All six commentators quoted by the BBC, representing American views of the US-Israel impasse, are Jewish. This reflects many factors, culture, wealth, interest, but it's also about a remarkable historical moment, of Jewish power.
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- Aaron David Miller: After a short ‘peace process,’ look … 11
- Rafah march for deteriorating hunger strikers as family appeals for … 0
- Rafah’s nicest tunnel: Siege meets surf in Gaza 4
- Iranian talks fail after neocon ‘blitz’ — as Obama dispatches … 27
- Saving Illinois from Senator Kirk 8
- Human rights activists will hardnose the highway from Woodstock to … 0
- American Zionist responses to Tel Aviv riots– largely indifferent, but … 33
- Division: Romney supporter puts kibosh on Wasserman Schultz appearance at … 7
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- BDS victory: South Africa strips Ahava’s ‘made in Israel’ label 709
- ‘New York Review of Books’ calls it ‘apartheid’ and prepares … 566
- Video: Israeli mob demands all African refugees be deported from … 466
- Neverending Nakba: Israel breaks lull, attacks Gazan farmers 413
- Day after pogroms, Likud MK calls for internment camp for … 397
- ‘This is not fair play’: Mahmoud Sarsak’s family demands his … 370
- March of the Flags 342
- Neocons in Washington Post: Military strike on Iran would ‘calm … 317
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- The Messiah’s Donkey: Settlers fire on Palestinian villagers as the … 235
- Aharon Appelfeld’s rage at the German language (and Arendt’s need … 156
- March of the Flags 126
- US to differentiate between ‘personally displaced’ Palestinian refugees and their … 110
- Feeling the hate in Long Island 97
- Israeli judge to issue verdict in Rachel Corrie case 94
- WaPo’s Walter Pincus says US is ‘going above and beyond … 87
- Video: Israeli mob demands all African refugees be deported from … 85
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PHIL- I appreciate you continuing to highlight the reality of Jewish kinship and Jewish power. I think that these are important factors in the relationship between Israel, Zionism, and American Jewry. Alas, it is a difficult topic to discuss, and one which arouses strong emotions. It is also one which many people seek to avoid, which may be why these posts elicit relatively few comments. The reality that dares not speak its name.
Yeah, I have my grief with the BBC (BBC Worldwide radio, anyway) because whenever they poll for the “American” perspective from any expert from the US, they are invariably right of center.
It primarily represents Jewish commitment and interest.
Jewish power is in far far fewer and different hands. The generalization is the sick part of the analysis.
It is a remarkable moment of Jewish acceptance, compared to millenia of Jewish isolation and persecution.
The danger, a real danger, is that the false equation of Jewish acceptance with Jewish “power” will result in persecution again.
“Never Again. To Anyone. AND NOT BY MY HAND.”
RICHARD WITTY- Shame on you! There is no topic more important to the understanding of Israel/Palestine (or the U.S. Empire) than the struggle for power. The rise of Jewish power in the U.S. Empire has reached an unprecedented level, impossible to ignore. That this Zionist oriented Jewish power has implications for peace and justice in Israel/Palestine should be obvious to all except the willfully blind. This is a reality we should be exploring, not covering up. So what do you do? You invoke historical Jewish suffering (real and imagined) to attempt to squelch discussion. You, in effect, wrap Jewish millionaires and billionaires and high government officials in the cloak of eternal victim hood to justify their support for ethnic cleansing and other human rights abuses. In so doing, you demonstrate that “liberal” Zionism is an oxymoron. Shame on you!
Well, of course, Keith. Witty’s one of the favored sons. Why wouldn’t he capitalize on that for his own benefit?
Are you really serious Keith?
The Jewish majority that seeks public service and accomplishment by merit, is liberal, overwhelmingly opposed the Iraq War for example, more than almost any other constituency.
That Jewish community as leadership, as power, would have the US in a very different role in the world.
That is in the bathwater of the fascist theme.
“Zionazis”, Keith?
RICHARD WITTY- Am I really serious? You betcha! Anyone who is honestly concerned with peace and justice in Israel/Palestine cannot help calling attention to the Zionist Power Configuration which supports the current illegalities and atrocities. To oppose that is to support the ongoing human rights violations of the Palestinians by Israel. Human rights violations intended to facilitate the ongoing 60-year-old ethnic cleansing intrinsic to Zionist ideology. As for the support of American Jews for peace and justice in the Middle East (as opposed to blind support for Israel and Zionism), I can only hope that it has an impact on the Jewish power elite, such as the Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. This schism between the goodwill of many (most?) American Jews and the actions of the Jewish power elite demonstrates the extent to which the actions of the elite do not represent the will of the people. Nothing new there. Hopefully, the decency and common sense of average people will have an impact. Perhaps, even you, will abandon your chauvinistic ideology and join the rest of humanity.
Well, Witty, what else are you supposed to call Jewish people who go on pogroms across the occupied territories, who raze farms and even whole villages, who merrily drop all manner of bombs on hospitals and schools and mosques by jet, sing songs about mass murderers, lay on the beach sipping cocktails while just a few miles down the coast their warships shell fishing boats and ram humanitarian aid vessels, and when polled believe in their majority that non-Jews need to be stripped of their citizenship rights.
We need a reliable shorthand to distinguish the rabid extremists you support from the majority of sensible, moderate Jews that actually live outside of Israel. Can you think of a better one?
Tell that to the Gazans, Witty.
richard..aside from the danger there is also the aspect of other american voices not being heard, like the other 98% of us. shocking i know.
Yeah, you’re right again Witty, 6 of 6 Jewish Americans (or dual citizens) picked to express the American catbird seat view indicates only acceptance, not even a touch of power. That’s why it’s never been an accepted part of political commentary to note
about any power full group (like say, the Old SCOTUS crews, or name any influential group where it has been often pointed out that they were all old white males; recently,
the public opinion on the likes of MSNBC news pointing out that the tea partiers were
all fat old whites. How about we make it a requirement that all US congress people
must be of Jewish background? Would that ease your fear of a cry to ressurect Lindbergh? Watch out for that illegal alien blowing the dead leaves off your drive too–
You’re reveling in your Jews-only country club membership, aren’t you?
Gee, Richard, couldn’t it have been only 5 out of six? Throw in a Sullivan just to add a tad of flavor to the spectrum of American views? Why should it primarily represent Jewish commitment and interest when the subject is American views?
As I’ve told Phil in private emails I think if a chart of photographs were produced that showed positions of power in America held by jews and next to it the chart recreated but images replaced with Camaroonian faces or … drag queens, it would suddenly be topic #1 for nearly everyone ….
How did so many dark-skinned Africans come to hold so many positions of power in America? … or, funnier, how did so many drag queens ascend to so many positions of power in business, communications, entertainment, policy think-tanks, universities, government, etc?
If the many jews in positions of power (Murdoch, Foxman, Lieberman, Harman, Weinstein, Adelson, Saban, etc etc etc etc etc) were not undermining U.S. policy and the safety of its people with their advocacy of a foreign country, no one would care about the power they wield
What if that chart depicted all those positions as held by Mormons or Scientologists?
or blonde-blue-eyed Swedes – really, pick any group … when a tiny minority holds so many key positions of power in a society it is rightfully a subject of concern for the majority of its citizens … if that minority is viewed as doing a great job, no one cares who or what they are … if they are viewed as pursuing policies that put in danger the overall society then they are suspect – naturally
… better Witty?
Oh, Yonira, you slander Phil with that remark and I’ll testify to that in court
Radii, instead of climategate it can be mondogate.
keep filling out you logs Yonira, I’m sure you have other sites to visit when you’re done here
Total shocker. I suppose as if yonira’s status as a Nakba denier didn’t cement his status as a rabid neocon, his status as a climate change denier will.
Even more terrifying for the majority would be if the chart used Muslims instead.
Phil,
Do you see what you invoke?
Richard,
Phil has the ‘bug’ his hatred for Israel has now superseded his commitment to the Jewish people.
“You better wiiise up, Philip Weiss…“
WITTY, YONIRA- Doesn’t it bother you guys to wear your totalitarian mindsets on your sleeve?
Well of course not. Witty just says, “Poof! I’m a liberal!” (Kind of like one can imagine him saying, “I love you, dear,” while beating his wife), whereas yonira is stark raving neoconservative.