Would this ever be in the New York Times? Chemi Shalev in Haaretz on the Jerusalem moment at the Democratic National Convention:
But beyond the question of the forthcoming elections, there is the need to evaluate the long-term damage caused to Israel from Israel’s positioning in the election campaign and the unacceptable volume which it occupies therein. That volume of attention has been steadily increasing since the beginning of the Republican primaries in January, as if it were equivalent to double the importance of China plus India and Russia, or perhaps California and New York rolled into one.
It is difficult to tell just what do Americans themselves think when they see their candidates swear allegiance to Israel as if it were part and parcel of the national anthem and flag. What do they think of the situation where every single deviation from blind support for the Israeli government’s positions is considered heresy and treason? It may be a reasonable position for impassioned Christians and loyal Jews. But most Americans are neither, and in their inner hearts they may just wonder about that distant country’s source of power, that can cast such a giant pall on US politics and which could also drag their country into a war which they do not want to fight.
Oh they get to talk about it in Canada too. Tony Burman in the Star. Commenting on the Canadian government’s expulsion of Iranian embassy officials:
Although his swearing-in at Rideau Hall must have happened in the dead of night, Canada appears to have a new foreign minister. His name is Benjamin Netanyahu. His day job may be prime minister of Israel, but Canada’s abrupt actions against Iran seem to confirm that the Harper government’s outsourcing of Canada’s Middle East policy to Jerusalem is now complete.
Because of its neutrality, Canada was the most respected country on the international scene for decades. Too much religion makes people do strange things like this shutting out the Iranians that’s being done by Canada’s politicians.
This piece is hilarious. Name a single war which the US as fought shoulder to shoulder with Israel in? Its been the US and Europe for their own interests that have helped Muslims in: Somalia, Balkans, Kuwait/Gulf War One, Iraq and Afghanistan. Israel goes it alone and took out the Iraqi nuclear facility in Oserik, a facility that European countries gave ‘yellow cake.’
Have you forgotten the US arms the worlds worst regimes and enemies of Israel: Saudi Arabia a record $60 billion, arms and trains Fatah security forces and the dictator of Egypt as will as giving the Islamist government billions?
It would be wonderful if Americans, Europeans kept their noses out of the Middle East – enough damage has been done!
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704621204575488361149625050.html
http://www.wnd.com/2006/11/38649/
I wish your link would lead me to that quote, it somehow doesn’t. Maybe that has to do with the login process one needs lately?
Especially the second paragraph is interesting. But has it gone, 0r is it in a different article? Search does not help either. :(
It is difficult to tell just what do Americans themselves think when they see their candidates swear allegiance to Israel as if it were part and parcel of the national anthem and flag.
They think our politicians have surrounded themselves with so many people whose primary loyalty is to Israel that they have come to believe that all Americans feel the same way. In fact blue collar Americans in Ohio and western Pennsylvania sit in coffee shops and listen to government officials and members of congress swear eternal fealty to Israel and wonder what happened to them that they all switched sides on us.
I can’t find that part in the article either….reckon it was removed for some reason?
I really don’t know though why he says it’s difficult to tell what Americans think….do people like Shalev or the Jewish Democratic Council or any politicans ever read the comments section of major papers anytime there’s an article on Israel? If they did they would know what Americans think of this US Israel fetish.
Why does any Israeli even ask that question…all they have to do is imagine if Russia or Germany or France was running Israel.