September 2, 2014, - 10:30 pm
Steven Sotloff: Proud “Jewish” Supporter of HAMAS, ISIS, Rebels; His Anti-US Friends & Their Attacks on Me; “Deeply Loved Islam”
**** UPDATE 3: Steven Sotloff Story About Praying, Fasting on Yom Kippur is Fake, BS – Totally Debunked ****
**** UPDATE #2: Even After Beheading, Sotloffs Still Sucking Up to ISIS: “Steven Was Martyr for allah;” Muslim Family Spokesman ****
**** UPDATE: Steven Sotloff: ISIS’ Beheaded Anti-Israel Jew Converted to Islam Years Ago; “Hated” Israel ****
The newly-beheaded Steven Sotloff lost his head long ago. He was an Islamopandering schmuck who learned Arabic, bragged about loving “Islamic culture” (an oxymoron), loved HAMAS and ISIS, and was an Arab Spring Breaker (my name for all the reporters hanging out in the Middle East cheering on various Muslim rebels and their disastrous consequences). Everything he did was part of his vocation: serving as an apologist for jihad and supporting not just Muslims, but the most extreme Muslims he could find, especially the terrorist variety. Even as he was living and studying in Israel, Sotloff praised the election of HAMAS into power and made a habit of attacking Israel at every chance. I know this because a little over a week ago, I was contacted by some of his friends, many of them anti-American, far-left schmucks. And then I learned more from others who knew him even better (see the letter I received below).
A little over a week ago, I was phoned by an arrogant, smug guy who identified himself as Gregg Roman and as the spokesmodel for the Sotloff family. He implied he was from the Mossad and told me that Sotloff was “one of the good guys” and working for the Mossad, too. Those claims, by the way, are pure fiction, and here’s a tip: real Mossad operatives never brag about being from the Mossad. Ever. Roman told me he was a longtime good friend of Sotloff and had studied with him in Israel at IDC, the Interdisciplinary Center–an Israeli University in Herzliya. That part is true (Sotloff studied at IDC from 2005-2008). While it is true that some IDC students are recruited to work in the Mossad, er . . . “The Prime Minister’s Office,” none of them was ever named Sotloff or Roman. And, in fact, the two were far leftists.
Sotloff’s friend, Roman, told me that the purpose of his call was to get me to remove any references on my site to Steven Sotloff being a Jew (in an article on James Foley’s beheading, which captures my views on Sotloff’s beheading, too), even though it wasn’t an education in rocket science that enabled me–and anyone with a brain–to deduce that from his surname, appearance, and other cues. Roman told me that if I left it up, I would cause ISIS to behead Steven Sotloff. When I responded that it is obvious Sotloff is a Jew and that there is no way ISIS isn’t aware of that fact, Roman claimed that he speaks and reads Arabic (he doesn’t, and he can barely speak Hebrew), and that there was no chatter on the Arabic chat rooms around the Net about Sotloff being Jewish. He said that my article would cause that chatter and give ISIS no choice but to behead Sotloff. He said he contacted many other websites and news outlets and all complied with his demand.
When I pointed out that many media reports (and tweets of his friends) said Sotloff was an Arab Spring Breaker and a fan of Islam and Islamic culture who lived in Yemen for a bit, Roman kept insisting that Sotloff actually lived in Israel all that time and was working for the Israelis, that he opposed the Arab Spring. But, as I later learned, this was all a lie (Sotloff hadn’t lived in Israel in years–and when he did it was as a fifth columnist, pro-HAMAS free-lance “journalist”). And I was spot on when I questioned, on this site, what kind of Jew goes to live in Yemen and cheers on Syrian rebels and ISIS. And, as I later learned, this conceited liar, Gregg Roman, is a left-wing official of the Jewish Welfare Federation of Pittsburgh, who hangs out with anti-Israel Jews of J Street and promotes immigration amnesty and “social justice” globaloney (and used to like to appear on Al-Jazeera).
However, in the interest of saving a life, I temporarily complied (for about an hour only) and removed all references to Steven Sotloff on my site. (And, as I’ve since learned, it’s a life that, frankly, didn’t need to be saved because, as I’ve since learned he made a career of contributing “journalistic” aid and comfort to America’s enemies in Bahrain’s Shi’ite Hezbollah rebels, Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, Libya’s Al-Qaeda rebels, and finally ISIS.) I did my homework and found that Sotloff’s writing was exactly as I first thought: he cheered on every kind of dangerous, fundamentalist Islamic terrorist or “protester” he could find, Sunni and Shi’ite. Halfway into the conversation, Roman insisted that our entire 45-minute-long conversation be off the record, and I agreed, until I learned that it, in fact, was not off the record, and I began hearing from others who’d read an online chat discussion among Sotloff’s mostly leftist, mostly anti-American friends attacking me and relaying an entirely false version of the conversation as told to them in writing by the self-appointed “hero of the day” Gregg Roman.
I saw some of the discussion, in which this far-lefty Roman repeatedly attacked me as “crazy” (something lefties–and righties–always do to discredit their opponents when they have no legit argument). In it, Steven Sotloff’s Western friends and former classmates from Israel’s IDC–some of them Americans and others from places like Canada and Sweden–attacked me for being a patriotic American. Yes, they really used those words, that I was bad because of my “American patriotism” and Jewish “religious beliefs” (that was a quote from a New York lawyer named Jonathan Jawitz, who is originally from Europe and has an MA in Counter-terrorism and Homeland Security). And this schmuck Roman, who is supposed to be an American and is lucky to live here freely, agreed with them. These are Steven Sotloff’s Western and American friends who hate “American patriotism” and Jewish “religious beliefs.” (One said he wanted to tie me up in zip ties for that.) As a proud Jew and a proud American, I find them to be quite disgusting. But it ain’t a stretch to see how he supported HAMAS and ISIS . . . and now the eyes of his dismantled head are seeing what that got him.
Below is the letter I got from someone who knew Steven Sotloff at IDC and enlightened me on the truth – I also spoke to this person at length. This person did not want Sotloff to be beheaded (the person was sickened and saddened that he was), but this person wanted the truth to come out and the record set straight:
I am writing because you were just contacted by Gregg Roman regarding an article you posted on your blog that referenced Steve Sotloff. I am aware of the contact because I am a former classmate of Steve’s and Gregg’s and am part of an online group that formed among his former classmates shortly after the news of his abduction broke.
I am sure Gregg implied (or flat out stated) that by removing references to Steve being Jewish, you would be possibly saving his life. I am sure he did not mention that there have been articles online with references to his Jewish upbringing for a year WHILE Steve was being held by ISIS. If ISIS ever performed a basic Google search during that time, they already know.
I am sure that Gregg told you he is acting on behalf of the family. To a certain extent, this is true, since the family did hint that the group of friends and former classmates might be able to do something useful by trying to squelch references in the media that might connect Steve to Israel. In reality, this is basically an attempt to keep a lot of very activist, leftist busybodies occupied and feeling useful. Other great triumphs of theirs have been finding an old dating site profile of Steve’s and fighting to get his Facebook account shut down (even though it can only be more useful to the NSA than to ISIS since they can track the IP of anyone who tries to use it).
There is zero chance that ISIS doesn’t know Steve is Jewish. They have had him for a year. Even if he were totally removed from the internet tomorrow, they could use a variety of search tools to find this information. The only reason ISIS hasn’t mentioned this fact in their propaganda videos in my opinion is in case the US did agree to trade him, they would be able to do so without suffering a major backlash inside jihadist circles for giving away (not beheading) a Jew. It should be noted that Steve’s family have already been quoted in an article since he was taken which confirmed his Jewishness, so the case isn’t so clear cut and Gregg isn’t acting on their behalf on anything more than a very unofficial capacity in any case.
There is essentially nothing productive being accomplished by a virtual online witch hunt being conducted by a group of former classmates of Steve’s except that they feel important, which is something at least. I would possibly even leave it at that, but you pretty much hit the nail on the head in your article. I went to school with Steve, I knew him. He was about as crazy of a jihadi apologist as I’ve ever heard of. He spent his life hunting for the unicorn-like Islamist moderate and was shot at, teargassed, and beat up as a result.
I feel for Steve. I wouldn’t wish being captured by jihadist bastards on anyone, let alone a guy I knew from college. However, it reminds me of the case of the grizzly bear man who’s show was all about how friendly and cuddly the bears were, and which ended when he was eaten by them. As far as your analysis of Steve goes in your article, it was pretty well accurate. I can say that as a guy who knows him.
In short; do what you want, but understand that changing your article achieves basically nothing as far as bringing Steve back and that the only reason you were asked to do so was because a bunch of internet activist types didn’t have enough to do with themselves and wanted to feel important.
I wrote because the attitude of some of the members of the group bothered me and because your blog post was basically dead-on. Do what you will.
I’m not surprised by any of this. I had it right about Sotloff the first time, and this person confirmed it. Sotloff wasn’t just a JINO (Jew In Name Only), he was apparently an AINO (American In Name Only).
Since he’s been separated from his empty head, more news has come out that Sotloff hung out with “Americans” who didn’t actually like being American. His friend, “revolutionary” Matthew Van Dyke first pretended to be an objective journalist covering the Arab Spring, just like Sotloff. But then he removed all vestiges of pretension and actually fought with the “Libyan liberal democrats” who were actually Al-Qaeda fanatics and are now ISIS.
Matthew Van Dyke, a documentary filmmaker, self-described “revolutionary” and friend of Sotloff’s, told ABC News that the two last saw each other in Washington, D.C., just a few weeks before Sotloff’s disappearance. Van Dyke has reported from the Middle East, and joined the fighting during the Libyan revolution, and was held as a prisoner of war.
You know what they say about “the company you keep.”
And the company Steven Sotloff kept was ISIS, Iran-backed Shi’ite Hezbollah “protesters” in Bahrain, Muslim Brothers in Egypt, and self-proclaimed “revolutionary” Americans who fight with Al-Qaeda in Libya.
Like I said, he lost his head long before ISIS separated him from it.
While I didn’t wish this idiotowitz to be beheaded, I shed no tears for him. Not one.
And neither should you.
This is the barbarism he cheered on and gladly served as apologist for, time and again.
We didn’t ask Steven Sotloff to go in the viper’s nest and try to be a fellow cobra, complete with pro-HAMAS, Islam-lovin’ venom. He chose to do that himself. And that’s on him.
You play with snakes, you get bit. And, sometimes, beheaded.
I can’t help but sneer when so many newscasters and commenters today described how “brave” Sotloff was for taking his beheading stoically and not making a sound. No, that’s not brave. Brave is when an innocent American or serviceman is captured by these men through no fault of his own. And brave is fighting for your life until the very last breath. How on earth was is it brave to just sit there awaiting the snuffing out?
Cheering on your future murderers for years in print, taking absurd risks to be captured by them, and then, when you know your head is about to be sliced off, reading their stupid anti-American statement anyway (especially when you know it won’t save your life), isn’t brave.
It’s just Darwin Award winning behavior by yet another apologist of the jihad.
***
One other thing: in her shameless begging video to stop the very likely (and ultimately certain) beheading of her son, the plastic-surgery-and-botox-afflicted Shirley Sotloff paid tribute to the Islamic caliphate and the caliph of ISIS/ISIL/IS, and she paid tribute to Islam and Mohammed. She proclaimed that Mohammed “always protected the people of the book,” which usually means Jews and can sometimes mean Jews and Christians.
Um, no, Mohammed didn’t protect them. He betrayed, raped, and murdered them. She actually thought her son would be the exception because he pandered to them over the years? That an embarrassing, pathetic beggaring video would make a difference with these barbaric savages? Shirley Sotloff in 1944: Please, SS Gestapo, your Hitler always protected the People of the Book.
One wonders if these phony baloney comments made to butt-snorkle the Muslims who held her son captive, were made merely out of desperation to save her son . . . or if she really believes them. I guess like mother like son in failing to see them for who they really are.
With a son like Steven Sotloff, I vote the latter.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the dysfunctional tree.
***
More about Steven Sotloff from friends and journalists who knew him and his love of Islam and its barbars:
* Steven Sotloff Deeply Love Islamic World, Comitted to Arab Spring, Respectful of Islamic Culture:
“Steve Sotloff lived in Yemen for years, spoke good Arabic, deeply loved Islamic world,” tweeted writer Ann Marlowe, who met Sotloff during the conflict in Libya. . . . He was, she said “committed to the Arab Spring and very respectful of Islamic culture.”
* Steven Sotloff’s Sympathies Were with Arabic Culture, Not Jews or America:
His sympathy for Arab culture was despite his own ancestry – he was the grandson of Holocaust survivors. He attended a Jewish school [DS: a Reform Judaism school] in Miami.
* Sotloff Moved to Yemen, Where he Lived for Years, Lot of Respect for Muslim World:
“He went to study Arabic and ended up staying,” said Ann Marlowe, a fellow journalist and friend. “Yemen has about a 20-person expatriate community; you go there for full immersion. It is not that many people’s idea of a whole lot of fun. He loved being in a traditional society. He struck me as someone with a lot of respect for the Muslim world.”
* Steven Sotloff, Friend of Muslims & Arab Spring Breaker:
“Every Muslim who knew (Steven) is probably mortified and horrified that someone who really was a friend of the Muslim and Arab people has met his end this way,” said Ann Marlowe, a visiting fellow at the Hudson Institute who worked alongside Mr. Sotloff during Libya’s 2011 revolution. “He believed in the Arab Spring. He believed in democracy,” she said. “He believed that Arabs and Muslims deserved the same opportunities we have in the West.”
[The Hudson Institute is supposed to be a conservative think tank. I guess it used to be.]
* “Sensitive Approach” to Middle East Reporting, Reported From “Local Perspectives”:
Steven Sotloff, the second U.S. journalist murdered by Islamic State militants, was a respected reporter as well known for his irreverent humor as for his sensitive approach to Middle East conflicts. . . . Sotloff “is known to us as an honest and thoughtful journalist who strives to understand the story from local perspectives . . . ,” World Affairs said last month.
All of this makes you wonder, did Steven Sotloff convert to Islam? Don’t bet against it.
Like I said, he lost his head long before ISIS took it from him.
**** UPDATE: Check out GotNews’ Charles Johnson’s (no, not the Charles Johnson who became a far leftist, different guy) excellent expose on Sotloff’s tweets in support of Syrian terrorists. Jibes completely with what I wrote here.
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“…was an Arab Spring Breaker ”
That’s hilarious!
Great article.
DS_ROCKS! on September 2, 2014 at 11:00 pm