I’ve failed to blog about something significant I saw nearly 2 weeks ago, at the Israel Policy Forum annual in New York City. Somewhat sore-thumbish in the large crowd was a tall dark-haired square-jawed guy accompanied by his tall blond windswept wife and two adorable blond children. It turned out that the guy was the honoree of the event: James E. Walker III who notwithstanding his initials is not the least bit Jewish. A financier (Kidder, Peabody; Vertical Capital Management) who lives in Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Walker’s speech that night accepting the honor was diplomatic and unremarkable. I don’t seem to have any notes from it. But he began by saying, "You all have the same question I have, what I’m doing up here" and went on to say that in the last few years be had gotten more and more concerned about American policy in the Middle East, for the sake of his children. He couldn’t sit on the sidelines any more. He began to study the issue. He visited think tanks. His inquiries led him to the IPF. He is now on its board–I gather the first non-Jew on the board of the IPF, which describes itself as "an independent, mainstream organization dedicated to mobilizing American Jews."
This is a cause for celebration. First of all, that the IPF would honor this guy, and include this guy, is a testament to the universalist strain in American Jewish life. I.e., we want to work intimately with gentiles on these important issues. It seems to me a recognition among influential Jews of Jewish influence, and an acknowledgment that others, non-Jews, have to be included at the table if the parochialists like Dershowitz and Foxman are to be take on. And from the other side, it represents an open acknowledgment by an establishment gentile of the power of Jewish organizations, and the need to work within one, inside the Jewish community, to shift American policy on these powderkeg issues.
Of course, who knows where this will lead; but potentially it suggests what Walt and Mearsheimer suggest near the end of their book on the Israel lobby, that the lobby itself may be balanced, reformed. That the parochial impulse in Jewish leadership will gradually yield to a more humanitarian approach. I’m hopeful.
Wow. Assuming Mr. Walker is more than a figurehead, IPF deserves our congratulations. Please keep us posted on this.
Although you must admit this was pretty funny: "… a testament to the universalist strain in American Jewish life. I.e., we want to work intimately with gentiles on these important issues." I assume it was meant ironically.
By the way, Kidder, Peabody has not existed for fifteen years. Also, Mr. Walker is neither a partner nor associate with Vertical Capital Management.
Pseudo-David 9:29, have you really nothing at all to add to the discussion?
What has become of the the vaunted Jewish verbal skills?
I wonder who this guy is, though. Phil either made up or fucked up his credentials, and like David I noticed there's nothing about him on the Internet. Maybe IPF just can't find any real Jews to swallow their line.
I wonder who this guy is, though. Phil either made up or fucked up his credentials, and like David I noticed there's nothing about him on the Internet. Maybe IPF just can't find any real Jews to swallow their line.
Nice link (from Xymphora) to a 1982 Atlantic Monthly article by Seymour Hersh on Israeli spying. Richard Perle shows up again. We've known of this incident (from his Scoop Jackson days) already, but here are some new details, particularly on Kissinger's involvement.
link to the7thfire.com
Ahhh! the solution!
"David the First" & "David the Second"
David I & David II!
Personally I liked the optimism of this note. And as far as irony is concerned: This is the only part that made me smile:
"parochialists like Dershowitz and Foxman"
My main net-teacher in contemporary US politics (with focus on post 911) probably would have called them ethnocentrics and their poodles.
I have interrupted my wrapping of Christmas presents for my two adorable blond children, and am scatching my windswept head of Titian red hair, and thinking about this James E. Walker III and wondering (between the slathering on of pink creams against a parching heat from my roaring fire, and the sipping of a martini) if this is a descendant of Mayor Jimmy Walker of New York, the playboy profligate of not-so-blessed memory. If so, then surely he must be thinking about running some day too. I wonder what his luggage looks like, not to speak of his baggage.
Methinks Dianne Foster is really an overweight middle age male who has no children and no life.
Mr. Walker gave $2300 to the now fizzled Andrew Marshall Saul campaign for a House seat. (Mr. Saul is a millionaire businessman from Katonah, New York who served as the Chairman of the Federal Retirement Thrift Investment Board (FRTIB) and as the Vice Chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City.)
Having a gentile on board is not a sure sign of change: perhaps Walker is a Christian Zionist. David Brog is the Executive Director of CUFI; I don’t think he lends legitimacy to that organization.
Thanks Phil, for offering the jewish community as the ones to turn around our disasterous Isr policy…
"And from the other side, it represents an open acknowledgment by an establishment gentile of the power of Jewish organizations, and the need to work within one, inside the Jewish community, to shift American policy on these powderkeg issues."
But we Americans have already got it handled and notified the powerful jewish community of our decisions…. thru the 16 US agencies who put out the NIE report…so no need to for the jewish community to do anything… Thanks anyway.
LOL
Thanks Phil, for offering the jewish community as the ones to turn around our disasterous Isr policy…
"And from the other side, it represents an open acknowledgment by an establishment gentile of the power of Jewish organizations, and the need to work within one, inside the Jewish community, to shift American policy on these powderkeg issues."
But we Americans have already got it handled and notified the powerful jewish community of our decisions…. thru the 16 US agencies who put out the NIE report…so no need to for the jewish community to do anything… Thanks anyway.
LOL
Mmmmm. The Israeli press is full of questions regarding how much Israel should listen to the American Jewish community regarding Israel's take and policies on anything, the issue on the nexus of USA foreign aid not being addressed much in such context, as far as I can see…. Apparently, even more remote is the issue of how much Israel should bother to acknowledge any American goyish thought, though they are taxpayers all.
Israel is a soverign state, even if not recognized by many in its own area. How would it be doing without American taxpayer support? Better or worse? And is that better or worse for the world as a whole?
Dick Cheney is on the board of JINSA, is he not?
Cheney is currently on leave from the Board of Directors of JINSA while Woolsey is currently serving. As far as I neither is Jewish, but their presence does not make JINSA any less extremist, fanatic, or racist.
Cheney is on leave from the board of directors from JINSA while Woolsey is currently serving. As far as I know both are non-Jewish, but their presence has not rendered JINSA any less extremist, fanatic, or racist.
Certainly Woolsey and Cheney make one realize the problem is
not simply reducible to Zionist Jews. The problem is a certain mindset. I'm reminded of the politics in Braveheart.