Obama Distances Himself from Book on U.S.-Israeli Relations
Like many in Washington, Barack Obama is running as fast as he can from the authors of a controversial new book on U.S.-Israeli politics. And in doing so, he’s taking a distinctly different path than one of his highest-profile supporters in the foreign policy establishment, Zbigniew Brzezinski.
After being alerted by a reporter for the New York Sun, the Obama campaign raced yesterday to take down a small ad for the campaign’s Web site that appeared as one of several “sponsored links” on the Amazon.com page for “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” by John Mearsheimer, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, a professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. The book argues that a highly influential assortment of pro-Israeli politicians, journalists and academics have succeeded in pushing U.S. policy in the Middle East in directions that do not necessarily serve America’s best interests. And, like an article by the authors that appeared last year, the book has caused a considerable stir — critics have accused the authors of anti-Semitism, admirers have praised them for needed candor, and several institutions and organizations have turned down or canceled appearances by the authors, including the Graduate Center at the City University of New York and, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
The Obama campaign says its ad probably appeared on the book’s Amazon page simply because the campaign paid for its Web site to be mentioned on searches that included the word “politics,” among other phrases, part of a publicity strategy being used by many 2008 candidates. Though the ad’s link to the book was clearly unintentional, the campaign may be sensitive to any appearance of an anti-Israel tilt given that Obama had already met with a skeptical response among some Jewish voters this year.
Obama encountered scattered grumbles in March at a pro-Israel conference in Washington, where attendees expressed concerns about Obama’s comment, made in Iowa shortly before the conference, that “Nobody is suffering more than the Palestinian people.” At the conference, he got more attention with his observation, referring to the Middle East peace process, that “the biggest enemy I think we have in this whole process … one of the enemies we have to fight — it’s not just terrorists, it’s not just Hezbollah, it’s not just Hamas — it’s also cynicism.” At another conference in Washington in April, of the National Jewish Democratic Council, Obama chose his words carefully, while still seeking to show that he was not satisfied with the status quo in Israel: “My commitment to you is unwavering,” he said in response to a question about Israel, “but the only thing I will not do is to relinquish the possibility that our Middle East policy involves more than just arms sales and military and strategic options to consider. There has to be an effective diplomacy.”
There would be no such nuance from Obama when confronted with the Amazon ad. Campaign spokesman Jennifer Psaki told The Sun that Obama had not read the book but knew enough about it to disagree with its authors. “The ad has been removed from the site because the views of the book do not reflect the views of Senator Obama on the U.S.- Israel relationship,” she said. “Senator Obama has stated that his support for a strong U.S.- Israel relationship, which includes both a commitment to Israel’s security and to helping Israel achieve peace with its neighbors, comes from his belief that it’s the right policy for the United States. The idea that supporters of Israel have somehow distorted U.S. foreign policy, or that they are responsible for the debacle in Iraq, is just wrong.”
As it happens, though, among the few establishment figures who have spoken more kindly of Mearsheimer and Walt is Brzezinski, the former Carter Administration national security adviser who last month made headlines with his endorsement of Obama. Brzezinski praised Obama for offering a “new face, a new sense of direction, a new definition of America’s role in the world,” giving the junior senator from Illinois a strong boost of credibility in the foreign policy department. He is expected to be at Obama’s side tomorrow in Iowa when the senator gives what is being billed as a major speech addressing Gen. David Petraeus’ report on the war in Iraq.
In the July-August 2006 issue of Foreign Policy, Brzezinski defended Mearsheimer and Walt, saying their article had “rendered a public service by initiating a much-needed public debate on the role of the ‘Israel lobby’ in the shaping of U.S. foreign policy” and that they “adduce a great deal of factual evidence that over the years Israel has been the beneficiary of privileged — indeed, highly preferential — financial assistance, out of all proportion to what the United States extends to any other country.” Of those attacking the authors, Brzezinski wrote, “Of course, stifling such debate is in the interest of those who have done well in the absence of it. Hence the outraged reaction from some to Mearsheimer and Walt.”
The Obama campaign tonight dismissed questions about squaring Obama’s spurning of the book’s authors with Brzezinski’s strong defense of them against the “outraged reaction” of critics. An Obama supporter, Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida, offered a statement in defense of Obama, saying Obama has “been a consistent supporter of Israel and this is an unfortunate case of a fabricated controversy for political reasons.”
“I speak with him often on Israel policy,” Wexler added, “and I can tell you firsthand that Barack Obama is opposed to the arguments presented in this book.”
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I do not support Israel in its current rogue state. Maybe if they actually had a constitution with a bill of rights, including a right to be free from religion, I would support Israel. Until that time, they can pound sand. And so can Obama.
Of Course Mr. Obummer would reject the arguments in the Mearsheimer/Walt book. Like other American politicians he knows where the real power lies. Notice how many of them, including George Bush himself, have to genuflect and pucker up to AIPAC. Why should Obummer be any different?
Politicians seem expensive luxuries that together produce more harm than good. Incorporate the people for direct democracy.
Maybe Omaba will come to his senses about Israel after he’s elected and gets to see the inside of Israeli politics. Then he’ll realize that our “ally” Israel is responsible for numerous war crimes, violations of international law, violations of UN resolutions, torture, targeted assassinations, an unlawful 40-year military occupation, land theft, civilian murders and home demolitions, attacks on and murder of US military personnel, pre-emptive war against Lebanon, destruction of Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure, murder of Lebanese civilians, forced migration of Palestinians, apartheid, and, well, you get the idea. With “friends” like this, who needs bin Laden?
Obama’s views on Israel, as well as the larger war against primarily Muslim peoples, firmly place him within the mainstream political position of “kill ‘em for profit”.
It is true he isn’t as bad as the worst, but voters won’t have much of a choice when almost all Dems take the platform “Not quite as bad as the Repubs”.
Obama like the other War Party Democrats would sell his own grandmother for the nomination - why shouldn’t he sell the lives of millions of Palestinians for a few million Shekels and the endorsement of the Jerusalem Post? Why shouldn’t he hint at attacking Iran and slaughtering millions of Persians?
This is the real face of American democracy in 2007 and unfortunately, participation in the upcoming elections will only legitimize the charade.
Boycott the elections. Let which ever flunky in thrall to the Israel Lobby plop themselves and Israel’s agents, whether Neo-Cons or Neo-Libs, into the next Administration with a small minority of the American electorate to appeal to. Boycott the elections and make sure your neighbors and local newspapers, as well as the world press, knows there is a significant proportion of Americans actively rejecting this hoax.
We must refuse to participate in this theatrical performance. Our people’s theater must take place in the streets, at the workplace, in our schools and churches. Voting in America is a hoax when the candidates have to be vetted by agents of a foreign country, Israel, in order to get funding.
Most countries in the world pay close attention to the abstention rate to assess the mandate of an electoral victory. We should too.
Ahh good Obama’s litmus test failed.
*formerly checks Obama off list of legitimate progressives and potential candidate*
The power of the Israeli lobby transcends ordinary politics !!
Seems that anyone who wants to be president has to get in bed with the Israeli lobby. A litmus test indeed. How strong the Israeli lobby is when Obama tries ALL he can to distance himself from this book (or the Carter book, which is a real good read). That’s proof right there how powerful they are!
And yes, Israel bears MUCH responsibility for U.S. intervention in the Middle East, and terrorist acts like 9/11 in return.
The comments made here ring so very true. In fact any attempt at ranking them would be invidious to say the very least. However two in particular strike a chord :” Politicians seem expensive luxuries that together produce more harm than good.” and “The power of the Israeli lobby transcends ordinary politics “. Few could have put it better or more succintly.
Politics ( with its life and death power over billions )-far from being a force for Good has instead always been about wallowing in the Darkest possible side of Morality. Any good that it might have brought about,has been engendered not from any sense of compassion or goodwill ,but from cold ,cynical self-serving . And politicians , whatever their stripe ,are ipso facto ,the lowest of the low and the vilest of the vile.
Brzezinski’s ringing endorsement of the likes of Obama is nothing more than a drowning man desperately clutching at straws. Were Obama to get elected he should , true to type ,turn out to be as bad as the rest.
Therefore ,there is little chance that the fond hope expressed here ” Maybe Omaba will come to his senses about Israel after he’s elected and gets to see the inside of Israeli politics.” will ever come to pass. For it goes against the grain of politics.
Waste of time, words about nothing really.
If you think a US politician can run a successful campaign for president while defying or even ignoring AIPAC, I’ve got a bridge to sell you!
Our political system is broken in so many ways, and this is just one of them. The political game space in the US is a sewer and always has been. Unless and until we can rewrite the constitution to either take politicians out of the loop or at least make them more, much more, accountable to the common people, the successful candidates will be those willing to swim in that sewer. The best we can hope for at this point is a candidate who has a scintilla of credibility in speaking about cleaning it up while swimming vigorously through it.
Voting in America is a hoax when the candidates have to be vetted by agents of a foreign country, Israel, in order to get funding.
If you doubt this - just go to Haaretz - the very informative Israeli newspaper - and follow the discussions on US political candidates from their readers perspective. This is the crowd the candidates are really speaking to. For Obama to admit he hadn’t read any of Mearsheimer and Walts’ critical work and then swear that he doesn’t agree with them - exposes Obama to be a booby of the highest order and clearly he merit’s Israel’s endorsement. Obama knows his audience in Tel Aviv counts more than the effectively disenfranchised in the working and middle class neighborhoods of the United States.
What a booby! We should not dignify this charade of elections! Boycott.
The only candidate with guts is Ron Paul.
“Obama knows his audience in Tel Aviv counts more than the effectively disenfranchised in the working and middle class neighborhoods of the United States.”
When Americans begin to realize this, its the first step to end the middle-east madness.
Gyptian agreed. How long will it take and once we realize it what will we do about it!!! I hope we storm the streets! I’m sick of the Zionists.