"Cohen was described by a Philadelphia Jewish publication to be 'genetically hard-wired' to serve that role...
"He believes that there is historic precedent for Jews 'rallying to Federation' during times of crisis. 'Whenever Israel's physical security is threatened, people turn to Federation to provide support,' he says, adding 'we must ignite this same Jewish passion to meet local needs addressed by Federation and its partner agencies.'"
Cohen represents the merging of Israeli passionate loyalty, economic reality, media power, and a realization that Israel has the backing of its own creation, the Israel Lobby.
Weiss then asks the question that always comes up in these discussions, "what is the Israel lobby?" His answer is one to clip and slip in your pocket to use the next time someone asks you that question.
"[The Israel Lobby] is the force inside our discourse that defends the special relationship between the U.S. and Israel, forever. Are all Jews part of the Israel lobby? Of course not. There is growing diversity inside the Jewish community, bucking the commandment, Thou must support Israel.
"But Ed Rendell is certainly part of the lobby. ... And I think Cohen is part of it, too, given his former role at the Federations.'"
Weiss concludes:
"Call me cynical, but this proves the old adage, Freedom of the press belongs to he who owns one. And it explains why Chris Matthews keeps his mouth shut on Israel/Palestine."
In Israel this week there were reports of the "activities of Israeli settlers who terrorize Palestinians in the West Bank and who have now turned against the Muslim residents of the state of Israel.
No American voices of influence in either political or media circles are raised against the power of the Gush Emunim over US and Israeli policies.
This is not the case in Israel, where Amos Schocken, owner of Haaretz, a major Jerusalem newspaper, is one of a group of Israeli moderates who know what Zionist ideology is doing to their country.
In an article in Ha'aretz this week, Schocken delivers a harsh indictment of Gush Emunim:
"The ideology of Gush Emunim springs from religious, not political motivations. It holds that Israel is for the Jews, and it is not only the Palestinians in the territories who are irrelevant: Israel's Palestinian citizens are also exposed to discrimination with regard to their civil rights and the revocation of their citizenship.
"This is a strategy of territorial seizure and apartheid. It ignores judicial aspects of territorial ownership and shuns human rights and the guarantees of equality enshrined in Israel's Declaration of Independence."
Schocken notes that in the situation in South Africa, the term "apartheid" refers to "the undemocratic system of discriminating between the rights of the whites and blacks."
He acknowledges that while there is a difference between South African apartheid and the situation today in the Occupied Palestine Territories, there are strong similarities. For example:
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