ISRAEL LOBBY BEATS UP ON CONGRESSIONAL CRITIC AGAIN
[Note that to the some on the Jewish right it is anti-Semitic to criticize AIPAC]
WASH POST - Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va.) has again come under fire from local Jewish organizations for remarking in a magazine interview that the "extraordinarily powerful" pro-Israel lobby played a strong role promoting the war in Iraq.
In an interview with Tikkun, a California-based Jewish magazine, Moran said the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is "the most powerful lobby and has pushed this war from the beginning. I don't think they represent the mainstream of American Jewish thinking at all, but because they are so well organized, and their members are extraordinarily powerful -- most of them are quite wealthy -- they have been able to exert power."
Moran's remarks were criticized by the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington and the National Jewish Democratic Council. Ronald Halber, executive director of the first group, said Moran's remarks are anti-Semitic and draw on ugly stereotypes about Jewish wealth, power and influence.
"He uses several age-old canards that have been used throughout history that have brought violence upon Jews," Halber said this week. "He uses clearly anti-Semitic images such as Jewish control of the media and wealthy Jews using their wealth to control policy.". . .
Rabbi Michael Lerner, editor of Tikkun defended Moran's position in the article, which appear in the magazine's September-October issue. "It's the kind of statement I would have made to any religious community, or to any labor movement audience, citing their own failures to act as a critical factor in why we had gotten involved," Lerner wrote in the article.
TIKKUN
21 Comments:
Simple solution: put AIPAC on a boat to Israel, cut off all US funds.
They can't muzzle the truth.
"[Note that to the some on the Jewish right it is anti-Semitic to criticize AIPAC]"
As an extremely leftist progressive, I assure you that there are plenty of people on the left (almost certainly the overwhelming majority) who find these never-ending attacks on Jews to be nothing more than pure anti-Semitism. I'm amazed that anyone would deny it. But people on the left have become so dogmatic in their views, that they can't respond to reasonable arguments or factual evidence, and so have to resort to this canard that everyone who opposes them is a right-wing fanatic.
I also think that the anti-Semitism that's emerging is not a progressive position at all, but is in fact a genuinely right-wing view. It is clearly bigotry, it is clearly an effort to deny people their human rights, and it is clearly an effort to block democratic discourse and free expression. The so-called leftist blogosphere is rapidly turning into a reactionary cesspool, full of endless bigotry towards everyone that holds views different than them.
By the way, I despise AIPAC, and what they're doing. And there is certainly plenty to criticize the Israeli government for, as there is for virtually every government in the world. But the intensity of the hatred expressed, and the many articles and comments expressing the desire to launch preemptive attacks on Israel and on Jewish civilians, including women and children, is clearly bigotry in its purest form.
Disappointed in you Sam. You're usually much more perceptive than that.
Give me a break. What was the point of your diatribe? You want to chastise Sam for showing a factual article? It doesn't express hatred it just describes how a Jewish right-wing organization tries to muzzle anyone who disagrees with it and now you are trying to muzzle Sam! It is ridiculous. A mature culture can handle civilized criticism. Nowhere in this article is anyone advocating hurting Jews or doing anything bad to them. As for the comment by 9:50am, such comments are foolish and unhelpful. However, what did Sam do to make you disappointed? The truth is, you don't want people to discover these things because it is in your interests that everyone thinks Jews are eternal victims.
The truth is that Jewish people haven't been victims for over 50 years. Jews are the wealthiest minority with astronomical amounts of wealth and power. It is time to stop complaining about how you suffer because while the mainstream media may kowtow and agree with everything you say, thinking people find it ridiculous. Furthermore, after seeing the torment of Palestinians on the news (foreign news sources) constantly one isn't filled with much sympathy for Jews or the Israeli government. I don't see many Jews expressing outrage at the bigotry that the Palestinians have to deal with or their suffering as second-class citizens.
I don't expect much from a culture though that teaches that its people are "chosen" by God and thus are better than the rest of us goyim. I applaud Jews, few as they are, that escape such a narrow world view and maybe try to see that non-Jews are equal beings themselves.
Sincerely,
Someone who dealt with Jewish racism often.
Somehow non Israelis are to be denied the right to criticize the actions of Israel and those who support it. Talk about religious discrimination.
Israel is a nation. Like it or not, it is a public entity, and it is rightly exposed to criticism in the same way that the US and every other nation is. Those agents who support Israel are also justly open to criticism.
There is no right of Israel to hide behind the curtain of Judaism, any more than China can hide behind atheism or the UAE behind Islam.
AIPAC has too many privileges for them not to have been purchased, just like the RIAA, Boeing, and others buy them from corrupt legislators. One example out of an endless stream: why should AIPAC donations be tax free when donations to the ACLU are not?
Three points:
1) The essence of Moran's remarks are factually correct and non-racist: AIPAC DID push very hard for the war, and has worked hard to prevent any American withdrawal. Also, if you want statements about the wealth and influence of AIPAC, just look for quotes in the pages of the Jerusalem Post - both the newspaper's editors and Israeli politicians are constantly crowing about how they dictate terms in Washington - they may just be braggarts, but Moran is doing no more than quote establishment Israeli sources. BTW - he is also a sitting congressman subject to lobbying and he ought to know when somebody is pushing an agenda.
2) I find that some of the comments in this section do sometimes smack of antisemitism - sometimes they go further. As distasteful as I find these remarks I prefer to have them in the open where th4ey can be addressed. More dialog is always better than less dialog.
3) There is an excellent article on Tom Dispatch by Tony Karon that discusses the growing rift between the enforcers of the pro-israel party line and the majority of American Jews who are increasingly vocal in their criticism of AIPAC et al. It is well worth a read.
http://www.tomdispatch.com/post/174836/tony_karon_on_growing_dissent_among_american_jews .
It is reasonable to say thayt Israel could not exist without US support, so it is a legitimate topic of discussion in American politics. Given these stakes, it is unsurprising that those individuals who closely identify with Israel will fight like badgers if they sense that they are losing the American "hearts and minds". Both sides have a valid viewpoint which deserve to be fulle represented in our democratic discourse.
Yahweh bless you Michael, for having the guts to stand up to some of the cowards here who use their blowhard 'progressivism' as a pretty cover for their own bigotries and hatreds.
And I am sure as hell glad to note that I'm not the only one here who's been seeing the vitriol aimed at those who have the gall to deviate from the party line on this site.
Keep commenting, Mike. It's desperately needed.
In the past I've tried to express my support for justice for Palestine because I believe in justice. In response , I've been attacked by nutcompoops like "porkrindsforallah.com". I'm appalled at their drivel ("rachel Corrie is a whore"). Perhaps some of Israel's supporters should look at the facts instead of howling "antisemitism" everytime someone disagrees with them.
It's strang youchoose a moniker like 'Peace', when you clearly can't comprehend how your support of the Palestinians in the face of atrocities by certain fringe groups within their midst is in any way different from the support of those who disagree with Israeli politics, who don't feel the need to attack the Jews as a whole as a result.
You don't like "porkrindsforallah" 'nincompoops', and I agree; but the Jewish people in their entirety did not say "Rachel Corrie is a whore". You are (disturbingly) somehow missing a very essential basic point here.
The zionist narrative has been appallingly successful (or at least its success appalls me).
Hardly anyone ever acknowledges that the Palestinian people are the victims of an invasion and occupation that were then and are now completely illegal under international law.
Nor do people ever acknowledge that the Palestinians have a legal right, under international law, to resist the occupation of their country.
Why does that always get ignored?
Are people really so desperate to escape being slimed with the 'anti-semite' brush? What's going on?
Talking about atrocities, all one has to do is look at the ratio of dead Palestinians to dead Israelis. Israel has killed more Palestinian children that Palestinians have killed all Israelis.
But it is not merely the dead that frame this wailing wall of shame. An apartheid that would have made 1960's South Africa proud. A group of walls surrounding Palestinians that is a direct descendant of the one that surrounded the Warsaw Ghetto. Torture prisons. Group punishment. Continuing land theft. Destruction of farms. Well poisoning. Rape. Mass murder. Genocide. An endless river of humiliation, desecration and blood. Of this, too many Israelis are proud. Too many Americans are ignorant. AIPAC helps keep them that way.
Antisemitism? Yes, very much so. The Palestinians are Semites.
I am synpathetic to Paul's viewpoint. Too many people who are angry at the policies of the Israeli government and the pro-Israel lobby lapse into railing against "The Jews", instead of directing their anger specifically at the militant Zionists. Israel's critics do need to be more careful and specific.
The organized Israel lobby has worked tirelessly to conflate the agenda of the Israeli government with the will of world Jewery as a whole. The success of that effort contributes to the type of language to which Paul rightfully objects. Abe Foxman calls even thoughtful critics of Israel antisemites and rails that criticism of Israel is rooted in hatred of Jews. The extent to which he succeeds in blurring the line between Jews and Israel he lays the crimes of the Israeli state at the foot of American Jewry and cheapens the meaning of antisemitism.
If there were more visible and vocal Jewish opposition to the Likudnik forces in the US, then Foxman and friends would have a much harder time in muddying the water and smearing the name of "The Jews". It would also embolden more non-Jewish allies to joion in opposition to AIPAC without fear of being branded antisemites. This is, of course, asking a lot. It is hard to ask people who have suffered legitimate oppression to speak out against prominent members of thei rcommunity. However, more and more Jews are doing just that, and it is a welcome development. As I said above, please see the post by Tony Karon on Tom Dispatch.
For my fellow non-jews, please be more careful, thoughtful, and civil. For the offended Jews, I do see your point, but please try to be less sensitive and more understanding. We really are on the same side if we can work though some of the deliberate race-bating that has come from both antisemites and militant Zionists.
I'd think Paul would do well to focus any anger on Foxman et al. then. As you point out, it's Foxman his fellow-travellers who are creating the problems.
It seems to me that Jews who object to being unfairly stigmatised (as who wouldn't) have an ethical obligation to condemn the Foxmanesque scams over and over until their condemnation finally takes effect.
And it wouldn't hurt for Jews to boycott Israel either. Whatever hopes innocent Diaspora Jews once had for Israel have been betrayed completely and forever by the Zionist mamzerim.
It is beyond ridiculous to scream anti-semitism every time someone criticizes the behavior of the Israeli government or the organizations created to lobby the US government on its behalf. Talking about a foreign policy issue that is destroying the US may be anti-war or anti-genocide, but it is not anti-semitism. That is a convenient lie that the Israeli government encourages in order to get what they want: the death of every Palestinian. Since, according to the scientific definition, the Palestinians are themselves Semites, the Israeli government is one of the largest anti-semitic groups in the world at the moment.
It's starting to look to me like the primary purpose of AIPAC is to encourage this crossing of levels by doing lobbying in the US in place of the Israeli government. What other country has an ostensibly private organization carryiing on its official lobbying?
Those screaming that people need to be more careful in their criticism of Zionism to not conflate it with all Jews are being disingenuous. Just about everyone who makes such criticism publicly is very careful to make this distinction. It is people like Foxman and Dershowitz who make blanket generalizaions about those opposed to the Israeli government, not the other way around.
Also, most of us who express displeasure with Israel's policies do not approve of the terrorist acts of some Palestinians. Yet, people like many of the posters above insist on labeling us as terrorist supporters anywat. This is not particularly constructive.
Those who use the Israeli government and legitimate critique of their policies as a smokescreen for their own Jew hatred are the 'disingenuous' ones on this site, 9:01. You fool no one--except, maybe, yourself.
Why, in your view, is it 'disingenuous' for those who take exception at criticism of "Zionism" (frequently used as a buzzword for world Jewry in many anti-semitic societies, by the way) to conflate it with its being aimed at all Jews; but we disingenuous ones ought to be extremely careful not to conflate your support of Palestine with support for terrorist states? Your arguments are solipsistic and willfully self-serving, 9:01.
OK. So 9:01 wants the death of all Jews, and 2:35 and 4:11 want the death of all Palestinians. I guess this is just a subject where no one is ever going to agree and it won't be over until both sides have completely slaughtered each other and the rest of us finally get a chance at world peace without 2 gangs of equally immoral lunatics doing all they can to prevent it.
(Note for those who are unfamiliar with hyperbole: As far as I can tell, the one is almost certainly not a Jew hater. He or she simply finds the actions the Israeli government has been taking for over 50 years to sabotage any possibility of reconciliation with the Palestinians to be really stupid. The other two are almost certainly not genocidal, but they can only see the subset of Palestinians who commit violent acts while ignoring the thousands of innocents who just want a safe place to live. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, this is such an unequal battle at this point that only one side has the power to end it and they choose not to with the full support of the American plutocracy.)
Fool of Eris
9:01, here. I'm really fed up with this anti-semitism nonsense. I am not in any sense anti-semitic. I have had many Jewish friends my entire life, have directed and acted in plays performed at the local Jewish Community Center, and have always supported the Nuremberg Principles and abhorred Holocaust Deniers (and, yes, Holocaust Simplifiers who want us to forget that gays, gypsies, and communists were also slaughtered by the Nazis).
My opposition to the behavior of the Israeli government and its refusal to even try to participate in any peace process without simultaneously launching a huge military strike against the Palestinians to undercut that process does not in any way affect my feelings for individual Jewish people or Jewish people in general. It is an opposition to policies and behavior, not prejudice against human beings. These are two totally separate issues. Got it?
but Mike, above, is correct. Too many people in the left blogosphere are NOT parsing this out as "two separate issue", thus the recurring and not totally incorrect suspiscions of nascent anti-semitism.
"I've had Jewish friends my entire life."
If that classic line isn't a dead giveaway, I don't know what is.
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