Good for NPR; it aired a report on the new "J Street" lobby, an alternative to Aipac, this morning. NPR’s got a lot of liberal Jewish listeners. Will they support J Street?
Reporter Michele Keleman interviewed Dennis Ross of WINEP for the piece. Ross said that to be effective J Street would "have to in some ways reflect the Aipac model, I suspect. Meaning first, it’s nonpartisan. Second, it’s also nonpartisan within Israel and is able to bring Israelis from across the political spectrum here." [my emphasis]
This is hogwash. To be effective, J Street must work against Netanyahu and the colonialist movement in Israel. It should specifically act to prevent their voices from being heard–as, say, AEI for its part promotes Dore Gold here ad nauseum, or as the neocons championed Ahmed Chalabi in the case of a country they wanted to change. I sure hope J Street wants to change Israel’s behavior. Ross is saying that American Jewish activists must reflect the politics of the Israeli status quo. This is an abdication of moral, political and intellectual powers–and an argument for dual loyalty. American activists should operate on their own values and choose whoever they want in that brutalized society who reflects their point of view. That’s how change will happen.
Related posts:
- How can Dennis Ross be effective after chairing Israeli institute that called for ‘bringing Ahmadinejad to justice’?
- Jerusalem Must Not Be Divided, Says Dennis Ross
- Have Saddle, Will Travel: Why Dennis Ross Keeps His Job While Presidents Come and Go
- Dennis Ross could be ‘Elliott Abrams of Obama administration’
- ‘Huffpo’ raises dual loyalty issue re Dennis Ross
{ 12 comments }
If this new lobby does indeed provide an
alternative to the position of AIPAC (and
I must confess to being skeptical), what is
the likelihood that its message will be
promulgated in the MSM or given an
audience in the corridors of power?
Let's not forget that Dennis Ross is also the chairman of the Jewish People Policy Planning Institute. It mission statement says "JPPPI's work is based on deep commitment to the future of the Jewish people with Israel as its core state." I find it the height of distortion when Ross is rolled out as some sort of mediating figure and US ambassador, when in fact he is so far in the Zionist camp.
http://www.jpppi.org.il/
"Ross is saying that American Jewish activists must reflect the politics of the Israeli status quo."
Is he saying that in fact, or are you reading into it?
Or, is he saying that in order to actually make change, rather than just talk change, it takes coalition building enough to constitute a majority, and that in order to do that, it takes learning of the multiple concerns that are relevant, including issues of security.
Security issues are not far from Israelis minds, even as we imagine that they should be.
But, there are alternative approaches that can map out improved security AND improved relations at the same time.
J Street.
.
Hmmm, NPR and the WaPo covering J Street on the same day? It's either good PR by J St., or else the MSM has decided to grant them their 15 minutes of fame, then bury them.
Not to rain on their parade, but the premise of J Street — making campaign contributions as a carrot for more balanced behavior from Congress — is preposterous. No original thinking comes from Congress. The sole pertinent question is whether J Street is willing to advocate for a reduction of U.S. funding as a lever over Israel. Everything they've said to date hints that they aren't.
J Street and AIPAC will end up being like the Democratic and Republican parties — two different flavors of the same core policies.
*sigh*
Might as well roll another J …
dennis ross is dennis ross as dennis ross has always been – israel first. no dual loyalty for him and his sort. one loyalty – israel. usa is to be controlled to serve jewry/israel.
I will send money to J Street if I see them display some balls vis-a-vis AIPAC and reflect AMERICAN Jewish values. In fact, I will set up my credit card for monthly support. But I have to see that they dont get hijacked by the likes of the Dennis Rosses of the world first. I want to make sure that they aren't cowered.
So if anyone from J Street is reading this, let's see you flex your independent muscles, and I wish you great good luck.
"reflect AMERICAN Jewish values"
what are those values?
those from meyer lansky and his mafia?
brandeis and his israel?
boesky, milkin, heir, sarnoff, paley, "exodus" creators, the rostoe bros of vietnam fame, kissinger,goldi meir?
the money laundering rabbis of nyc?
which jews, what values?
J street scam. these deceivers are moral unlike those deceivers.
The J Street web pages stresses that continued foreign aid to Israel is their anchor. No tough love there. Gonna fight AIPAC as to which carrot to offer the brat?
Sounds like a BS shell game to me. Israel and Jews are still the main focus, so the interests of the majority of Americans will still take the backseat. I guess we should still feel grateful for the alternative.
"To be effective, J Street must work against Netanyahu and the colonialist movement in Israel."
um, there are people already working against netanyahu, namely, the entire kadima/labor/meretz complex.
*********WHATEVER HAPPENED TO SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE?*********
JFK died because of his September 11th, I repeat: 9/11 address to The Nation.
But "WE" (–overrepresentation of Jews in the medical, legal and political lobbies–)find it appropriate at all to support the Jewish/Israel cause????
I saw on TV last week that Marilyn Monroe's body was excavated and it was found that there was no evidenciary residue to prove that she had pills in her stomach at the time of death. I believe that it signified possible lethal injection (as in the Michael Clayton movie). From personal experience, nothing would surprise me.
Mickey Cohen (Jewish celeb mobster from NYC)was known for dating a lot of the same women as JFK. He was known for stabbing people with pens. And I'll bet he was a zionist.
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