Yesterday, we ran an article by Scott Ritter, The Final Act of Submission on the problems with AIPAC. As a Jew, who has known concentration camp survivors and who is aware of how Jews had nowhere to go during world war two, to escape the holocaust, I am a supporter of Israel. As loyal American, I support America. But I find Israel is in the same boat as America, with policy making leadership that is really bad-- bad for Israel, bad for America, bad for the world. That said, I find AIPAC has been bad for Israel and bad for the USA. They have effectively stifled discussion of the full range of options for Israel by US legislators. I repeat. I support ISrael. I support the USA's friendship with and support for Israel. But I find Israel's current approach to dealing with Palestinians awful. I find the USA's current approach to dealing with Palestinians (or, more accurately, NOT DEALING with Palestinians) awful.
I know that the paragraph above will get me hate mail. Some will call me a zionist. Some will call me an antisemite. Too bad. This discussion needs to be opened up. I'm a member of a synagogue where probably 80-90% of the members don't like the way Israel treats the Palestinians. But fear of offending or losing the handful of members who are proud to be unyielding, unquestioning supporters of Israel hold back the 80-90% from committing the synagogue to take a position. There's no real venue for the large numbers of Jews who are not happy with the leadership of Israel, the excessive influence of extremist fundamentalist ultra orthodox Jews... so the Jews in the US allow a small percentage of ultra conservatives to speak for and lead the policy of Jews towards Israel. This needs to change.
Soros said: "A much-needed self-examination of American policy in the Middle East has started in this country; but it can't make much headway as long as AIPAC retains powerful influence in both the Democratic and Republican parties."
It's time to shake the US and congress free from the fear of AIPAC. The problem is, there's good reason to be afraid of AIPAC. The most vocal opponent to AIPAC, in congress, in recent years, was CYnthia McKinney. AIPAC went after her with a passion and... she's gone. Recently, the Dems removed a clause from legislation requiring Bush to ask congress for permission before attacking Iran. This was the last straw for me. The clause was removed after Israel complained. How dare they!?! There is no way that Bush should be able to start another war without congressional approval. AIPAC has gone too far. They have over-reached their bounds. Israel deserves and should have US support and protection. But AIPAC's hubris has gown so great, it is no longer acceptable. AIPAC is bad for America as well as being bad for Israel.
The solution is for Jews to get together and raise money to fund another Pro-Israel lobbying organization, but one that is not a supporter of right wing extremists-- one that supports approaches and people who work harder towards peace, who look for solutions that don't only involve bigger and better weapons and tougher, more intolerant talk. AIPAC has become too closely tied to the Bush administration. Israel and the Jewish community would be wise to start funding and supporting alternate voices with alternate visions and solutions. The backlash against AIPAC is building. It needs competition (if readers know of any, please drop me a note, or better, mention them in comments in response to this article.
The competition should stand up to the Saudis, stand up to the Islamic groups who call for Israel's destruction. But they should also seek out groups that look for ways to make peace happen. Israel has leaders who want and need conflict to maintain their power, just like the USA has Bush and Cheney, who need supporters who live in fear, who want war. There are people in Israel who actually talk to and work with Palestinians. There are Palestinians who reach out to Israelis, trying to build bridges to peace. The Israelis are disdained. Some of the Palestinians are killed, as traitors.
Continued violence, continued loud brandishing and use of weapons will never lead to peace. The approach by AIPAC, Bush and his Israeli leadership counterparts has failed and will continue to fail. It is time for new solutions. The Jews in the US who are not happy with the way things are must start the ball rolling. The wealthy Jews who support AIPAC must start funding organizations with alternative approaches. The wall of silence must be breached.
Rob Kall is executive editor and publisher of OpEdNews.com, President of Futurehealth, Inc, inventor . He is also published regularly on the Huffingtonpost.com. He is a frequent Speaker on Politics, Impeachment, The art, science and power of story, heroes and the hero's journey, Positive Psychology, Stress, Biofeedback and a wide range of subjects. He is a campaign consultant specializing in tapping the power of stories for issue positioning, stump speeches and debates. He recently retired as organizer of several conferences, including StoryCon, the Summit Meeting on the Art, Science and Application of Story and The Winter Brain Meeting on neurofeedback, biofeedback, Optimal Functioning and Positive Psychology. See more of his articles here and, older ones, here.
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and there are Rob's quotes, here.
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A few declarations.
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-My articles express my personal opinion, not the opinion of this website.
"Continued violence, continued loud brandishing and use of weapons will never lead to peace. The approach by AIPAC, Bush and his Israeli leadership counterparts has failed and will continue to fail. It is time for new solutions. The Jews in the US who are not happy with the way things are must start the ball rolling. The wealthy Jews who support AIPAC must start funding organizations with alternative approaches. The wall of silence must be breached."
Sabeel is an international peace movement initiated by Palestinian Christians in the Holy Land who seek a just peace based on two states-Palestine and Israel-as defined by international law and existing United Nations resolutions. Sabeel promotes theological, moral, and legal principles for peace as outlined in the Jerusalem Sabeel Document.
Friends of Sabeel-North America (FOSNA) works in the U.S. and Canada to support the vision of Sabeel, cultivating the support of American churches through co-sponsored regional educational conferences, alternative pilgrimage, witness trips, and international gatherings in the Holy Land.
When Congress and USA Christians witness life from occupied territory things will change over night.
I have been four times since June 2005 and have been reporting the sentiment Rob expressed hoping to wake up USA Christians on WAWA:
If you are looking for organized, active elements of the American and Israeli Jewish communities who are attempting to offer alternatives to AIPAC's you're-with-Netanyahu-or-you're-with-the-terrorists view, visit:http://www.ameinu.net/
Also, please consider reviewing Sari Nusseibeh's just-released autobiography, "Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life." There is an interview with him (this week) on NPR at click here
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Lori Lippitz (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 5 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 9:49:12 AM
Thank you for your article on the bad influence of AIPAC on U.S. policy. This powerful lobby has generated unwavering support for right-wing Israeli government policies. Israel is the only recipient that does not have to account for how the aid is spent, which makes it virtually impossible to prevent the money from being used for purposes that violate U.S. policy and international law such as the building of illegal settlements on the West Bank and constructing the wall that is taking even more Palestinian land.
AIPAC provides ideological propaganda and political pressure to promote the interests of the Israeli government which undermines American democracy by making Congress and the president more responsive to them than to American voters.
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Joe Parko (6 articles, 1 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 18 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 11:01:12 AM
The people who are to blame are the people that don't let a discouraging word be said against Israel. For many, many years everyone was suppossed to kowtow to all matters affecting Israel. How many years have they been stomping on Palistinian rights? Just to show you how I feel, I have been more than a little wary of saying anything bad about the Jewish State, especially here at OpEd. I'm glad you opened the door because AIPAC has been bankrolling the worst slime that ever ran for office. Joe Lieberman lost his Democratic funding and it was picked right up by AIPAC. The question I have is why another nation has so much influence on OUR country?
This has been going on for years. It's not a situation that just popped up. There is a right wing in Israel too, and they are as bad as our right wing. Go to Opensecrets.org and see who they support politically. It's bad enough to have right wingers that are home grown, but we don't have to fight them from abroad too.
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Timothy V. Gatto (348 articles, 177 quicklinks, 38 diaries, 574 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 12:14:56 PM
1. I am with Rob on the role of AIPAC although he still seems to be reluctant to acknowledge that if there is an organization who a) hijacks the Jews by saying that it represents them and b) ' promotes the interests of the foreign government, such organization as justifiably is stated by Justin Raimondo in www.antiwar.com- is an agent of foreign government and cannot be supported by the US taxpayers. BTW why Rob would not give more space to Justin Raimondo and his people, who persistently and with gusto criticized AIPAC for years?
2.But I am unfortunately not with Rob on the issue of ' Jews creating another pro-Israel organization'. Another organization in our own country which will promote the interests of the foreign power? This is called FIFTH COLUMN, folks, if you know what I mean. And why would Jews in the US do such thing? To confront AIPAC? But if we just destroy it, that would be good- it is, BTW vulnerable from many sides. And why is that Israel suddenly becomes a litmus test for being a Jew? Such approach is exactly AIPACism; they claim they represent the US Jews exactly because there are no Jews who do not support Israel or even are indifferent. That is, of course a goddamn lie. Most of the Jewish people here in the US and in other countries too are, of course, most worried about their own country and as for Israel- they sympathise but they never gave a cart- blanche f to anyone to speak on their behalf. Moreover, there are millions of Jews in the world and in the US who don't really care, as most people are. Now, please, spare me those unfortunate Holocaust references. We are all adults here. There were victims of that atrocity and they deserve grief and respect. But what they do not deserve is for some group, state, organization, etc to use their tragedy as a label, a brand , like on the jeans to justify politics. That is exactly what Israeli ruling elite does, exactly what AIPAC does and that is dusgusting.
Jews should denounce AIPAC and announce that the issue of the sympathy to the foreign country is a private business of every citizen, jewish or not. They should denounce any organization which uses the US taxpayers money for those purposes and they should forever disconnect the Individual Jew and a State of Israel. Jews are the same as everyone else. As such they own no one anything and no one owns them anything except the basic human rights. Such perception would be the best monument to all who were killed, to those who marched down the main street in my native city of Kiev on Sept 29 1941 to the place of machine- gunniing. Have a nice day. Hey, those who did that machine-gunning now are in power there and Israel has diplomatic relations with the Ukrainian natinalists. Our country too. How's that for Holocaust remembrance? They are killing the killed several times. How about them apples?
I am tired of Jewsih people being used as cheap coins. Every Jew has a right to opt out and state unequivocally,' f%%ck off, you , people. Leave me alone. I want to be left alone as much as everyone on this planet. Is that too much to ask?'
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Mark Sashine (51 articles, 19 quicklinks, 244 diaries, 3465 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 12:44:16 PM
Israel is bad for Israel; there are parallels between what is happening there and the American conservatives (particulary PNAC) and the idea of "manifest destiny" and exceptionalism. The ties between Israel right wing and the neocons are important (see http://www.iasps.org/strat1.htm "A Clean Break").
There needs to be an understanding -- a frame -- that the Palestinians are an ancient people also, deserving of a Palestinian nation. Halper explains, as an anthropologist, why so many Jews can never find peace until they change the basic zionist mindset which deligitimizes even the idea that the Palestinians ARE Palestinians and that "Palestine" even has existence. This problem could be seen when Tom Delay, looking out over the West Bank said "I see Israel".
It's like wondering why the Native Americans were occupying OUR country before the American genocide, and why OUR oil is under the the earth in Middle Eastern nations (and why it's OK to slaughter people for OUR national interests).
AIPAC is a symptom of the underlying blind, tribalistic, and arrogant attitudes of both the USA and Israel, including the denial of democratic rights for ALL people.
The arrogant right wing, and the beliefs and frames they spread, here and in Israel, is destroying the viability of Israel as a nation, as well as a viable Palestinian nation -- and a viable democracy in the USA. Through it all the corporations and fascists egg people on and lap up the blood and money, and will continue to do so until people wake up and understand, or the world ends (which may not be too far away).
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Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 1:00:20 PM
If the MSM did their job and reported all the atrocities committed on a daily basis on the Palestinians, the vast majority of americans would condemn it. If you look, you can find news on the internet about the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and history very easily. There IS censorship on the news from the middle east, especially from the West Bank and Gaza. No decent american, which includes a great proportion of the people of the United States, would tolerate this censorship - if they knew about it - nor would they allow this manipulation of their Government by AIPAC and others. Character assassination is only one of the ways they shut people up. Thank you for bringing this into the light. May it shine brighter, and soon.
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ibrahim turner (25 articles, 31 quicklinks, 5 diaries, 177 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 3:05:18 PM
I have no more problems with AIPAC more than any other foreign lobbing group except they must be registered and treated like any other foreign agent.
I have read the articles and comments of most people on robopednews. Anyone reading those articles and those comments time after time must agree there are a number who will not be satisfied until Israel does not exist anymore as a sovereign nation. These are to be dismissed without so much as a second thought. It is easy to tell them from those who disagree with present Israeli leadership and Israeli policy. They never ever under any circumstances criticize Hezbollah or Hamas.
I would love to see an unbiased outside agency say this is what is going to be done.
1. Israel must return to her 1967 borders immediately.
2. East Jerusalem must not be Muslim, Jew or Christian.
3. The enemies of Israel will not shoot one rocket across Israel's border or allow one suicide bomber to enter Israel ever again.
When a rocket lands in Israel or a suicide bomber kills Israeli citizens, every nation in the world must immediately quarantine Lebanon, Syria, Egypt or Palestine until those having anything to do with the rockets or bombers are brought to a public trial, found guilty and harshly punished. This old stuff of shooting bombs into a nation of people must immediately stop.
4. Whoever is the elected government of Palestine must recognize Israel as a nation immediately.
5. There will not be a right of return for those who left Israel by force or decided to leave on their own.
Israel will never agree to allow them to return for she would become a minority within her own borders. It is not going to happen.
6. If land is to be negotiated and traded, let it be done after the above actions take place.
Do I believe it will happen? No. There is too much hate and too much narrow mindedness on both sides of the Israeli/Palestine problems. They had much rather die than allow the other side to win. They are in a win/lose set of mind and refuse to come to a win/win mindset.
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pratliff94 (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 962 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 3:59:21 PM
Which goes to show that 'Pnacs' want World Domination by Military Might 'Zionists' want all the land in the mid east and COROPRATIONs who support both, want the PNACs and Zionists to get what they want and give the corporations the profits.
The thing is that we MUST remember that JEWs, REPUBLICANs, MUSLIMs, CHRISTIANs, et al - are a part of US - OUR FRIENDS... it is ONLY the radical fanatics that are the enemys of world PEACE!
You give Israel a pass that I doubt you would give anyone else.
Your views are based on myths that have long since been disproved, and the actions your denial is enabling are cruel, brutal, and continuing. Please take a look at www.ifamericansknew.org, please read the history of how and why Israel was founded, and please view our videos.
Israel's actions, now and from its founding days, have been consciously cruel and intolerably racist.
Are you yet another person who opposes human rights violations... except when they're by Israel? Are you another "progressive" who opposes discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or ethnicity.... except when it's by Israel?
The fact is that every group's chauvinistic violence is based on the belief that "we have to do it."
No we don't. And anyone striving to live a moral life -- and to leave the world a better place than we entered it -- must condemn cruelty and injustice no matter who the perpertrators.
It's long past time to stop choosing to look the other way.
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Alison Weir (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 3 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 5:09:44 PM
Can you see the difference in the reactions of the others
who responded to this article.
The Middle east Israeli Palestinian problem is the toughest problem in the world and YOU are part of the problem.
Anyone who tries to simplify this or dumb this down to good guy and bad guy is the racist extremist. There are so many influences and factors involved in the problem. You just perpetuate the blame and hate. The solution is to find bridges, build connections make solutions happen.
Continuing to blame one side doesnt' work. Supporters of Israel say that no matter how much land they give up there will be Arabs and antisemites who won't be happy until Israel is eliminated. They say there will always be a percentage in Palestine who will shoot rockets and engage in suicide bombings. Then there are the people like you who compare numbers killed.
There should be no more deaths. Israelis should not be firing on teenagers who throw rocks-- or bombing buildings where terrorists who coordinate suicide bombings hide. But then there are those rocks being thrown and those suicide bombers the hiding terrorists recruit, train, equip and send to kill Israeli children and civilians.
The bad guys are the leaders and power brokers in other nations who use the conflict in the middle east for their own purposes-- Saudi Arabian princes, Evangelical right wing Christian Zionists... European leaders with anti-semitic constituents, Totalitarian dictators in Muslim states... They all benefit from the focus on Israel and Palestine.
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Rob Kall (809 articles, 3927 quicklinks, 333 diaries, 1707 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 6:27:17 PM
Rob - I have been thinking this very thing recently.
It seems this would be simple, but I wonder if it would be so. Set up a pro-Israel PAC that splits the proceeds of donations between the Israeli Labor Party, JAIPAC and organizations like this one http://www.upzshalom.org/ .
To those here who use the word Zionist as a pejorative, I would take a good look at that linked site. 'Zionist' and 'Zionism' means different things to different people.
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Steven Leser (213 articles, 45 quicklinks, 33 diaries, 1399 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 8:46:23 PM
First it is insulting to Americans that an American makes the subject of his concern-a foreign nation. Rather than weighing first the issue of what is right for Americans. His patriotism is truly called in to question.
Second he has it wrong on his priorities. When I didn't know anything about Israel I thought I was doing something for Jews by supportring Israel. When I learned about the real nature of that nation and its' history I realized that it ultimately is not good for Jews let alone for Americans. Creating a special nation that favors one group of people to the discredit of the rest is not good for anyone and guarantees them conflict. You would only do that if you truly wanted them to have conflict (antisemitism) or were just stupid. I used to be stupid about Israel. I am no more. Israel is bad for Jews and bad for America. The AIPAC lobby are unpatriotic Americans who don't value our country and what the lessons of history are.
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James Bronke (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 2 comments)
on Monday, April 16, 2007 at 10:45:50 PM
In his view, as long as you support the existence of a state for the Jewish people in Israel, you are a Zionist.
Here is the core of the problem (as Halper explains). For Jews, "Our People" does not include Arabs, or non-Jews. It's not possible to have a Jewish democratic state unless it's all Jews. It's a theocracy by definition -- just as a "Christian America" would be a theocracy. Also (again as Halper explains), Israelis resist calling themselves a "state", with set borders -- they refer to Israel as a "land" (with expandable borders).
No matter how you dress it up, zionism, as an idea, is fundamentally flawed as a democracy and modern nation. It's apartheid by nature, and Israel calls it that, as with the "separation fence". If the 'land' had really been empty it might have worked -- but it wasn't, and isn't, and that's why there was the Nakba.
What would a Christian USA be? How would non-Christians have the same rights as Christians? We already see where that idea is going.
A two-state solution supposes that Israel would limit itself to a given area and let the Palestinians have it's own state, but they won't do that -- just look at the fuss about even drawing the green line on maps in school texts. Israel insists that Palestinians (Arabs) recognize Israel's "right to exist", yet refuses to reciprocate: for years I have heard zionists say that there is no such thing as a Palestinian people.
It may be possible to have a "virtual" Israel, similar to Jewish neighborhoods in the US, overlapping with, overlaid with, other communities, but once there is an insistance on exclusive control of an area, especially an undefined area, then it leaves no room or rights for non-Jews.
There can be no resolution in the Middle East unless the root attitudes and beliefs and the machinations which have gone with them are laid bare and healed, just as in the US there must be an acceptance that this is not a "Christian nation" (and never was).
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Blue Pilgrim (0 articles, 3 quicklinks, 2 diaries, 997 comments)
on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 12:23:49 AM
If Israel was founded on uninhabited land you would be right, but that was not the case. Occupying Palestine in the name of the victims of the holocaust is a curse. Face up to it. Israel is nothing but an illegal occupation. What would you think if the victims of the war in Vietnam were all going to live in the USA, occupying most of the good space and then kicking out the original inhabitants, calling them terrorists whenever they shoot back? Or do you think Israel has a right to exist simply because the USA is founded on the same kind of occupation. Remember the native Americans? So to make stuff fair I'd suggest Israel is going to be moved to Antarctica.
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Han (0 articles, 2 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 196 comments)
on Tuesday, April 17, 2007 at 6:18:38 AM
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s major sources of instability. Americans are directly connected to this conflict, and increasingly imperiled by its devastation.
It is the goal of If Americans Knew to provide full and accurate information on this critical issue, and on our power – and duty – to bring a resolution
