Glenn Beck: Reform Judaism and ‘Radicalized Islam’ Are Different

By Nathan Burstein February 25, 2011

Glenn Beck has cleared things up: Reform Judaism and “radicalized Islam” don’t have so much in common, after all.

The Fox News host apologized on his radio show today for comments he made Tuesday on television, in which he likened a form of Judaism practiced by millions to the version of Islam practiced by terrorists. “It’s almost like Islam … radicalized Islam in a way,” he observed earlier this week, referring to Reform Judaism. “Radicalized Islam is less about religion than it is about politics. When you look at the Reform Judaism, it is more about politics.”

Not surprisingly, Beck’s comments about “the reform Judaism” weren’t universally embraced. In contrast to some of his other controversial positions, Beck retracted this one, today describing it as one of the “worst analogies of all time.”

“I was wrong on this … and I apologize for it,” he said. “In this case, I did not do enough homework.”

The Fox News star, whose ratings have declined sharply in recent months, has angered Jewish groups previously with programs devoted to the Jewish financier and philanthropist George Soros. Critics claimed the programs played on classic anti-Semitic stereotyping and conspiracy theories.

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