Ben Smith picks up a disturbing radio interview of Chuck Schumer by Nachum Segal, who is apparently to the right of Schumer and of course has influence, in which Schumer repeatedly sides with Israel over Obama and says the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Gaza is tough luck. Notice Schumer's claim that all Americans share his feeling, but the contradictory statement that it's "Jewish members" of Congress who will be meeting Obama to stand up for Israel. Oh my. Amy Goodman, please run for Congress. Notice that Schumer has Obama's ear and brags of spending lots of time with Netanyahu. And you thought Democrats couldn't learn to love a rightwinger. Read the comments at Politico and you will see that people ain't buying, the American street is enraged by Schumer's allegiances.
Excerpt begins with Schumer's reference to State Department spokesman PJ Crowley's description of Hillary Clinton's exchange with Netanyahu: Clinton "made clear that the Israeli government needed to demonstrate not just through words but through specific actions that they are committed to this relationship and to the peace process."
"And Crowley said something I have never heard before, which is, the relationship of Israel and the United States depends on the pace of the negotiations."
"That is terrible. That is the dagger because the relationship is much deeper than the disagreements on negotiations, and most Americans—Democrat, Republican, Jew, non-Jew--would feel that. So I called up Rahm Emanuel and I called up the White House and I said, 'If you don’t retract that statement you are going to hear me publicly blast you on this...'"
[Ben Smith:] Schumer said the White House had backed off that statement, but that now "many of us are pushing back, some of the Jewish members will be meeting with the President next week or the week after, and we are saying that this has to stop."
More directly from the Segal interview, Schumer speaking:
there is some economic growth in the West Bank. It's growing at 7-8%, Netanyahu brags that -- when he came here I spent a lot of time with him – That there are multiplex theatres in places like Ramallah and Janeen. At the same time that is happening, there is prosperity with the more moderate Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, and Hamas in Gaza is being squeezed and people there are doing very badly. Not only because Israel has blocked off the border and not let anything into Gaza, and I support Israel in doing that, and it may be tough on the Palestinian people, but when they vote for Hamas they are going to have to suffer the consequences...
Senator Schumer, the perception among New York state residents, and I’m one of them as you know, is there likely is no one closer in the Senate to the President than you.
SCHUMER: That’s not quite true, but I have an ear and frankly I spent time on the phone just yesterday talking to him about this, and telling him that I didn’t quite understand the United States policy, because even
if the goal is to bring about talks of peace, it was counter-productive because it’s encouraging the Palestinians not to sit down.
SEGAL: More than ¾ of the Senate, including a lot of democrats, signed the letter to Sec. of State Clinton rebuking the administration for these confrontational stances toward Israel. Were you surprised that names
like Kerry, Dodd, Durbin, Leahy and Reid were not included in that letter?
SCHUMER: well I think Senator Reid signed the letter, some didn’t sign but the majority of both parties signed. And we’ll have other letters and other meetings to keep pushing that. I think you can say there are a
handful of people who are not sympathetic to Israel in the Senate of each party, but 90% of the Senate is overwhelmingly in support of Israel. And one of my jobs, as you know is to rally those forces to do strong poll work for this year (couldn’t hear this
part perfectly). Believe me I think the policy has to change, and I’m working hard to make it change and I think it will. Every administration at the beginning has this view even Ronald Reagan, the best friend Israel ever had, do you remember his first 2 years?
When George Schultz wanted to sell AWACs to Saudi Arabia? Every administration has this idea to talk tough to Israel and make nice to the Arabs and the Palestinians and that’s the way to bring about peace. It’s counter-productive, it’s actually the
opposite...Luckily in terms of Jewish people we have good representation in terms of the Supreme Court. That will continue. One thing I want to assure your listeners
Nachum, my name as you know comes from a Hebrew word. It comes from the word shomer, which mean guardian. My ancestors were guardians of the ghetto wall in Chortkov and I believe Hashem, actually, gave me name as one of my roles that is very important in the
United States Senate to be a shomer to be A. a shomer for Israel and I will continue to be that with every bone in my body for of the other is against me.
This guy just admitted to supporting violations of international law and the Geneva conventions, in no uncertain terms, mind you. No wonder David Samel is doing his best to downplay the role played by such a monster in defending Israel. No dual loyalty here, right?
Imagine that.
Some people never learn.
It’s good to have this on record.
Yemach Shimcha, Schumer the Shomer.
Call up Goldstone and report Schumer.
I really don’t like much of Schumer’s liberal agenda, but his stand on Israel is great.
Why don’t Phil or Adam show some guts and run against him. You can get support from Naomi Klein, Rashid Khalidi that Rabbi who is fasting for Gaza and that bunch of left wing female “rabbi’s” who are always signing some sort of anti Israel letter or petition. You would then see how popular your cause is.
Interesting. Julian the Hateful seems to deny the legitimacy of female rabbis. How popular is THAT cause?
Greatl, Julian, let’s keep bilking and wasting the US goy treasury and bodies for Israel. What’s not to like?
Someone unfamiliar with David Samel’s opinions might read the above not realize the disagreement is strictly over the dual loyalty business, and not over whether Schumer’s opinions are despicable. Here’s a link for someone who wants to see David’s opinion firsthand–
link
Or to paraphrase David, what’s wrong with Schumer’s stance is not that he disagrees with Obama, but that he supports Israel’s war crimes.
Now speaking for myself, I do think it’s interesting that you can find so many congressmen and senators who will openly side with a foreign government against an American administration. If that ever happens with some country other than Israel I’d be genuinely curious to know when. This is loyalty to AIPAC, I suspect, though in some cases maybe it is loyalty to Israel itself. (That is, if there were through some miracle a pro-Palestinian lobby with the sort of clout AIPAC has, you’d probably find political behavior changing fast if it is AIPAC driving things, but it wouldn’t change if politicians genuinely felt loyalty to Israel rather than just dancing to AIPAC’s tune.) The closest analogy to this that I can think of is how the Miami Cubans have or had a pretty strong influence on how some politicians talked about our Cuban policy and in that case they were worried about the rightwing Cuban American voter. The results of that haven’t been good either for Cuba or the US.
Anyway, the behavior is despicable not because the representatives disagree with the US government, but because they are supporting war crimes.
Donald,
You are diluting yourself into thinking that Schumer is doing it for AIPAC, not Israel or his own Jewish identity issues. You too, seem to be struggling with that. Feel free to plead innocence and ignorance while being defensive. I’ll still read your post.
By the way, the post to which you linked, David Samel’s post, reads like an attempt to distance the dual loyalty problem from American Jews.
What’s sad is that the most you and David Samel ever stand to sacrifice in the Israeli-Palestinian case is your level of comfort as Jews in the US. That’s the very reason why you two are having such a hard time coming to grips issues as previously discussed. I can’t even begin to imagine what you two would do if your homes or land or physical safety were on the line. Imagine the cognitive dissonance you’d have to employ then.
Thanks, Donald. I can’t believe I’m getting angry at some anonymous schmuck who I will never meet, but Avi is a real piece of work. I suppose it’s always nice to experience new things, but I never thought I would ever be accused of defending Schumer’s views on Israel. He’s the mirror image of Alan Dershowitz. He has some serious problems.
Sometimes an attack is the best defense. Instead of going off the rails, why don’t you explain your stance on the dual loyalty aspect. That’s the thrust of my post, including the one that “mentioned your name” o’ sacred messiah.
And one more thing,
When I asked you to clarify your position, you ran off like a coward.
Why don’t you stick around and explain your stance, instead of behaving like wondering jew with his self-righteous indignation?
Avi, what a brilliant fellow you are. I’m not Jewish. Not even remotely. Kind of a northern European mongrel, Ozark hillbilly on one side of the family. I might have known three Jews in the first 17 years of my life. I’m actually sitting here counting them–yep, three that I knew about. Where I grew up virtually all of people’s hatreds revolved around the white/black thing–one of the things I’ve mentioned repeatedly here is how similar American Jewish support of Israel sounded to the defensive tones one would hear in Southern whites when they would defend the South or deny that the Confederacy was about slavery or put the blame on the state of race relations mostly on black radicals, Yankees and maybe the “poor white trash”. Change “black radicals” to Hamas, “Yankees” to “dissent” and “poor white trash” to “rightwing Zionist” and you’d have Richard Witty’s views.
Anyway, Avi you’re apparently one of those people who thinks that if someone disagrees with you they must have bad motives. So I’ll keep reading your posts, but I’ll know now that whatever you say about individuals you have known has to be filtered through the fact that you are self-righteous to such a degree it makes you delusional.
As for AIPAC and Israel, one would have to judge politicians on a case-by-case basis, but I doubt many of them have strong convictions on anything that couldn’t be changed by a really strong lobbying group that could destroy their career. Some might be loyal to Israel, but most are probably a lot more loyal to whatever will aid their re-election.
He is worth reading, but he’s apparently a natural heretic hunter, or in my case, someone trying to sniff out a closet Jew who is very defensive about my secret identity. (That made me smile.) At Mondoweiss, nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.
That last post was addressed to David Samel and was about Avi (obviously).
Anyway, I too will now ignore Avi’s posts if aimed at me, as I expect some will be. There’s enough timewasting crap in the comments section here as it is, but I wanted to defend myself and David. Avi can have the last word.
I’m not going to bother, neither with someone who dilutes himself into thinking that he’s being a neutral observer on the Israeli/Palestinian case or someone who keep throwing temper tantrums instead of explaining his position.
Avi, I did not see your outrageous misrepresentation of what I said until now. You are either an outright liar, unbelievably stupid, or most probably, both. As far as I’m concerned, you are not worth responding to ever again. I would appreciate it if you simply never mentioned my name again in your comments.
David,
I think you have reading comprehension issues.
You’re on the defensive over something I never said. I can break it down for you if you calmed down first.
How convenient.
I thought you said you were a lawyer. If that’s true, then I’d hate to see your reaction in court when your case is challenged.
Avi,
you drive ppl away quicker than the plague.
How is your parent’s basement treating you anyways? I bet they will only spend a couple hours a day with you.
What goes on in yonira’s mind:
“Oh no! It’s an article that puts the humanity of the Palestinians in the spotlight and shows what a corrupting influence the Zionist imperial dream is on American values and interests! MUST DISTRACT! AD HOMINEM! NOW!”
Are you sure it’s not your intellect that does that?
Yonira
You clearly missed an opportunity to show some grace and say nothing since both Avi and David are clearly NOT on your side, quite the opposite. But you chose to pick on the one who’s most vocal between the two.
I was never close to imagine that someone like you would side with the loathsome Unix but to my surprise, you did..you were happy to see this lobotomy material back to pollute this site!
Very elegant!
“They voted for Hamas” is the official administration line. The adminstration is, if possible, even more zealous in its drive to exterminate Hamas and obliterate the outcome of democracy in Palestine.
Don’t let anyone tell you the War On Terra is dead.
I hope Senator Schumer keeps his trap wide open. Nothing will build opposition among the American public to the Israel Lobby more quickly than such refreshing honesty, except for a neocon/neolib war against Iran with all its inevitable massive suffering for the American people and most of the rest of the world. Can we say ‘Global Great Depression 2′? Note that Senator Schumer is pushing that, too.
We need a two-state solution for America and Israel. If he wants to be an Israeli legislator, Senator Schumer can make aliyah and run for the Knesset. I’m sure Likud or Yisrael Beiteinu would welcome a legislator of his caliber.
Americans have every right to expect American Senators to serve American interests. False accusations that this notion constitutes antisemitism should be met with the derisive contempt that they deserve.
Gee, last I heard from the USA MSM there’s no difference between Israeli intererests and USA interests.
Only in Congress, who are paid off to say so.
Every one maybe offended by the pro-Israeli stand of Senator Schumer…Yet what is admirable in him is his blunt frankness and honesty about his position…To the Americans this honesty is very important. Being a senator and politician he must have known and have good grasp of widespread sentiment of the Americans electorate…this is one sure advantage he has over us merely audience to American politics. Being an American Senator he must be an astute politician…One thing we should notice is his oozing confidence of showing his pro-Israel position, this must be a reflection of a widespread pro-Israel stance of the American public…Is anyone here better than him in his own political game?
What is ironically in this debate is this perpetual irreconcilable clash between idealist liberals and realist conservatives… and the trouble is reality is always in favor of the realists…
Yeah, zamaaz, Schmuer always represents the population of “fly-over” US land. They’re all begging for him to become their next-door neighbor.
Now, about those Madoff dupes…
how soon until shomer Schumer has his Milikovsky moment?
(recall that Bibi declared that he had a 2800 yr old ring with his name on it. Problem: when Bibi’s papa left Lithuania his name was Milikovsky.
The NEXT problem is, is Milikovsky a Semitic name or a Lithuanian name? If you say evil things about Bibi is it antisemitic or anti-European? If its anti-European, will you be offending the EU? Where did Milikovsky come from, Khazar or the Levant?
How about Schumer — what’s his Milikovsky?
Pingback: Tweets that mention Israel’s ‘guardian,’ Sen. Schumer says Gazans are suffering but they deserve it -- Topsy.com
Ah, Chuck Schumer, it will taste most bitter when he has to capitulate.
I’ve always like Chuck, he’s so darn entertaining on C-SPAN all these years and seems to have a sense of humor and some of his policies are good – he’s a strong progressive voice on many issues and although oleaginous he’s quite charming.
On the subject of israel – he’s basically an operative for them and he’s going to have his wings clipped on that issue – by the public who now is strongly inclined to ferret out israel-firsters from those who represent America.
The tide is shifting and when it reaches crescendo, even our darling Chuck Schumer will float his boat in the new current because he loves power.
Schumer (Guardian) translated: “When Palestinians exercise their right to democracy, they must pay the consequences.”
Or, carried to the hysterical extreme of the Israel-uber-Alles brigade (which includes Guardian): If Palestinians don’t bow down before Israel, they can all be killed.
The question I have again and again is (to echo Norman Finkelstein): How far can Israel go before it goes to far? I suspect it can go much much further than Operation Cast Lead before any American government will do anything to oppose it.
What do the Israelis have to pay for electing Avigdor Lieberman and Eli Yishai?
Senator Schumer is correct. Governance is a matter of choice of people, the Palestinians chose a government that professed and demonstrated aggression against the Israeli government what ever is the consequence, they have the responsibility to accept it…
And as I wrote before, , in an insane war of attrition such as this in Palestine, people are always hurt…and anybody can get hurt whether they are media men, intellectuals, liberals, scientist, Jews, Palestinians, Rabbi, Imam, IDF, Hamas, children, women, aged, human rightist, humanist, zionists, arabs, europeans, peaceniks, cause-oriented…whosoever that crosses the line between, prudence and stupidity…
Ah, zamaaz, you don’t mean war; you mean the Israeli turkey shoot. How many Merkhava tanks do the Pals have? How many F-16s? How many Apache helicopters? Did the Pals just get a gift of three new and very expensive giant assault-hi-tek-cargo planes from the US? Funny, I didn’t hear about that. I did hear that Obama & US congress are rubber-stamping the next 3 billion dollar gift to Israel. You call that a war?
I’d call it a murder conspiracy in plain view.
I think the question needs to be asked. If Schumer were to vote against Israeli policy, would Zionists accuse him of having a dual loyalty?
No, Keith, because everybody knows that the US and Israel have the same interests because they have the same values. US MSM & congress tell the masses this everyday, even while they are trying to figure out where to get a job, how to pay their mortgage, their credit card bills, etc.
“…there is some economic growth in the West Bank. It’s growing at 7-8%, Netanyahu brags that — when he came here I spent a lot of time with him – That there are multiplex theatres in places like Ramallah and Janeen.”
That is easy to do after people have been reduced to sub-zero economic growth by destruction inherent in Israeli policies for forty years. If there is a Israeli hoop that is missed by the Palestinian collaborators in office, it will start all over again – and than 10 years later the prime minister at that time can start bragging all over again about the “growth.”
Schumer should listen to Zvi Bar-el instead of BYahoo. link to haaretz.com
Schumer and his confederates in the Zionist bloc are working against US interests. And their treasons aren’t doing Israel any good, either.
Schumer has Obama’s ear and brags of spending lots of time with Netanyahu.
Who would want to spend lots of time with Netanyahu? He’s as slippery as a smirking snake. I’d rather spend time with Ahmedinajad.
And that says a lot about Yahoo.
Very interesting piece. What good does this relationship with Israel do for the people of New York? Schumer’s, and Lieberman’s allegiances I think are not in order. Check out this piece of Lieberman, would love to hear your reactions.
Schumer often forgets who he represents, since he’s been there so long. And, with the media sanitizing Israel’s image, who’s to care?
“You are either an outright liar, unbelievably stupid, or most probably, both. As far as I’m concerned, you are not worth responding to ever again.”
I know you won’t appreciate this support but all I have to say is right on, David Samel! Avi is part of the crib set here. He suffers from echolalia. You know, just repeats crap he heard. I read his posts and scratch my head. He is like one of those clever little twerps who likes to challenge his teachers. He has discovered anti-zionism and thinks he is a brilliant mind. I guess he is bored and wants to pick a fight with you guys. What a baby! Good for you for not indulge him in a “debate”.
Are all Zionist Jews really disgustingly maladjusted, socially regressive, sociopathic vicious back biters? Seriously, I haven’t yet met a self-described Zionist who didn’t act like a schoolyard bully out for lunch money.
Have you ever met a Zionist in real life Chaos? not in a chat room or in some virtual world?
Did your insurance cover the surgical removal of your conscience as well as your manners, yonira? Or was it cheaper to just have the entirety of your brain removed? It’s not as if you were using it.
great answer
Seriously, yonira, I can trump you almost as fast with the insults as I can when I’m confronting your half-assed shoddy arguments. Are you good at anything?
I think Wondering Jew is an exception to the rule Chaos, if indeed I’m not being to presumtious in describing WJ as a Zionist.
Possibly, but I still have a healthy cynicism on the extent of his capacity to play fair when it comes to Palestinian rights and justice.
Are all Zionist Jews really disgustingly maladjusted, socially regressive, sociopathic vicious back biters?
————-
Sadly yes, Chaos..You should have seen them, as I have on campuses, operating in packs like hyenas.. It’s not something one would wish for his children but that’s what they, as it seems, have RAISED to do..Depravity incarnated.
have RAISED to do
——–
correction
have been RAISED to do.
Oh believe me, I’ve seen that myself, too.
You must be from UCI.
link to youtube.com
That’s not hate, yonira. This is hate.
link to youtube.com
“really disgustingly maladjusted, socially regressive, sociopathic vicious back biters?”
Pot.Kettle.Black
Constructive commentary there, rachel. 100% personal insults of other posters.
You’re a real asset to the discussion here.
Credit to her this time though, she didn’t resort to the usual sexual innuendos. A slight improvement for which she should be praised!
“You’re a real asset to the discussion here. ”
Merci. I tend to think that too.
So you’re delusional as well as dull on the finer points of irony? You should really see the doctor about that, ahem, “early onset” dementia.
Dear Chaotic homo sapiens,
Hello? I was being IRONIC!!!!
Do you have receptive language problems? It is a well known fact that learning disabled kids don’t do humour very well.
Hold your devastating comeback for a few minures. I have to take my early dementia meds, it is the only I can cope with your
incredible intellect.
Ciao!
…and now its the epithets against the handicapped.
You Zionists are real menschen, aren’t you
this might interested u chaos
link to ynetnews.com
What makes you think my being homosexual defines my entire existence the way you let your inflated sense of “Jewishness” define yours? We’re not all that shallow, yonira.
Also, being tied to both activism and LGBT, I’m distinctly aware of Zionist assaults on social justice groups that advocate for both an end to Israeli militarism and discrimination in the US against gays. Nice try on the red herring.
and this
link to news.bbc.co.uk
Because gays don’t face similar threats from extremist Jews in Israel, huh?
to equate the two societies treatment towards gays is utter nonsense. but i am used to it by now ;)
Yes, let’s not send homosexuals to Gaza where they might be killed by homophones….or by Israeli F-16s.
death by homophone, a tragic ending, to a life of such promise.
Why don’t you talk about Schumer and his inhuman regard for the lives of Palestinians instead of making this conversation about me? I’m not all that interested in talking about myself, and I’m fairly certain no one else on the blog could give two shits about me.
More truth than fiction here:
“I told the President, I told Rahm Emanuel and others in the administration that I thought the policy they took to try to bring about negotiations is counterproductive, because when you give the Palestinians hope that the United States will do its negotiating for them, they are not going to sit down and talk.
“Palestinians don’t really believe in a state of Israel. They, unlike a majority of Israelis, who have come to the conclusion that they can live with a two-state solution to be determined by the parties, the majority of Palestinians are still very reluctant, and they need to be pushed to get there.”
Yes we all read the article, yonira. You’re contributing nothing new to this discussion. Was it a bad idea for me to put your critical thinking skills on the spot? Gee, sorry to highlight your most glaring deficiency there.
More truth than fiction here:
Where is the truth and where is the fiction?
Why not make an actual argument instead of posting a wall of text?
Instead of making any significant or substantial argument you do nothing more than cheer lead the other Zionists here, most importantly the lobotomized UNIX.
You’re just a tool yonira.
Schumer is preaching Jabotinsky’s Iron Wall doctrine:
In a videod conference last December, Lustick expanded on the explanation of Iron Wall, explaining that, “you have to beat into the Arabs’ heads ….. use force as a pedagogy…. until they give up hope….” link to edmaysproductions.net
Schumer: “it’s counterproductive … when you give the Palestinians hope”
these are the people with whom Americans share values?
heckuva tactic, tho: “you have to let me stay here in my home in East Jerusalem BECAUSE I’M GAY, and if you destroy my home and send me to Gaza, I will be harmed.”
And the War on Muslims continues. (Middle Eastern Christians and other such groups being mere “collateral damage.”)
The Israeli occupation of Washington DC continues, as well, apparently.
It’s their own fault they’re not Jews.
What Schumer is defending, for those who have forgotten or never bothered to see in the first place. “Never forget,” after all.
Yeah, never forget where your campaign contributions come from. AIPAC or
Goldman Sachs, you need to keep the dough coming in from the big reliables.