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Howard Berman, Congressional Foreign Affairs Boss, Cites Israel as a Prime Motivator in His Politics, Then Calls Israel Lobby a ‘Total Canard’ [Via: Mondoweiss]

On February 20, Congressman Howard Berman, the soon-to-be-chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, visited the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association in his Los Angeles district. During the Q-and-A, a couple of audience members submitted written questions about the Israel relationship. The moderator lumped the questions and asked Berman how he would rate the presidential candidates on Israel.

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Berman then assumed he was talking to a friendly crowd. He said Israel “is why I went on the Foreign Affairs Committee–” he corrected himself– “it’s part of why I went on the Foreign Affairs committee in the first place. I’m a great supporter of Israel.” He hastened to add he was also a supporter of a “sensible” peace process that takes into account “Israel’s longtime security needs.”

(Not a word about Palestinians, or occupation.)

Yes, Obama, McCain and Hillary are all good on this issue. Berman feels “comfortable that all three of them are deeply committed to Israel.” [my emphasis] But as president, that could change. In his shrewd way, Berman said that you can never be completely sure where a president might want to go on this issue. “And on this particular issue, the single most important thing is to maintain the high level of Congressional support because they become a brake on– they become a force on what the Administration does.”

At this point, the tireless and ferocious James Morris rose in the audience, breaking the rules. He pointed out that the moderator mentioned his name when he offered the question to Berman, but that this was not his question. His question was about the Israel lobby and the Iraq war and Walt and Mearsheimer. The moderator had chosen to mingle his question with others, misrepresenting it.

Berman answered with a near-tirade about Walt and Mearsheimer. He said the “notion that the U.S. Congress is voting because of the Israel lobby” goes back to “the old scapegoat theory.” Who do we blame for our problems? “It’s those people.” The idea that he voted for the Iraq war because Israel wanted him to is a “total canard,” he says; and he rejects this out of hand. As though he were “bought and paid for by some nefarious interest.” Etc. Israel is supported in the U.S. for a “variety of historical and political reasons and because of the nature of that democracy.”

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