The New Jersey Department of State has 19 agencies and divisions, only one of which is devoted to relations with a specific foreign country. Put on your thinking cap, now!
The agency is called, the New Jersey-Israel Commission, whose mission "is to foster economic, scientific, educational and cultural ties with the State of Israel, one of the Garden State’s most important trading partners." The Commission chair is Daniel Kurtzer, a former ambassador to Israel, now a prof at Princeton.
When NPR’s Michele Kelemen did a story yesterday on the contretemps between the US and Israel, she interviewed Kurtzer as an expert, and also David Makovsky, of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Kurtzer said, "Israel did a really in-your-face move with the vice president in town and, I think, it needs to find a way to offset that by responding to what Secretary of State Hillary Clinton asked for.." Makovsky offered neocon cant: "We do recognize that terrorists exploit this issue, but even if we had progress on this issue, does anyone really believe that al-Qaida would disappear or sectarian differences in Iraq would disappear or Iran would not seek a nuclear weapon?"
I admit that Kurtzer has a broad resume and tends to be reasonable–he also told Keleman that the Israelis are hurting our interests in the region–but back to the lead, he is chairman of an agency that promotes trade with Israel. Should NPR have disclosed this fact? Especially at a time when Gen’l Petraeus is saying that the Arab world regards the US as incapable of being tough with Israel?
Also, just to get on my sociological hobbyhorse, Is it really fair that NPR is interviewing two American Jews on this subject? Are there any other Americans who have expert opinions? What about Steve Walt, who knows this issue backward and forward? Or Helena Cobban, who is as sharp as they come? Or Ali Abunimah, who has followed the peace process forever and is funny? They all have less personal identification with Israel than Kurtzer and Makovsky. Can Americans learn their views?
Thanks to Bob Feldman for the NJ connection…
Another argument to get Al Jazeerah English on American cable.
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The point of the above being that the US media is an echo chamber with no competition in viewpoints.
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Doesn’t Richard Witty think he’s the competition? The singular dissenter against the power of the US MSM? Isn’t he the guy forced to rebel on this tiny blog against the all pervasive and one-sided elite opinion and message that runs this country?
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NPR really pisses me off. Their idea of “balance” means they’ll have a flat Earth proponent on the radio for a serious interview before they’ll have a Palestinian. I can barely stand to listen to them any more — especially now that they’re drifting closer to taking pro-Iran war shills seriously and giving them more and more air time.
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you can complain online here:
link to help.npr.org
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I just sent a message urging my representatives to support the Obama Administration’s call to end Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem. Please send your own message today by visiting link to aaper.org