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Example: Pro-Israel activists block travel reform
By Ori Nir, The Forward, March 17, 2006Jewish organizations played a leading role in defeating the effort, launched in response to the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, to ban privately funded trips for members of Congress…[Complete article]
"What is this?" you are asking. Ok, bear with me a little please…
Dear friends,
Please read this outstanding report then sit down this weekend and write (and lobby to get published) a letter to the editor in your local papers and/or your government representative.
Poor 1st world citizens,
Sam
So I did (since my weekend is Thursday and Friday) and I must tell you, it is A MUST READ!
We all know that in the United States, discussing US-Israeli relations, as a subject for debate or investigation, or to raise the issue, is to immediately expose oneself to accusations of anti-Semitism. This is one of the most remarkable features of political discourse in the United States. But two of America's leading political scientists have now broken this taboo.
John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Affairs at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, in a dispassionate and thorough exposition, they pulled the veil back on the "Israel Lobby", its influence on Washington and its effect on Middle East politics.
In a very long article (its 24 pages are well worth printing out) I'm posting here the abstract and an extended passage that describes the make-up of the Lobby and its operation in Congress (once you read, you will understand the example I inserted at the top of this post).
ABSTRACT
The centerpiece of U.S. Middle East policy is its intimate relationship with Israel. Though often justified as reflecting shared strategic interests or compelling moral imperatives, the U.S. commitment to Israel is due primarily to the activities of the "Israel Lobby." This paper describes the various activities that pro-Israel groups have undertaken in order to shift U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction.
"There is a moral dimension here as well. Thanks to the Lobby, the United States has become the de facto enabler of Israeli expansion in the Occupied Territories, making it complicit in the crimes perpetrated against the Palestinians. This situation undercuts Washington�s efforts to promote democracy abroad and makes it look hypocritical when it presses other states to respect human rights. US efforts to limit nuclear proliferation appear equally hypocritical given its willingness to accept Israel�s nuclear arsenal, which only encourages Iran and others to seek a similar capability."
The Israel Lobby
By John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, London Review of Books, March 23, 2006
For the past several decades, and especially since the Six-Day War in 1967, the centrepiece of US Middle Eastern policy has been its relationship with Israel. The combination of unwavering support for Israel and the related effort to spread 'democracy' throughout the region has inflamed Arab and Islamic opinion and jeopardised not only US security but that of much of the rest of the world. This situation has no equal in American political history. Why has the US been willing to set aside its own security and that of many of its allies in order to advance the interests of another state? One might assume that the bond between the two countries was based on shared strategic interests or compelling moral imperatives, but neither explanation can account for the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the US provides.
Instead, the thrust of US policy in the region derives almost entirely from domestic politics, and especially the activities of the 'Israel Lobby'. Other special-interest groups have managed to skew foreign policy, but no lobby has managed to divert it as far from what the national interest would suggest, while simultaneously convincing Americans that US interests and those of the other country - in this case, Israel - are essentially identical.
[...]
… if neither strategic nor moral arguments can account for America's support for Israel, how are we to explain it?
The explanation is the unmatched power of the Israel Lobby. We use 'the Lobby' as shorthand for the loose coalition of individuals and organisations who actively work to steer US foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction. This is not meant to suggest that 'the Lobby' is a unified movement with a central leadership, or that individuals within it do not disagree on certain issues. Not all Jewish Americans are part of the Lobby, because Israel is not a salient issue for many of them. In a 2004 survey, for example, roughly 36 per cent of American Jews said they were either 'not very' or 'not at all' emotionally attached to Israel.
Jewish Americans also differ on specific Israeli policies. Many of the key organisations in the Lobby, such as the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organisations, are run by hardliners who generally support the Likud Party's expansionist policies, including its hostility to the Oslo peace process. The bulk of US Jewry, meanwhile, is more inclined to make concessions to the Palestinians, and a few groups � such as Jewish Voice for Peace � strongly advocate such steps. Despite these differences, moderates and hardliners both favour giving steadfast support to Israel.
Not surprisingly, American Jewish leaders often consult Israeli officials, to make sure that their actions advance Israeli goals. As one activist from a major Jewish organisation wrote, 'it is routine for us to say: "This is our policy on a certain issue, but we must check what the Israelis think." We as a community do it all the time.' There is a strong prejudice against criticising Israeli policy, and putting pressure on Israel is considered out of order. Edgar Bronfman Sr, the president of the World Jewish Congress, was accused of 'perfidy' when he wrote a letter to President Bush in mid-2003 urging him to persuade Israel to curb construction of its controversial 'security fence'. His critics said that 'it would be obscene at any time for the president of the World Jewish Congress to lobby the president of the United States to resist policies being promoted by the government of Israel.'
Similarly, when the president of the Israel Policy Forum, Seymour Reich, advised Condoleezza Rice in November 2005 to ask Israel to reopen a critical border crossing in the Gaza Strip, his action was denounced as 'irresponsible': 'There is,' his critics said, 'absolutely no room in the Jewish mainstream for actively canvassing against the security-related policies … of Israel.' Recoiling from these attacks, Reich announced that 'the word "pressure" is not in my vocabulary when it comes to Israel.'
Jewish Americans have set up an impressive array of organisations to influence American foreign policy, of which AIPAC is the most powerful and best known. In 1997, Fortune magazine asked members of Congress and their staffs to list the most powerful lobbies in Washington. AIPAC was ranked second behind the American Association of Retired People, but ahead of the AFL-CIO and the National Rifle Association. A National Journal study in March 2005 reached a similar conclusion, placing AIPAC in second place (tied with AARP) in the Washington 'muscle rankings'.
The Lobby also includes prominent Christian evangelicals like Gary Bauer, Jerry Falwell, Ralph Reed and Pat Robertson, as well as Dick Armey and Tom DeLay, former majority leaders in the House of Representatives, all of whom believe Israel's rebirth is the fulfilment of biblical prophecy and support its expansionist agenda; to do otherwise, they believe, would be contrary to God's will. Neo-conservative gentiles such as John Bolton; Robert Bartley, the former Wall Street Journal editor; William Bennett, the former secretary of education; Jeane Kirkpatrick, the former UN ambassador; and the influential columnist George Will are also steadfast supporters.
The US form of government offers activists many ways of influencing the policy process. Interest groups can lobby elected representatives and members of the executive branch, make campaign contributions, vote in elections, try to mould public opinion etc. They enjoy a disproportionate amount of influence when they are committed to an issue to which the bulk of the population is indifferent. Policymakers will tend to accommodate those who care about the issue, even if their numbers are small, confident that the rest of the population will not penalise them for doing so.
In its basic operations, the Israel Lobby is no different from the farm lobby, steel or textile workers' unions, or other ethnic lobbies. There is nothing improper about American Jews and their Christian allies attempting to sway US policy: the Lobby's activities are not a conspiracy of the sort depicted in tracts like the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. For the most part, the individuals and groups that comprise it are only doing what other special interest groups do, but doing it very much better. By contrast, pro-Arab interest groups, in so far as they exist at all, are weak, which makes the Israel Lobby's task even easier.
The Lobby pursues two broad strategies. First, it wields its significant influence in Washington, pressuring both Congress and the executive branch. Whatever an individual lawmaker or policymaker's own views may be, the Lobby tries to make supporting Israel the 'smart' choice. Second, it strives to ensure that public discourse portrays Israel in a positive light, by repeating myths about its founding and by promoting its point of view in policy debates. The goal is to prevent critical comments from getting a fair hearing in the political arena. Controlling the debate is essential to guaranteeing US support, because a candid discussion of US-Israeli relations might lead Americans to favour a different policy.
A key pillar of the Lobby's effectiveness is its influence in Congress, where Israel is virtually immune from criticism. This in itself is remarkable, because Congress rarely shies away from contentious issues. Where Israel is concerned, however, potential critics fall silent. One reason is that some key members are Christian Zionists like Dick Armey, who said in September 2002: 'My No. 1 priority in foreign policy is to protect Israel.' One might think that the No. 1 priority for any congressman would be to protect America. There are also Jewish senators and congressmen who work to ensure that US foreign policy supports Israel's interests.
Another source of the Lobby's power is its use of pro-Israel congressional staffers. As Morris Amitay, a former head of AIPAC, once admitted, 'there are a lot of guys at the working level up here' - on Capitol Hill - 'who happen to be Jewish, who are willing … to look at certain issues in terms of their Jewishness … These are all guys who are in a position to make the decision in these areas for those senators … You can get an awful lot done just at the staff level.'
AIPAC itself, however, forms the core of the Lobby's influence in Congress. Its success is due to its ability to reward legislators and congressional candidates who support its agenda, and to punish those who challenge it. Money is critical to US elections (as the scandal over the lobbyist Jack Abramoff's shady dealings reminds us), and AIPAC makes sure that its friends get strong financial support from the many pro-Israel political action committees. Anyone who is seen as hostile to Israel can be sure that AIPAC will direct campaign contributions to his or her political opponents. AIPAC also organises letter-writing campaigns and encourages newspaper editors to endorse pro-Israel candidates.
There is no doubt about the efficacy of these tactics. Here is one example: in the 1984 elections, AIPAC helped defeat Senator Charles Percy from Illinois, who, according to a prominent Lobby figure, had 'displayed insensitivity and even hostility to our concerns'. Thomas Dine, the head of AIPAC at the time, explained what happened: 'All the Jews in America, from coast to coast, gathered to oust Percy. And the American politicians - those who hold public positions now, and those who aspire - got the message.'
AIPAC's influence on Capitol Hill goes even further. According to Douglas Bloomfield, a former AIPAC staff member, 'it is common for members of Congress and their staffs to turn to AIPAC first when they need information, before calling the Library of Congress, the Congressional Research Service, committee staff or administration experts.' More important, he notes that AIPAC is 'often called on to draft speeches, work on legislation, advise on tactics, perform research, collect co-sponsors and marshal votes'.
The bottom line is that AIPAC, a de facto agent for a foreign government, has a stranglehold on Congress, with the result that US policy towards Israel is not debated there, even though that policy has important consequences for the entire world. In other words, one of the three main branches of the government is firmly committed to supporting Israel. As one former Democratic senator, Ernest Hollings, noted on leaving office, 'you can't have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here.' Or as Ariel Sharon once told an American audience, 'when people ask me how they can help Israel, I tell them: "Help AIPAC."' [complete article]
A PDF version of this paper with complete footnotes (an additional 40 pages!) can be downloaded here.
So, maybe you can spend few minutes of your weekend to write (and lobby to get published, as Sam said) a letter to the editor in your local papers and/or your government representative?!
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{ 47 } Comments
I haven't read anything this scary before.
Not even Stephen King can match this.
This is a mustread for everyone who thinks they are living in a free world.
Haitham,
Thank you for providing the final pieces to my puzzle.
Glad to see Harvard is brave enough to publish this.
Could someone please help me with a question I have? Upon reading the entire content of the above piece I came upon this statement "Israel refuses to grant the Palestinians full political rights". What EXACTLY was meant by this question? I tried to research this plus I have some knowledge but I'm trying to clarify the statement. So far I have come up with Israel's refusal to grant full autonomy to the Palestinians which I already knew. Is there more to this statement that I am unaware of? Could someone help me please? Thanks!
robin,
where in the piece is this exactly, page and paragraph please? perhaps i can help shed light.
Perhaps what “Israel refuses to grant the Palestinians full political rights” means is this:
In the January 2006 elections, Israel controlled the voting rights of Palestinian East Jerusalemites, allowing only 6,300 out of 76,000 registered residents to vote. That is roughly 8.3 percent of the registered Palestinian voters of East Jerusalem.
Or perhaps that the IOF has made getting to the polls either extremely difficult or impossible for many Palestinians.
Or perhaps that Likud has tried to ban opposition parties within Israel that are comprised of Arab-Israelis (Palestinians) with nationalist views.
Or perhaps that Israel carries out extrajudicial assassinations in the West Bank and Gaza.
Or perhaps that Israel decides, without providing evidence, who should be imprisoned.
Or perhaps that Israel refuses to acknowledge Palestinian leaders who are democratically elected.
Or perhaps some of these quotes from Sharon (the "man of peace") will shed light on Israel's hijacking of Palestinian political rights:
"It is the duty of Israeli leaders to explain to public opinion, clearly and courageously, a certain number of facts that are forgotten with time. The first of these is that there is no Zionism, colonialization, or Jewish State without the eviction of the Arabs and the expropriation of their lands."
– Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister, addressing a meeting of militants from the extreme right-wing Tsomet Party, Agence France Presse, November 15, 1998.
"Everybody has to move, run and grab as many (Palestinian) hilltops as they can to enlarge the (Jewish) settlements because everything we take now will stay ours…Everything we don't grab will go to them."
– Ariel Sharon, Israeli Foreign Minister, addressing a meeting of the Tsomet Party, Agence France Presse, Nov. 15, 1998.
"Israel may have the right to put others on trial, but certainly no one has the right to put the Jewish people and the State of Israel on trial."
– Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, 25 March, 2001 quoted in BBC News Online
Raymond,
It's in the piece I clicked on up there where it says, "read this oputstanding report" It's the full text of this post. I hope I counted correctly, but I think it's the last statement of the 19th paragraph. But I think you answerd my question unless you read it and have more information which I would REALLY appreciate. Shukran!
Robin,
I think the facts that Israel treats its Arab-Israeli citizens as third-class and that Palestinians in the "Occupied Territories" have no rights at all pretty much underscores the question.
Afwan. Maaleesh.
I encourage everyone to read the full version of the Mearsheimer and Walt paper, available by clicking at the bottom of the London Review of Books article, or right here:
http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP06-011
Raymond or Haitham or anyone who knows,
I was linking on to some Israeli sites and they refer to the army as the "IDF" (Israeli defense forces) Whereas here the army is referred to as the "IOF" Israeli occupation forces. I'm pretty darn sure I know the answer, but is the IDF and the IOF the same thing? I just want to make sure so I don't get befuddled by the use of the two terms. (to me it is obvious that if they are the same thing it is merely a difference of perspective in the terminology used) Is there a "separate" force that only operates in Palestinian territory? That is the crux of my question.
Robin,
Does it matter what they are called? They are still occupiers!
On some Jewish sites they say whatever is reported by Palestinians are lies to weaken Israel. The Israelis are just defending their borders.
My question is "where are their borders"?
Kimmy,
It doesn't matter and you are absolutely correct, they are still occupiers. It was just the persnickety part of me thinking I may have missed some important distinction. But, as I suspected, after some further research I confirmed my own strong suspicions, they are the same.
That was a VERY good question, where are the borders? It seems to me they're here, they're there, they give a little, they grab ALOT, they settle in, then grab some more all while claiming to want peace. I think a better question might be "where do they WANT the borders to be" because this is a direct reflection of their true aspirations. Who cares where their borders are today if their only intention is to broaden them. But an interested overhead view of the wall being built is but one example of just what lenghths they are willing to go to to get what they want. Another factor is the settlements within Palestinian territory, just as the world thinks they are dismantling, they are building more. I think Ariel (maybe I have the name wrong) is one of the latest examples of the ruse they play. As we see them dragging out the settlers, secretly they have plans to grab something else. And remember Kimmy, we're not getting the news straight up here in NA. That's what's so great about this blog.
confirmation for robin:
The Israeli Defense Force, or IDF, is the official name of the Israeli Army. The name itself is purposely misleading, in using "Defense", as they operate in the offensive. My first encounters with the term IOF were here and in other blogs recently, and I realised quickly that the Palestinians were merely converting the acronym into something more appropriate. At first, I thought IOF stood for Israeli Offense Forces, but later realised the "O" stands for Occupation.
And yes, Israel dragged the settlers out of Gaza in August 2005, having made plans already of relocating them to settlement in the West Bank. In early January, Israeli news reported that Kadima pledged 17 billion shekels toward the development of new illegal settlements in the West Bank. That's equivalent to 3.7 billion US dollars. (Roughly 4.5 NIS equals 1 USD)
So much for the disengagement.
Kimmy and All:
Here are some good links about the continued settlements even after supposed disengagement. The last one is particularly good if you want to see an overhead map of Israel's supposed borders.
http://www.imemc.org/content/view/17006/1/ - 35k -
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ wp-dyn/articles/A6224-2004Jul22.html -
news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4605877.stm - 45k -
http://www.stopthewall.org/maps/860.shtml - 16k
My question is, what are the borders going to look like tomorrow much less ten years from now? Peace!
KIMMY this one is for you and I really hope you see it because it ties into your big business ideas. The following are just a few of the US companies that actively invest in Israel and support Zionism:
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream ( buys water from Israeli occupied wells
in the Golan Heights which allocate 85% of the water to Israel
and the 15% remaining to the Palestinians, Ben and Jerry's
changed it before they sold it but the new owners reverted
back)
Caterpillar (don't rent one to grade your back yard)
Burger King (my kid loves the chicken kids meal)
Coca Cola (I have to give up my Dr. Pepper)
Diamonds (Israel is the leader seller of all diamonds)
Disney (Walt was an avid Zionist)
Estee Lauder cosmetics
Intel (set up chips manufacturing plant in Israel)
Johnson and Johnson (Q-tips and more)
Kimberly Clark (Huggies diapers, Kleenex, it's chairman was
awarded the Israeli Jubilation Award, highest tribute)
Landrover, a subsidiary of Ford (Henry was an avid Zionist)
Motorola (I have to throw out my 16 year old's phone I just got
her)
Nestle (major Zionist contributions, no more Hersheys Kisses)
Safeway Stores (Ron Berkel CEO: MAJOR ZIONIST)
Sara Lee (no more strawberry shortcake using Sara Lee poundcake,
the best. Also I have to take off my Wonderbra and burn it!
major Zionist contributions)
And last but not least, STARBUCKS!!! It's CEO Howard Shultz was
was awarded Israel's 50th anniversary tribute award for
contributiions to Israel.
Kimmy, do you understand the connection between your "BIG BUSINESS" and Zionism. They are connected, partnered, and next to impossible to avoid. These are just a few of the ones I thought you would recognize. It's everywhere you turn.
You should also be aware of the Israeli orgs B'tselem and Machsom Watch:
http://www.btselem.org/English/index.asp
http://www.machsomwatch.org/eng/homePageEng.asp?link=homePage&lang=eng
specific to settlements:
http://www.btselem.org/English/Settlements/
Although pre-1967 Israelis don't consider themselves settlers, which is a twist in their argument, but at least they're making one.
Robin, And you wondered why I brought big business into the picture?
As a hippie (we called ourselves freaks) from the sixties we saw way back then that big businesses were removing individuality and they were only concerned about the bottom line. Now 40+ years later they have so much power that everything we do is controlled by them.
Just watch, the internet will be even more controlled by them.
Religion is just a small part of this equasion.
I am becoming very scared.
Reading this web site will cost more because big business will want more money because Haitham is using broadband that he doesn't pay for.
Pay to use the internet and pay to use broadband. Twice the money going into big business coffers.
"Web neutrality" is going to be a thing of the past.
Fight it because if you don't your costs are going to go through the roof!
Kimmy,
Just a little personal note I will offer. When I did the research cited above listing all the business associated with Zionism, I realized, there is NO way to avoid this unless I move out in the woods and maybe then some of my camping equipment is "suspect". But I DO know about Starbucks. Every morning after my 27-mile carpool drive I go through drive-through market (I'm usually still in my pj's) and get a bottled Starbuck's frappacino. This has been a habit for years, I'm even invited to the Christmas barbecue at the store by the Korean proprietors because we have gotten to know each other so well by casual chatting. (don't laugh, my husband says I talk too much!) Sometimes I go on a diet and stop drinking them, in that case I don't see "Matthew" as much. It is a daily ritual for me most of the time and I am on "auto pilot". OK, so much of that. Anyway, yesterday in my usual "auto pilot" mode I headed there. When I got there, I thought, "WHY am I doing this after I found out about Starbucks" ok, I continued on and ordered a diet pepsi instead. It was small, it is not going to make a hill of beans of difference, but now I am aware and if I drank one now I would know where the profit is going and CHOKE! So I am going on a PERMANENT diet disallowing my Starbucks in the morning. Being aware is the beginning of what ever action we choose to take. Some things we cannot avoid, but those we can, WITHOUT taking it to the extreme of picketing in front of the store as the lone somewhat crazy protestor, we are still resetting our own consciosness to act according to our knowledge. Just a thought, sorry I used my hi-caloric daily habit as an example.
Robin,
My fears in the sixties are now my horrors. I still won't blame Jews.
I will blame big Businesses for most of our problems. If they happened to be Jewish connected, so be it!
The world has become everything I feared it would be! Bottom line is more important than people.
This will be a rant that you or others in NA might understand. Bare with me.
New high efficency furnaces save energy. NO THEY DON'T.
They cost more to repair. Everything is modular, (meaning you throw out modules with good parts) to repair furnaces. Waste of energy.
The old furnaces hardly ever broke down. Less service calls. New furnaces break down regurlarly meaning more service calls. I burn more fuel to make these calls.
New furnaces only last 15-20 years. Meaning we make more furnaces to replace worn out ones. More waste of energy.
What we save in natural gas at home means more energy wasted in modules replaced and fuel wasted in making these modules and my service calls. Plus replacing these furnaces more often.
We have been lied to by big businesses.
We waste more energy to save energy.
On top of this the parts cost double.
I met with an employee from a manufacturer. He asked me what I paid for a certain part. I told him $180 CDN. He laughed. It cost the manufacturer $29 CDN for the part.
Money is everything. People are nothing.
Kimmy,
What you are referring to is a "shifting economy". The fact that our products have shorter shelf lifes is proof positive that the US economy is shifting from a "manufacturing economy" to a "service economy". Rather than manufacture quality products, we now train and employ service men to fix them. This is also shifting the power upwards to the manufacturer who has the "power to employ" and the "power" to produce inferior products which need replacement. The problem is that the "employ" and the "consumer" are at the loosing end of the deal. This is us, you and me and others, we are the loosers. Then you throw in the "lobbyists" who lobby the government for laws which benefit the manufacturer. Yes, power is shifting upwards and being consolidated in the hands of a few. The root of the problem is greed. The Israeli lobby which this thread is about in particular is exerting such control over our country, both economically by consolidating their power in Big Business and by changing our laws to benefit their cause. Not all big business is involved, of course not. But wherever you find a problem you can bet your bottom dollar that the "bad" big business interests are involved. Business/Government/Religious enties coming to exert control for their own benefit leaves us in a lurch. Does anyone really think we went to war in Iraq for purely idealistic motives? I think not a few are still clinging to that hypothesis but light is surely being shed to disprove this. We idiots here in NA (with the exception of a few) have allowed this to occur. I am hopeful (but not waiting on the edge of my seat) that NA wakes up to what they have allowed themselves to become. Perhaps it is too late, and quite frankly, nations rise and nations fall, nothing in history is static. We as individuals can choose to live our lives differently, that is the best we can do.
Kimmy (in addition),
With the gain in power of the lobbyists, they are gaining manufacturing powers to hire and fire public opinion. That is why the rising power of the Israeli lobbyists is so damaging to our country. They are able to "hire" those who support their cause and "fire" those who do not. That is precisely why some of us, you and I and others, are currently unemployed. But it's what we do with our time off from work which is the key to becoming more employable ourselves. Job training is usefull, become as "employable" as the next guy and you've got a chance at making it rich and to share that wealth equally with others.
Robin,
Thank you! I am just a service person. You have put in to print what I wanted to say. I am a simple person who sees an unjusdice but I have problems to put it into words that you and Thomas, a Dane can.
If I was talking to a person face-to-face I can do it. But on the internet I can't. I will not judge a religion even though I know they are wrong because that makes me predujiced. I don't want that.
Between my wife and I we cover the Ayrian race, Jews, Native Canadians, German and Heinz 57.
But I am finding the Jews are hiding too much in the name of religion.
What kills me is how close Islam and the Hebrew faith is. And they still fight!
This is really bothering me.
My second to last service call tonight was to a widow whose husband was a German who was part of the invasion of Denmark.
When Gunther was alive we had great discussions about the war. We didn't discuss the politics. THE WAR IS OVER!
Gunther and I got along great. Now his widow and I spend time talking about how the news talks about killings and death. We both hate it. We have no problems talking about the PAST because it is the past.
Wishful thinking. Can the past be the past. Can we work on the future? For our kids at least?
Hey Kimmy,
I hope you're not thanking me for making you a service person! (just kidding) Unless there's someone here talking on this blog that is a multi-millionaire big business monster or a lobbyist, I think we're ALL service people. It's all about greed Kimmy. When a party acts in a fashion not condusive to the benefit of the whole and only with their own profit in mind, it is just plain unethical (there Thomas, I said "unethical" instead of "inmoral"!) Kimmy, I think you might misunderstand me here a bit so I wish to clarify myself. None of us are referring to Judaism which is a faith, we are referring to Zionism which is a political entity disguised as a faith. Zionism is the belief that "man" can create a state for the Jews. This is not a belief held by all Jews. In fact there are a great many Jews who do not support the State of Israel and feel that the Zionists are WRONG.
Here's one site you could check out http://www.jewsagainstzionism.com/ - 24k - which is titled, "True Torah Jews do not support Israel"
This one: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Zionism - 75k - is also good because it gives the different "types" on anti-Zionism including Arab anti-Zionism. I guess a good analogy might be that Zionism is "radical Judaism" Since Zionism as a political movement has only existed since the late nineteenth century. Here's a quote from another site "Zionism is not a part of the Jewish religion, but rather is parasitic upon it. Most Zionists are Jews, but not all Jews are Zionists. To condemn Zionism as immoral (racist, vicious and depraved) is not to condemn Judaism." here's the link http://www.serendipity.li/zionism.htm - 53k. So often I slip and so do others and not make it clear that we are talking about Zionism and NOT Judaism. It's the same as moderate Moslems condemning terrorism, Non-Zionist Jews condemn Zionism. It is VERY hard for Jews to speak out against Zionists because even they are accused of anti-Semitism and being self-haters. So just to make it clear, no one here that I've seen writing is condemning Judaism, we are condemning terroristic Zionism which is what you are reading about in all the information about the Palestinians. Did I make sense? We're not blaming a religion, we are blaming a "parasite" upon a religion-Zionism.
To my posting in 9, I add this article, brief but poignant:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4838724.stm
Not only are the Israelis trying to legally stop Arab-Israeli parties from participating in their "democracy", but they are campaigning to get the Arab-Israelis to emigrate. This should be no suprise to anyone, especially the Palestinians reading this, but I hope that this one bit of news on BBC makes you realise that for every one brief story calling Israel's behavior to light, there are thousands never accounted for. The Palestinian stories that have fallen into the cravasses of censorship and collective amnesia.
Here's another site for anyone listening:
http://www.alnakba.org/
Raymond,
Thanks for the links. What can I say? very very sadly more of the same. I would like for you to take me completely sincerely when I ask you this question: "Is there any "good" news out there?" I would truly hope that there is SOME good news that could bring some hope to this situation, even if it is small. It may be just a tiny flicker, but at least it means there is not total darkness. Do you have anything we could look in to? Haitham, the same question also goes out to you with all due sincerity. Shukran and Masalama.
good news
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4572.shtml
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4577.shtml
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4578.shtml
http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4563.shtml
http://thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1631&ed=112
http://thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1634&ed=112
http://thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1639&ed=112
http://thisweekinpalestine.com/details.php?id=1642&ed=112
much more where that came from…
Raymond,
Thank you so much. I added both of these sources to my favorites list. What really put a smile on my face was the article about the art exhibit. "I am donkey/made in Israel" really says it all. I never knew the donkey was a symbol of Palestinians. Both are stubborn, one born that way, and one made that way out of circumstance. Very poignant. Shukran.
Afwan.
Robin,
I only sevice HVAC/R.
I see people who are desparate to make ends meet.
Both of them work to make ends meet.
When I was young (just after the dinosaurs died) my father worked and my mother stayed at home. We had a home and food. We travelled for 2 weeks every summer.
Now we have an economy where everyone have to work just to make ends meet. I have a problem.
The economy is going by the way of the dinosaures. (the ones I saw die out).
Kimmy,
(Lobbies=Money)
Just a few weeks before I was born, my mother told me there was a brontosaurus siting in the neighborhood but it could not be confirmed because the witness was drunk and had lost his glasses, therefor it could have been a tyranosaurus rex. I get you. When you first starting talking about "big business" I wasn't quite sure what you meant, remember, I asked you to clarify yourself?
Well, if you've got all these lobbyists working for the BB and paying off our representatives, who really has the power here? I don't think it's you or me or anyone we know here going to offer the local congressman $10 so they might vote the way we want. Shoot, I would think, I can't offer my congressman $10, that would be BRIBERY, I might get in trouble for that. Oh well, just another notch in the long list of bad things BB does. I'm thinking Pink Floyd, " Money, it's a crime, Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie, Money so they say, Is the root of ALL evil today".. (I don't think you're too old to remember that one, dinosaur or not) Peace
Robin,
If you give a politician $10 then it would be bribery, not from the fact that you give him $10 but from the fact that you do not give him $10,000, because then it would be considered a campaign contribution!
-How can you tell if a politician is lying?
-His lips are moving!
Thomas,
Also in the same edition was the story about exempting travel junkets to Israel, the Temple Mount Society has a charity tax exempt status it seems! 
Since the recent lobbying scandals here in the US have come to light, several politicians have actually started returning some of the moneys they have received. I got curious as usual so I started looking into things. One article was next to the weather report for the day. Sure enough, just as I had suspected, hell had actually frozen over that day!!
Exempt from taxes and ethics?!
Raymond,
Ethics? I think they got that one in under the "chosen people act"!
On a side note, here is a clip from a Christian News Letter dated June 2001: "Last week the Update reported that US Congressman Eric Cantor (R-Virginia) introduced the Temple Mount Preservation Act (H.R.2566.IH) with bipartisan support. This bill would eliminate financial aid to the Palestinian Authority until all unauthorized excavations from Judaism's holiest site comes to an end". Ethics? BahHumbug.
Woops, I forgot to explain that one. The excavations were being done in order to repair underground damage done to the Dome of the Rock from earthquake damage and other deterioration from age. Go figure, our tax dollars go to support a terrorist state while we introduce bills prohibiting Moslems from repairing their mosque. Does this make sense anyone? Oh yeah, I was forgetting about the "chosen people act"!
Here's another one for ya,
It's SO CRAZY!
This is a statement by Yisrael Ariel, founder of the Temple Institute. His past occupation was as a paratrooper and one of the first during th 1967 war to reach the Dome of the Rock:
"Through the years, the more I studied the more I began to understand that we had only ourselves and our own inaction to hold accountable: G-d does not intend for us to wait for a day of miracles. We are expected to act. We must accomplish that with which we have been charged: to do all in our power to prepare for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and the renewel of the divine service." (page 526, Siddur HaMikdash, translated from the Hebrew)." So you asked about ethics? (sarcasm, snicker tehetehe)
"All within their power" is just that. Aren't they lucky they have us (US) to bolster their power? But then again Raymond, you know all this and I am just acting out my frustration by writing it all here. Masalama
so crazy, it's true.
Interesting videos
Pro Israel lobby heavily influencing US policy academics say Walt Mearsheimer Australia:
Video
Pro Israel lobby helping or hindering policy making Australia Loewenstein
Video
Charly Reese about US the Jewish lobby and the roots of terrorism:
The plot to blow up several American and British airplanes over the Atlantic is merely a taste of things to come. Fortunately, this particular plot was foiled by Scotland Yard and the British counterintelligence people.
The death toll might well have exceeded that of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The lesson to be learned is that terrorism is a tactic, and you can't wage war against a tactic. Just because you block one punch doesn't mean that others won't follow.
The root cause of terrorism is politics. People who feel offended abused or injured by the policies of the major powers but have no armies with which to defend themselves often resort to terror. It's the only weapon available to the weak.
When you find yourself the target of terrorist tactics, you can't kill your way out of it. That's because, if left unchanged, the same policies that produced the terrorists will keep on producing them. As a matter offset, the more terrorists you kill, the more you create, especially in cultures where revenge is an important ingredient.
What is needed is a reassessment of our foreign policy. For example, why are we hated by so many Palestinians?
The answer is easy: We have been grossly unfair to them.
Whatever the Israelis wished to do to them - kill them, destroy their homes, uproot their orchards, confiscate their lands, subject them to all kinds of humiliation - has been perfectly OK with the U.S, government.
The last American president who was unafraid of offending the Israelis was Dwight
Eisenhower. In 1956, he told them to get out: of the Sinai or he would freeze all of their assets: They got out of the Sinai.
Today, there is no avoiding stating the plain truth: We have a Jewish problem. The government is totally paralyzed and is unwilling to issue even the mildest rebuke to Israel, no matter how outrageous its behavior.
Why?
Because the Jewish lobby is so powerful, American politicians are afraid of it. I don't blame the Jewish lobby for the cowardice of American politicians. American Jews have a right to lobby the government.
But we don't elect politicians to serve 3 percent of the population and a foreign country.
The American invasion of Iraq created more hatred of the United States. It's hard to think of a more stupid decision.
We removed a check against Iran and completely destabilized Iraq, which is now in danger of breaking. apart. That may have been our secret intention, since a broken Iraq will be weak and easy to dominate.
The only trouble is, it is much more likely to be dominated by Iran than by us. We are now being harshly criticized by the elected Iraqi officials who owe their jobs to the 2,600 American dead.
The only way to win the war on terrorism is to revert to our republican roots and give up imperialism. We're no good at imperialism anyway. Our foreign policy should be just what George Washington said it should be trade and commerce with all, entangling alliances with nobody, and absolutely no interference in the internal affairs of any other country.
That's not going to happen unless Americans clean house in Washington.
Write to Charley Reese at
P.O. Box 2446, Orlando, Florida 92802
by King Features SyndicateFeatures Syndicate 2006
Source
Robin,
After 30+ years in the trade I am starting to wonder about energy saving.
On top of that, I am starting to wonder about the actual policies of your government.
Hear me out!
We have been told to save energy. The new furnaces save energy when they work. When they don't work we scrap energy in modules to replace them.
In international affairs, we occupy Iraq and support Israel in the name of democracy.
Now Saudi Arabia (Sunni) will help Iraq Sunnis if the US pulls out.
Iran is Sheite, Syria is Sunni.
I really don't know what the Pallestinians are, (who cares).
Has this become a war to create conflict between theese two factions?
If so, the US is winning.
This is taking the world view away from the Zionists occupations and pointing it on the Muslims.
This is a sad state of affairs.