– is this still the case, Phil?

http://zope.gush-shalom.org/home/en/channels/avnery/1212277355

As best I can recall, "Iran as the source of all evil" has been the theme of EVERY Aipac policy conference for the past five years (i.e., since the Iraq invasion).

In its endless campaign to vilify the Persians, the Lobby begins to remind one of Hugo Chavez, bellowing from his tropical redoubt against the perfidious yanqui imperialists — HIS source of all evil; his Persians, as it were.

Aren't we getting tired of this ceaseless emigre kvetching about the resentment in a distant corner of the Mediterranean against their millenia-old Asian enemy? Dudes, this is North America, and your byzantine oriental squabbles just ain't our problem.

"I’ve tried to be nice to all factions in Israel, to see the idealism, however warped, in even the most right wing factions, to see the visionary and mystic qualities in settler theology, and so forth, but, when I listen to my favorite Israeli Jewish rock and punk bands, even with my distinctly limted comprehension of hebrew, I can’t help noticing that the majority of them wish zionism had never been born, and who am I to argue with them?"
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/06/03/olmert-chooses-not-to-use-bushs-word-appeasement.html#comment-58529 <p>Iran is very aggressive, maintaining two proxy militias on Israel's borders.</p> <p>It is reasonable for Israel to regard Iran as intending harm.</p> <p>The best way to isolate Iran is to form a genuine peace agreement with Syria and Palestine.</p> <p>Iran is irrelevant in that setting.</p> Iran is very aggressive, maintaining two proxy militias on Israel's borders.

The idea that Obama is going to save us from World War IV, as the neocons gleefully refer to the impending conflict, is, it turns out, a pipe dream. The sad fact of the matter was underscored by Jonathan Landay in the McClatchy newspapers:

"The presumptive Republican nominee for president and the leading contender for the Democratic nomination are exaggerating what's known about Iran's nuclear program as they duel over how best to deal with Tehran.
http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/06/03/olmert-chooses-not-to-use-bushs-word-appeasement.html#comment-58533 <p>"I'm in my first day at AIPAC, on assignment for The American Conservative."</p> <p>-- I only just spotted that, not having visited for a while and now going back across a few of your recent threads for context, depth, in-fill, or whatever journos call it. What can I say? From your mouth to Pat Buchanan's ear.</p> "I'm in my first day at AIPAC, on assignment for The American Conservative."