Strange. Just after I blogged about Avraham Burg describing American Jewry as a "semi-autonomous" structure affiliated with Zionism, here is the American Jewish Committee's report on a meeting between the AJC President, a man named Richard Sideman, and the Argentine President de Kirchner. An hour long, and a lot of policy: what to do about Iran, treatment of Israel at the U.N. Since when are private American citizens supposed to meet foreign heads of state to discuss policy? Remember how much trouble Jimmy Carter got in for going to Damascus to try and talk to his friend Assad? Not a peep this time round. This is all about being semi-autonomous. Thanks to Jeff Blankfort for the tip.
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The AJC is the de facto "state department" of the American Jewish community. This NGO was founded to address pogroms in Russia in the very early 20th Century. The highpoint of the AJC's international outreach each year is the "Diplomatic Marathon," a two-week period in September when AJC leaders meet with the heads of state or foreign ministers of dozens of countries who come to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly. Advocacy for Israel at the UN and in other international forums tops the discussion. AJC's large-scale diplomatic undertaking is unparalleled among nongovernmental organizations and underscores its long-term commitment to global outreach as a way to ensure the well being of Israel and Jewish communities around the world. By equating criticism of Israeli policy as anti-semitism the AJC is a huge monkey wrench thrown into every nation's foreign policy.
Score one for me!
(Jefferson is turning over in his grave).
"Since when are private American citizens supposed to meet foreign heads of state to discuss policy?"
I dunno…maybe you should ask the Council for the National Interest, which issued this press release two years ago:
"Members of the Council for the National Interest completed an 18-day "political pilgrimage tour" to the Middle East January 21 – February 5, 2006…The delegation observed the elections in Gaza, the only American team to be there. It also visited five other countries — Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, and met with president, prime ministers, and top government and opposition figures."
Keep throwing those stones in your glass house, Philip.
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