“Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the Donald
Sterling scandal is . . .” began the
New York Times’ piece by their editorial
board on the Donald Sterling controversy in which the Los Angeles Clippers
owner was recorded making racist comments.
But what the Editorial Board of “the paper of record”
finds “most disturbing” differs from what this particular writer finds most
disturbing.
For the NYT editors the “most disturbing aspect” is that
no one in the NBA was surprised at Sterling’s comments. They had known about
Sterling’s racism for a long time. And this is why the NYT wants to know: “
Why
Did the N.B.A. Long Tolerate Sterling?”
True and fair enough.
But, as usual, it is what is missing from the NYT piece
that is more revealing than what is offered. While denouncing the tolerance of
racism there is no mention of Israeli apartheid, which Sterling pointed to in
defense of his racist opinions.
Donald Sterling: It's the world! You go to Israel, the
blacks are just treated like dogs.
V. Stiviano: So do you have to treat them like that too?
DS: The white Jews, there's white Jews and black Jews, do
you understand?
V: And are the black Jews less than the white Jews?
DS: A hundred percent, fifty, a hundred percent.
V: And is that right?
DS: It isn't a question—we don't evaluate what's right
and wrong, we live in a society. We live in a culture. We have to live within
that culture.
V: But shouldn't we take a stand for what's wrong? And be
the change and the difference?
DS: I don't want to change the culture, because I can't.
It's too big and too [unknown].
V: But you can change yourself.
DS: I don't want to change…
And while the racist policies of Israel is hardly limited
to black Jews, at nearly the same time that Sterling made this comment another
related item was in the news.
US Secretary of State John Kerry warned that if Israel did not
make progress in a Middle East peace agreement then they would risk becoming an
“apartheid state.” Of course, Palestinians, Arabs, and black Jews scoff
at the notion of “becoming” an apartheid state. But no matter, the comment
received immediate repudiation from influential Jewish groups that had
Secretary Kerry apologizing for his remark, as the NYT covered in their article
“
Kerry
Expresses Regret After Apartheid Remark.”
