A real divide inside the pro-Israel organizations, a fight for the soul of the Jewish leadership. Just a few days in advance of the AIPAC policy conference, "J Street" is sending a shot across AIPAC's bow by launching a public campaign to support Obama in his aid package to the Palestinians and in his conciliatory approach to Iran.
The President intends to achieve a negotiated resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in his first term and to address the challenges Iran poses through diplomacy.
His opponents, meanwhile, are trying to rally Congress to thwart his agenda. With one hand they're opposing the President's proposed approach to working with a possible Palestinian unity government; with the other, they are proposing aggressive new sanctions on Iran just as diplomatic outreach begins.
…just this week, the Orwellian-named "Iran Diplomacy Enhancement Act" was introduced in the House – a bill that in reality does nothing to "enhance diplomacy" but instead imposes further sanctions on Iran, directly undercutting the President's diplomatic message.
Obama's "opponents" seems a clear reference to AIPAC. But for its part AIPAC says that the Obama White House does not oppose the petroleum-sanctions it wants to impose, and that both the Defense Department and State have opened the door to them. AIPAC spokesman Josh Block said in a news email that it's all part of "constructive diplomatic engagement":
If Iran doesn't act rapidly to suspend its enrichment and other illicit nuclear work, the U.S. and our allies must be prepared to induce Iranian compliance by targeting Iran's economic and structural vulnerabilities with what Secretary Clinton has called 'crippling sanctions'. This bill gives President Obama the tools to do just that.
There's one in the Senate too… haven't seen much about it — will look further: Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Act
http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/20... Note folks — Barbara Boxer's name is in there… I think AIPAC has been talking to her.
Wow… this guy is a piece of work:
Usual Democrats from the House Foreign Affairs are sponsoring this legislation's ultimate goal! — One "clenched fist" offering before diplomacy even starts. Rep. Shelley Berkley [D, NV-1] Rep. Ron Klein [D, FL-22] Rep. Suzanne Kosmas [D, FL-24] Rep. Michael McMahon [D, NY-13] Rep. Brad Sherman [D, CA-27] Rep. Robert Wexler [D, FL-19] http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h1985/show ————– Any news on Dennis the Menace in the ME?
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090428-7220...
Go here to help J Street by contacting Congress & your friends: http://middleeast.change.org/actions/view/support...
Or more directly, here: http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/2747/t/3251/cam...
"Today, we proudly join President Peres, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the Israeli people in marking the 61st anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel and in honoring the country’s founders." –statement from J Street. We should have a yearly joint birthday party for Hitler and Israel, serving German tortes and Jewish pastries and singing the praises of Jewish and German Nazism. That's what we should do.
So it looks like Jane Harman has Porter Goss to thank for making her little phone call public: http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/04... Even if the case is dropped, Harman's tarred. It's her reward for backing Bush. Good thinking, Jane!
Thanks. Time to get to work.
I think it is important to note the title of Mr. Roth's piece linked above by Mooser, Harman And Goss: "Not … Good Friends". Also note this sentence and link in his article:
… Laura Rozen has put together, on her personal blog, what amounts to a complete theory of the case.
Follow his link to Ms. Rozen's article, read it, and decide for yourself whether her narrative even remotely sounds like a 'complete theory of the case'. Mr. Roth would certainly be remiss as a journalist working this story if he did not explore the origin of the leak. However, he ignores the main story, the contents of the leak. A sitting United States Senator, the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, charged with Congressional oversight of intelligence operations conducted by the United States government, offers to a suspected foreign agent (suspected enough to be the target of a FISA court-authorized wiretap, i.e. 'suspected' in the sense that one is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law) that she will attempt to interfere in a Department of Justice investigation of three American citizens accused of breaking conspiracy, espionage and internal security laws (<a href="link to frwebgate1.access.gpo.gov
<a href="link to frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov
and <a href="link to frwebgate6.access.gpo.gov
on behalf of the same country that the suspected spy is from, and with which she herself has substantial ties, in exchange for the suspected foreign spy to arrange for political pressure to be brought by a third party, also with ties to this same country, to assist in the Ranking Member's attempt to become the Committee Chair. Yes, yes, the leak may originate in sqalid and petty political bickering, and it may make enough hay for a few titillating political stories. So what? The motives of the leakers are irrelevant to the veracity of the contents of the leak, or its implications to United States national security. If the country in question were Great Britain, Germany, Australia, etc, and the ethnicity of the individuals involved were British, German, Australian, etc, it is inconceivable that this would not be front page news for weeks and that a (real) full scale investigation would be underway. However, the country is Israel, and the politician, the spy, the political donor, and the target of the political donor's attentions (the current Speaker of the House) are all Jewish. Fear of the Lobby and career-ending accusations of anti-semitism, irregardless of how transparently preposterous, has become so pervasive that Americans are afraid of asking simple and obvious questions.
I think it is important to note the title of Mr. Roth's piece linked above by Mooser, Harman And Goss: "Not … Good Friends". Also note this sentence and link in his article:
… Laura Rozen has put together, on her personal blog, what amounts to a complete theory of the case.
Follow his link to Ms. Rozen's article, read it, and decide for yourself whether her narrative even remotely sounds like a 'complete theory of the case'. Mr. Roth would certainly be remiss as a journalist working this story if he did not explore the origin of the leak. However, he ignores the main story, the contents of the leak. A sitting United States Senator, the Ranking Member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, charged with Congressional oversight of intelligence operations conducted by the United States government, offers to a suspected foreign agent (suspected enough to be the target of a FISA court-authorized wiretap, i.e. 'suspected' in the sense that one is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law) that she will attempt to interfere in a Department of Justice investigation of three American citizens accused of breaking conspiracy, espionage and internal security laws (18USC371, 18USC793, & 50USC783) on behalf of the same country that the suspected spy is from, and with which she herself has substantial ties, in exchange for the suspected foreign spy to arrange for political pressure to be brought by a third party, also with ties to this same country, to assist in the Ranking Member's attempt to become the Committee Chair. Yes, yes, the leak may originate in sqalid and petty political bickering, and it may make enough hay for a few titillating political stories. So what? The motives of the leakers are irrelevant to the veracity of the contents of the leak, or its implications to United States national security. If the country in question were Great Britain, Germany, Australia, etc, and the ethnicity of the individuals involved were British, German, Australian, etc, it is inconceivable that this would not be front page news for weeks and that a (real) full scale investigation would be underway. However, the country is Israel, and the politician, the spy, the political donor, and the target of the political donor's attentions (the current Speaker of the House) are all Jewish. Fear of the Lobby and career-ending accusations of anti-semitism, irregardless of how transparently preposterous, has become so pervasive that Americans are afraid of asking simple and obvious questions.
Barbara Boxer, Senator – California, is Chief Deputy Whip in Majority and chair of both the US Senate Select Committee on Ethics and the Committee on Environment and Public Works. http://boxer.senate.gov/contact/email/index.cfm Her Wiki page states she is "Jewish" – wonder what that means? ..of Jewish descent, espouses the Jewish faith? My upbringing scolds me: that's not my business! Phil Weiss and Richard Silverstein et alia scold me: pay attention to who is doing what and consider why! Further search required.
oops, sorry for doublepost, thought it didn't go through b/c of long addresses (which didn't get interpreted anyway)
Bush policies all over again, but this time from congress: You’re either with us, or against us
http://niacblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/youre-ei...
Part One. Margeret599: Further search required. I don't understand? Sen. Durbin is the majority whip and it didn't seem to do him much good with him trying to 'whip' up votes on today's mortgage cram-down provision, so I'm not sure how much leverage Sen. Boxer would have as deputy whip, and she's even more socially progressive than he is? However, you did miss out that she's also a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee
http://www.opensecrets.org/cmteprofiles/overview....
Part Two: I do not know Barbara Boxer personally, but I believe she is a good person. And, yes she is Jewish, and apparently a very good friend of Joe Lieberman, which is why I guess she was so interested in supporting him against the Democratic voters of CT when Lamont was winning, and won the CT Democratic primary? That pissed me off.
Part Three: I like her policies, and was great during the illegal Iraq war, realizing it was tough for her as she was under alot of pressure — but she held, but now with her election coming up in 2010 — I'm not seeing the same Boxer. Also, there was a time not so long ago that Saban, remember that guy? I think may have been playing games with our Sen. Boxer's head — dangling if she didn't play ball that he was more than capable of funding and promoting a Schwarzenegger bid for Senate, if Boxer's foreign policy issues didn't float his boat. Schwarzenegger during the McCain campaign was Mr. Israel, and if had decided to run — MASSIVE amounts of $$$ I sure would have gone his way. Amazing really considering Schwarzeneggers background… but anyho.. really it comes down to money and 'control' and the help of a dumb electorate. http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/capitolalert...
I don't like this commenting system and it's soooo deceiving because it always says zero comments.
Oh nevermind, I see how to do it without the hoopla.
" he ignores the main story, the contents of the leak" Thank you, Colin Exactly what should concern all Americans Instead they give us back-biting political gossip
What does the lobby want? The lobby wants war. The focus of the conference, and the legislative centerpiece of the event, will be passage of the Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act, which would ban US companies from providing Iran with refined petroleum products, and seeks to punish European companies — particularly the Swiss, who come in for two specific mentions in the text of the bill — for doing so. This bill is all about provoking the Iranians, effectively sabotaging efforts to engage in a mutual dialogue with Tehran. Why the egregious packaging? Well, it seems the American people are sick and tired of war, and preparations for war, and so it is far less incriminating if a member of Congress can say he (or she) voted for "the Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act" than it is to admit they supported isolating Iran economically. Speaking of Obama, this campaign to isolate Iran is aimed at him just as much as it is at the Iranians, and the Swiss — it is a shot across the bow, a flexing of legislative muscle on the part of the Lobby that shows the newly-elected American president even he can’t stand up to the Lobby’s power. If he tries to reach out to the Iranians, and short-circuit the march to war, he’ll be subverted, opposed, and reined in by the American Congress, which is, as Pat Buchanan famously — and accurately — observed, "Israeli-occupied territory." http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/04/30/the...
We will be at war with Iran before the end of 2010 unless the IAF succeeds in quickly knocking out Iran's buried and spread nuclear facilities without significant blowback on Israel. The IAF has already done this in Iraq & Syria. However Iran is a bigger, harder nut to crack so easily.
I doubt those sanctions would have the intended effect, anyway. And in just a few years, the U.S will probably be begging Iran to let them have some oil. China's need for oil continues to grow rapidly – as we near or are at, peak oil. Let them destroy America some more and see how that works out…
I'll give those darned Israelis one thing- they take their philosophy and intellectual life quite seriously. They kvetch all the time that everything in a threat to Israeli existentialism. Of course, when we were young, we were fans of a German philosopher named Kugel. And Israeli cant is the best in the world.
But if you haven't had your MDR of irony this morning, here's a little supplement. Just pour it on your cereal and enjoy: The name of the bill to isolate and sanction Iran is called, get this, the "Iran Diplomatic Enhancement Act" You know, like "enhanced interrogation"! Oy, Brave New World, that has such shriekers in it!
Thanks for the additional info; I see she's a member also of
Commerce, Science and Transportation While individual senators
may not have direct power, they do exert influence. As chair of
Environment and Public Works, and member of Commerce, Science and
Transportation, she will be involved with apportionment of stimulus
funds investment, won't she?
I really dislike that my support for Boxer now depends upon her
actions toward Israel – guess I have more invested in her than I wish
to acknowledge. Disappointed, I prefer detachment from expectations of
'good' from political representatives. I often agree with Boxer's
positions, which requires greater effort for detachment – particularly
given my bias for woman's rights.
Can't just write her a note saying \”don't disappoint me\”, can one.
IRAN DIPLOMATIC ENHANCEMENT ACT Fail
J Street's two state solution is completely unworkable. It will just keep Palestinians tired but alive a little bit longer and keep Fatah in power regardless of voter opinion, while not decreasing a cent of US funding to Israel, just tacking on a few hundred million more for Palestinian relief supplies. Nothing in there to rebuild or pave roads, mind you. The only workable solution for the Middle East is a situation that is sustainable WITHOUT relying on handouts from the US and Germany for its continued existence.
The two-state solution is the only possible one. Better to think about how to make it succeed, than "I told you so".
Shoot all our congress people except for a handful? Make AIPAC a registered agent for a foreign government? Cancel dual citizenship policy? Make all natural born citizens swear an oath of allegiance? Tell Israel if they don't root out all their settlements we will cut off all aid? Take over CNN & hold the staff hostage unless they put on the air for a week a detailed discussion of issues such as we talk about on this blog?
Jordan and Israel are a perfect 2 states solutions! May I suggest the leftists readers here to buy a ticket to Tel Aviv There,they will maybe notice how Israel is so tiny compared to arab gigantic landmass Israel is in fact smaller than Connecticut ! Undefendable without ancestral JudeaSamaria They might also wonder why the "palestinians " did not proclaim their independance from 1948 to 1967 ! Jstreet is an hoax. American Jews ditched their European brothers in the 40. The same with Israelis now ??????