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The War of Ideas in the Middle East
It would be so refreshing to have the Green Party included in the presidential debates in the fall, when the subject turned to Israel/ Palestine/ Middle East: live on stage Tweedledee (Obama), Tweedledum (Romney), and Dr. Stein.
"Hier wohnte..." = "Here lived..."
Should the Israeli jailers and court system allow the hunger strikers to die and Palestinians across the oPT react in fury, the American MSM microphones and cameras will suddenly all switch on just in time to catch the stone-throwing and tire burning, and the defensive military response of the Israeli police and IDF.
Then Ms. Nuland will have something to say, in defense of victimized Israel.
Thanks Adam- she really gave the two speakers a decent amount of time to speak their piece. Now, MSNBC, the ball is in your court: top that Chris Hayes!
Very true words dbroncos: "Beinart understands the personal implications of this 'running meter' aspect of his critique. As time runs out on Israel to make dramatic changes, it also runs out on Beinart. He has to know that his credibility is at stake." Ultimately I think Beinart will be disappointed by his fellow lib Zios (less courageous than Beinart) and as Israel slides deeper into obvious fascism he will undergo metamorphosis, shedding his lib Zionism.
The point Krauss makes, viz. "this conflict won’t be resolved within American Jewry. It’s too entrenched and too tribal." is a point that Phil frequently comes back to, and why JVP is growing (they act in solidarity with Palestinians, Christians, Muslims) while J Street is mired in omphaloskepsis.
Beinart's intellectual prowess and honesty coupled with his strong moral compass make him a fascinating protagonist to watch, in a kind of Shakespearean drama still unfolding. One of these days his compass will take him right over the edge of his current belief system, at which point he must face the inherent contradiction of Zionism (ethnocracy ≠ democracy).
"Israel is nothing like apartheid South Africa." says giladg.
Says Archbishop Desmond Tutu: "Black South Africans and others around the world have seen the 2010 Human Rights Watch report which "describes the two-tier system of laws, rules, and services that Israel operates for the two populations in areas in the West Bank under its exclusive control, which provide preferential services, development, and benefits for Jewish settlers while imposing harsh conditions on Palestinians. This, in my book, is apartheid. It is untenable."
In their forum on "Responding to Anti-Israel Activity & Anti-Semitism on Campuses" they intend to discuss the JCPA's relevant mission statement on this, found here. The mission statement is all about when to use Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. One of the potential uses of Title VI would be to "call[s] on campus leaders including university presidents, chancellors, provosts, deans, and department leaders....to actively discourage university support, co-sponsorship or endorsement of virulently anti-Israel programs." Seems like an arm of The Lawfare Project.
Cynical, slow-motion, Kafka-esque, bureaucratic ethnic cleansing.
Thanks you tree, Sumud, and smithgp for your analysis and documentation. One hears the same rationale for the checkpoints ("necessary to stop the suicide bombers") and these analyses blow a hole in the rationale for the exhaustive system of checkpoints as well. Seem more likely designed for long-term degradation, humiliation, demoralization of non-Jews.
Great letter smithgp and thanks for sharing.
Thanks Phil. Rabbi Yossi Feintuch is a rejectionist and master hasbarist. Here he can be found in an earlier letter to the editor lauding the viewpoint that "the only hope for reconciliation between the two peoples of Palestine is to recognize Jordan as the historical 'state of Arab Palestine' ".
Here in another letter he denies the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank (he actually writes "the so-called West Bank"), Gaza and East Jerusalem since 1967.
Thanks very much anonymouscomments, and also for the clips you suggest for next time. Trusty iMovie'11 worked well, with Pete Seeger's song and Natalie Merchant's beautiful voice.
Thanks very much Phil- great post. Hmmm... Hamlet reference serves also to reflect back on Beinart's soul-searching?
Excellent point Phil. But can you imagine the hue and cry if the AP actually did provide context, and mentioned the civilian blood on Israeli heroes' hands? We Americans are kept in the dark through the vigilance and energy of Israel's defenders over here.
I believe Phil reported from the J Street convention that attendees seemed to be significantly to the left of Ben-Ami and the J Street executives. So if J Street policy doesn't move to the left they may find themselves soon irrelevant, with the frustrated and dissatisfied J Street rank and file moving into the welcoming arms of Rebecca Vilkomerson/ JVP.
Such a beautiful quote from Emerson- thank you Phil. What a wonderful goal for partners & parents to strive for- to create a "home of courtesy, genius, & conscience."
"And if you don’t think you can say “viaduct” with a sneer, you didn’t hear her, every time I walked into the class."
This may explain Mean Girls' Rachel McAdams's interest in the screenplay- the Mooser subplot to "The Emma Thompson Story."
But wait, was the girl impressed with Mooser's answer?
Thanks Pixel- it really is a good documentary movie. I was so impressed to see how a group of touring students from Israel were "minded" and totally insulated as they visited Poland, discouraged from actually talking to Poles after being told what anti-Semitic monsters they all were.
You are so generous Phil to recognize the nobility in Beinart's spirit as he wrestles with his mixed feelings about Israel and strives valiantly to rehabilitate Zionism, efforts very likely too little too late.
Really liked the way the dancers kept growing in "pieces" then unified to make one big line near the end- beautiful dancing and message!
Wow, Dershowitz and Josh Block gloating over MJ Rosenberg's departure from Media Matters.
Steven Cohen of Hebrew Union College: "These people [the meshugayim] are an embarrassment to us. In fact in my mind they too are the enemy."
Sorry Steven, but John Brown was a little meshugenah also, and I will take Liza Behrendt and Rae Abileah and Medea Benjamin and their leadership over J Street any day- yes, you have to be a little crazy to be out in front as they are!
This very recent poll among American Jews supports your point that it's not about the votes- the Dems have the Jewish vote.
"Occupy American Judaism." Love it! Thank you Phil.
I fully agree with you Gilad that the bulldozing of Jewish homes, construction of Arab-only housing and roads, and rampant theft of land and water resources from Jews in the Holy Land must stop. And shame on the US leadership for cozying up to the Arab Lobby and defending this ongoing ethnic cleansing of helpless Jews from Israel by the near-omnipotent Palestinians. Who can stop them except you and me?
Beautiful piece Phil- thanks so much for sharing.
[An aside- if Peter Beinart's 2010 New York Review of Books essay can give rise to a book, then this essay of yours today surely deserves to be expanded into a book for our time.]
Thanks Annie- great post & bravo to Sullivan. I hope as you say that the settlements can become part of the public discussion leading up to the fall 2012 election- Obama may want to avoid the subject but maybe Santorum as an opponent (Santorum who says the West Bank is already Israel- a One-Stater) would flush the issue out before the American public.
As a fellow reader, thank you so much dimadok for your attention to detail and careful pro bono editorial work, helping to ensure Mondoweiss remains the most trusted source for I/P news and opinion on the web.
There is no Green Line for Jewish Israelis hophmi, just for Palestinians who exceed the 20% quota for non-Jews permitted by "Israel".
Giladg (Pinocchio) says: "All the talk about non-violence and Gandhi is all a fabrication....The truth will find its way to the top"
Short video of violent Palestinians assaulting the Ghandi-like Israeli Defense Forces (deep in the West Bank).
Why can't rank-and-file Americans hear this debate? Why is it confined to Amy Goodman's audience and the blogosphere? Why we don't see this on Rachel Maddow or the Ed Show is why the Mondoweiss focus on the power and influence of the American Jewish establishment is so critical.
The psychology at play here is fascinating, with Goldberg taking his sweet time to make sure Ben-Ami publicly and humbly recognizes Goldberg's dominance and authority. Ben-Ami must recognize the red lines in American public discourse over I/P, lines defined by Goldberg et al, and must denounce Peter Beinart, like Judas sold out Christ.
So Ben-Ami sold him out, Wieseltier sold him out. Next up, David Remnick and Thomas Friedman- where do you stand gentlemen? (Alternative question: Can you learn to love Ali Abunimah?)
This great premium Ben-Ami places on ensuring that Israelis feel "comfortable" with change brings to mind the great graphic in Austin Branion's piece on Mondoweiss the other day. Legend to the graphic: "When you say Israel is an apartheid state, that makes me feel uncomfortable."
Great point William. Also from the interview: "JG: Under pressure they harden, they don't soften." Of course the Iranians, being a different species and all, wouldn't similarly respond.
Thank you Phan for this very balanced report, very fair to Hava and Kitzel’s Deli. You are not “The Most Evil Man in Olympia” but you are one bad-as* BDSer. Keep up all your efforts!
Beautifully written, convincing and persuasive. Thanks so much Phil.
"[Liberal Zionists]...prefer an Israel of social-democratic fantasy" instead of the Israel of bare-knuckled brutality that we in fortress Israel have come to accept. Don't be so dainty American Jews, fascism isn't that bad if it enables a Jewish supremacist state!
Against the non-violence of BDS, must be pro status quo. Quick, let's get the settler government and the imprisoned back to the negotiating table! Oops, too late, no Palestine left (sorry).
Thanks for preserving this quaint gem Adam!
Minutiae for Master Giladg (as long as they are done to another ethnic group): home invasion, use of attack dogs on unarmed protestors, indefinite detention, land theft, home demolition.
Nice topic sentence and well-organized paragraph structure hophmi. Before receiving your final grade, please revise your term paper to include discussion of the Nakba, home demolition, land and water theft, and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by those nice Israelis who moved in "next door".
Thanks Austin- no, I was just part of the rank-and-file and we chatted a bit on the first day, kvetching a little about the commute in the DC area.
Thanks very much Austin for your post (and nice meeting you briefly at PennBDS). With respect to consideration of a blanket South Africa-style boycott, maybe Peter Beinart's public dressing down by fellow "liberal Zionists" for his call for tepid, quasi-, semi-boycott will convince people there is no sanctuary in the middle of this debate. If you are going to B, then go all D and S like you mean it!
Beinart: "Israel’s founders ... understood that Zionism and democracy were not only compatible; the two were inseparable." But this is hogwash as the present situation proves. Beinart is becoming an intellectual contortionist in an attempt to try and align his Zionist idealism with what his two eyes can plainly see. Kübler-Ross Stage 1.
Thanks Susie and bravo to Cenk Uygur. Makes me wonder if Chris Hayes will experience similar pressure to conform, play patty-cake with the media establishment, "tone it down", and be "part of the club".
A/RES/65/16 demanded "realization of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to self-determination and the right to their independent State". It was probably because of that that Israel and the U.S. voted against it (since so difficult to acknowledge Palestinian rights, given Israel's birth inseparable from the Nakba).
Even thought she is a politician, DWS may actually believe what she says and not be simply pandering. She will likely be uncomfortable when Peter Beinart starts his book tour on radio and cable TV exposing the American Jewish dilemma. But even DWS will have to choose siding with Netanyahu/ Leiberman (1SS with Jewish supremacy trumping democracy) versus siding with Vilkomerson/ Weiss/ Horowitz/ Blumenthal (1SS with democracy/ equal rights trumping Jewish tribalism). As a American surely she must choose the latter???
Jewish Voice for Peace should take on "Friends of the IDF" as an institutional target across the U.S. (in addition to their TIAA-CREF divestment campaign)- what conscientious liberal American would want to give money to the institution that brutally enforces the Occupation and the siege of Gaza?
@seafoid- very well said, thank you (ref. March 14, 2012 at 6:33 am)
Ugh. Just saw that the odious Jennifer Lazlo Mizrahi (Founder and President, The Israel Project) who was on Chris Hayes' show is being featured at the J Street conference this coming weekend. Why would J Street include this master hasbarista if they are trying to build credibility?
@giladg, thank you for your scholarly and highly relevant teachings. BTW, why do you bother to write comments in this language we refer to as "English"? Why not, for the sake of consistency, express yourself in Ancient Hebrew, the language of the twelve tribes of Israel?
Speaking of brave efforts to re-establish balance in the MSM, Fareed Zakaria had a good show on CNN yesterday (3/11) that balanced fire-breathing Bret Stephens and Elliott Abrams off against Daniel Levy and Rula Jebreal. Notable to me was Levy's calling out of Netanyahu's manipulative use of holocaust imagery to "sell" the Iran threat to the American audience at the recent AIPAC meeting: (from the GPS transcript)
Bravo to Chris Hayes- his intrinsic charm, journalistic integrity, and nimble intellect allowed him to carry off this amazing achievement (for American cable) though he seemed a little more tense than he usually does weekend mornings. His inclusion of the guest live from Ramallah was the pièce de résistance. Thank you Mr. Hayes!
Thanks Phil and Adam. How hollow and condescending Obama's words increasingly seem as the thousands of Palestinian "Ghandis" operate in plain view despite the water cannons and rubber-coated steel bullets.
Prayer for Obama: if God grants you a second term, promptly go to Palestine, see for yourself as the US Congresswomen recently did. Invite Susan Abulhawa, Jeremy Ben-Ami, Rebecca Vilkomerson, or Ali Abunimah to accompany you and definitely bring along your press retinue. Just go and let us Americans see the situation through your eyes.
Jeremy Ben-Ami will be on Chris Hayes' MSNBC program Sunday morning discussing Iran and the drumbeat for war, and it will interesting to see how Ben-Ami argues against the blatant Republican warmongering without disparaging the numerous mainstream Democrats tripping over each other to please Netanyahu the most.
Oh yeah, Daily Beast? And what is Mondoweiss, chopped liver?
Thanks Annie- I agree with you, bring it on. The politicization of support for Israel in America is very good in the long run- it will bring the boil to a head and then it can be lanced and drained once and for all. Shine the light on this sucker. I'll bet Abe Foxman and other mainstream Jewish establishment types are getting nervous at what Kristol and the RJC (and Charles Krauthammer exactly in step) are doing.
The Morning Joe video clip from this morning discussing Obama's press conference yesterday is now up and can be seen here, and yes, the tone was entirely favorable toward the President.
Interestingly Chris Matthews says, near the very end of the clip (~10:15), "How about telling Benjamin Netanyahu to stay out of our elections!" Well said Mr. Matthews!
The excellent Colorlines article on "blackwashing" by the Israel Lobby that Max Blumenthal cited can be found here.
Kudos to David Remnick and Connie Bruck. But I think the sands are shifting under the feet of the Liberal Zionists and Remnick/Beinart/Ben-Ami et al will not be able to stay in the middle on Israel/Palestine. Because, to paraphrase Sarah Schulman who saw I/P up close and had a personal transformation of her activist soul, "Once you see it, it is clear."
Invoking the imagery of the holocaust to justify a first-strike attack on Iran (its regional competitor), when in fact Iran poses no existential threat to an Israel armed to its teeth with real nuclear weapons- when will an American leader stand up to this transparent manipulation!
Fredblogs, the intellectually dishonest troll, says "Palestinians don’t get to vote because they aren’t part of Israel"
Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories don't get to vote because they are not Jewish settlers.
An ActBlue contribution page for Rep. Jackie Speier in case anyone wants to support her courage for noting that “Some people would call that apartheid”
But a 1SS where all residents could vote would not be Apartheid. Sorry Fredblogs, but I don't understand your opposition to such a solution.
God bless Liza Behrendt, YJP & JVP- I hope they are able to prick the consciences of the AIPAC attendees.
Thanks a lot Phil and we love you MJ!
Spencer Ackerman's discomfort is fascinating. There will no more room in the middle for Liberal Zionists as the Great Schism proceeds- no more straddling, Ackerman, Beinart, Ben-Ami. Pick a side, liberal American Jews:
Rosenberg/Weiss/Horowitz/Blumenthal/Vilkomerson on one side
versus
Dershowitz/Kristol/Foxman/Rubin/Krauthammer on the other
Thanks teta mother me.
Of course I would be delighted to have Chas Freeman & Trita Parsi in on the White House discussion, but I have sadly come to the conclusion that Obama is a fairly cowardly politician and would never take such a step. Maybe he might risk a baby step such as inviting Ben-Ami, however??
As to your question: "Why should the president of the United States be forced to kowtow to the leaders of a tiny minority of Americans?", we had better ask Walt and Mearsheimer.
Thanks Alex- here is a great opportunity for President Obama- embrace J Street and Jeremy Ben-Ami- invite Ben-Ami to the White House along with Netanyahu next week- drive open the schism- facilitate the Great Divide in the American Jewish diaspora. Use Ben-Ami to protect you against phony "anti-Semitism" charges. Go Mr. President- carpe diem!
Thank you David, so very well put:
Alex Kane: "Sooner or later, that paints you into a pro-war box--and a situation that could spiral out of control in the form of a disastrous Middle East war."
That is why, if President Obama has sufficient courage and truly loves his country, he should act as the Veterans for Peace suggest:
Sarah Schulman, at the recent PennBDS meeting, said that in order to popularize the BDS movement in the States, Omar Barghouti should be highly promoted on a nation-wide "rock star" type of tour. Looks like he should be teamed up with Noura Erakat on that tour!
The Haaretz article provides evidence that Netanyahu has brain damage to the "Irony Centers" deep in his frontal cerebral cortex, since Netanyahu is reportedly quite upset about "U.S. interference in internal Israeli affairs."
Thank you very much Rabbi Rosen for your courage and willingness to engage in a rational conversation about the future of Israel/Palestine that considers human rights-based solutions, and dares to imagine a future for two peoples in which violence, segregation, and degradation are not used to enforce Jewish privilege in the Holy Land.
Not only was Cassandra Wilson scheduled to perform at the Holon concert, she was the headliner, as proudly touted by the Brand Israel folks.
Predictably Cassandra Wilson is getting slammed as an anti-Semite and racist on Twitter for her principled choice, but she defends herself here.
Great news & glad JVP is a co-sponsor. The Dersh better get busy- he has his work cut out for him next week!
Thank you so much Phil for sharing this interview. Doraed Hassona not allowed to worship in Jerusalem or visit the beach in his own homeland!
Thanks Sarah. The big question is, when planning for the "BDS 2013" or "BDS 2014" conference begins and President Amy Gutman is asked to approve a student request for on-campus space, will she be scared off because of the memories of Ruben Gur and Prof. Glickson's inflammatory smears.
In that light, I guess the pro-justice and pro-equal rights side should still be submitting letters to the Daily Pennsylvanian, even retrospectively. Maybe JVP National should submit a retrospective letter of support for Penn's hosting the event?
Off topic, but the concert cancellation by jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, who had been scheduled to headline the Women’s Festival in Holon (inside '48 Israel), is good news for the cultural boycott!
Thanks Annie. Mr. Beinart should fasten his seatbelt- it is going to be a stormy book tour next month. The more the "liberal Zionists" like Beinart are publicly slammed by the likes of Isi Leibler & Sheldon Adelson the further to the left they will be driven, further undermining their belief in Zionism itself. Bring on the fight!
Krauss: "I don’t think the Mossad would have the nerve to steal the ID of a genuine Gentile, living abroad"
Israeli immigration officials copied British passports used by hit squad, ministers told
Thanks a lot Adam for posting this. The problem in the States is that we get to hear from the smooth-as-silk Mark Regev's and Michael Oren's but without the balance of excellent communicators such as Susan Abulhawa or Ali Abunimah who might provide a real contrasting perspective. The cable news hosts here in the States, but obviously not on CNN International, are worried about their jobs and careers should they offer any target for the likes of CAMERA and the neocon echo chamber to sink their teeth into.
Thanks so much Max for shining your light so brightly on this (US taxpayer-supported) hypocrisy and injustice.
Very encouraging development- thanks Adam for highlighting this. Go Presbyterian Church (USA), go JVP, go US Campaign!!
Thank you teta mother, I was not aware of this office- it seems like it could become a taxpayer funded extension of ADL or CAMERA but with the gravitas of federal law behind it - bad news indeed I totally agree.
Thanks Allison. I believe the AMCHA initiative will only result in more publicity for Ilan Pappe's tour. The whole basis of the complaint in the video is the tired old equation: Israel= The Jewish State, ∴ criticism of Israel = anti-Semitism. Yawn. The AMCHA group would make better use of its time upgrading the p*ss-poor quality of its videos.
Thanks Pat. Yes, I also do not doubt that NF is highly dedicated person and in fact a person with incredible moral strength who has fought long and hard for Palestinian rights over three decades (often fighting with little outside support). I do not, and did not, mean to "destroy" him as I admire him greatly.
I was just struck that in the video NF spent so much energy and passion belittling the BDS movement (calling them "cultists" and "too clever") when the BDS movement holds so much promise for finally breaking through the present impasse in a non-violent way. He said the BDS movement is being coy and hiding its aim of wanting to "destroy Israel" behind a faux-agnosticism on Israel's future. This is a low blow by NF and totally unfair in my view. Of course, racist, expansionist, and ethnocratic Israel (that is Israel as we know it) cannot survive the transformation to a peaceful I/P.
I think BDS is correct to leave the future of “Israel” a little ambiguous and thereby force its citizens and defenders to think long and hard about what aspects of “Israel” are worth fighting for in the court of world opinion (ultimately more important than the ICJ). "Israel" must evolve and change character: is an ethnocracy really necessary for Jewish survival in the emergent I/P?
Thanks pabelmont, I appreciate your thinking. But if we and the world-at-large are being urged by NF to "recognize Israel as a legal STATE", it of course begs the question of "what Israel?", because the only Israel we can see is the (horrible) ethnocratic, racist state. You are are saying NF meant this as a point of STRATEGY. Perhaps, but it is inconceivable that a final peace can come with an Israel as we know it. Why not demand the butterfly instead of protecting and preserving the caterpillar?
Thanks hophmi for asking (and for the gratuitous put-down). Abulhawa gained a reputation as a dragonslayer after she debated Alan Dershowitz as can be seen here.
As you listen to Susan Abulhawa read off the long list of racist laws, then think back to the Norman Finkelstein video highlighted yesterday, you have to ask yourself: this is the Israel that Finkelstein seems so determined to preserve as is?
Excellent analysis- thanks so much David Samel.
Finkelstein is super bright, has spent 30 years immersed in these issues, and is (understandably) impatient for a solution. He is obviously ambivalent about the BDS movement and goes to great lengths to belittle it as a "cult" and for their intellectual "dishonesty" by omitting mention of Israel in the BDS charter. But I think BDS has it just right, leaving the future of "Israel" a little in doubt and thereby forcing its defenders to think hard about what aspects of "Israel" are worth fighting for in the court of world opinion and what aspects can be shed (e.g. is an ethnocracy really necessary for Jewish survival?) during the evolution of the emergent I/P.
Unfortunately there is no such thing as a "free lunch" and the price the students will pay is further indoctrination into the toxic mindset that Israeli and American interests are one in the same, even as US taxpayers fund the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Israel. BTW please, please do not accuse President Pumerantz of dual loyalty, even as he promotes this blatant PR event for the benefit of a foreign military power.
Very clear and well done video on a Pugilistic & Pernicious Pinocchio- thank you Omar (and Adam)!
Thanks again Phil for your generosity and leadership in Philly (and here everyday).
In a fashion parallel to what Rebecca Vilkomerson jokingly said at a panel at PennBDS about J Street, that it is like pot and a gateway to the heroin of JVP, Peter Beinart may play a very helpful role by getting a wider discussion out into the mainstream. For sure he will be invited onto places like the Diane Rehm Show, NPR, and MSNBC for his book circuit in the spring. It will more difficult for the ADL to vilify him given his stature in the mainstream. But once people start listening to him, and understanding the issues and reality on the ground today, they will not be content with more blather about the 2SS.
Great video, clear message (and toe-tapping beat!)
Can't wait to see the Dersh, wearing blue and white trunks and dancing like a butterfly, come out swinging tonight at the Hillel meeting! As you show Phan, the competition is fierce!
Thanks Brenda for pointing that out. Very sad to see CAP lose any of its journalistic virility.
Thanks Phan for a very informative post. (BTW, great graphics, including the shot of the
warm and cuddlysneering and scowling James Woolsey!)Thanks Mudder for sharing Schanzer's latest tweet. Taking this together with Phil's post today on Goldberg's litmus test for discussing I/P, one comes to the conclusion that one must either Love or Hate Israel. Talk about a polarizing issue!
You seem to thirst for immediate confrontation Boycott on Campus, but this is a long and hard fight coming, you will be ineffective fighting alone, and your cynicism, pessimism and condescension are not the greatest recruiting tools out there.
Abunimah's points are clear, strong, and constructed on a framework of human rights that Americans, and especially idealistic younger Americans, can relate to. Woolsey and Schanzer come across as obfuscatory, boring, and weak (e.g. note they try to diminish the PennBDS meeting by putting "conference" in quotes- pathetic!). No wonder the Penn BDS conference has had to close its registration due to overflowing interest!
Thanks Annie- I think Chris Hayes deserves much credit for highlighting this issue on cable TV. Just like Chris Matthews, Hayes must be aware of the connections between NBC/ MSNBC and the Israel Lobby yet, even so, Hayes went ahead. Also it is probably not a coincidence that Hayes mentions early in the segment that Sheldon Adelson has a habit of "suing journalists", so I forgive him for being a little cautious in his approach.
I agree with Krauss (above) regarding the evident discomfort of the "liberal" US Congresswoman from New York and how she tried to shift the focus of the discussion. Yes, she knows what side her bread is buttered on!
Thank you Hostage for highlighting Caroline Glick's opinion piece. What she writes is a barefaced call for betrayal of U.S. interests by American Jews if I ever saw one:
The panelists on the UP w/ Chris Hayes show this morning also discussed the important point (from minute ~36:30 to 38:30), which I first read here on Mondoweiss, that the effect of Adelson's money is to provide "ballast" to pull Romney and the whole GOP field to the right on Israel, not so much that Gingrich is likely to win.
If one woke up early today to watch MSNBC, one would have witnessed another chink in the MSM wall. The Nation's very sharp Chris Hayes, on his MSNBC show UP w/Chris Hayes, had a whole segment on Sheldon Adelson and, while it did dwell a lot on the casino angle and how Adelson made his billions, Chris Hayes to his credit did not shy away from the Israel angle but discussed this in a very fair and thorough way I thought. (The segment can be seen here starting at about 27:30). So Chris Hayes has ventured out into important territory where Chris Matthews and Rachel Maddow fear to tread! Go Chris Hayes!
Thanks very much Lizzy for highlighting this. Since this topic is so much in the blogospheric news of late, might American citizens reasonably want to consider the issue of Mr. Ross's possible dual loyalty, since he bypasses the State Dept. and White House Middle East experts (and layers of checks and balances in the process)?
Thanks Matthew- had not heard about the concepts of war journalism and peace journalism- great to be aware of, and of course the NYT is a virtual textbook to learn the former. The thrust of Bronner's piece is so sadly reminiscent of the lowballing of the risks and dangers of war that got us into Iraq: "it will be a cakewalk..."
Thanks Phil. Here is an absolutely relevant, important, and timely story about the media- let's see if Howard Kurtz (Reliable Sources on CNN) or Brooke Gladstone (On the Media, NPR) have the courage and integrity to take the ball and run with it.
Thanks Phil for highlighting this. Reich is an smart, articulate guy, and has a conscience. So how does this former Rhodes Scholar justify this intellectual pretense to himself? Refusing to acknowledge the power and influence of successful modern American Jews because it comes uncomfortably close to classic anti-Semitic tropes? Have courage Robert- much, much better to discuss such power and influence out in the open!
Gotta love Aaron Sorkin's subversive inner self ! The story for that West Wing episode (from 2002) was written by Eli Attie, who had served as Al Gore's chief speechwriter from 1997 until Gore conceded in 2000. Had Florida only tipped the other way in 2000, sigh....
Thank you Donald for your sharing your concerns. I disagree with you however, and appreciate that this blog treats its readers as adults, able to weigh and sift and evaluate the merits of comments all on our own. I'm sure Phil and Adam already do some basic filtering of purely racist or hateful comments, but I wouldn't want any further editing.
If we start worrying about hurting the feelings of "liberal Zionists" it's a slippery slope into political correctness and the "policing" of views as practiced on the (worthless on I/P) DailyKos.
BTW, an inspired headline it must be said!
Give me a "B", give me a "D", give me an "S"...
Thank you Phil.
Baer: "It wouldn't help us, it would help them... because the Israelis would force us into hitting the Iranians, hit them back, and that's exactly what they want." This really ties in with the need for Israel and America's Israel-firsters to artificially generate a "Pearl Harbor" scenario, as in the Patrick Clawson/ WINEP link you posted yesterday. Sick and Machiavellian!
Phil's question: "Do Americans want such a conflagration?"
The 99% do not. But unlike the early weeks of the Iraq conflict, this time around many more people are aware of Israel's interest in dragging/ boxing us into a war with Iran, Israel's regional competitor (yet not a real security threat to the US).
God forbid, but if is there is such a war and ensuing conflagration, Americans will protest in the streets (even without conscription), this time with big signs about Israel and the Zionists that even MSNBC cable hosts will be forced to discuss, and the AIPAC/ J Street/ JVP battle for the soul of American Jewry will only intensify.
Thanks Phil, and right on. Indeed "It would be nice if the media would give Americans the chance to think about this." God forbid, what if the price the Romney Team has to pay in order to get Gingrich to go away is to appease Adelson and adopt his "dark" agenda? Then if Romney beats Obama the unreconstructed neocons will just flood back into the new administration. My poor country!
Weiss: "Today that peace process is a shell and a sham, and Adelson wants to keep it that way."
Here is a 2008 New Yorker profile on Adelson by Connie Bruck that makes his opposition to the 2SS crystal clear.
Thanks winnica for the strong argument against already over-burdened US taxpayers having to subsidize Israel to the tune of ~$3B per annum.
jonah: "This abysmal naïveté makes me want to cry."
Buck up, old boy, and wipe your tears away. What I saw when I clicked on the link that you provided jonah was a politician speaking to his base. The politician used "words" which, it is true, perturb the air and set loose wavelets of vibrations. Please, jonah, don't be afraid.
If those in his audience were ever to begin the systematic ethnic cleansing of Israeli neighborhoods, lock Israelis into an open air prison, or institute a system of apartheid west of the Green Line, then, then, you would have something to cry about, jonah.
jonah: "BDS is in fact an apology of Arab revanchism." Sorry, jonah, but BDS is a peaceful, non-violent means to achieve equality and universal human rights “from the sea to the river” whether within a 2SS or 1SS (as Inanna points out above).
Israel without a defined Eastern border and ever-expanding "settlements" is an apology for the ongoing ethnic cleansing of Arabs, and I greatly resent subsidizing this enterprise as a US taxpayer.
John, don't be coy- please elaborate since you seem to hold this knowledge: what lands exactly does "all Arab lands" mean in the context of the Palestinian Civil Society call for BDS?
John, this is my reading of what the BDS call refers to in point (1) above, namely the Arab lands that Israel is colonizing, occupying (and besieging): the Palestinian Arab lands of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, and the Syrian Arab land of the Golan Heights.
Touché Marc- your view may (sadly) be correct.
Hirsh Goodman says "those [in BDS movement] who seek to channel Israel into a parallel identity with apartheid South Africa with the goal of crippling it ..."
This is a lie.
The goal of BDS movement is simply to motivate Israel to
(1.) End its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantle the Wall, (2.) Recognize the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality; and (3.) Respect, protect and promote the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN resolution 194.
Sorry, but the contention in the Forward article that the term "bought and paid for" is somehow anti-Semitic is preposterous. The hypersensitivity of Ken Jacobson of the Anti-Defamation League to this term makes me laugh. It's all about policing the public discourse to ensure Israel and its Lobby are protected from taking responsibility for their corrosive effect on U.S. foreign policy.
Excellent work- the sequel clearly outshines the original!