing them? … That’s what it amounts to. … How can [USAF] fly the bombers to defend us if they cave to one little guy?”

MRFF Founder and President

Mikey Weinstein's Statement on the

Passing of Televangelist Pat Robertson

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Clarence Darrow once famously said, “I have never killed anyone, but I have read some obituary notices with great satisfaction."

"Sixteen years ago, Jerry Falwell died. I had a number of journalists asking me for my reaction at that time and I simply told them 'ding dong the witch is dead’.

I was simply NOT going to mince words.

Earlier today, I was contacted by another journalist asking my reaction to Pat Robertson dying. I said the very same thing. It was most fitting.

Robertson, like his evil, bigoted colleague Falwell, was a 100% fundamentalist Christian nationalist and repulsively antisemitic, homophobic, transphobic, Islamophobic and misogynistic to the filthy core of his wretched being.

I know quite well what it felt like to be savaged by him just for being a Jewish person who fights for civil rights in our armed forces.

Our nation is currently embroiled in horribly divisive strife freighted by the very same universal hatred and prejudice that BOTH Falwell and Robertson spewed out everywhere all the time.

America and the world will be far better places without the putrid, unconstitutional, fundamentalist Christian supremacy, triumphalism, domination, exclusivity, and exceptionalism both of those monsters tried to mix into the very fabric of our laws, land, and its inhabitants.

I am simply not going to mince words."

Mikey Weinstein's statement posted on Daily Kos reached #1 Trending story

One of MRFF's longest-serving Advisory Board Members, Pedro Luis Irigonegaray, applauds

Mikey Weinstein’s statement on Robertson’s death

Mikey,

Good afternoon brother.

I applaud your sincerity and respect your courage. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell caused great harm to many innocent people.

Their willfully ignorant vitriolic bigotry, which they skillfully wrapped in self serving prayer, became, for them, a reliable source of grief stricken, blood soaked and stained money.

Their wealth was significantly augmented by their cruel and reckless accusations, their unforgivable and needless punishment of innocent people, their families, friends, us all.

Not unlike historical accounts of Christian ministers relying on the Bible to justify slavery’s brutality, or the Nazi regime’s biblical justification for their barbarous actions, Falwell and Robertson, relying on the same book, marginalized and abused others for personal gain.

We cannot overestimate the immensity of the harm these two individuals caused to millions of people in the United States. Additionally, through their words, actions, their agents and surrogates, similar harm has been caused to millions of people around the world.

Silence, in the face of bigotry, endorses it.

Be well dear friend,

Pedro Luis Irigonegaray