I've gotten a lot of response to the post taking on Ezra Klein on whether you pay a career price for criticizing Israel. Here are two responses.
1. A hip young friend:
latching on to a deep emotional offense in their responses, but
consider for a moment the cultural and political ramifications of
training ourselves to think this way. If there is a no man behind the curtain, imagine the possibilities.
Personally, I think there is such a man, but he's way less powerful
than everyone thinks. We could do ourselves a service by starting to
act like he's just not as powerful. I.E., let's just claim victory all
over the place!"
I take this man's point. You have to visualize your own reality. You can't give too much power to your adversaries. Then you change the world. Be nimble, because the world is changing. All true. (And yet also true: I'm an experienced journalist, I've done this blog for nearly 3 years and made virtually nothing doing it, been asked to leave a few parties because of my ideas, strained my marriage because of lack of income.)
2. M.J. Rosenberg:
But only because Bill Moyers is huge and his show is independently
financed. They went after Steve Walt big time because of the book and
his new FP gig does not mean he has come out unscathed. Even President Carter is
a pariah within the Democratic party for one reason — he criticizes
Israel. The label "anti-semite" is a bomb and it is used to damage
anyone who deviates from the line.
You mention the Jewish leaders who are bold on other
human rights issues but timid on Israel. But even they don't
necessarily believe the line they put out but are constrained by fear
of losing
their jobs. They
are afraid of offending the lobby and its friends (and the boards that
pay their salaries).
I shoot my mouth off pretty much without fear. But I am 60. My kids
are grown and I am not poor. If I was 40, I' might keep my mouth shut.
When I was under 40, William Safire called to threaten me (he said he'd expose me in the Times as an enemy of Israel) at the behest of AIPAC and Bibi Netanyahu. That was because my boss, Sen. Carl Levin,
had mildly criticized Israel and I had authored his words. Safire was
vicious and I was plenty scared. I didn't back down but there
is something horrifying when the top columnist of the New York Times threatens to destroy a rather insignificant Congressional aide for insufficient devotion to the Likud party. I am certainly not the only one he tried to shut down that way.
Safire is old and out of the business but his successors smear on. (Marty Peretz, Alan Dershowitz, and Ed Koch
remain hard at work suppressing dissent and dissenters on this issue.
And then there is the official lobby itself to keep Congress in line).
Ezra is young. And his career will, I predict, take him to heights
where he may be untouchable. But, if he wants to be absolutely sure
that he will reach those heights, he may want to play ball.
Caveat:
The good news is that the Gaza war changed the terrain for the
better, not to mention the election of a President whose supporters are
not exactly AIPAC.
The caveat is accepted. (Phil Weiss)
