Ira Glunts writes:
Eric Lynn joins the list of Jewish-Americans with a
special attachment to Israel who are currently serving in the Obama
administration in positions in which their Israel connections appear
to present a serious conflict of interest. Ben Smith at
Politico reports that Lynn is now working at the
State Department as Director of Special Envoy Affairs. In
this position, he will serve as a liaison between the White
House and the State Department diplomats Dennis Ross, Richard
Holbrooke and George Mitchell. All three have portfolios
in which Israeli interests are a major consideration.
Eric Lynn was candidate Obama’s liaison to the
Jewish community. He has been credited with helping Obama garner
wide support among Jewish voters despite a well-funded and organized
opposition by some far right-wing Jewish groups during both the
Democratic primaries and general election. Lynn began his
career as a summer intern with AIPAC and, according to Ha’aretz,
subsequently spent a year studying and working in Israel. Lynn
was an aide to former Rep. Peter Deutsch who is particularly close to
Dennis Ross, according to Politico’s Smith. During the
presidential campaign, Lynn created a Hebrew/English language blog for
his candidate. The blog did not attract many visitors, but
the news coverage received following its launch did disseminate
the message that Obama will pay special attention to what Israelis
think.
Recent Israeli governments have supported policies
toward Iran and the Palestinians which are directly at odds with
American interests. Dennis Ross is the poster boy for the
dangerous influence of Israel on U.S. policy. Richard Holbrooke
has joined the campaign to demonize Iran and supports a
confrontational American policy toward that nation. George
Mitchell, who is the hope of those who long for justice for the
Palestinian people, is in constant (and well publicized) contact with
the “organized” Jewish community. To what degree are Obama and
Mitchell worried about the political damage that these folks could
cause?
It is neither anti-Semitic nor “self-hating” (in
my case) to point out that the Israelis have become a
belligerent nation which is an oppressor of Palestinians and a
nuclear-armed military threat to Iran. When the new
administration by its appointments indicates that it will support
the “special relationship” between Israel and the U.S. and will help
promote Israeli oppression and threats, it is important that we note
this.
I cannot prove that Lynn is as committed to the
Israeli agenda as Dennis Ross. However, one more appointment of
a Jewish-American with roots in pro-Israel politics in deeply
troubling.
