A week from today they’re having a program on US-Israel relations at the Center for American Progress, which is a thinktank linked to the Democratic Party. And notice: There’s not a Palestinian in sight. Even though one of the events will focus on the “Palestinian issue.” That strikes me as racism, and on the part of a progressive organization.
Though there are a couple of Israelis. And Mel Levine and Michael Singh, both linked to Israel lobby organizations.
I’ve never heard of the co-sponsor Israel Institute – as if we need another Israel-centric thinktank in Washington. And no surprise, its board comprises several rightwing Zionists and again, no Palestinians. Does the eminent Tamara Cofman-Wittes of Brookings, who is in the CAP program next week and on the Israel Institute board too, recognize that she is complicit in racism?
And I wonder about the Hillary Clinton shadow in this event. The CEO of CAP is Neera Tanden, who worked for Obama and the Clintons and has promoted Hillary Clinton on MSNBC. Before her John Podesta led the organization.
Here’s the event:
On April 22, please join the Center for American Progress, the Center for a New American Security, and the Israel Institute to take stock of where we are at this crucial stage in U.S.-Israel relations, featuring two expert panels. The first panel will discuss the management of U.S.-Israel relations, and the second will focus on the main issues under discussion between the two states.
Welcoming Remarks (10:30 a.m. ET):
Rudy deLeon, Senior Fellow, Center for American ProgressPanel 1: Managing U.S.-Israel Ties (10:40 a.m. ET – 12:00 p.m. ET)
Rep. Mel Levine (D-CA), Counsel, Century City Office, Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher
Tamara Cofman Wittes, Senior Fellow and Director, Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution
Michael J. Koplow, Program Director, Israel Institute
Dan Arbell, Nonresident Senior Fellow, Center for Middle East Policy, The Brookings Institution; Scholar in Residence, Department of History, College of Arts & Sciences, American UniversityModerated by:
Brian Katulis, Senior Fellow, Center for American ProgressPanel 2: Looking Ahead to U.S.-Israel Cooperation on Iran and the Palestinian Issue (12:00 p.m. ET – 1:00 p.m. ET)
Lucy Kurtzer-Ellenbogen, Director of Arab-Israeli Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace
Michael Singh, Lane-Swig Senior Fellow and Managing Director, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy
Brig. Gen. Shlomo Brom, Visiting Fellow, Center for American ProgressModerated by:
Ilan Goldenberg, Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program, Center for a New American Security
“There’s not a Palestinian in sight. Even though one of the events will focus on the “Palestinian issue.”
Sad, but all-too common.
Call Yousef Munayyer!
He’s local to DC, he’s Palestinian, American, and has an Israeli passport, too.
A trifecta!
Maybe the BDS movement needs to focus on more than corporations, think tanks also need to be pressured in their complicity of apartheid, by excluding voices of the marginalized.
Remember, three years ago CAP did nothing to support Zaid Jilani following Josh Block smears against him. Jilani resigned.
“The Palestinian Issue”.
The British referred to one of their problems as , “The Irish Question”.They also did not make a habit of inviting bog dwellers to give their input such as reminding their oppressors what it is like to be oppressed.
I don,t suppose the Nazis had a list of Jewish participants.In any event , Niet-andyahu has stated there will be no Palestine so what,s to talk about.The Nazis figured there would be no Jews left so why talk to them.
This is what is called , American Progress”.