Did you think the special relationship was strong and can’t get any closer? Wrong. In the video below the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) does an endzone dance; leading lobbyist Ester Kurz tells us that over ten days in December Congress passed two key piece of legislation “that will dramatically strengthen the bond between the United States and Israel.”
The Strategic Partnership Act… formally recognizes Israel as a major strategic partner of the United States, a recognition not given in law to any other country. In addition the Strategic Partnership Act authorizes the deployment of additional US military equipment in Israel to be used in times of crisis…
Together these two bills send a clear message that America’s commitment to Israel remains strong and unwavering.
Kurz has many friends in high places. Hillary Clinton thanked her in her speech to AIPAC four years ago. Ten years ago Kurz celebrated Newt Gingrich as someone who understood Israel “in his kishkes [guts].”
Kurz once claimed that giving Israel aid is like giving the U.S. aid:
“We give aid to Israel to maintain its security in a very tough region and a very important part of the world in order to advance critical U.S. interests. If that aid were reduced to a point that Israel couldn’t buy the equipment it needs to defend itself and maintain the peace, that would be dangerous to us.”
So Israel and the U.S. have the same interests in the Middle East, got that? Grant Smith has exposed a federal investigation about AIPAC’s access to government documents 30 years ago in which Kurz was called to testify. In 1985 the FBI investigated AIPAC over its possession of a confidential US Trade Representative report on possible trade with Israel. Kurz said (per IRMEP) that the report was “‘floating around town’ and that the contents of the report were common knowledge to those interested in these matters.” But she also said that when told to destroy the document by someone in AIPAC, she threw a copy of it down a garbage chute.
The AIPAC video is a reminder that things are going to get worse before they get better. The Congress is still determinedly pro-Israel, thanks in part to older pro-Israel donors. Ultimately young Jews in IfNotNow and OpenHillel are going to have to take on the lobby, hammer and tongs, if they want to change policy.
Thanks to John Whitbeck, who sent this out with the comment:
America’s role as Israel’s faithful and obedient poodle – a pathetic and humiliating role and fate for a once great and admirable country – was dramatically in evidence at the UN Security Council on December 30 and in the U.S. State Department’s reaction to the State of Palestine’s subsequent accession to the International Criminal Court.
It is not just the US and Israel – there is a new coalition in the Mid-East (even if not necessarily in formal terms) which also includes Jordan, Egypt, Saudi-Arabia and the Gulf Emirates (now also Qatar) plus allied segments within other countries (as Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and others). Turkey used to be part of that but is now loosening out. A lot in the Mid-East depends now on the holding together and strength of this configuration.
I posted this earlier on another thread, but it is relevant here, so I’ll take the liberty of repeating it. The following report was dated Dec 17, 2014. It includes a reference to the Leahy Act and a significant quote from Richard Falk. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to insert it as a block quote, so I’ll use an open quotation mark at the beginning of each paragraph:
“The US Senate has unanimously passed a bill supplying Israel with military equipment that would enable it to execute an air strike on Iran. The bill, titled the US-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, includes the sale of advanced aerial refueling tankers, which refuel fighter jets in midflight – necessary for Israeli fighter jets to reach targets in Iran. This is particularly noteworthy since the Bush administration had refused to provide Israel with refueling tankers.
“The sale of the refueling tankers follows a 2013 arms sale to Israel that included V-22 Ospreys. Kenneth Pollack of the Brookings Institution stated shortly after the sale that Ospreys are “the ideal platform for sending Israeli special forces into Iran.”
“The bill, which was also passed in the House earlier this year, expands the US weapons stockpile in Israel by a value of $200 million, to a total of $1.8 billion. Israel used weapons from this stockpile during its most recent military operation against Gaza, “Operation Protective Edge.” Israel also used the stockpile during its 2006 invasion of Lebanon.
“The bill has generated concern among experts. Mike Coogan, legislative coordinator at US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, told RSN that the air refueling capabilities, expanded satellite cooperation, and access to US satellite data that the bill would grant Israel “sounds quite dangerous.”
“It sounds like a formula for attacking Iran.”
“The bill may also be in violation of the Leahy Law, which prohibits US weapons exports to military units responsible for consistent human rights violations. Israel’s most recent major military offensive, “Protective Edge,” would seem to have violated elementary human rights.
“Richard Falk, former UN special rapporteur on Palestinian rights and professor of international law at Princeton, told this journalist, “the evidence that I’m aware of suggests the commission of serious crimes against humanity and war crimes in the course of this operation.”
“The UN high commissioner for human rights likewise suggested that there was “a strong possibility that international law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes.” The UN secretary general condemned the high civilian death toll Israel inflicted upon the Palestinians: “I condemn this atrocious action. Israel must exercise maximum restraint and do far more to protect civilians.” Amnesty International called on the UN to “impose an arms embargo on Israel/Gaza.”
“Andrew Feinstein, former minister of Parliament for South Africa and arms industry expert, told RSN that the bill is “in flagrant violation of the International Arms Trade Treaty, which the US supported and which prohibits the export of weaponry to countries engaged in conflict or where conflicts are likely to be extended or intensified by such exports.”
excerpt from a longer article at:
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/27548-focus-us-congress-passes-bill-increasing-weapons-in-israel-by-200-million
‘RSN that the bill is “in flagrant violation of the International Arms Trade Treaty, which the US supported and which prohibits the export of weaponry to countries engaged in conflict or where conflicts are likely to be extended or intensified by such exports.” ‘
Perhaps take a look at the Symington amendment, as well.
Interesting that this was passed by a voice vote so there is no record of how any individual representative voted. Maybe they are figuring out that unblinking support of Israel is hardly in US best interests?
Don’t know if this has been posted before.
http://www.redressonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Rod_Cox_poem.pdf