For otherwise liberal New York City Democrats to support Israel’s policies and avoid the wrath of the lobby has been the norm. But de Blasio should be slammed hard (and picketed) for his remarks.
As a supposed liberal, he went way overboard talking like a right wing Likudnik idiot, lavishing praise on everything about wonderful, poor little besieged Israel. Why didn’t he at least take a more critical J Street sort of line, supporting two states and level some criticism about the occupation hurting Israel? Maybe he actually believes the right-wing load of crap he said to AIPAC?
When he said he would defend Israel in Washington, is he signing on with the “lets bomb Iran and/or have Netanyahu tell us when to go to war for Israel’s interests?” gang. Has he turned against Obama, who is resisting the lobby’s bill to torpedo any agreement between the US and Iran?
There are new openings for so-called liberal Democrats to quit living in fear of AIPAC and start to stand up for everyone’s (even Palestinians?) human rights. Why doesn’t Mr. pro-Sandinista revolution have the guts to take even a small progressive step?
Do the voters who put him in office agree with his Israel Uber Alles rant?
It’s time to put these “liberals'” feet to the fire. Support for Israeli arrogance and atrocities is declining.
A last thing: PEP (progressive except for Palestine) is, in fact, a slippery slope. The anti-Palestinian, pro-Settler State positions of these Progressives leads them to become NOT progressive on other issues. Sticking with Israel leads them into supporting other “pro-Israel” policies: demonizing Iran, an unlimited supply of US taxpayer’s money to Israel’s military (including under the table funds for illegal settlements), supporting the fraudulent war on terror–meaning NSA spying, drone attacks, and other aspects of U.S. Imperialism and a permanent warfare state…to name a few.
Richard, I agree with what you wrote– mostly.
I don’t think that Phil Weiss lets “the mayor off the hook” at all.
” The most progressive forces in the U.S. have been corrupted by the Israel lobby. The most leftleaning/realist public figures one can imagine getting into important offices, from Barack Obama to Bill de Blasio to Samantha Power to Chuck Hagel, and they have no choice but to truckle to the lobby, because the lobby is so enmeshed in our (political/financial/media) Establishment, and because the party needs the money. It’s that simple.”
You write that “It seems to say: “Well kissing Israel’s ass is par for the course in American politics, so this no surprise.””
What Mr. Weiss does is EXPOSE and educate, and you have added to this exposure.
Let the pussy politicos pander.
I’m looking at what appears to be some inside the Gov. Workings pulling some triggers on Israel. Israel uses the media to propagandize USA, we can use it to expose them to the world.
I like it. More please.
”Israel teams with terror group to kill Iran’s nuclear scientists, U.S. officials tell NBC News”
http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/09/10354553-israel-teams-with-terror-group-to-kill-irans-nuclear-scientists-us-officials-tell-nbc-news?lite
NBC News
Updated: 11:14 a.m. ET — Deadly attacks on Iranian nuclear scientists are being carried out by an Iranian dissident group that is financed, trained and armed by Israel’s secret service, U.S. officials tell NBC News, confirming charges leveled by Iran’s leaders.
”The group, the People’s Mujahedin of Iran, has long been designated as a terrorist group by the United States, accused of killing American servicemen and contractors in the 1970s and supporting the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran before breaking with the Iranian mullahs in 1980.”
He shouldn’t be pilloried because he’s a liberal progressive who’s kissing Israel’s ass. Progressive except Palestine is the norm. Its PEP. He should be pilloried because he’s the American mayor an American citizen pledging loyalty to a foreign state. That’s treasonous.
Another possibility — he is kissing up to a very important pressure/donor group in NYC politics, landlords, business people. By pledging his troth to Israel (“grovelling”) (“pandering”) deB is saying, “I want to work for NYC’s Jewish Establishment; it has nothing to do with Israel, which is just the label — it has to do with making either [1] NYC work or [2] my next election work.”
Does he meet with other pressure groups? Have other mayors done so? Is this normal NYC “city politics”? Secret meetings for fund-raising seems rather close to what used to be called, ahem, “corruption”.
Or is this merely a sign of the usual ZIONIST horror, and not a sign of corruption?
Yes, let’s put some pressure on these guys and gals. I think de B’s attempt a secrecy indicates “the increasing discomfort that’s in the air, even in New York, with this kind of toadying to Israel.” And de Blasio wasn’t content with being Mr. Peace Now. He was hobnobbing with the guy even Israelis consider a fascist — Avigdor Lieberman. Surely liberal New Yorkers can take him to task for that.
See my post on this at Keep on Truckling: Mayor of New York’s job “is to be a defender of Israel”