Readers ask why I focus on the American Jewish community. Because I think it holds the key.
Phoebe Greenwood in the Guardian on Europe’s mixed message to Israel:
The EU will offer Israel upgraded trade and diplomatic relations in more than 60 areas at a high-level meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, just weeks after European foreign ministers warned that Israeli policies in the West Bank “threaten to make a two-state solution impossible”….
One senior EU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that despite private complaints of the inconsistency of chastising Israel with one hand while rewarding it with the other, not one minister was prepared to oppose Tuesday’s agreement.
“I was struck by the fact that a whole range of relations was offered to Israel – at the request of Israel – as if nothing is happening on the ground,” the diplomat said. “Most ministers are too afraid to speak out in case they are singled out as being too critical towards Israel, because, in the end, relations with Israel are on the one hand relations with the Jewish community at large and on the other hand with Washington – nobody wants to have fuss with Washington. So [ministers] are fine with making political statements but they refrain from taking concrete action.”
This piece serves my contention that the Israel lobby is central to the dysfunction, and that my own work involves issues of community self-interest: persuading western Jews that Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East is undermining our safety, not enhancing it. And hurting lots of other folks too.
Greenwood found one annonymous source whose opinion fits the Guardian’s party line, and we’re to believe it outwieghs the commercial interests of the EU decision makers. If they were merely trying to suck up to the Jews, they could have offered upgrades in 2 fileds, or 6: but why 60?
Sorry Phil. The Europeans are upgrading their commercial relations with Israel at a time of acute European crises because trading with Israel is good business. That’s the way the world works.
Yes, it works by intimidation, blackmail, bullying and incessant whining – all israeli specialities. The EU doesn’t need israel’s trade, it is pretty small, they are merely giving in to the usual tactics, and caving in. They ignore their own reports on the apartheid in israel, and the way that israel destroy’s EU projects and taxpayer-funded regeneration in Palestine. If they asked the EU citizens what to do, they would receive a robust response, as reported in the surveys putting Israel amongst the most dangerous rogue states in the world.
it works by intimidation, blackmail, bullying and incessant whining …
and has done for over 100 years
link to digicoll.library.wisc.edu
Page 628
The minister in Iraq (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
Baghdad November 1 1944
“They (the Iraqi government) find it difficult to reconcile themselves to the belief that the the US merely for the sake of internal political experiency is favoring a course in Palestine which in their opinion not only would be unjust but would undoubtedly lead to bloodshed and misery for all concerned. They can perceive no reason for the recent pronouncements and promises of American government and political leaders who should have a complete understanding of the Palestine situation other than a desire to obtain the support of the american Zionists. They are asking whether it is possible that American foreign policy in the future is to be shaped in such a manner as to meet the demands of private pressure groups possessed of ample funds and exercising control over American channels of information. ”
Replace Palestine with Iran and nothing has changed. The game is just much bigger now and the crash will be far, far worse.
“The Foreign secretary’s hatred of the Jews was not hidden. it was only too apparent in New York. It gave colour to the view that Ernest Bevin wanted Jews crushed”
It was a technique which the Zionists were to employ throughout their struggle. The technique of promoting damaging personal attacks on those who stood in their way rather than trying to counter their arguments.”
“Such non conformists were subtly made aware that their jobs might be at risk, their books unpublishable, their preferment out of the question, their public reputations vulnerable if they did not renounce the heresy of anti Zionism ”
Publish it not, Mayhew and Adams, 1975
From The Clinton Tapes: Wrestling History with the President, a record of conversations with then-President Bill Clinton, by Taylor Branch.
Chapter 30, “Buddy and Socks”
Wednesday, January 14, 1998:
In his discourse on the Middle East, [Clinton] was nettled from the beginning. Late last year, Prime Minister Netanyahu went on American television to complain that Clinton had “humiliated” the State of Israel by declining to meet when both their airplanes were delayed conveniently on runways at the Los Angeles airport….Clinton balked at another state meeting whose sole purpose was to stall, Netanyahu, having committed to taking concrete steps forward, planned to filibuster yet again with reasons why Israel must wait instead- this time for five months…
Clinton’s temper rose in anticipation of separate audiences next week with Netanyahu and Arafat… Now Netanyahu blocked further withdrawals [from the West Bank]… Bibi would retain full control in more than half the West Bank—60 percent—including a network of roads connecting the Israeli settlements. Clinton said no two-state deal could advance on terms so stingy… The iron logic of occupation [in Gaza] demanded a servile psychology, but it also drove popular support from Arafat toward Hamas…
He said he understood why President Bush and Secretary of State Baker once announced cuts in Israel’s security allotmen That extremity, however, produced spasms of fear and retrenchment in Israel. It made sense only in a package to impose a Middle East settlement from the outside… Leaving Israel’s military assistance intact, the president contemplated his ultimate sanction: public withdrawal from the talks. He said it was not in the interest of the United States to dignify phony negotiations. He refused to sponsor a sham.
I asked whether he would say so to Netanyahu at the White House next week. “That’s what we’re arguing about,” he replied. Short of this, I asked, could he suspend further U.S. contact until Netanyahu delivered smaller steps like the business permits for Gaza?… [S]uch conditions would be a rebuke to Israel for dragging its feet on measures not essential to security. Clinton said his neutrality would be hard to recover…
Chapter 31, “Lewinsky”
Wednesday, January 21, 1998
Stricken, [my wife by telephone] told me to bring in our early Washington Post and turn on the television. Nonstop news revealed the president’s alleged affair with a twenty-four-year-old former White House intern named Monica Lewinsky.
so whats the implication? That somehow ‘zionists’ ,to further Israels position , broke the Lewisnsky story? Nothing could be further from the truth. How that story was brought to the press is well documented and has nothing to do with Israel.
The editors of Newsweek and the Washington Post who broke the Lewinsky story had already sat on it for a few days and could have continued to sit on it, as they had sat on many sex stories about politicians through the years. Those co-owned publications had and have a long history of being extremely pro-Israel in their reporting.
And your evidence for this, Justice, is…?
You may be right that many Europeans dislike Israel. When it comes to buying stuff, however, they seem to have no problems with buying it from Israel when the quality and price are good. Selling stuff to Israel, even more so. Investing in Israel, by all means, since the returns are good. Investing in research in Israel? They’re stumbling over each other in the rush to get a piece of the action.
In all of my interaction with Europeans and Israelis in Europe, which have been going on for deaceds and at times have been quite intensive, I”ve seen animosity directed at the Israelis only extremely rarely. The opposite, however, I’ve seen all the time. That anecdotal subjective evidence of mine explains the objective facts of growing trade much better than theories about how Israel’s trade exists mostly because of AIPAC, as Phil seems to think.
The latest EU climbdown is AIPAC driven. A US quid pro quo for help with the euro meltdown. But when TSHTF it will be like that Cairo embassy sacking for Israel. All those calls to the field Marshall went unanswered.
I wonder what Israel can offer to EU in terms of trade other that false information reagrding Islamic threats to EU,creative ways to interrogate those muslims,channeling more resources to manipulate public opinion throgh media ,pressure through US to alter the foreign policy acciording to Israeli need.
Did not Israel force poor countries like Spain,Greece,Italy not to buy Iranain oil against their national interest?
Train,
It’s hard to know what to make of a statement such as yours. It blatantly lacks any roots in reality – but even as fantasy it’s not very convincing: good fantasy starts with a premise which is at least vaguely plausible and then does interesting things with it.
Here’s a site with lots of hard data. I recommend you spend some time on it.
link to bankisrael.gov.il
Also, Train, you might be interested in the booming commercial ties between Israel and China. Here’s a report from today
link to israelandstuff.com
“For Israel, China represents the hoped-for promise of a more secure future. China is the world’s fastest-growing major economy, but it is much more”.
FFS. Not happy with 28 standing ovations in Congress, Israel sets its sights on China. Like China is going to develop an AIPAC. Like the bots are going to control the Politburo. Dream on, Winnica.
China is headed for a hard landing too.
Winnica
Spy Trade: How Israel’s Lobby Undermines America’s Economy [Paperback]
Grant F Smith
Grant F Smith (Author)
(Author), Michael Scheuer (Foreword)
This will help you in understanding the slow stealth illegal polluting practices of israel from 1950s that made t this Israel miracle possible at the expenses of poor American.
“Sorry Phil. The Europeans are upgrading their commercial relations with Israel at a time of acute European crises because trading with Israel is good business. That’s the way the world works.”
That would explain why the struggle to put sanctions in place against South Africa was ultimately unsuccessful.
Hardly Winnica. A market of 6 million people is hardly good business. The western world traded with apartheid South Africa, with 40 million plus people, up until the boycott and divestment not because it was good business, in fact it accounted for less than 1% of the foreign companies profits, so I imagine Israel would be even less.
Another backroom deal backed up by threats to scream blue murder over antisemitism if they don’t get their way, carried out in secret with an elite out of touch with the interests of their constituents. Same as the Balfour declaration, the 1948 UN call, the post 67 181 resolution, the aftermath of Lebanon 82, Lebanon 96, Lebanon 06 , last year’s UN fiasco over Palestinian statehood etc etc ad nauseum. Everything looks great from the elite perspective but Israel is losing the goys on the ground and that is what will count in the end. Someone inside will spill the beans and suddenly the fear will be gone and the bots will be exposed for the shameless thugs they are.
“Israel is losing the goys on the ground”
a funny phrase
Carolwhat, you mean the cattle are straying somehow beyond AIPAC’s electrical fence? A few are running from oh so hot Brand Israel?
“my own work involves issues of community self-interest.”
Phil says, “Do the right thing, or they’ll be coming after you with pitchforks.”
But there are other reasons for doing the right thing.
“Do unto others what you would have them do unto you,” and “Don’t do unto others what they might do back at you” are two very different messages.
“Do unto others what you would have them do unto you,” and “Don’t do unto others what they might do back at you” are two very different messages.
I agree. This should be the main reason.
Hey, what about the classical “Don’t do to others what you don’t want done to you”? The classical version of the Golden Rule, Christian is proactive, the classical Jewish version is defensive. Why do you think that is?
Typical.
I can’t wait for the great ISR’merica big boom.
Faster please.
/This piece serves my contention that the Israel lobby is central to the dysfunction, and that my own work involves issues of community self-interest: persuading western Jews that Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East is undermining our safety, not enhancing it./
Wonderful
“Wonderful”
I knew you would come around, OlegR! Glad to have you on board!
OlegR, as an American and taxpayer, I’m glad you see the moral and ethical value of not maintaining Israel’s hegemony in the middle east. It’s about time the US pursues its own best interest in the ME, especially as it’s also in the best interest of the world.
/This piece serves my contention that the Israel lobby is central to the dysfunction, and that my own work involves issues of community self-interest: persuading western Jews that Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East is undermining our safety, not enhancing it./
Exactly right.
Kris, I too agree with Phil on this, but as a simple American, I look more at how subject dysfunction (AIPAC) is undermining the safety of America as a whole, as well as the World.
Susan Abulhawa does an excellent job in exposing the Zionist lies on RT CrossTalk:
Israel: What occupation?
link to rt.com
Itamar Marcus is a buddy of my favourite settler.
they are insane, suffering advanced land fetishism.
Let’s see how long the narrative works.
And in the end, we will all pay the price. Our generation, and the next … and the next, as I believe someone like M. J. Rosenberg understands when he suggested in one of his tweets that he was worried about his descendants.
link to bit.ly
“M. J. Rosenberg understands when he suggested in one of his tweets that he was worried about his descendants.”
Oh don’t worry about ol’ MJ. I’m sure his descendants will manage to get their sons brissed. And what else could be so important, or strikes such a significant blow at anti-Semitism and Islamophobia?
RE: “EU upgrades Israel because ‘nobody wants fuss’ with Jewish community or Washington” ~ Weiss
MY COMMENT: This helps to illustrate why I fear that Revisionist Zionism and Likudnik Israel (specifically by virtue of their inordinate sway over the U.S.) might very well be an “existential threat” to the values of The Enlightenment ! ! !
• ALSO SEE: ‘Israelis are helping write US laws, fund US campaigns, craft US war policy’, by Philip Weiss, Mondoweiss, 6/30/12
LINK – link to mondoweiss.net
• AND SEE: “America Adopts the Israel Paradigm”, by Philip Ghiraldi, Antiwar.com, 7/05/12
LINK – link to original.antiwar.com
• AND SEE: “Report: Israeli model underlies militarization of U.S. police”, By Muriel Kane, Raw Story, 12/04/11
LINK – link to rawstory.com
P.S. A VAGUELY RELATED DOCUMENTARY: Strand: Under the Dark Cloth, 1989 NR 1hr 20m
Two types of art — photography and film — converge in this documentary that provides a fascinating picture of the life of famed photographer Paul Strand. Directed by John Walker, Strand: Under the Dark Cloth takes an in-depth look at Strand’s his work, his relationships with his family and contemporaries and his isolated way of creating his art.
• Netfix DVD – link to dvd.netflix.com
• Netflix streaming – link to movies.netflix.com
• ALSO ON YouTube IN 6 PARTS - link to youtube.com…36305.36305.0.37483.1.1.0.0.0.0.63.63.1.1.0…0.0…1ac.T-AvA-Di3cs
P.P.S. AN EVEN MORE VAGUELY RELATED FILM:
Behind the Sun (Abril Despedaçado) 2001, PG-13, 92 minutes
Director Walter Salles creates a modern, epic meditation on war and peace in a story set in Brazil and inspired by Broken April, a novel by Ismaïl Kadaré about a long-standing blood feud between two rival clans. When his brother is killed, a reluctant hero decides revenge is the only answer. But he’s also aware that the bloodshed will not end if he pursues violence. José Dumont, Rodrigo Santoro and Rita Assemany star.
Language: Portuguese (English subtitles)
• Netflix DVD – link to dvd.netflix.com?
• Netflix streaming – link to movies.netflix.com
• Internet Movie Database – link to imdb.com
• Abril Despedaçado. Official trailer (VIDEO, 02:55) – link to youtube.com
• ALSO ON YouTube IN 10 PARTS - link to youtube.com…290937.293944.0.301392.3.3.0.0.0.0.64.162.3.3.0…0.0…1ac._N3U2hBf-ws
P.P.P.S. AND HERE’S ANOTHER THREAT TO THE VALUES OF “THE ENLIGHTENMENT”:
“US Religious Right Propelling Homophobia in African Countries”, by Common Dreams, 7/24/12
LINK – link to commondreams.org
I think that this is all leading to Israel joining NATO and the West walking away from the United Nations.
In the future, we can expect many more denounciations of the United Nations and about how inept and old-fashioned the institution is.
Calm
calm, Israel already gets treated like a NATO member in many ways, unlike any other state not an official member of NATO. I bet if Turkey, a NATO member, got into a war with Israel, the USA would attack Turkey.
Obama has restored Israel’s qualitative military edge with record levels of aid and the deepest security cooperation in the history of our alliance. He has repeatedly defended Israel at the UN, vetoing anti-Israel resolutions, denouncing the Goldstone Report, and boycotting the anti-Semitic Durban conference. He has said that Israel cannot be expected to negotiate with any entity dedicated to its destruction and that Israel must be able to defend itself, by itself, from any threat.
Unlike Obama, Mitt’s making a bee line to Israel, to line up more Israel Firsters in USA behind Sheldon Adelson’s POV in the form of big donations. Mitt has vowed he would do everything the opposite of what Obama is doing in behalf Israel.
Think about that:
To combat the rise of a nuclear Iran, Obama has imposed the most crippling sanctions regime in history – and the sanctions are biting. He has secretly sold bunker-busting bombs to Israel to ensure it had the tools necessary to defend against the Iranian threat. He has offered to give Israel two squadrons of very expensive US-EU F-35s which even the USAF doesn’t yet have effectively–merely for Israel to suspend settlements for a month–Israel refused! He has stated that America will take no options off the table to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran, and yet he has spurned a “containment” policy re Iran. So what is Mitt saying? His election would ring the bell for US attack on Iran? What else could it be? Does anyone think Mitt means he will follow Bush Sr and Reagan, who both actually took a few carrots away from Israel when it was it’s usual stubborn, selfish self?
considering the facist mullah-regime in Iran considers the US its biggest enemy perhaps one (with any perspective other then ‘anti-zionist’, that is) might consider that what Obama did with sanctions and Iran was not only at Israels behest. There are others in the region who are equally disturbed at the prospect of a nuclear armed Iran.
Hi! Citizen
I follow this issue rather closely …. here is additional info.
Military Build-up in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf: Israel and NATO sign Framework Agreement
By Michel Chossudovsky
October 23, 2006
link to globalresearch.ca
A NATO for the Middle East?
Israel and Frontline Arab States Join Hands
By Mahdi Darius Nazemroaya
October 14, 2009
link to globalresearch.ca
Israel: Global NATO’s 29th Member
By Rick Rozoff
January 17, 2010
link to rickrozoff.wordpress.com
Israel moves closer to hook-up with NATO
January 26, 2010
link to upi.com
When Israel joins NATO
If Israel succeeds in joining NATO, its regional belligerency would be backed by the collective strength of the entire alliance. Before that happens, will the Arabs react?
By Galal Nassar
February 04, 2010
link to weekly.ahram.org.eg
Robert Fisk: Israel has crept into the EU without anyone noticing
By Robert Fisk
July 31, 2010
link to independent.co.uk
If they wanted to join NATO, they would have long ago. Turkey has been a member since 1952, when it was admitted along with Greece.
Being part of NATO would mean having mutual obligations.
Joining NATO would require Israel to sign and adhere to the North Atlantic Treaty. CIA veteran Ray McGovern has said that Israel refused a mutual defense treaty with the U.S. when LBJ offered it because such a treaty would have required Israel to define its boundaries. (Any such treaty would have to make clear exactly what it is that the treaty partners are agreeing to defend.) The North Atlantic Treaty is a treaty of mutual defense.
calm, Suresh, it seems pretty clear that Israel is the one deciding not to be an official member of EU or NATO at this time: link to timesofisrael.com
I imagine there are reasons for this beyond not having declared borders, and wishing to remain totally independent from such organizations. Certainly it wishes to be able to play off Russia, China, India, maybe even Japan, against US & West; it’s a mark of Zionism as implemented that it ingratiates itself, partners with whomever it decides will help Israel the most at any give time. It has no higher value, and, as it says, it’s the only Jewish state–every other state in the world is an Other.
Also, although China has no population that has been anti-Semitic, at least as Israel and many diaspora Jews see the West–because there is no Jewish history in China to speak of, it’s also true that China has no “white Gentile guilt,” and that China is not a democracy, which means if the top clique decides it wants to cut ties with Israel, there is no AIPAC, no “Chinese” 5th column supporting Israel right or wrong to suppress such cuts.
Citizen, Israel is working on building a lobby in China and it is growing in strength. Israel’s lobbies in India and Russia are quite powerful. The power of Israel’s lobby in Turkey is often underestimated as well.
Good and good. The U[seless]N[othing] is nothing but a shill for the waning tinpot dictators and brutal regimes. Don’t forget: Israel is the only developed nation that never sat on the UNHRC but Syria just had its stint a short while ago (as did Lybia, Cuba and worse)
You seem not to have noticed how authoritarian and brutal the U.S. and its allies have become in recent years. And in that development Israel has led the way.
lysias, I think he’s talking about the fact that the US has an on-going de facto pact with Saudi Arabia’s regime and the Arab Gulf states’ regimes that have as much interest in containing Iran as Israel, and therefore the US, has. The average Arab on the streets of the ME looks to Iran, even though it is Persian, as the only state in the ME that is not a lackey of US/Israel–hence the importance of the flagging Syrian regime, the only steadfast ally of Iran.
citizen, you have no idea how much anti Persian and anti Iranian sentiment exists among Arabs.
anan, I’m sure you know more about that than I, so tell me too, is there more anti-Persian/Iranian sentiment existing in the ME’s Arab Street than (1) anti-Israel sentiment, and (2) anti-American sentiment?
UN is a good organization. Security council, general assembly etc are just front window and are easily destroyed. Mean while behind of those happens and a lot. What difference would that do if Israel would be in UNHRC ? Israel gives a hoot to whole UN anyway / resolutions.
DaBakr says:
July 25, 2012 at 10:21 am
UN was much more corrupt when it listened to the Israeli lies through US in 1947 and 1948, when it’s member states succumbed to economic threats made explicit by US and when it suffered even the physical violence in the hands of US under the direction of israeli firster preventing casting of vote by the memeber state.
In 1947 and 1948 Israel was backed by the USSR, East Germany, Eastern Block, Tito’s Yugoslavia and Turkey.
EU rolled over and barks.
PW “This piece serves my contention that the Israel lobby is central to the dysfunction, and that my own work involves issues of community self-interest: persuading western Jews that Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East is undermining our safety, not enhancing it. And hurting lots of other folks too.”
“community self interest” “our safety” Who is “our?” Just the Jewish community? Israel?
Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern, Kathleen and Bill Christison, Flynt Leverett, Micheal Scheuer, Dr. Zbig, etc have all been saying for years that Israel’s persistent and ruthless actions against the Palestinians have been undermining U.S. national security for decades. Hell they even mentioned this in the 9/11 commission report
“I was struck by the fact that a whole range of relations was offered to Israel – at the request of Israel – as if nothing is happening on the ground,” the diplomat said. “Most ministers are too afraid to speak out in case they are singled out as being too critical towards Israel, because, in the end, relations with Israel are on the one hand relations with the Jewish community at large and on the other hand with Washington – nobody wants to have fuss with Washington. So [ministers] are fine with making political statements but they refrain from taking concrete action.”
over and over again