Peter Applebome’s column on the anti-Israel lecture that the Greenwich Library censored and then allowed to take place suffered from the weary tone that many journalists adopt when they do Israel/Palestine stories. The Oh-my, don’t people get worked up over this issue tone. It always strikes me as defensive, i.e., the reporter is unable to look headon at the fact that this is one of the most important problems American policymakers, and our people, face.
That said, Applebome is a fine reporter and he delivered a couple of insights:
it was hard to miss the atmospherics in the room as well, the palpable
split between Ms. Weir’s supporters, who seemed to hang on every word,
and her critics, overwhelmingly Jewish, seething in their seats….
When the speech ended, Ms. Weir was met with thunderous applause,
and across the room there was a widespread sense of satisfaction that
someone was saying what needed to be said.“It’s true that our
money is going there to kill little kids,” said one well-dressed woman,
who spent the speech nodding in agreement and gave only her first name,
Jean. “It’s the side we don’t hear, that doesn’t get on the news.”
The serious questions raised by this report are: When the Israel lobby says that supporting Israel is an American value, that Americans support Israel willingly, how true is this on the ground? The support would seem to be overwhelmingly Jewish-driven, no? Who are those unnamed Israel-dislikers mobbing the Greenwich Library? Is there widespread reaction in America today against our Israel policy? How strong is that feeling, and who is having it? I imagine the Times will get right on that…
Most Americans do not even know about this issue.
It's not as if the TV "news" tell people exactly how much aid money goes where.
And most people do not have computers, and of those only a miniscule number reads up on political stuff, and of those only a few visit a site such as this…
So, say, the sad truth is… 1% of America knows about the issue.
"Much of what she said was very verifiable," said Jim Luse, who was there with his 18-year-old son, Walter. "What she spoke of is very thorough, honest and from the heart." link to greenwichtime.com
I read the same article and my impression was that the reporter was a firm Pro-Israel guy. Applebome did everything he could to mock (in a slick subtle way) the anti-Israel attendees. The only good news that I could read was that for once the pro-Israel mob was silenced.Maybe (one hopes) they were overwhelmed by the facts. But I doubt it because they are a group overwhelmed with their success and with money that is far too often of dubious origins. Example: Wall Street fraud and tax evasion.
"the reporter was a firm Pro-Israel guy."
To be honest, it's probably more accurate to say that he's probably just a savy young reporter who sees no need to jeopardize his career path.
The interesting thing about his account, and others like it, is that they never go anywhere near the topic of power. And power relationships are usually what the big city reporter prides himself on his ability to smell out.
David Brown above – you lost me when you characterized the pro-Israel group as "overwhelmed with …money that is far too often of dubious origins."
I'm an Arab American and I am as big a critic of Israel as almost anybody in this country. However. I have personal friends who are Jewish, supporters of Israel, and are not rich. They don't have "money of dubious origin." They don't have much money at all. THey do have misguided, bigoted ideas about why they love Israel right or wrong, and I try not to get into discussions with them on the topic. Their love for Israel has to do with personal, emotional issues and the usual propaganda. It has nothing to do with financial status.
Oh yes, and I also have Jewish friends who support Israel more blindly than I would like, whose success and prosperity are of perfectly respectable origin: medicine, academia, and the law.
I am sorry, but your characterization of pro-Israel folk as rich Jews who cheated to get their money just invalidates your whole position. It's a classic stereotype. You don't even know any of those people, their bank accounts or their financial histories.
My criticism of Israel and her policy is not based on hatred of Jews, and I really don't care to be joined in my criticism of Israel by people who hate Jews.
Leila, it is often hard to separate principal and idealism in understanding why Jews support Israel.
It is not a new issue. Columbia Professor Michael Stanislawski investigates the same question in the killing of a Reform Rabbi in Lemberg in 1848 by Orthodox forces. "A Murder in Lemberg" is more than worth reading.
Smolenskin and Pinsker like most of the primary Zionist ideologists were far more interested in issues of status, wealth and power for Jews in Europe than in actually settling in Palestine.
For a small class of hyperwealthy Zionists that are orchestrating Israel lobbying and advocacy, the State of Israel has been a profit center that means billions.
To dismiss the issue of corruption and monetary exploitation of the American public by the Zionist leadership is simply prejudice.
I discuss question of American Zionist corruption and profiteering in link to members.aol.com
(also available as link to members.aol.com
).
Once more.
Most Americans don't support Israel because they don't care one way or another. Americans aren't famous for paying a lot of attention to anything that isn't directly affecting them and isn't brought to their attention by the MSM.
That said..with half the country on the net, Israel's doings have become more well known and I don't know a single person who has gotten educated on the Isr-Pal issue that is not critical of Israel and the US support of Israel. They are, for lack of a better word, disgusted at what Israel is doing and at the US involvement in it.
I don't know anyone outside of congress or Jews who approve of our aid to or involvements with Israel.
There is a reason you see terms like genocide being applied to what Israel is doing all over the net by ordinary Americans in discussions of the ME and Isr-Pal.
Bottom line, when average Americans find out the truth they don't like it. And nothing is more telling about that then the fact that they are no longer paying atttention to the old slurs and etc. that the right wing Isr crowd got away with using for so long.
The zionist imposed taboo about using terms like genocide and nazi to describe the Israeli actions are being ignored and thrown back in the Isr-neo face. People don't like being to told not to believe their own eyes.
The American tradition of calling a spade a spade is coming back into vouge…the cat is out of the box…and the Isr neo nazis are screeching about losing control over the opinons of the public.
Well, truth is funny that way…eventually facts beat myth and propaganda.
I love that Philip thinks that the bloated hypocrites who live in Greenwich are the "natives"!
Leila, Your comment on my post 'you lost me when you characterized the pro-Israel group as "overwhelmed with …money that is far too often of dubious origins."
Dear maybe you ought to look at just who makes up the vociferous neo-con lobby and exactly what the fortunes of those folks are. Your ignorance is that of an immigrant. The medicine and law fortunes you say your friends family fortunes comes from are interesting sources of cash: Medicaid overbilling, tort lawyers and cash business dear add up to tax fraud. In America dearie it is an epidemic. I know folks all 'uppah class' and 50% of the time Jewish, who are third generation tax cheats.
That you know poor people/Jews who support Israel is almost beside the point. It is the rich who decide policy. Marc Rich likely has more input on Israel than all your friends from modest backgrounds. It was his now disgraced lawyer Scooter Libby who made up part of the pro-War/Israel neo-con lobby under VP Dick Cheney. Do ya think Scooter reported all his income from tax cheat Marc tot he IRS. Do you think maybe just maybe there are pools of dirty cash that slosh around in Switzerland and Lichtenstein for those who support Israel and other cuases? Switzerland et all exist only because that's where the pay-offs take place3 at the top. The IRS could shut those havens done in a nano-second if they so desired. A final point some group slurs are accurate that's why they are group slurs. And remember the first rule of diplomacy is to bribe everyone.
Likely you are just ignorant but that doesnt' not make you a fool.
Leila, Your comment on my post 'you lost me when you characterized the pro-Israel group as "overwhelmed with …money that is far too often of dubious origins."
Dear maybe you ought to look at just who makes up the vociferous neo-con lobby and exactly what the fortunes of those folks are. Your ignorance is that of an immigrant. The medicine and law fortunes you say your friends family fortunes comes from are interesting sources of cash: Medicaid overbilling, tort lawyers and cash business dear add up to tax fraud. In America dearie it is an epidemic. I know folks all 'uppah class' and 50% of the time Jewish, who are third generation tax cheats.
That you know poor people/Jews who support Israel is almost beside the point. It is the rich who decide policy. Marc Rich likely has more input on Israel than all your friends from modest backgrounds. It was his now disgraced lawyer Scooter Libby who made up part of the pro-War/Israel neo-con lobby under VP Dick Cheney. Do ya think Scooter reported all his income from tax cheat Marc tot he IRS. Do you think maybe just maybe there are pools of dirty cash that slosh around in Switzerland and Lichtenstein for those who support Israel and other cuases? Switzerland et all exist only because that's where the pay-offs take place3 at the top. The IRS could shut those havens done in a nano-second if they so desired. A final point some group slurs are accurate that's why they are group slurs. And remember the first rule of diplomacy is to bribe everyone.
Likely you are just ignorant but that doesnt' not make you a fool.
Leila, Your comment on my post 'you lost me when you characterized the pro-Israel group as "overwhelmed with …money that is far too often of dubious origins."
Dear maybe you ought to look at just who makes up the vociferous neo-con lobby and exactly what the fortunes of those folks are. Your ignorance is that of an immigrant. The medicine and law fortunes you say your friends family fortunes comes from are interesting sources of cash: Medicaid overbilling, tort lawyers and cash business dear add up to tax fraud. In America dearie it is an epidemic. I know folks all 'uppah class' and 50% of the time Jewish, who are third generation tax cheats.
That you know poor people/Jews who support Israel is almost beside the point. It is the rich who decide policy. Marc Rich likely has more input on Israel than all your friends from modest backgrounds. It was his now disgraced lawyer Scooter Libby who made up part of the pro-War/Israel neo-con lobby under VP Dick Cheney. Do ya think Scooter reported all his income from tax cheat Marc tot he IRS. Do you think maybe just maybe there are pools of dirty cash that slosh around in Switzerland and Lichtenstein for those who support Israel and other cuases? Switzerland et all exist only because that's where the pay-offs take place3 at the top. The IRS could shut those havens done in a nano-second if they so desired. A final point some group slurs are accurate that's why they are group slurs. And remember the first rule of diplomacy is to bribe everyone.
Likely you are just ignorant but that doesnt' not make you a fool.
The Catholic Church for hundreds of years has forgiven every kind of crime as long as the sinners kicked back some of the loot to church coffers.
International Zionism has adopted the same policy. No problem with mega swindlers like Marc Rich as long as he gives some of the proceeds to the racist Israeli state.
I worked in the civil law field as a trial attorney, especially in tort law, both on the plaintiff's side and the defendant's side (insurance company defense). Both sides are a scam and a fraud in the main, and the most successful players are the most devious. Its a game, and though a few plaintiffs benefit from the game, the tort lawyers and the insurance companies make out like the bandits they are. One judge I went before regularly (in Chicago) had a sign posted on his door, basically saying "A plague on both of your houses). Of course the people who pay in the end are the honest masses carrying insurance since the cost of the dual scam is passed on to them in the form of ever higher premiums. It was so bad, I quit practicing law altogether.
David Brown you are stupid putz:
"Switzerland et all exist only because that's where the pay-offs take place at the top. The IRS could shut those havens done in a nano-second if they so desired."
Switzerland (and it's banking system) has been around long before the US and will be around long after it.
You better stick to hamburger-flipping and leave commentary on international banking to people that have a brain and/or education.
Nice story at MuzzleWatch about professors fighting back against Zionist censorship–
"That’s a Lotta Ticked-off Professors"
link to muzzlewatch.com
Check out the list of signatories in the ad they ran. It really is quite impressive.
Dear Cc Your comment that 'Switzerland (and it's banking system) has been around long before the US and will be around long after it,' points out what? That crime pays. That Russian-Jewish-American-Italian Gangsters are all welcome as long as they have the gvelt. Nice place, Geneva would be, for nuclear target practice if you ask me.
Incidentally ding a dong I would bet that I'm a tad better educated than you.
Yah Dave, your just an intellectual giant. You know that's why we, the pro-Israel side wins the argument in the US. Because to you guys its not a question of the Palestinians, its always about the Jews, always the Jews and their evil. People see through that and its always easier to play defense than offense. So, when you delve into the into the anti-semitism. And Dave that's what it is, you lose.
re: 'sword of gideon ' Actually 'Sword' you are readng this blog becasue you know you aren't winning. You have a big mouth and your leaders have dirty money, but, because in the long run censorship does not work in America or Europe — you are doomed. Enjoy your party pal it won't last.
Dear David Brown – had you googled me (Leila Abu-Saba – my last name doesn't always come up in these automatic fill-in fields) or read my "about" page on my blog, you would know that while my father is an immigrant, my mother's family has been here since at least 1649. They immigrated from England. So yes, I am an immigrant, as you are, but I do think that I know a little bit about this country and how it works.
Your arguments include ad hominem attacks that miss the mark and invalidate almost anything else you have to say.
Again, I don't care to have you as a fellow traveler, and sincerely hope we never have to meet.
Don't blame Likud any more than labour. they have both implemented the same program.