Beautiful piece of reporting by James Besser for the NY Jewish Week on the growing schism between J Street Jews and the neocons in organizational life, now crystallized by the George Mitchell rumors. Two voices of the lobby:
“Sen. Mitchell is fair. He’s been meticulously even-handed,” said
Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “But
the fact is, American policy in the Middle East hasn’t been ‘even
handed’ — it has been supportive of Israel when it felt Israel needed critical U.S. support.
“So I’m concerned,” Foxman continued. “I’m not sure the situation requires that kind of approach in the Middle East.”…
Abraham Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League. “But
the fact is, American policy in the Middle East hasn’t been ‘even
handed’ — it has been supportive of Israel when it felt Israel needed critical U.S. support.
“So I’m concerned,” Foxman continued. “I’m not sure the situation requires that kind of approach in the Middle East.”…
“In the meetings I’ve participated in with George Mitchell, he made it
clear he sympathized with the Palestinian position over the Israeli
position, and blamed Israel more than the Palestinians for the lack of
progress toward peace,” said Morton Klein, president of the Zionist
Organization of America. “We will be expressing our strong concerns
that this appointment would be a mistake. It would send an additional
message that Obama is going to pressure Israel more than the
Palestinians.”
