Total number of comments: 340 (since 2010-06-04 02:10:17)
dbroncos
Mondoweiss.net supporterI am a 44 year old carpenter living in Phila., PA. My interest in I/P began with msm news coverage of Sharon's provocative visit to the Al Aqsa Mosque. His grinning face told the whole story: He was there humiliate the Palestinians and to exert exclusive control over a Muslim holy site with lethal force. My interest grew through I/P related books and some activism in the Phla. area. I met Adam Horowitz during that time and I'm so pleased to see that he is dedicated and determined to continue to do this vital work.
In 1982 the Begin government negotiated terms of peace with Lebanon's President, Bashir Gimayel, shortly after Israel's invasion. Apparently, Begin believed Gimayel would have enough Lebanese support to make good on terms of peace negotiated with Begin's government. Those terms, almost entirely dictated by Begin, included a fixed price for pickles which would work out nicely in favor of Israel's would be pickle suppliers to the Lebanese. The treaty essentially turned Lebanon into a Israel's vassal state and three weeks after it was signed Gimayel was killed by an assassin's bomb in a Beirut hotel. With Gimayel's demise Begin's dilusional hopes for normalized relations with Lebanon, including a fixed price for Jewish Israeli pickles, were gone.
Does Kirk believe, as Begin did, that Israel's diktats will be honored by those people most damaged by them? Does he belive that by wiping 4,970,000 names off UNRWA's ledger the Jewish State will become more acceptable to Palestinians or the wider world?
"However,..where did you get the stats on eco ranking?"
American,
Thanks for the info. All I know about the Scots Irish is what I learned from James Webb's book, Born Fighting, including the eco ranking of Irish vs. Scots Irish Americans. I'd have to look up the quote to get you his source. The most fascinating part of his book is the connection he makes between 'redneck' American culture and a specific ethnic group, the Scots-Irish. This was all news to me. He emphasizes the longstanding influence of 'redneck' culture, following their migration patterns, in places like New Hampshire, Central Pennsylvania, Appalachia, and accross the sunbelt to west Texas and Southern California. Webb makes a point of saying that the Scots-Irish are a people, while Scotch is a beverage:-D
piotr,
The terms 'cracker' and 'redneck' originate in England. They were terms the Brits used for lowland Scots, who were susistance farmers and insatiable warriors living in the border lands between England and Scotland. They were the same people Roman Empiror Hadrian gave up on when he built his wall. When the Scots were offered land in Northern Ireland it was this warrior class of lowland Scots who took advantage of the offer, which started the wave of colonization in Northern Ireland. These colonizers became known as the Scots-Irish and their reputation for beligerance was well known throughout England. In the 1720's and again in the 1750's there were big waves of Scots-Irish imigration from Northern Ireland to the American colonies during times of famine. Their reputation for beligerance, and their pejorative nicknames, preceded them and they were refused admission to NY. In Boston the clonial authorities received the Scots-Irish immigrants and promptly sent them packing to territory that's now the state of New Hampshire. The Quakers in Philadelphia agreed to take them in on condition that they be sent to central Pensylvania to lend their fighting skills to the Indian wars. From the mountains of western and central Pennsylvania, the Scots-Irish 'rednecks' or 'crackers', and their descendents migrated south through the Appalachian spine and increasingly westward through America's southern, sunbelt states. To this day, Americans of Scots-Irish descent, better known here as 'rednecks', have a bad reputation for being tribal, ignorant, and beligerant. They've maintained their warrior status as an ethnic group that has served in the US military in greater numbers per capita than any other ethnic group in America. The most decorated American combat veteran of WWII (Audie Murphy) and WWI (Alvin York) were of Scots-Irish descent.
Other famous or infamous Scots-Irish include President Andrew Jackson, Frank and Jesse James, the Younger brothers, Hank Williams,Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash. American counrty/blue grass/folk music largely originates with the American Scots-Irish. Unlike American Irish catholics, who are second only to American Jews on the socio-economic ladder, American Scots-Irish round out the bottom of the scales in being the poorest white ethnics in all 50 states.
"The amendment simply demands basic transparency with regard to who receives U.S. taxpayer assistance"
Mind boggling logic. Seriously, Mr. Kirk, don't you think your time would be better spent in demanding a transparent accounting for what has done with nearly 200 billion in US taxpayer financed aid to Israel. UNRWA receives a few brown pennies of our pocket change, which none the less feeds the mouths of millions of hungry children, while Israel enjoys a blank check - no questions asked.
The mayor of Birmingham is black.
Remember the MSM coverage of the 1998 Peace Now rally? something like 200,000 Israelies turned out, with burning candles, to channel peace and harmony. The rally has become a mob and now they're calling for burning human flesh -where's the MSM now?
"So get to work on Palestine, Mark."
Amen.
"Like I said above, because the financial crisis hasn't hit Israel yet, the economic situation here is quite different from other places that are undergoing political upheavals."
Israel's economy is still very vulnerable to the extent that it is dependent on American tax payers and those tax payers are not bound to the concept of a Jewish State as an existential imperative for America, nor to the idea that Israel is entitled to our support.
Obama's last chance? If the peace prize winner scuttles these negotiations, in deference to King Bibi's edicts, Iran may well become convinced, as Saddam was rightfully convinced, that sanctions and negotiations are just camouflage for an Israeli/American war on Iran. If the US says no to Iran this time, Iran's leadership would be compelled to put their war plans into high gear. This could be Obama's last chance to prove to the Iranians and the world that he doesn't want war. More sanctions won't convince Iran that a negotiated settlement is still possible with a President who functions as Israel's mouthpiece.
The righteous might of his logic, and his transformation, speaks for itself. One of the best cases against Zionism I've seen. Hey, Mr. Beinart, we know you're out there - don't you think Rabbi Brian Walt and Hilda Silverman have something to teach you about Zionism?
G. Seauton,
I have to agree that the Jewish neocons, who pushed for war on Iraq for years, were not the deciders, they were the cheerleaders. They made the sales pitch and Bush and Cheney were sympathetic and they bought what they were selling. I also remember the 1990's chatter about "finishing the job" in Iraq. I didn't pay attention to who the personalities were behind the "finish the job " campaign, but I remember it. Clinton's economic sanctions on Iraq and his no-fly zone policy were, in some measure, meant to appease the war mongers. At least, that's how I remember it.
As for the Bush years, the dynamics are hard to decipher, even now, with the benefit of some perspetive. One of the main problems with analyzing any one of Bush's policy decisions is that his government was out of control. So much of what the tentacles of the Bush government did was in secret that its dificult to understand just how dicisions coming out of the White House, Defense, Pentagon, Energy, Treasury, FEMA, FDA, etc...were made. Certainly Bush shared a conservative philosophy of government with his appointees, but they were people hand picked by Cheney and others. Bush didn't know them, and he made no effort to understand in any detail what kind of policy initiatives they were pursuing under the Bush White House umbrella. As I said above, I don't think Bush had any vision for his office. He had a very parochial view of the world that didn't go much further than the view from his Crawford ranch. The neocons and many others saw an opportunity to take advantage of a President who had no understanding of how government works in DC and no inclination to find out.
Bush was suggestable. Conservatives everywhere were slobbering and drooling over what his Presidency would mean for their agendas. Bush had no vision for his office. He was a blank slate and his advisers set the agenda for every one of his big policy initiatives, i.e. we haven't heard a peep from the White House about global climate change since Cheney's secret energy task force convened more than 10 years ago. No doubt Bush bought the Iraq war scam sold to him by the Israel first neocons. But I think his reasons were more related to a personal vendetta than they were to national security concerns. Bush understood that this was his chance to finish what Daddy started and to take revenge on Saddam for threatening Bush Sr's life. However, the the motives of those who took us to Iraq don't change the reality that Bush is responsible. His name will be attached to that disasterous war forever, regardless what other names may apper beside his.
Bush is no longer " the decider" and he's safely removed from the halls of power. The neocons haven't gone anywhere, however, and they want an American war on Iran to make the world more safe for Israel. They need to be exposed along with their motives.
" Jews are afraid to share our "communal" conversation."
Jews I know who are out and proud wrt to their opinions about Israel are among Israel's most tenacious critics. It seems that the real motives of those Jews who wish to be "more 'circumspect' about having this debate" are the ones who're afraid of what revealing the truth about Israel will mean for the Jewish State and who're ashamed of associating themselves with Israel's crimes as supporters of the Jewish State. Charges of antisemitism, when it's leveled at the like of W&M, is just jibber jabber, and they know it.
Hiding this conversation from Gentiles is a joke. Even a cursory glance at the headlines or the evening news is enough to get the gist of the special relationship. The bipartisan chorus singing from Israel's hymnal has been covered, ad nausium, for the last 60 years. However, our fateful allegiance to the Jewish State doesn't register any passion with most Americans because the COST of supporting Israel hasn't been spelled out. That's going to change. The 9-11 Commission report and The Israel Lobby provided some of the first historical accounts of what lead up to 9-11 and the wars we waged as a result. Those books only devoted a few sentences to the motives of Osama and to the anti American sentiments in the Arab and Muslim world and beyond, which are primarily a result of our support for Israel. There will be more to come, much more, on those subjects. 9-11 was the most infamous act of terrorism against American citizens, but it was preceded by many others. Hisorians of the future who attempt to understand our enemies in the "war on terror" should preceed a discussion of Osama and Al Qaeda with with an anlysis of Sirhan Sirhan, Abu Nidal, Imad Mugniah, Ramzi Yousef and Muammar Gaddafi who were all motivated to kill American citizens because of our support for Isreal. Exposing this history will help Americans understand better the "why 9-11?" Or the "why Iraq." Or the "why Iran?" Historians will remember "They hate us cuz we're free" only as subterfuge.
The banks are paying them to watch soccer. No, wait, we're paying them to watch soccer!
Marcus Braucholi is Editor in Chief at Wapo. Some of his earliest assignments as a teen age journalist included a column in the Daily Camera (Boulder, CO) called "Pet of the Week" about animals up for adoption at the SPCA. His politics are liberal, if I understand him correctly. Where does that pedigree show up on Wapo's opinion pages? - Nowhere. His ass is in someone else's briefcase.
Arendt is a soothing breath of spring. Uber nationalists everywhere could learn something from this sentiment:
"... she had ‘never in [her] life “loved” any people or collective group’ -- only friends."
Thanks Citizen,
Apparently, Whitnum has made it her mission to expose the toxic US/Israel partnership. Good for her, I hope she succeeds in getting some attention. She's assertive but, unfortunately, she comes across as a mud slinging whiner and a bit of a crank. She doesn't package her critique effectively, even to Americans who may nominally share her views.
Mr. Smith,
Thank you for writing this piece. You covered some important issues in a clear, succinct way - not easy to do. Who knows, maybe by expressing your your views so publicly, come what may, you'll inspire some of your fellow congregants to folow suit. You may have started a small revolt in your synagogue.
Be careful what you wish for, Bibi. There's more than one kind of demigod in "the pantheon of World Leaders."
" But at how many more speeches to AIPAC will he be able to talk about "the demographic realities" (2011) and "shifting demographics" (2012) without coming off as a racist?"
Good point. This kind of commentary is already understood as racist among many Americans. It's not yet a mainstream understanding only to the extent that white Americans are having their own fits of apoplexy over the prospects of sharing power and money with minorities. This shows up especially in conservative legislation aimed at redistricting, voter ID, drug laws, gun laws, states rights, welfare reform... All of these issues tickle the race button of the American brain stem. We've come a long way towards sharing power. The middle class is much more mixed than it used to be. Still a long way to go before white Americans learn to relax and soak in the beauties and foibles of "shifting demographics.".
Great analogy, Phil. European colonists, immigrants and their American descendents were/are the beneficiaries of their own genocidal campaign and I count myself among them. Israeli Jews are presumably the beneficiaries of their genocidal campaign against Palestinians. The moral equivalency here still doesn't account for how American tax payers benefit from a Jewish Israeli genocide against Palestinians. We fight foreign wars, we bear the brundt of worldwide criticism and contempt, tragic terrorist attacks, and an oil embargo all in support of Jewish supremecy in Israel. Immoral as it is to colonize a foreign land and kill and expel the natives, it can be understood in historical terms as the greed and avarice of man in pursuit of power and profit. Subsidizing the genocidal campaign of another nation without one brown penny's worth of benefit, and lots and lots of liability, is insanity.
Nowhere in this conversation do Steiner or Katz talk about 'we' or 'us' in connection to their status as American citizens or to the American people. MJ Rosenberg had it right when he referred to such people as 'Israel firsters.'
This telling episode reminds me of another occation when, in 1998, AIPAC's influence reached a dramatic crescendo. In '98, it was revealed that Swiss banks had profitted from Nazi war crimes as all manner of money and property stolen from German Jews had been deposited in Swiss banks. Swiss authorities agreed to investigate the claims but before they even got started, AIPAC strongarmed the US Congress to demand that the banks immediately make compensation payments to needy Holocaust survivors who were in their sunset years. Rep. Alfonse D'Amato lead the congressional charge, insisting that neither the US Government nor the needy victims would suffer the insult of stalling tactics disguised as investigations. D'Amato, and others, threatened Swiss banks and the Swiss government with crippling economic sanctions if they didn't act immediately. History demanded that compensation be paid NOW to those who had suffered this tragic injustice. The House of Reps. thundered with righteous
indignation as one rep after another clambored for thier chance at the microphone...
Meanwhile, the Congressional Black Caucus was pleasantly surprised to learn that there were so many House members, including compassionate conservatives, who were demanding compensation for victims of institutionally supported crimes. The bi-partisan support was heart warming, and to see so many of their distinguished colleagues, indignant and red-faced, pounding the podium to see to it that compenstion was paid to those needy victims...
In an effort to join the conversation about 'compensation' and 'needy victims', CBC members broached the subject of compensation for American victims of institutionally supported crimes right here in the USA. Suddenly their white colleagues changed their tune - "woah, woah let's not get crazy now!"
Norm Finkelstein details the Swiss bank sweepstakes in his book great book The Holocaust Industry.
Israeli motives are much darker and more sinister than those of SA whites in the sense that Israelis don’t want Palestinians in the Jewish State, not even as cheap labor, because their existence is a material threat to Zionism.
Israeli motives are much darker and more sinister than those of SA whites in the sense that Israelis don't want Palestinians in the Jewish State, not even as cheap labor, because their existence is a material threat to Zionism.
"The most important strategic lesson is that if a tactic does not work, do not repeat it. Most people on the left constantly repeat tactics that don’t work. ACT UP was creative because they had to be, because lives were at stake. They were taking chances, being outrageous and ahead in tactical choices. That is the way to go. Be specific. ACT-UP never would hold a boring march with signs and have speakers. "
Ain't this the truth. Protesters with signs and chants fail to get people's attention because they don't apply the most important lesson of salesmanship: 'sell yourself' Sell yourself by being unique and provacative. Carrying signs and chanting is lazy. It's the same mode of expression over and over again. Commonplace. Predictable. People tune it, not because the message isn't interesting, but because the mode of expression is boring. I/P activists need to tap the transcentdent power of art if they want to reach more people. Some of the 'flash mob' stuff has succeeded with this. There needs to be more of it, and more art, music and theatrics that we haven't yet imagined. The promise of something unexpected will win new audiences.
A 'preemptive strike' on Iran's nuclear facilities could easily, and quickly, get out of control. If Iran decided to answer Israeli/American bombing attacks with attacks of their own on American targets, civilian or military, the President would feel obligated to anwser in kind and the 'surgical strike' plan would be abandoned for a wider war that could conceivably include invasion, regime change, occupation... This scenario is the grand prize for Israel and her supporters. Send America's men and women to kill and be killed for Israel, again, and send the bill to American tax payers. For Israel's supporters this would be the best possible outcome of a strike on Iran that begins, however naively, as a'preemptive strike' strategy - right Oleg?
ToivoS-
"Israel is using it’s propaganda opportunities to target American Jews. One would think that constituency would be locked up by now."
Good point, ToivoS. Outside of Christian Zionists, the hasbarists are losing control of Israel's story among American Gentiles who know the score. People like Oren are hearing the whispers, and sometimes shouts, of contempt directed towards Israeli leadership by American Gentile critics who are shedding their ignorance and their fear. The hasbarists know that pleading Isreael's case, frought with lies and lies of omission, isn't working with Gentiles like it used to. Likewise the misappriated smear of antisemitism. Without a religeous or ethnic connection to make with their Gentile audiences, and with bad news about Israel starting to overshadow the good news, hasbarists are meeting more yawns and steely glares when they make their pitch. Israel's cheerleaders understand that this ominous trend is bad news for Israel. Even worse, however, are the tremors being felt in America's Jewish population. With Oren's WSJ piece, Beinart's book, etc.. we're seeing a red alert, panic button frenzy as the hasbarists try to corral a growing number of American Jews who are saying, "Thanks for my share of your concern, but you can keep it. Israel doesn't speak for me." Israel's leadership understands that if Israel loses enough Jewish American support, they'll lose American support all together.
giladg,
Are you telling us that Tutu lacks knowlege of or experience with apartheid? Tutu lived through apartheid and based on what he saw in the OT, he said Israel's apartheid system was WORSE than South Africa's.
"Now is the time for all men to come to the aid of their country!"
Any chance the "coalition of the willing" will include British, Canadian, or Australian troops in an Israeli-American lead attack/war on Iran? NATO?
seanmcbride-
"Wouldn’t you think that Sergey Brin, Larry Page and Mark Zuckerberg would go to extaordinary lengths to squash any suspicion that Google and Facebook are being manipulated or infiltrated by the Israeli government and the Israel lobby?"
Yes, that makes sense but ethnic/religeous loyalties are powerful things that often make no sense at all. We'll see.
Can there be any doubt that Edelstein and Foxman will be leveraging the loyalty angle with Zuckerberg and Brin? This includes a veiled threat: "You know, it would be a shame if it somehow got out that you guys are self hating Jews." Brin will be put to the test against his own words, "knowledge is always good, and certainly always better than ignorance", and against Google’s motto "Don't be evil"
This child abuse story reminds me of some of the hierarchy patterns discussed in Israel Shahak's book, Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel. In it, he cites some of the history of Jewish Ghettos in aparthied Europe. He notes that the circumscribed Jewish Ghettos were strictly enforced by the Gentiles from the outside and by Rabbinical authorities from within. Rabbis had unquestionable authority within the Ghettos and Jews who were caught in comprimising relations with Gentiles or among themselves were punished (including public beatings) on orders from the Rabbis. Gentile law had no reach in the Ghettos.
The US went off the deep end in our support for Israel a long time ago, and the deep end just keeps getting deeper. There's no justice or peace on the horizon and no end game in sight for the US. The mood is dark and foreboding, especially in light of what a war on Iran or the Arab Spring is going to mean for status quo US-ME policy. Oil is still the key. It's been almost 40 years since the Saudis reminded Americans just how much we NEED them as allies. Sooner or later the Saudis may feel we need another reminder to show Americans just how dependent we are on Saudi Arabia, and how foolish we are to put American-Saudi relations in serious jeapardy over our corrupt "special relationship" with Israel, a country of no real, concrete importance whatsoever to the US.
" is to completely change the conversation..."
Let's talk about Gay night life! Birding! It's such naked subterfuge, it's almost comical. Even the majority of Americans who don't know or care about Israel perceive Israel as being perpetually at war or on the verge of war. Why would I travel to a war zone to go clubbing or watch birds?
It's unreaslistic to expect Hogue or Beinart or any person who has learned to love Israel on his/her daddy's knee, to drink Israel in his/her mother's milk, to suddenly become an ardent critic of Israel and Zionism. In 'coming out' at the JStreet conference, Hogue has, however tepidly, recognized that Israel is at least responsible for injustices against Palestinians. Once she started tugging on that string of truth about Israel, she committed herself to an unravelling of the myths and legends she grew up with. I'm confident she'll get there. Like Beinart, she would be a great ally:
" ...I got in my fair share of fights. [wild applause] I have negotiated with bank CEOs for stronger environmental standards on their lending policies. I have stood my ground when rightwing radical activists have shouted down congresspeople supporting the health care law in town halls of 2009."
The stain of institutional complicity makes these crimes that much more revolting. Even after the crimes, lies, and coverups are exposed, institutional reps keep on lying and everyone knows it. When they keep on lying, everyone also knows the lies are about protecting institutional money. In the end, however, they pay and pay for covering up crimes they should have dealt with promptly in the first place. The process is familiar and predictable:
1. Nothing happened. The plaintiffs are lying.
2. Well, maybe something happened and if so we'll get to the bottom of it.
3. Look, mistakes were made, ok.
4. Ok, ok. But crime is way too strong a word.
5. Ok, ok. But in these cases, 'guilty' is a verdict that only applies to islolated
individuals, right?
6. Where's the check book?
Amidst the fall out of the Sandusky case, after the sordid and criminal details were made public, including Joe Paterno's role in burying the story and his subsequent dismissal, Penn State boosters were dispatched to smooth the feathers of concerned PSU alumni througout Pennsylvania. Everywhere they went they heard one refrain above all others: "How dare you treat Joe Paterno with such disrespect. Shame on you!"
Fredblogs,
This exclusive, self segregated community of Jews provides a window into extremes of religious nationalism in which many of the Jews in this Orthadox community are more concerned about remaining secretive, seperate and entitled than they are about child victims or the law of the land. A metaphor for Israel and her supporters.
I enjoyed your role as devil's advocate, Phil.
The BDS train is just now inching its way out of the station, but its huffing and puffing, blowing its whistle and making lots of noise. Avishai fears the momentum of this train and what that means to the status quo in Israel. Just as it was with South Africa, the day will come when US companies, local and state gov'ts, etc.. will divest from Israel as a badge of honor. Corporations will want to exchange the PR liabilities associated with doing business with Israel for the honorifics associated with BDS. They may even turn it into a sales pitch to their customers: "We're a human rights loving company!" With this kind of momentum behind it, BDS will become a self perpetuating wheel. That day may be a ways off, but its coming. Avishai and his pals want to kill BDS in its infancy. They look at South Africa and tremble.
"Israel is sucking up all the oxygen in the White House..."
Exactly right. When I imagine POTUS' busy day, I see a man with strictly managed time slots for everything: economy, healthcare, national security, foreign wars, Pentagon, DOJ, DOD, etc... Foreign policy gets how much of his time on a daily basis? I'm talking about US relations with nearly 7,000,000,000 people in other parts of the globe! and how much of that time slot is given to a tiny desert country in the ME that has no strategic value to the US. No oil, no canal, nothing that we need. NOTHING! The Zionists are indeed ruling the roost. Americans should hang their heads in shame and embarrassment to see our reps give so much of our time to a foreign country of no importance to our national life and health.
I agree about sports, Dan. After retiring from the Steelers, linebacker Andy Russell was asked if there were things he missed about playing football. He said, "I miss the clarity. At the end of the game I knew whether we won or lost. In my life as a businessman I don.t have that kind of clarity. " Sports has a clarity that doesn't exist in art or commerce.
Thanks Phil, I look forward to reading Smith's book.
In his 1984 book, Taking Sides, Stephen Green covers the case of NUMEC and Zalman Shapiro. Green's book is an interesting read. He cites lots of documents from the National Archive in detailing the early stages of America's "all in'' commitment to Israel. Interestingly, in the forward of his book, he said he was surprised to learn that he was the first person to request access to many of the extensive files on on the early history of the Special Relationship. I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that access to those files has been made much more difficult and cumbersome of late. James Ennis certainly found out how sensitive the The Lobby is about the America/Israel archives. When Ennis was researching the public record ahead of publishing the first edition of his book, Assault On The Libery, he said access to the files was straightforward. When it was learned that he was sniffing around that dog pile, Ennis found that files were missing, files that were there on his previous visits.
KB - ” Anti-Semitism is hating the Jews more than necessary “- I agree
More than necessary? Apparently Snaider is resigned to his belief that Gentiles hate Jews but only some (anti-semites) hate them "more than necessary." That offends me. Equally offensive is that you agree with him.
" She’s also choosing to write about an event that Israel no doubt would love to see buried in a tiny article on page 29 if printed at all."
I agree, David. NYT coverage of the IDF assault on the USS Liberty appeared in its 9 June 1967 edition, PAGE 29.
Mooser: 'And mine is a real penny-pincher, a regular “second-hand Rose”'
Uh oh, sounds like trouble Moose. Has she set spending limits on your trips to Guitar Center?
Beinart seems to believe that his best chance of success within the tribe is to convince liberal Zionists of his arguments. This strategy makes sense to me. He has next to no chance of success with the Gordis' of the world. As a liberal Zionist himself, though, Beinart is an interesting case. Unlike many of his lib Zio fellow travellers, he doesn't believe that the failure to achieve peace is all the fault of the Palestinians. Unlike his fellow lib Zioa, and most importantly, he understands that time is running out on Israel. Running out because Israel has become an aparthied state, BDS is picking up steam, criticism is mounting, and good opinions about Israel among her American benefactors are dwindling. I'm sure 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. He's put a lot on the line and I respect him for that. Ultimately, however, he'll have to shed his liberal Zionism or fall back into line among the ranks of his fellow Zionists.
Thanks for your analysis, Krauss.
"No, change won’t come from inside, because tribalism is put ahead of principles."
Beinart engages his tribe on their terms (no Palestinians allowed) and in their comfort zones, and for now, I applaud Beinart's efforts. Too many American Jews are blinded by their nationalism. However, Beinart is someone the tribe is at least willing to listen to and I can picture more than a few people in his audiences who are quietly convinced or at least disturbed by his analysis. That's a good thing. 10 years ago Zionists were sleeping peacefully. Not anymore, and Beinart is banging his pots and pans, helping to raise the alarm.
However, his place on their stage may be short lived. The tribe wont tolerate Beinart's one-man show indefinitely, regardless of his bona fides. They will get to him like they got to Goldstone and he'll burst like a bubble in a mud pot, melting and vanishing back into the tribal whole. If Israel's future means more to him than the demands of the tribe, Beinart will need to seek allies outside the Jewish Establishment, including Palestinians. Of course this will mean that Beinart will have to understand the whole injustice and unworkableness of Zionism. That would be a big leap for him, but its a leap he'll have to make soon if he wants to keep his place among respectable criics. I hope he's brave enough to say 'goodbye' to the unjust people he loves and 'hello' to people who share his vision of a more just world. He would be a powerfiully articulate ally.
." here in america, anyways, fitting in, not tribalism, is the foundation of jewish life."
Well said, yourstruly. and that goes for all Americans who are invited by our Constitution to "fit in."
"... given the smoky-tent tribalness"
"...sees the crisis piling down the tracks toward his beloved Israel"
I enjoy the use of imagery in your writing, Phil. It's measured and employed enough but not too much. If Beinart's transformation gets stuck in the mud he may find himself on the outside peering through the glass at the next wave - Phil Weiss, Ali Abunimah, Glenn Greenwald,etc...
Goodman’s job within that context is spin...he writes in an explanation of the Bronfman Program on the INSS website. “Israel must devise a strategy to impact positively on international and Arab public opinion and overall disseminate its message more effectively.”
OR
"Isabel must devise a strategy to impart propaganda on international and Arab opinian and overall distort Israel's message more effectively."
Citizen,
I don't see Israel's supporters, including the neo-cons, as traitors. They're deluded Americans who've drunk deeply of the Zionist kool aid. They're hardcore, ethnocentric nationalists who see the interests of the US and Israel as identical. But whether or not people like Wolfowitz and Feith really believe our interests are the same, is, in a way, irrelevant. No matter what they believe, the neo cons who provided the intellectual basis, the reasons, for our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, were dead wrong in their assumptions about those wars. Wrong about Iraqi ties to Al Qeida, wrong about WMD, wrong about the costs and duration of those wars. Part of that cost should be measured in terms of the civil liberties we've sacrificed to greater "security," including surveillance of our phone calls and e-mails, assassination of American citizens by executive order, indefinite detention of American citizens without charges or trial, etc... The men and women who looked at 9/11 as an act of war, rather than a terrorist crime, who saw in 9/11 an opportunity to eliminate Israel's enemies in the ME and an opportunity to further cement the bond between the US and Israel by telling our citizens that Americans and Israeli Jews share the same enemy (islomofascists) for the same reason (they hate freedom) should be exposed; and they will be as more frustrated Americans call attention to what supporting Israel's ethnocracy has COST US. This understanding of the problem with American support for Israel isn't limited to America's "radical left". We've seen signs that the conversations taking place among senior American military leadership is much different than what we're hearing out of congress, the White House, and among the civilian leadership in the Pentagon. There are a few notable conservatives (Pat Buchannon, Robert Novak, Ron Paul)who've have pointed out the absurdly outsized and dangerous place Israel has in American politics. This thread of America's critique of the Special Relationship, including W&M's important book, is a vital part of the mostly sub terrainian American critique of the Special Relationship. This critical thread, together with the late breaking and essential insurrection going on in America's Jewish population, is slowly progressing. Zionists are holding on tight to what big money and critical choke points of power in congress and the MSM can do for them in controlling this conversation. That's not enough. The dyke is springing too many leaks and they don't have enough fingers among them to plug the holes. As for those who thumped the war drums for Iraq and are still thumping them for war on Iran, they may yet hang their heads in disgrace.
Beinart has succeded in sending this simple message to American Jews who are invested in Israel: Israel, and hence Judaism, is in big trouble.
For Americans who are not invested in Israel, however, supporting Israel is problematic in ways that are separate from ethnic/religeous concerns. Supporting the Jewish state's campaign of home demolishment, destruction of olive orchards, land theft, water theft, poisoning waters wells with raw sewage, settlements, by-pass roads, checkpoints, martial law, torture, murder, and war against Palestinians has made mockery our American values, human values actually, as spelled out in our constitution. Every POTUS, Sate Dept. rep, UN rep , etc. who preaches to the world about human rights becomes a joke because of our support for Israel. And there's much more at stake here than America's image. With few exceptions, almost every act of international terrorism that has targeted American citizens, going all the way back to Sirhan Sirhan, has shared a common theme that has motivated the terrorists: contempt for America because of our support for Israel. The attcks on 9/11 should have been a turning point in our understanding about how deeply despised we are because of our support for Israel and the autorats of the ME. At a minimum American leadership should have endeavored to understand our enemies and to come clean with our citizens about the "why" of 9/11. We were lied to instead - "they hate us because we're free." Then we went to war in Afganistan and Iraq at a cost of hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars. As far as I'm concerned, this disastrous mire we've created for ourselves in the ME can be laid on the doorstep of Israel's blind supporters. 9/11 was the culmination of contempt built up over many decades. Terminator: "I'll be back." a funny line. Ramzi Yousef: "We'll be back" that was no joke but no one took him seriously.
As an American without any atachment to Israel I'm not at all conflicted about what Israel or Zionism mean to my identity. Practical solutions to the America/ Israel/Palestine entanglement will have to include the views of a growing number of Americans who have come to see just how costly that entanglement has become vis a vis the chain of events that took us from Sirhan Sirhan to the killing fields of Iraq and Afghanistan.
Obama is a straight up bigot. Recognizing this about him makes understanding what he says and does about I/P so much easier.
"...as long as Obama prevents that war on Iran, this play is worth it."
With each pledge of allegiance to Israel, POTUS moves us closer to war with Iran, not further from it. He abdicates his authority and his independence, essentially saying, "It's your call, Bibi, we've got your back." Obama has nothing up his sleeve, no grand strategy to outmaneuver Netanyahu or the Zio's. Obama is a thoroughly mediocre politician with no stomach for the unpleasantness of a political brawl. I hope I'm wrong, but I'm guessing Obama would sooner commit us to war with Iran than to risk the embarrassment of losing a PR battle with hostile Zionists.
"This is true even when someone is holding himself hostage."
Fred, you're a hostage to Zionist ideology. A creature to be pitied. Cold, naked in the dark, lunging and knashing your teeth at any rational person who cracks the door of your dungeon.
Several years ago, there was a group of Presbyterians travelling in the Levant on a 'fact finding' mission ahead of their recommendation to divest from Israel. One of their members was 'caught' saying that the group received a warmer welcome from Hezbollah reps in Lebannon than they did from their Israeli hosts. Well! The outrage! This case of bias towards a "terrorist organization" threw cold water on their divestment plans. I've seen it reported more recently here on MW that a Presbyterian divestment is moving forward.
Hezbollah has been accused many times of the Beirut barracks bombings, 1983. Never proved. Hezb has also been accused of bombing a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Also never proved. These bombings are cited over and over as the primary reasons why Hezb is named a "terrorist organization." Where's the proof? Argentina botched the investigation (the bomber's head was thrown in the dumpster). In 2007, 14 years after the bombing, American congressman, Mario Cafiero, felt compelled to weigh in with a verdict. He cited the testimony of two members of the Peoples Mujahedin of Iran (MEK) as proof of Iran's involvment. The MEK rings some bells, no? Still nothing solid connecting Hezb to the bombings in Buenos Aires and Beirut. Yet our reps and the MSM blithely state it as fact that Hezb is responsible. Is there anything else Hezb has done to earn its spot on the US "terror"
list? As far as I can tell, Nusrallah has a well earned rep as the leader of an organization whose only crime is effectively fighting the IDF, and kicking them out of Lebannon.
Flyzilla is wrecking havoc on Israel's image. It's dragging billion dollar airlines into the BDS fray and that's bound to make waves. This tactic is producing some unexpectedly good results.
I don't "avoid recognition of Israel as a Jewish state". I reject it entirely, without qualifications. I don't want Israel to be a Jewish state any more than I want the US to be the United White States of America. I'd like to see Israel transformed into something better: a state with equality under the law for all the people who live there. I wouldn't complain about devoting some of my tax dollars to making this dream a reality. However, I will continue to complain about my government using my tax dollars to strangle the Palestinian nation in the service of a construct as absurd and bigoted as the Jewish state.
"... I don’t say this to compare Iran to Nazi Germany."
No, of couse not, hophmi. That goes without saying - no need to explain.
Big news. This has to reflect a change in strategy on Obama's part, otherwise his reps would have coughed up yet another deal breaker complaint against Iran. 11 years of war must be weighing on his conscience. He must also feel he'll have enough popular support to weather the inevitable shouts of "appeasement!" from Israel's supporters.
"But all the Israeli government has done is ensure that resistance to its policies will reach those shores as well"
Exactly right. This story will make more waves than any BDS initiative thus far.
Move over Alfred Brendel and Deitrich Fischer-Dieskau, Herr Eggert does it all!
Galloway is a raffish firebrand. His rhetoric appeals to the passions of those who share his views but in American polite society, including the MSM, he's featured as a loopy exremist much like Jim Trafficant. His blount style can be abbrasive but he's no Jim Trafficant. He's smarter, more articulate and he cuts right to the chase when he talks about the big problem with Israel: Zionism.
"To be “conservative” in the usual political meaning is to seek to preserve one’s own privileges."
This concept is behind the GOP's appeal to American Jewish voters.
As it is, Beinart gets more face time than any critic of Israel's policies. Much of his critique is valueable even if his stated commitment to Zionism obscures his criticism. Let's hope his transformation continues and that he's not shoved off the podium before that transformation is allowed to take place.
Making this kind of commitment to justice is inspiring. Stay strong Noam and Alon!
Thanks for the Hagee link, dickerson. Hagee's flock gobbles up the slop just as fast as he ladles it out. The influence Hagee and other Evangelical leaders have over millions of Americans should be of more concern to people like Lieberman. Hagee's interpretation of scripture could change with one bad dream or a fit of indigestion: "God spoke to me. He said, 'Israel must be destroyed! Isreal must be destroyed! Israel must be destroyed!'" His flock would join in the chant without blinking.
Cohen deserves credit for spitting out his muzzle long enough to voice some audible criticism of Israel in the "newspaper of record." He left me with the impression that his private views are even darker than what he's said in his column.
"...Snits Where He Eats" Love the headline. The Atlantic should do its readers a real service, fire Goldberg and hire Weiss.
The comments on the CBS site are encouraging. There's much angst expressed over the "...did nothing to save them" nonsense. One woman was incensed that CBS would broadcast such a load of propaganda on Easter Sunday morning. She said it was as if the network had "pissed on her pancakes." Others mentioned the plight of Palestinians. Much of it reads like a MW comments section and this is what makes Zionists so anxious - they're losing the American public.
"Basically, the world did nothing to save them..."
So a war in which over 60 million were killed in the fight to save Europe and Russia from fascist Germany and, in Churchill's words, "a new dark age made more sinister and protracted by the likes of perverted science", amounted to doing nothing? That's insulting. Putting an end to Germany's nationalism gone mad included putting an end to Hitler's extermination camps. Could more have been done, or could things have been done differently? Of course. There are millions of people who wish things had been done differently. Before they died, the "alligator ant people" of Nagasaki and Hiroshima may too have wondered why things hadn't been done diferently.
Nancy Reagan once gave her sister an opened package of twizlers for her birthday. This "bombshell" was made public by gossip monger Kitty Kelly in her 1991 unauthorized biography of the First Lady. I have a hard time sorting out who is more depraved - Nancy for being a crass gift giver, the author for revealing it, or me for snorting and laughing about it.
If Israel's defenders had keener eyes for subtlety they might recognize in Steves someone who they ought not thump with the blundt cudgel of 'antisemitism.' He's a hugely popular, good natured everyman whose fans won't take kindly to a character assasination campaign against their favorite travel guide. This could be a big boost for BDS too if he continues to speak out about Israel. He may even tell his fellow travellers that, no, he doesn't recommend a trip to Israel and here's why...
All the people in government and the MSM who have been grudgingly biting the pillow for Israel over these many years will be glad to see Zionism exposed to sunlight and fresh air. They'll join the critique with enthusiam, having been muzzled, coerced and under threat of losing their careers for so long.
biorabbi:
"I am appalled by Mr. Grass’ comments because of who he is and who he was."
Which is to say the problem is with the messenger, not the message. We hear this refrain over and over from Zionists. They can't argue the case for Israel so instead they attack any and all of Israel's critics. It's all they have left.
I like his mischevious smile. I can tell he likes to thwack the hornets nest.
No, it was their original guitarist, Hillel Slovak. Slovak was born in Haifa where he lived 'til age 5 when his family emigrated to US.
I heard somewhere that the Pepper's singer was Israeli. Yes, no , maybe so?
Amen.
Writes Barbara Harvey of JVP who helped to organize the walkout: "The silent walk-out is a very powerful tactic. I'm not gonna dis mic-checking, but this tactic effectively shows contempt for the speaker without interrupting the presentation or the right of those still sitting in the room (usually almost none!) to hear it. It's pure expressive conduct, totally protected by the First Amendment, that poses no risk of criminal prosecution. The silent walk-out has been used very powerfully at U of M and WSU, again and again, and it's driving the other side nuts."
Harvey is on point here. The silent walk out says it all without saying a word. Very powerful. Remember the silent treatment given to the Provost at UC Davis. Walking the concrete plank amidst hundreds of her student critics, not a sound but for her clacking heels. Nothing stings quite like silent scorn.
Israel isn't a vital trading parter, they don't control any shipping lanes, they have no resources that we need... nothing! The ONLY explaination for the strength of US attachment to Israel is the Lobby. For the US, supporting Israel has been a net liability. Sirhan Sirhan, Ramzi Yousef, Abu Nidal, Imad Mugniah, Osama Bin Laden, Kalid Sheikh Muhamed, etc... and all their minions shared a contempt for the US based totally or in part on our limitless supply of cash, arms and vetos to advance the ongoing crusade of the Jewish State. How is it that inviting the contempt, merderous contempt in some cases, of the world is in our interest were it not for the Lobby? I think Finklestien's the one who lacks evidence for his case that the Lobby is just not that influencial.
"Our importance derives not from "Jewish voters" (as Terry Gross said yesterday)-- but from how much money we put into the political process."
Terry Gross' program isn't the first place I've heard reference to the pivotal "Jewish vote." I hear the decisive "Jewish vote" mentioned so often that I could expect to find as many as 100 million American Jews who are registered voters. Sillyness! The notion that Presidential elections or critical law-making decisions are decided by the tally of Jewish votes is absurd. You're right, Phil, Jewish money is behind Jewish influence and "Jewish voters" are its subterfuge.
Being liberal minded, I'm grateful that Jews give as much as they do to liberal causes. In America's support for Israel, however, Jewish money becomes a real problem.
Excellent article Phil. In listening to Beinart's interview yesterday I was most impressed by his intelligent strategy:
1. Forget the rightwingers, they're a lost cause.
2. Invite liberal Zionists, with gentle, reassuruing tones, to uncover their eyes and ears and say out loud what they know to be true - the tide is rising against Zionism and its contrdictoriness to liberal democracy.
Beinart himself is hard to figure. I'm not convinced by his professed commitment to Zionism. His quest reminds me of Descartes setting out to prove the existence of God. In the end his work went along way towards proving the opposite.
Beinart doesn't convince me that he believes the most non-sensical bits of his own jibber jabber concerning the conjugal harmony between the Jewish State AND democracy.
Beinart:
"As a Jewish state, Israel's anthem, flag, and Jewish right of return would still afford Jewish Israelis a sense of national belonging and national refuge that Arab Israelis lack."
Frederick Douglass:
"Fellow-citizens, pardon me, allow me to ask, why am I called upon to speak here to-day? What have I, or those I represent, to do with your national independence? Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice, embodied in that Declaration of Independence, extended to us? and am I, therefore, called upon to bring our humble offering to the national altar, and to confess the benefits and express devout gratitude for the blessings resulting from your independence to us?"
Thanks Phil.
I'm sure Matthews knows the places where not to tread, places that'll send shock waves through his dog collar, coutesy of his boss, David Cohen. Here is Cohen with his thoughts on the 2nd Intifata, published 10 April 2002, in the Philadelphia Weekly:
"I personally believe that the tactic Israel is using now is an appropriate response to an absolutely intolerable position being taken by militant factions of the Palestinian movement. And if the leader of that movement--a person who insists internationally on being recognized as the leader--does not condemn on a consistent basis the killing of innocent civilians then the criticism of "the price paid by the Palestinians" needs to visited on that leader and not on the state of Israel. ...
Jews and Arabs--non-Palestinian Arabs, law-abiding Arabs--all are at risk as a result of a new kind of war being waged against the state of Israel. It's not a war with tanks rolling across the Sinai or artillery shelling from the Golan Heights.
The new kind of war that's being waged on the state of Israel is being run by a band of terrorists who have no regard for human life, no regard for the sovereignty of the state of Israel.
One of the problems created by the latest dimension of terrorism is that even when you are in a hotel at which there are four soldiers at every entrance--a situation we wouldn't tolerate in the U.S.--you still have a person who is willing to be a suicide bomber, who doesn't care about getting out alive. That person can walk right in the doors of that hotel, right through the lobby with Israeli soldiers and walk into a crowded ballroom and detonate a bomb.
Israel didn't start this. And if there was a simple answer to this question, we wouldn't be having this conversation."
The article features what some of Philly's prominent Jew's thought about the raging Intifata. Telling commentary and somewhat encouraging because, 10 years later, i think some of the assumptions we here in their comments are on much shakier ground these days.
Read more: link to philadelphiaweekly.com
Not just an insult to Palestinians but to Muslims everywhere. If the US stands alone in recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capitol, our leaders will be inviting more scorn, contempt, ridicule and, dare I say it, terrorism aimed at American citizens. This is straight up insanity.
fredblogs: Equity="national suicide".
Wrong, fred. Equity=national salvation..
Perpetual inequity=national suicide.
Stewart and Oliver were right on target til the wrap up summary. In their scripted wrap-up they had a chance to explain the "moral of the story" by identifying winners and losers but they punted instead. Even so the story exposed the absurd allegiance our government has to Zionism and the state of Israel in emotional and specific ways that MSN outlets haven't touched.
The American national anthem is the Star Spangled Banner not God Bless America. After 9/11 it somehow became the norm to stand, remove hats for God Bless America. I was most put out by being asked to do so at a Phillies game last summer. I stood out of courtesy but didn't sing along. One of the powerful themes in The Star Spangled Banner is shaking off the colonial yoke. God Bless America is nonsensical piffle about how God should smile on our Amerian nation. They should retire that song. Let em sing it in church but keep our real anthem alive in places like the Phillies baseball stadium.
Well put, stevelaudig. The issue here, and it should be obvious, is the connection between Zionists and choke points of power. Not every Jew is a Zionist and not every Zionist is a Jew. Zionist power is something I'm concerned about because it's the driving force behind a campaign to snuff out the Palestinian nation and an American foreign policy run amok. "Jewish power" on Wall Street is of concern to me only with respect to how its money and poweris used to further the cause of Zionism. As per the corruption of America's banking sector I don't see that Jews should be singled out. There's plenty of greed and avarice among all the players on Wall Street, Jews and Gentiles, for which we all have paid an awful price.
Jon Stuart ran a great piece on UNESCO a couple nights ago. The US cut off $61m in funding for UNESCO because the UN organization recognized Palestine as a UN member state. John Oliver made Congressman Wexler from Florida look like a crass bureaucrat, smiling and making inane, arrogant comments about cutting funds for irrigation, water wells, literacy programs and about how it was all the fault of Palestinians and UNESCO. Almost the entire show was devoted to the subject which included an Oliver trip to Gabon, West Africa. This show was expensive to make and I'm sure there was/is much hand wringing about it in the accounting office at Comedy Central. Oliver is hilarious and devilishly good at his bait and switch routine. It was outstanding. Broadcast March, 16 (I think).
Stuart is chewing the ancles of the high and mighty here, I think.
Interestingly, Comcast's "on demand" menu provides a one sentence synopsis of Daily show reruns. Not this one. Only a generic blurb about Stuart being Stuart.
Israel and her supporters are pushing the limits on many fronts. Flying too close to the sun?
Sky high oil prices will cement the deal for the North American pipe line, and if that pipeline goes through we can consider the door slammed shut on any serious American efforts to do anything about global warming. The coastal flooding that is forecast in the coming decades will dwarf every problem America has created for itself in the ME, including our absurd obsession with Israel.
" ... and wait, you're one of the most powerful people in America, chair of the Democratic National Committee? I don't get it. You don't feel safe in Florida?"
Exactly.
Donald:
"Hardly anyone was talking about Wright’s views of Israel in March 2008, but in defending American exceptionalism (whatever one thinks about that) Obama felt it necessary to make a point about Israel and the Mideast that any neocon would have applauded."
The NYR, Washington Post, and Jerusalem Post have all reported that Jewish donors account for up to 50% of all campaign contributions to the DNC. Obama had no choice if he ever expected to get a whiff of the white house, no matter what his personal opinions may be.
Well said Mr.Barghouti. Remnick offers another weak attempt to bury and silence the tell-tale heart of Palestine. It keeps him awake at night.
Well done, Mr. Peled. Facing up to the whole truth about Israel takes courage.
"I’m not sure if this is a breakthrough for the MSM yet, but it shows that the liberal firewall of uncondtional support for Israel is breaking down. And it’s being led by Gentiles. Just like Jews led the Civil Rights struggle back here at home"
I disagree. It's obvious that blacks led the Civil Rights Movement and that there was essential support for it on the part of many whites including strong support from American Jews. The challenge to American support for Israel is, in my view, being lead by by both Jews and Gentiles. I see a leading role for Jews, not a supporting one, and this comes as no surprise because, with so much at stake, Jews are more invested in Zionist ideology than are most Gentiles.
Israel is a small desert counrty with little to to offer the United States. Practically speaking, it's absurd beyond belief that it gets more attention from Congress and the White House than does China or India.
Your piece touches on ways in which American conservative and liberal identities have switched roles in the last 40 years. In the 60's and 70's liberals were cast as the indulgant hedonists while conservatives were more self sacrificing stoics. Today, the opposite is true. Liberals are committed to a more self sacrificing stoicism that serves the greater good for all. Conservatives are the hedonists who worship individual pleasure seeking and who scoff at notions of 'self sacrifice' and 'all for one and one for all'.
hop:
"I don’t loathe or fear Palestinians. But the Jews in Hebron need protection for a reason."
How many millions per year do American tax payers spend on "protection" for Jewsh settlers in Hebron? I'd love to see a per person $ amount.
Sumud:
"Prioritising the desires of Israel above those of the US is nothing less than treason. I’m not even American and the prospect pisses me off."
Yes, it's an embarrassment to watch one POTUS after another soil the office with such servile prostration. It's worse than embarrasing for American soldiers who have lived the tragic and lethal consequences of "prioritising the desires of Israel above those of the US."
A window into the jaded attitude many Americans have about the violent death of someone else's children:
The Philadelphia Inquirer recently reported that, during the official 8+ year time frame of the Iraq war ( March 21, 2003 - December 15, 2011) there were nearly as many homicides in Camden and Philadelphia combined as combat deaths in Iraq.
Homicides in Philadelphia and Camden: 3,474
Combat deaths in Iraq: 3,517
Phil and Adam have a tough job. Deciding what to post or not is tiresome work and my impression is that those guys do some hand wringing over their editorial decisions. Mr. Blankfort's " discussion of the Jewish historical role in the rise of the Nazis in Germany" has no place in "the war of ideas in the middle east." If such a discussion were posted here it would dump a huge crapstorm on Mondoweiss. Phil and Adam are already swimming against the tide in the Jewish community and, I'm guessing, they've made waves within their own families. They are under no obligation to invite accusations of "holocaust denier", on top of whatever other names they've been called, just to entertain Mr. Blanfkort's free speech on a topic that has no direct impact on I/P. It's important to keep our eyes on the prize: justice
David Green's delicate sensibilities are offended by those who would interrupt a public speaking forum that supports the status quo of Israeli aparthied and ethnic cleansing. What do you suggest, Mr. Green?
The Times, no doubt, reflected very carefully on which reporter their advertizers would accept as a replacement for Bronner. The vetting process began long before Rudoren was chosen and debreifed about the special relationship she would have with her readers. She wouldn't have been hired if the NYT believed she was going to impede their cash flow. However, she seems non-committal. Thus far she's out manuveured the Zionist inquisition. We'll see...
I hope Rudoren's deft response to the Zionist inquisition indicates that she'll be reporting from the Occupid Territories, relating first hand accounts of life under Israeli subjugation. Her predecessor seemed content to repeat what he read off the IDF ticker tape from his cozy home in Jerusalem.
Love the headline, Adam. Great post - thanks
Thanks for the post, David. You've descibed in microcosm what Israel's supporters have accomplished in so many of our institutions, big and small. There is nary a grade school teacher who would put historic Palestine on the map either because they don't know any better or because they're too afraid.
Safe travels. Thanks for all your great work!
"Israel-firster" is indeed a title that would apply to some Jews, by their own admission. The problem with the term, as I see it, is that if it becomes a broad brush term it won't be used to describe just some American Jews (i.e. Adelson) but all American Jews. Many of the American Jews who are essential to challenging Isreal and Zionism would get lost in the sauce and that would be disasterous to our efforts for justice.
RoHa-
"Exactly how many Israeli soldiers fought alongside US forces in any wars at all?"
None. Israel was asked to send medics to Vietnam - they refused. The Gulf States provided the funds and the staging grounds for the Gulf War while we paid Israelis billions of dollars to sit on their hands. Rationalizing Israel's 'cop on the beat' status is nonsense. Funding it is insanity.
Scott Ritter, 1990's weapons inspector in Iraq, explained that Iraqi military officials were reluctant to let him inspect suspected weapons sites because, in their view, the US was not looking for weapons. No, the Iraqi officers said, The US is using information provided by inspectors for reconnassaince purposes in making plans to bomb and attack Iraq. Based on the info he was asked to collect, Ritter suspected that the Iraqi military was correct: the inspection regime wasn't about finding WMD, it was about laying the groundwork for regime change in Iraq by way of a bombing campaign and invasion.
Iranian leadership has been reluctant about giving the IAEA's inspectors free reign. Based on the Iraqi's experience, who can blame them?
Bunker busters have a nuclear component, no? The peace prize winner made sure that the IDF will have plenty of them at their disposal if they decide to wage war by 'conventional' means.
American:
"Reich is both smart and dumb—-he’s smart enough to understand the US Israel Firsters are flying too close to the flame in the US, and dumb or desperate enough to think he can throw the public off the trail by playing dumb himself."
Yet Reich could do an even better job of throwing the public off the trail by avoiding the subject of the Gingrich-Adelson connection altogether. Instead, he asks the question: "Do you know what Gingrich has promised them, or what they think they'll get out of a Grinch presidency?" Incredibly, he says he has no idea what Adelson wants for his money. Is this not an invitation for readers to find out for themselves?
This could be a sign that Reich's conscience is troubled, but not so much that he would provide an answer to his own question - not yet.
"Let me say a few words about our extraordinary partnership with Israel, starting by affirming an essential truth that will never change: the United States remains fully and firmly committed to the peace and security of the Jewish state of Israel,"
- Susan Rice
"A verbal agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on."
- Yogi Berra
Israeli's would do well to understand that millions of Americans will demand an end to this nonsense as they become better acquainted with the true costs of our commitment to tragically flawed Zionist ideals.
Nice work, Matthew. Hats off to WPEB. Philly's I/P activists have been rattling the cage for a good while now. The relentless commitment and energy of a diverse range of Philly activists, including so many courageous and passionate Jews, has been so inspiring to behold. Keep it up!
Nice work, Matthew. Hats off to WPEB.
Ca-ching! The peace prize winner isn't concerned about his legacy.
"...peace can be afforded the region only through a united Israel governed under one law for all people."
Great idea! Top that DNC.
Krauss-
Comments from Guardian article included this:
DavidPavett
17 January 2012 9:16AM
"Some would say this is no big deal. Who wouldn't prefer a Nazi-themed party game to a Nazi-themed genocide? Some people (some Jews) are just no fun at all."
Who would say that? No doubt there is a tiny minority of idiots who would, but that is no basis for the claims made in this article.
"... Jews are becoming afraid. We sniff the air and feel a change because antisemitic discourse is more acceptable now than at any time since the 1930s."
When you find yourself talking about what Jews think, what blacks think, or any such talk on behalf of a whole group based on no more evidence than being one of them, then it is time to stop. This does not open genuine discussion, it closes it. If you disagree then that is because you are not one of the group and therefore don't understand or, in this case, if you are one of the group then you are obviously a 'self-hating Jew'. Sniffing the air doesn't hack it.
"... but paranoia and Judaism walk together; our history demands it, and no people is as conscious of its history as the Jews."
There are language traps to avoid. Judaism is a religion and that many Jews are not religious. The "history" alluded to in this article is a traditional story and like many such stories it is open to question.
"This tribe, exiled from what is now called Israel/Palestine by the Romans in 70AD ...".
Shlomo Sand has argued that there is no evidence of such an exile. Archeologists Israel Finkelstein and Neil Silberman have argued that there is no evidence for that other great "historical" event the Exodus. Beware traditional history.
"... has been chased from country to country in the millennia since ..."
One does not have to be tempted to deny the persecution of the Jews over long historical periods to point out that this way of putting things is not very historical either. Jews have also flourished over long periods in various and times and places such as Muslim Spain, Ottoman Turkey (where they received the Spanish Jews expelled by the Christians) for some of its existence, and of course Germany from the 18th century. It does not detract from Jewish suffering to recognise that their history is not one of uniform persecution. Vast research is not needed to realise that Jews form successful minorities in many countries including the UK. Let us remember too the enormous contribution that Jews have made to national/world cultures and the consciousness of every educated person.
"... longing for what we call the return to Zion, saying every Passover "next year in Jerusalem"
This is more make-believe history. At the birth of Zionism many Jews, maybe most, were opposed to it.
"The harassment and murder of Jews is a constant in European history"
This is not even make-believe history, just nonsense.
"It is a sickness that emerges from generation to generation, always with a new resentment to prosecute - the murder of the Christ ... and now a Jewish state that defends itself ..."
This an easy way to dismiss criticism of the Israel: anyone who does so is just continuing the old traditions of Jew-hatred. It is easy but it is very poor politics.
"Antisemitic discourse is now mainstream ..."
Where is the evidence for this absurd claim? I asked a Jewish friend about it and he agreed that the claim is absurd.
"Leftwing antisemites despise Israel, but are less vocal on the crimes of other oppressive states (China, Russia, Saudi Arabia)."
I am left-wing. I do not despise Israel, but I am critical of its policies, as I am of its Arab neighbours, and China, Russia and Saudi Arabia, and the UK which I certainly criticise more than any of those listed.
"The incidents mount up – the heckling of an Israeli orchestra, the graffiti on university walls, the demand that Jews denounce Israel if they wish to be accepted in polite society, the plays and TV films written without context ..."
None of this is sufficient for the case claimed. The heckling was objectionable but the action of a few. I know nothing about infantile graffiti. What demand that Jews denounce Israel to be accepted? And so on with the rest.
"A cynic would say that we know what Europe thinks of the Jews, and if you believe that, a party game does not surprise."
Maybe, but cynicism is not a useful guide to political judgement. Just think about the absurdity of expressions like "What Europe thinks of the Jews".
Krauss-
"In many ways, I think this struggle will be far harder than what transpired in South Africa. There was no Afrikaaner lobby in the U.S. And they were defensive about this from the beginning."
Your comments are insightful and informative - thanks. The deep rooted complexity of Zionism in American life, especially American Jewish life, makes challenging the ideology and its tragic flaws much more daunting than the anti apartheid movement in SA. I would add that, unlike SA, the tragedy of Zionism has a "race against time" cloud that looms over I/P, the US, Europe and the greater ME because of the accelorating genocide against Palestinians and the potential for another Cast Lead or US/Israel war on Iran to grow into a wider regional war/WWIII.
Outstanding essay, Jesse! Keep speaking out - Justice fails when people who know better stay quiet.
Winneca:
"Not really. It raises the obvious question, If Mondoweiss is against long-term occupations, why does it focus only on one."
Tibet, Cypress, Kashmir, Palestine - American tax payers are only financing Israel's occupation army in Palestine - that's one important reason why.
If the US ends up in a war with Iran, the Israel uber alles crowd will be in the spotlight in a big way - much more so than they ever were over the Iraq war disaster.
A US war on Iran could prove to be a real wedge issue that divides both D's and R's from big chunks of their constituencies, with Israel firsters caught in the middle and needing to explain themselves in ways that they weren't asked to do vis a vis the Iraq war.
Bush and Obama both knew about Israel's false flag terrorist attacks. They did nothing about it and have thereby highlighted America's well established role of "State sponsor of terrorism". Questions about CIA involvement are irrelavent. After the policy makers decide that Israel's actions will go unpunished Israel's Mossad becomes the CIA by another name. Iran knows that Mossad and the CIA have the same paymaster: Uncle Sam.
eee:
"Non black Americans do not say this but act upon it. They move out of black neighborhoods and they make sure that not much of their taxes go to the black community except in the case of prisons."
eee has stumbled onto a truism here. I would add that altruistic ideals concerning integration are further compromised when white Americans who choose to live in mixed neighborhoods non the less decide to send their kids to mostly white, expensive private schools instead of the mixed public ones. I know white parents who enjoy living in a mixed, middle class neighborhood in Philly but who are absolutely determined to send their kids to a mostly white private school rather than then the mixed public school in their neighborhood. Their concern is that the public schools offer an inferior education and that the black students in those schools will put a daily beatdown on their children. These views, accurate or not, are widespread and they prompt white parents (and some black parents) and their children to head for the exits from Philly's public school system. No parent wants to be accused of turning their child into a proving ground for their atruistic ideals about integration.
Equity in public education through more funding (good salaries for good teachers, new and better schools that aren't crumbling into the ground) would be a good place to start. The financing we provide for facist trends in Israel would be better spent on flagging public education in America. Equity in education is a key component to a more integrated society. This ideal is still alive in America. In Israel it has never existed.
"...the only actors who could possibly see this as serving their strategic interests are the hawkish political leadership in Israel and hard-line factions in Tehran."
It also serves The Lobby's interests and since they dictate Iran policy to our reps we won't be hearing more than some whiny kvetching from the Peace Prize Winner or Israel's servants on Capitiol Hill.
"unstraightforward" confrontations - I understand exactly what you mean. Thanks, Phil. I hope you don't mind if I need to borrow the phrase: "You're confronting me in an unstraightforward manner!" Love it. Good storytelling.
"The attacks against its legitimacy have until now been sporadic and non coordinated. One of these days, however, someone smart is going to understand the dimensions and potential of this new weapon, and Israel would be very well advised to concentrate its efforts on being prepared. Smart threats require smart responses..."
Bravo, Mr. Goodman! Excellent idea! Let's start hearing some of those "smart responses" that Zionists keep hiding behind their threats, bribes and insults.
Two Canadian citizens are suing the US Federal Election Commission:
"Benjamin Bluman a Canadian citizen, and Dr. Asenath Steiman, a dual citizen of Canada and Israel, sued the Federal Election Commission (FEC) to overturn its prohibition on foreign residents pouring money into U.S. campaigns. The plaintiffs claim that the federal regulation constitutes a violation of their right to free speech—which was the basis for the U.S. Supreme Court in the Citizens ruling to throw out campaign contribution limits on corporations and unions."
allgov.com
Steinman, and his connection to Israel, were left out of the story in the NYT "self hating news" (credit Annie Robbins). I wonder why these Canadians would want to influence the American electorate? Are they seeking to improve good neighborliness?
Thanks Sarah
The American colossus going to the poor house with ever more costly military adventures. China howls with laughter and collects the interest on the loans that make our Quixotic thrashings possible.
good points, pabelmont.
Boycott Israel
I agree that opposition to Israel's policies requires expression to turn the tide of American support. Activism, commentary, private conversations are all legitimate forums for expressing the need for a just transformation in I/P. Those expressions are going on all over the country all the time, and no, "silent wishing" won't accomplish anything.
There's a lot more criticism and "publicly demanded action" going on now than there's ever been. That's what Phil means when he says "this is big".