AIPAC is holding its annual policy conference next week in Washington (I’ve sought credentials, have yet to hear from the folks there). The general theme of the conference is upbeat/let us drown out the shouts of the critics: “Shaping Tomorrow Together” is the conference motto, with a logo of joined American and Israeli stars (youtube video here).
In that defiant spirit, check out next Monday’s breakout session, and this one about US government aid to Israel, featuring Caterpillar, a target of the boycott movement:
12:30 PM – 2:00 PM PANEL DISCUSSION – Foreign Aid: The Vital Role of U.S. Assistance
American leadership around the globe relies heavily on robust foreign aid, which comprises just 1 percent of the federal budget. The United States’ military assistance to Israel is vital to ensuring its security and safeguarding America’s interests in the Middle East. Aid to other countries in the region, and the conditions attached to those funds, play key roles in helping the United States pursue its foreign policy goals.
Featuring
Mr. Bill Lane Washington Director for Government Affairs, Caterpillar
Ms. Liz Schrayer Executive Director, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
Moderator Ms. Ester Kurz Director, Legislative Strategy and Policy, AIPAC
MJ Rosenberg, who used to work at AIPAC years ago, says the session is significant because Ester Kurz is AIPAC’s long time legislative director, and Schrayer was formerly AIPAC’s long time political director. This is their big session on foreign aid and obtaining foreign aid is, ostensibly, AIPAC’s raison d’etre. And they could pick any company that Israel spends US aid money on, because there are hundreds. But it chooses Caterpillar, a company known to most of AIPAC’s membership as the manufacturer of the bulldozer that killed American activist Rachel Corrie, 23, in Gaza ten years ago, March 16. What a signal!
Typical diversion by saying US foreign aid is a drop in the bucket. You have to remember that to a congress critter, what $ you need just to survive in America is beyond their ken. Want to know how your community would be helped if the usual aid to Israel, a well-off country with a better credit rating than the US, was diverted to help Americans, instead of Jewish Israelis? Just go to this interactive map and click on your local area:
http://aidtoisrael.org/section.php?id=379
Tone deaf. Just as well as it certainly doesn’t help hasbara.
OTOH, I suspect CAT is more symbolic of equipment heavily used in settlement activities and that is widely supported amongst the AIPAC crowd under cover of the “two state solution.”
Hypocrisy is reaching Himalayan heights. I am not born yesterday and I have much less idealistic worldview then most here, but it never ceases to amaze me.
“Aid to other countries in the region, and the conditions attached to those funds, play key roles in helping the United States pursue its foreign policy goals.”
So what conditions the esteemed speakers advocate in the case of aid to Israel? Using Caterpilar products for home demolitions? Do those people understand what they are saying?
In the same vein, about a week ago an op-ed advocated to use conditions on aid to make PA more democratic, which sounds spiffy if we ignore the current conditions, namely, that PA represses through arrests and detentions political parties and activists and Israel deems “security risks”. Just now Israel figured that PA is slipping in that respect, as Israel took away PA’s tax monies, so they will give it back. And USA almost the same.
The darlings!
“The United States’ military assistance to Israel is vital to ensuring its security and safeguarding America’s interests in the Middle East.”
In 11 years of watching this and uncountable numbers of hours spent researching every aspect of US-Isr…..I have NEVER heard a single I Firster give one example of any chore, errand or action Israel has ACTUALLY performed for the US “interest”…Not one.
Further more I have NEVER seen the I-Firsters who claim this Isr service to the US “interest’ actually MADE to give one example of it or ever let themselves be put in a position where they could asked to name one service Isr has performed for the US.
IF one is ever semi trapped into having to give a answer they will mumble about Israeli intelligence given to the US—–and there are umpteen dozen examples of Isr feeding the US false intelligence.
I would love to see the I Firsters explain why Isr couldn’t be used in any US invasions in the ME —why we had to even PAY Isr extra security money to protect the Israel in the Gulf war and again during Iraq.
OUT, OUT, OUT…get this parasite OUT of my government, check book and country.
I say as I sit here listening to politicos take to the floor in congress this am talking about to find ‘another billion’ in domestic cuts for 2013. Let me suggest they try cutting the 3 billion + to Israel.
I ‘m gonna suggest my repub congressman Jones run for President—-he’s the only one on the floor who gave a sermon about…..”taking care of Americans first and getting out of the runing the world business and spending Trillions on wars.”