Recently I did a post on the education of Samantha Power. How she transformed herself from a critic of Israeli human rights abuses to a stalwart supporter of Israel. And now she’s ambassador to the U.N.
It’s an old story. William Scranton, moderate Republican former governor of Pennsylvania and presidential candidate, is dead at 96. From the Times:
Over the years Mr. Scranton was a director of I.B.M., Scott Paper, The New York Times, Pan American Airways, Mobil Oil and other corporations. He was also a Yale trustee, president of the National Municipal League and a White House workhorse for domestic and international tasks.
President-elect Nixon sent him to the Middle East in 1968 to assess Israeli-Arab relations. He returned calling for “a more evenhanded policy,” saying America “must take into consideration the feelings of all persons and countries in the Middle East and not necessarily one country over another.” After protests by Jewish leaders, he modified his view, saying Israel should be protected and strengthened.
Dangerous racist anti-Semites like William Scranton, notably identified by luminaries like Dennis Ross in outraged and amateurish policy memos from the 80s, cannot be allowed to run amok with their Arabist tendencies and bizarre and fanatical (not to mention anti-Semitic – did I mention anti-Semitic already?) notions of “evenhandedness”.
To even think such thoughts ought to be punishable, the only way to redeem yourself of such a crime would be to fellate a donkey.
For Israel.
This is the *contribution* that Zionist and Israel have made to America—-that America shall not be ‘even handed” in it’s dealings with other countries.
BCAAIPACTTGASO
Hoyer at AIPAC
http://www.democraticwhip.gov/content/hoyer-addresses-aipac-political-leadership-conference
”Let me say very clearly: as a member of the Democratic leadership and a long-time supporter of Israel, it is absolutely imperative that Members of Congress – especially our new members and those who have few Jews in their Congressional Districts – recognize the moral and strategic significance of the U.S.-Israel partnership.
Furthermore, it is imperative that Israel’s circle of friends in Congress include non-Jews, too. For the reality is this: Israel’s safety and security is not a Jewish/non-Jewish issue. It is an American national security issue.
I am confident in saying that two new Democratic members who have a better appreciation of that are Denise Majette of Georgia and Artur Davis of Alabama. Both were part of our delegation. Both are articulate, engaging African-Americans from the south. And both are committed supporters of Israel.
There are some who believe that we must demonstrate more even-handedness in the Israeli-Palestinian crisis.
I do not.”
Who am I to question the NY Times, but I believe that they have edited history to the point of inaccuracy. I think Scranton did not back down from that statement, meaning at the time, within a year of making the statement, he did not back down. Later when he became appointed ambassador to the UN at the end of the Ford Administration, in his new role, he probably back tracked from the statement, because he was now no longer the independent searcher for the way forward he was in 1968, but an appointed spokesman for the administration,but the Times makes it sound like under pressure he backtracked. That is not my recollection, nor has anything on a quick surf of the web contradicted my recollection.