Just as I said they should do, Hillary’s people have attacked Obama’s position re Israel, reports Newsweek. Alas it is a whispering campaign, with sly hints about the fact that Brzezinski, who is on Obama’s team, endorsed the Walt-Mearsheimer paper on the Israel Lobby. I want it all out in the open. Well that is coming, I assure you. We shall have a robust debate.
A few points worth noting:
–Newsweek cannot bring itself to mention Walt and Mearsheimer by name. That’s not cricket.
–The surrogate who is raising the issue is Ann Lewis. The sister to Barney Frank. Ann Lewis used to be a big liberal. Probably still thinks she is. I associate her with anti-Vietnam-war protest in Boston, with gay rights, with the civil rights movement even. (Let’s see if I’m right; going to Wikipedia….well some of it: feminism). See what the Jewish meritocracy has been reduced to, blackmailing the issue of Palestinian human rights from the political discourse…
–Note that the talking points for the Hillary whispering campaign include stuff from Matt Brooks of the Republican Jewish Coalition and conservative blogger Ed Lasky. Matt Brooks is also a leader of Freedom’s Watch, the pro-Iraq moneybags group. This is not an old coalition; and it reminds us that a vote for the Iraq war and supporting Israel as a great democracy meld seamlessly as themes in our political landscape.
Lieberman was the first to leave the Democratic Party for McCain. Soon there will be many others, once Hillary departs the stage. Well let’s have it out–and let the young Jews stand up for a more progressive view of the Middle East.
(Note that Richard Silverstein has tracked the Obama whispering in the Israeli press. He speaks Hebrew, and translates a Maariv headline: "Israel Awaits Bush, Fears Obama. Worry in Jerusalem: Obama Nears Presidency.")
