Representative Joe Walsh (Photo: Flickr)
Representative Joe Walsh (Photo: Flickr)Representative Joe Walsh’s (R-IL) Op-Ed in the Washington Times May 3 turned heads. He argued that the only real solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “one contiguous Israeli state from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea.” Palestinians who wanted to stay would have “limited voting power.” Walsh also suggests Jordan as a destination for Palestinians. Robert Wright of The Atlantic commented that the Op-Ed should be interpreted as a call for apartheid and ethnic cleansing.
There’s more to this story, thanks to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency’s Ron Kampeas. Kampeas reports that an Israel-oriented political action committee called Allies for Israel gave Walsh $2,500 this year. According to Open Secrets, this donation was given before or on April 30, 2012, a few days before the Op-Ed was published.
The $2,500 is small beans when compared to other donors to Walsh, who was elected in 2010 with Tea Party support and is now facing a tough re-election battle. But you have to wonder if this PAC, or another right-wing Zionist PAC, will pour more money into Walsh’s coffers due to his prominent call for Israeli apartheid. We’ll find out, perhaps, when the next Federal Election Commission numbers come out.
Still, it’s important to look at who the donors to Allies for Israel are. Walsh’s ideas are very much in line with contributors to the Allies for Israel PAC, which donates to both Republicans and Democrats.
The biggest donor to Allies for Israel is Cherna Moskowitz, who gave $5,000 to the group in December 2011. Cherna is the wife of Irving Moskowitz, the wealthy Florida businessman who is known for funding illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem that evict Palestinians living there. The Irving Moskowitz Foundation, which is run by Cherna and Irving, funds a yeshiva in the settlement of Beit El; the Central Fund for Israel, a US-based group that channels donations to settlements; the Hebron Fund; and more. In sum, the Moskowitzes believe in Greater Israel and a Jerusalem where Jews have more rights than Palestinians–a view quite similar to Walsh’s.
Other donors include Cheryl Halpern, a former chairwoman of the Republican Jewish Coalition known for blasting National Public Radio’s coverage of Israel; Michael Sodrel, a former Congressional representative from Indiana and prominent Christian Zionist; and Richard Schifter, a former US official.
Walsh, it seems, was not just supporting apartheid in Israel for kicks. With Tammy Duckworth, his Democratic opponent, giving him a run for his money, expect to see more cash to Walsh from Greater Israel backers.
duckworth is a formidable candidate. i heard her give a speech once. very impressive.
2,500 is small change, especially compared to adelson. probably was just a perk for the article.
The district went 56% for Obama in 2008, and 56% for Bush in 2004.
Watching these changes in Zionists public statements is about a exciting as watching grass grow. Even 15 years ago there were virtually no Zionist organization that would back this kind of statement. Officially, they seemed to back two-states but their behaviour has subsequently established that one-state was their policy all along. Two-states was just a cover for their real aims. There is now increasing claims for an all out one state policy from establishment figures. As everyone knows a democratic one-state solution will be the end of the Jewish state — simply not possible with a majority of non-Jews. Walsh seems to know it too. So now that the Zionists are advocating one-state they are also openly advocating apartheid or transfer.
What is scary is that they have been prepping the US public for this for about 5 years now. They had Obama and all of the Republican presidential candidates boldly announcing that we should recognize Israel as a Jewish state. This has opened the door for official recognition of the apartheid/transfer solution to the Palestinian problem. This has been a slow change in official policy but at some point there will have to be a major showdown. Not sure how it will play out but for sure it will involve considerable suffering by the Palesinians.
BTW, Halpern’s criticism of NPR was made from her position as chairwoman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (2005-2007).
Watching grass grow can be quite pleasant. This is more like watching hunters corner their prey, which is a grim spectacle.
The vast majority of western opinion still thinks (I think) that it’s supporting a Jewish State with a Palestinian State as its opposite number. They’re a long way from accepting either a formalised apartheid system or another round of population transfer and it won’t be easy to sell the argument that ‘it’s in everyone’s best interests’.