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those terms--in what he claimed at least to have been a private, off-the-record conversation--do you believe that that actually implied some anti-semitism, at least on an unconsicous level?
I think it implied a reactive form of anti-semitism. Jesse has been bothered, consistently, by Jewish spokesmen or leaders or organizations ever since his visit to the Middle East when he embraced Arafat. He's told me stories of threats of bombardment. But that's overreaction, I think. He has reacted to that. Now, the Jewish leaders might say that his embracing of Arafat was an indication of initial anti-semitism, and they are reacting to his anti-semitism. There may be some truth to that. But I think that his visit to the Middle East when he was embracing Arafat was an example of Jesse's projection of himself on the world stage. An early example of the fact that he was eventually going to try to play a national and international role. But yes, if you ask me I would have to say honestly that the Hymietown thing was an unnecessary and stupid reaction to the fact that the Jewish group and Jesse have had an ongoing controversy. I think that the Farrakhan thing was absolutely unnecessary. I don't see why Jesse felt that he had to be in any way associated with Farrakhan.
Do you think that he had sort of an achilles heel there in that--according to reports I've read--Farrakhan did supply bodyguards to him?
That was unnecessary. That didn't begin to compensate for
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