Oh my: 300 Jewish leaders converged on Washington today for "National Jewish Leadership Advocacy Day on Iran." The communal leaders heard from Eric Cantor, the joyless Republican congressman from VA, and Howard Berman, chairman of House Foreign Affairs. Two men opposed on health care, but joined at the hip on Israel.
Berman said he was ready to ratchet up the pressure on Iran:
And, regarding Iran , we’re not talking about a regime that has the same calculus — that same sense of restraint — as we do about the use of such a weapon. This is a regime that sent tens of thousands of children to certain death – its own children — as human mine-sweepers during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s. This is a regime whose ex-president, as Nita (Lowey) mentioned — the so-called moderate Ali Rafsanjani — has boasted openly that Iran would win a nuclear exchange with Israel . This is a regime, as we have witnessed once again in recent weeks, whose brutality against its opponents knows no limits. And, at last, the world has begun to acknowledge the extent of its repressiveness.
Jeff Blankfort writes, "I do not remember organized Jewry ever being so outfront on any issue as it is on Iran and it is not just AIPAC or the majors." If there is an attack on Iran, he fears that it will be blamed on "the Jews." Note that Americans for Peace Now is taking a brave stand against tightening sanctions on Iran.
If Jeff is afraid it will be blamed on “the Jews” then “the Jews” need to hold their leaders accountable. 300 Jewish leaders converged together to advocate for sanctions? Crap that is some scary shit.
Sanctions on Israel now!
I am actually NOT afraid it will be blamed on the Jews. If there is such an attack on Iran that blame will certainly not be misplaced because the American Jewish establishment is the only segment of American society that has been openly and consistently advocating for a hostile confrontation if not an outright attack on Iran since the fall of Saddam and BEFORE the election of Ahmadinejad. It has become, in fact, their obsession.
I and others, most notably Mearsheimer and Walt, have made the argument that the war in Iraq was the first in a series of wars designed to eliminate Israel’s enemies, one by one, with the cost both in treasure and lives to be paid by the United States (and primarily by the Iraqis, then Iranians, and finally Syrians).
Others have argued with this, claiming Iraq was a war for oil, but they have had a hard time making the case. If and when an attack is launched on Iran, however, there will be no argument as to who is responsible. This meeting held today is an obscenity. That it can take place at all is due to the total lack of attention that what passes for an antiwar movement has paid to the real warmongers.
I concur. Critical to remember your point that it was “BEFORE the election of Ahmadinejad,” which of course will be denied vehemently, and any statement thereof will be deemed anti-semitic. But as you said in an interview a couple of years ago (I think), “It’s only anti-semitic if the truth is anti-semitic.”
Israel sold weapons to Iran during the Iran/Iraq war, to the same Islamic Republic they now demonize. Later, they shifted demons.
The US has demonized Iran ever since the revolution and the hostage crisis. I’m not sure that they couldn’t successfully manage to blame an Israeli attack on Iran, the notion of the “Iran threat” being so indelibly branded in the public consciousness. Israel has gotten away with so much aggression up to now, including bombing raids on Iraq and Syria. Just as with 9/11, any suggestion that fallout from an Iran attack would be Israeli’s fault would be met with shrieks of “anti-Semitism.”
otoh, anyone who sees the level of hate and racism breaking to the surface of the US would have to be extremely worried that it could be turned on the Jews when the fallout does hit the fan. Those people are ready to hate anyone and only want a target. Then they will point to meetings like this as proof that “It’s all the fault of Teh Jooz.”
Others have argued with this, claiming Iraq was a war for oil, but they have had a hard time making the case.
Saying the oil arguments have a “hard time” is being generous. They’ve failed miserably in presenting a case.
Mondoweiss’s position is: let Iran get a nuke. Therefore any attempt to stop Iran is foolish and counterproductive. Not everyone is so calm about Iran getting a nuke. Given that point of view, what alternatives really exist? Whereas in many cases the chess game analogy is viewed as amoral, in this case a pure strategic point of view would be useful. What strategy would one pursue if one wished to stop Iran from getting a bomb?
There is nothing that will prevent Iran from getting a nuke. The question is how to make sure that it doesn’t feel compelled to use it. Hint: urging its destruction is not helpful.
WJ: here’s an idea . . . how about Israel scraps all of its 200+ nuclear weapons as a bargaining chip to prevent Iran from developing its own nuclear weapons. Does that sound fair to you? No?? Well, how about having Israel sign the anti-proliferation treaty? Not interested? Oh, I see . . . then why does Israel think it has standing to protest Iran’s nuclear ambitions . . . ?
As for Berman agitating to use US armed forces to risk more blood and treasure on a third front in the Middle East, what is he smoking? Wait — what are we as a nation smoking? Obama was elected because he opposed the war in Iraq, right? Now we have the neo-cons pounding the table, trying to drag us into another conflagration in the M/E . . . amazing. Israel first, baby. Let’s skim $3 billion of our taxpayer dollars off the top, give it to the IDF to kill women and children, and our own national interests be damned. No wonder the rest of the world is trying to tear America apart.
There is a pattern of blaming Jews for all wars. This is historically a fact. Very similar to blood libel seen in Trent and Sweden .
There’s also a pattern of jews gathering emasse demanding wars. The zionists got together and decided to wipe out the palestinians. The necons shrill voices dragged us to iraq. Now iran. This is a fact.
Blood libels are lies.
Israeli warmongering is a fact. Jews worldwide suffer because of association with Israeli crimes. Israel is bad for the Jews.
Israel is bad for the Jews
Amen!
This occured to me too. It’s encouraging to know such an appalling thought has arisen in another mind beside one’s own. If this keeps up it will merge with what’s known as “the obvious”.
There is a very good argument, based on a speech by PM David Lloyd George and other documents from that time, that the Balfour Declaration was a present to the Zionists for pressing President Wilson to get the US to enter WW One at the time when England was on the point of defeat. There were no good guys and bad guys in that war. If the Germans had won, there would have been no Versailles Treaty which humiliated Germany, and consequently nothing like the atmosphere that produced Hitler and the Nazis, and what came after it.
Wow! Now the Zionists are to blame for the US entry into WWI. Does that mean the Jews or just the Zionists. Next the Zionists will be blamed for the American Civil War. Blankfort must be getting his information from the Hamas Charter!
I agree with Jeff Blankfort. It’s not only Iranians who believe that Jews are beating the war drums against Islamic Iran – but the Muslim world and non-Muslim leaders in Asia, Africa, and South America has the same opinion. I remember Israel Shamir’s quote: “America is as much Jewish as Vatican is Catholic”.
Iran used to the major US-Israel ally before the Islamic Revolution (1979) – however, since 1980s – Tehran’s support for Islamic Resistance groups in occupied Palestine and Lebanon have made the relation between Tehran and USrael – uncompromising. The recent Washington-Tel aviv meddling in June 2009 electin for the “regime-range” has even turned many of the secular Iranian intellectuals against the US.
Zionists’ hatred is not limited to Iran only. Professor Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi (Haifa University) in his book The Israel Connection: Who Arms Israel and Why? – mentions that Israel sees Islam as the greatest danger to its dominance over the Middle East, itself built on terrorism, vioation and oppression. That is why there is always an Israeli presence in all regions where Muslims are oppressed and face extinction, from Bosnia to the Philippines, from East Turkestan to Eritrea.
“Iranian journey: From an ally to Israel’s Enemy No.1″
link to rehmat1.wordpress.com
“The recent Washington-Tel Aviv meddling in the June 2009 election for the “regime change” has even turned many of the secular Iranian intellectuals against the US.” Can you provide some evidence for this or is this just another assertion based on nothing?
The WHOLE question could be solved by two things:
1. Iran accepting Israel’s existence, at the 67 boundaries even.
2. Iran permanently and verifiably renouncing all prospects of a nuclear weapons program.
It is easy to rant at Israel, when in fact Iran has funded, encouraged, armed, trained militias and terrorists directing their “dissent” against Israeli civilians (Jewish, Muslim, Christian – in the case of terror deaths on buses, and in Hezbollah shelling Haifa in 2006).
Why should Iran renounce its right to self-defense against a nuclear-armed enemy that constantly threatens it? Don’t forget that Israel has “funded, encouraged, armed and trained militias and terrorists” to operate against Iran.
Why doesn’t Israel renounce aggressive wars against its neighbors?
Richard – A suggestion for a book to be studied, roundtable fashion:
Eyal Weizman’s HOLLOWLAND: Israel’s Architecture of Occupation
link to versobooks.com
I am far more concerned about the genocidal maniacs (Apartheid Israel of course)of the Middle East having nuclear weapons than Iran getting them. The apartheid state has proven time and time again who has the itchiest trigger finger. As nutty as its leader is Iran has attacked none of its neighbors. Even a nut can be right about something. Apartheid Israel’s hideous treatment of its Palestinian occupied subjects, for example. One only need look at the death statistics compiled by Israeli human rights organizations to see where the real terrorists of the Middle East reside.
I assume you’re referring to Ahmadinejad. The “nutty” Ahmadinejad is largely a caricature crafted by the Zionist-dominated U.S. mainstream media. In reading though some of his writings, as translated by those well-versed in Farsi as opposed to those sitting in Zionist think tanks, I’ve found that he is not so nutty. Remember, he didn’t call for Israel to be wiped off the map, though we were told so a billion times by our wonderful, impartial media.
Anyway, he has no power over their military. The Supreme Leader and those around him do, and they appear to be much more level-headed than Israel’s aggressive leaders.
The defense minister of Iran is wanted by Interpol for his role in planning the bombing of a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires. But let’s not mention facts that support Jewish enmity for the current regime in Iran.
Enmity’s perfectly understandable – in both directions. It’s the actual warmongering (and hijacking of American Jewish communal life to that end) that is making me very very nervous.