Here is evidence of the degree to which Zionism has captured American Jewish life. The Washington Post reports that Congresspeople Shelly Berkley and Eliot Engel are trying to block arms sales to Turkey because it is making trouble for Israel. Berkley and Engel are both Zionists (Engel goes to AIPAC and speaks about Jews’ rights to the West Bank.)
Peace Now reports on the effort and points out that 7 “senior House members” opposing Turkey are Jewish. Many of these Congresspeople are liberals:
On 11/2/11 Rep. Engel (D-NY) and 6 other senior Jewish House members – Berman, D-CA), Lowey (D-NY), Berkley (D-NV), Sherman (D-CA), Israel (D-NY), and Schiff (D-CA) – sent a letter to President Obama blasting Turkey for a laundry list of sins (expelling the Israeli ambassador, not expelling the Syrian ambassador, behavior related to Cyprus, refusing to apologize for the Armenian genocide, and unspecified other actions) and stating that “the United States needs to undertake an urgent review of our relations with Turkey and our overall strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean.” The letter concludes somewhat threateningly: “It is our hope that an intensified and frank dialogue with Turkey can convince Ankara to deescalate some of its rhetoric and roll-back its increasingly destabilizing policies. However, if that cannot be achieved, we look forward to working with your Administration to review the changed environment and develop an approach which better suits the situation.”
Phil, there’s two parts to this piece as I see it. One of it is to point out Jewish influence and penetration(dare we say domination?) of the American elite establishment. The other is really a byproduct to show the first, and that is to somehow paint this as unnecessary for American interests but that this bill is being pushed anyway because A) Jews have an interest in it and B) Most Jews (at least in the political establishment) are Zionists.
The sociological analysis of the American elite is correct, although you often get attacked as a ‘self-hating Jew’ and all the other gibberish. But I disagree with the byproduct, or the prelude(if you will).
Turkey is turning shiftly away from democracy; indeed, Erdogan has himself stated that ‘democracy is a taxi that you ride until you go off at your stop’.
The secularisation that was for long in place has been peeled back inch by inch, his delusional rants about Israel is almost an obsession now by their frequency. He has even threatned to use warships against Israel.
I am under no illusions about the dark side of Israel, the occupation, and the threat an Israel might pose if it was pushed into a corner, feeling an existential panic, and lashing out of pure, raw emotion and fear.
But Turkey as an ally is quickly becomming old news. Turkey is still a vital link to the wider Arab world, but the way we are giving them top of class armory for a regime which is ever-closer closing down on press freedom and increasing islamisation is questionable to say the least.
I happen to be friends with a liberal turkish intellectual who follows the country closely(he still has many friends there and visits the place often). He is dismayed. He is constantly telling me stories of journalists being pressured, even disappearing at times.
This is not a liberal country and it’s turning it’s face away from modernity at a brisk clip. If Jewish Americans see this, even if it is in part out of concern for Israel, then frankly they do us all a favour. And although it is true that Israel’s and America’s interests do not always intersect; they are still likely to do so more often as both are much more similar than an increasingly anti-democratic, islamist and repressing regime that is Turkey of today.
This is madness.
Israel kills 9 Turkish nationals and an American in International waters. Turkey takes diplomatic measures in protest.
And we are supposed to be mad at Turkey for this? This is nuts.
Always hilarious when American pro-zionist politicians start ragging on some other regime’s “destabilizing policies.” Hey, destabilizing the Middle East is our job!
Ergo: live in Vegas. No one will threaten you.