The comedy stylings of Jim Jones

Posted By Joshua Keating Monday, April 26, 2010 - 11:57 AM Share

Telling the following joke in public, at a meeting of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy no less, was not National Security Advsor Jim Jones' finest moment in public service:

I'd like to begin with a story that I think is true, a Taliban militant gets lost and is wandering around the desert looking for water. He finally arrives at a store run by a Jew and asks for water. The Jewish vendor tells him he doesn’t have any water but can gladly sell him a tie. The Taliban, the jokes goes on, begins to curse and yell at the Jewish storeowner. The Jew, unmoved, offers the rude militant an idea: Beyond the hill, there is a restaurant; they can sell you water. The Taliban keeps cursing and finally leaves toward the hill. An hour later he’s back at the tie store. He walks in and tells the merchant: “Your brother tells me I need a tie to get into the restaurant.”

 

The White House clearly felt uncomfortable with the joke, and edited it out of an official transcript of the event.

Does this mean that that Jones is an anti-Semite? No. But it was an unnecessary and frankly stupid move that has the potential to do an awful lot of damage to both his career and his administration's credibility. Assuming Jones gets the chance to speak on behalf of the U.S. government again, he's probably better off leaving this kind of material to Jackie Mason.  

EXPLORE:ISRAEL/PALESTINE, OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
 

GERMANICUS II

12:48 PM ET

April 26, 2010

The Joker Jim Jones

Oh come on! It was a joke, for Christ sake. How can you interject the radioactive topic of "anti-semitism" into this incident? Just because Jones is a Gentile? You want to put this fellow on the hot seat? Do you think a Jew could not tell the same joke? Lighten up. That said, I see no point to the joke in terms of U.S. foreign policy, but U.S. foreign policy is generally dysfunctional anyway, especially when it comes to the Middle East, going back to the days of LBJ and even before.

Germanicus II

 

NGH2B

3:25 PM ET

April 26, 2010

That was Hilarious

Where's the anti-semetism?

 

DARRENMONROE

6:09 PM ET

April 26, 2010

I didnt have a problem with that

I have heard that same joke but without the Jewish and Taliban. But you know how hyper sensitive the press can be.

Whats not something can be turned into news and brought to you by..............

get it? Yeah I thought you did :)

 

DBAKER

12:49 AM ET

April 27, 2010

Joke?

hahaha. that joke's seems not so funny but you know when entertainment hits it. It all about new..oh no!

http://www.finishline.net.au

 

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