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TechnoratiWASHINGTON - Speaking last year at the same forum, he received scattered boos. But as Senator Barack Obama strode towards the podium Wednesday morning at the annual policy conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), he was greeted with a standing ovation.
The applause kept coming throughout his half-hour address. And when it was over, the cheering persisted.
If Obama appeared confident, it was perhaps because he had clinched the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party the previous evening, even if his adversary, Senator Hillary Clinton, would still not formally concede.
Obama spoke directly before the junior senator from New York on Wednesday and used his newfound position of strength to stress peace, dialogue, and diplomacy. They are themes that are not traditionally favoured at AIPAC, widely considered the most influential foreign policy lobby group in Washington, and which has been historically sceptical of the value of negotiations between Israel and its neighbours.
"A secure, lasting peace is in Israel's interest. It is in America's national interest. And it is in the interest of the Palestinian people and the Arab world. As president, I will work to help Israel achieve the goal of two states, a Jewish state of Israel and a Palestinian state, living side by side in peace and security," said Obama.
"And I won't wait until the waning days of my presidency," he added in a clear dig at President George W. Bush, an AIPAC favourite for his unstinting support of former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The audience applauded.
The annual AIPAC conference is a test of loyalty for high-level officials, the year's most important event for a powerful group attempting to affect U.S. policy towards the Middle East.
To critics, the conference is a pander party, drawing an extraordinary number of high-level U.S. officials who -- for political reasons -- pledge their unwavering support for Israel, even if that "support" goes against what the Israeli government and majority of the population want.
But Obama's speech in many ways marked a shift in the usual approach, as it seemed the Illinois senator was encouraging the AIPAC faithful to support his positions, rather than submitting to what the group's policy agenda otherwise suggested.
"His speech was remarkably different in tone and substance from any other speaker that you heard at the conference," said Trita Parsi, who heads the National Iranian American Council. "Instead of staying away from the issue, he made a strong case, he didn't back down from the fact that diplomacy would not only be valuable to U.S. interests, but is also good for Israel's security."
While much of the conference -- indeed, Senator John McCain's address to the same audience two days before -- was devoted to the intentions and perceived existential threat posed by Iran, Obama offered a few suggestions on what Israel itself could do to advance the cause of peace with Palestinians in its own backyard.
"Israel can," he said, "ease the freedom of movement for Palestinians, improve economic conditions in the West Bank, and to refrain from building new settlements -- as it agreed to with the [President George W.] Bush administration at Annapolis."
Obama also lent his support to the Israeli government's indirect peace talks with neighbouring Syria, in contrast to the very tepid response offered by the Bush administration. McCain failed to even mention it on Monday.
And when it came to Iran -- Public Enemy Number One at the AIPAC conference -- Obama said he had no illusions about pursuing diplomacy with Tehran but would reintroduce diplomacy as a tool of statecraft to succeed, not just to contain "failure".
"Our willingness to pursue diplomacy will make it easier to mobilise others to join our cause. If Iran fails to change course when presented with this choice by the United States, it will be clear -- to the people of Iran, and to the world -- that the Iranian regime is the author of its own isolation," he said.
"We will present a clear choice [to Iran]. If you abandon your dangerous nuclear programme, support for terror, and threats to Israel, there will be meaningful incentives -- including the lifting of sanctions, and political and economic integration with the international community. If you refuse, we will ratchet up the pressure."
Obama's speech offered a stark contrast to his Republican adversary, Senator John McCain, who in an address to the same audience on Monday maintained the bellicose rhetoric of the Bush administration and mocked Obama's willingness to engage Iran diplomatically.
"Such a spectacle would harm Iranian moderates and dissidents," McCain went on, "as the radicals and hardliners strengthen their position and suddenly acquire the appearance of respectability."
But Obama's speech was not pander-free, however. One comment appeared aimed at appeasing hardliners within the AIPAC's leadership: "Jerusalem must remain the capital of Israel, and must remain undivided," said Obama.
Even the U.S.-backed Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has rejected any final settlement in which Palestinians do not share -- at least part of -- Jerusalem.
In an unusually pointed speech before AIPAC on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called talking to Iran pointless unless Tehran suspends the country's uranium enrichment programme.
When it came her turn to speak, the haggard and deflated Clinton, who is expected to formally acknowledge Obama's victory by the end of the week, came one step closer to acknowledging Obama's win but did not refer to him as the nominee.
"Let me be very clear," she said, "I know Senator Obama will be a good friend of Israel." That assertion, which was not included in her prepared remarks, appeared designed to help rally Jewish support for Obama's now virtually certain candidacy. During the primary season, Clinton consistently did better among Jewish voters, particularly among older Jews whose participation in elections is particularly high.
While Jews account for only three percent of the population, they are concentrated in such key swing states as Florida, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and California.
Financial contributions from Jewish donors account for as much as 20 percent of Republican campaign funds and as much as 40 percent of Democratic funds, according to a recent article by the Forward, the largest nationally circulated Jewish newspaper in the U.S.
© 2008 Inter Press Service
102 Comments so far
Show AllAriel Sharon -- your name says it all. You are either not well informed or you are unwilling to open your mind (and heart).
agadhviv "Zionists believe in Jewish Supremacy"
I'm a Zionist and I don't think in the Jewish Supremacy that you attribute to me. Actually the religious Jews, who believe in the Bible, think that way.
As for the wall - It's actually 97% fence, 3% wall (Only in places where there is a high risk of shootings). It was temporarily placed to save lives. (It stops between 80% to 100% of the Palestinian suicide bombers who roamed the streets of Israel).
One the Palestinian terrorist groups decide to stop being terrorists, the fence can be dismantled. Lives lost in suicide bombing can't.
brianct "Then you add 'Jews have remained connected to the land of Israel…sorry but Israel was created in 1948"
The land of Israel and the state of Israel is not the same thing.
The land in question had been called many names. Cana'an, The land of Israel, The Kingdom of Israel, Judea, Zion, The Holy Land, and Palestine, to name a few.
The name "the land of Israel" was in use since 1400BCE.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Israel
brianct: " How many (Palestinians) moved from neighboring roots? Very few if any."
There was a girl in my University who saw herself as Palestinian. Her Parents immigrated from Lebanon in 1940, so you can stop using the "if any." statement.
"Robert Fisk: The West's weapon of self-delusion"
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-the-wests-weapon-of-s...
'Does every Palestinian have direct roots in the land? How many moved there from neighboring areas? The fact is Jews constituted a majority of Jerusalem's population at the beginning of the 20th century, and as shown in the Semitic roots of the Hebrew language, archeology, historical reports by visitors, and simply reality, Jews have remained connected to the land of Israel for millennia since the beginning of their Diaspora.'
========================================================
Yes ALL palestinians unlike all jews DO have direct roots to the land...otherwise why call them palestinians? How many moved from neighboring roots? Very few if any. BUT how many jews moved to Palestine in the 20th century...the majority.
Arabic is also a semitic language....Then you add 'Jews have remained connected to the land of Israel...sorry but Israel was created in 1948...Your comment actualy contradicts what you sid above...as they were only 'connected'...
There's a difference between Judaism and Zionism:
http://www.jewsnotzionists.org/differencejudzion.html
Only ignorant, racists and bigots will lump Jews with Zionists.
In the global struggle for human rights - Jews have been at the forefront. Even in the Palestinian conflict, Jewish human rights groups like B'Tselem are among the ones who have been bringing the Israeli war crimes to the world.
Jewish lore has often elaborated on this theme, as reflected in the following story from the Talmud:
"What is the most important verse in the whole Bible?" asked Ben Azai, a Talmudic sage.
His answer was, "The verse from the Book of Genesis that says: 'Man was created in the Divine image.'" Meaning all were created in the image of God. Therefore, Judaism holds, all are entitled to equal respect for their dignity and worth.
On the contrary Zionists believe in Jewish Supremacy - it is the same thing as Apartheid in South Africa. Israel was South Africa's strongest supporter of the former Apartheid regime followed by the USA.
While blacks in South Africa were second class citizens and had to live in black homelands, Arabs in the Occupied Territories are denied their rights and forced to live behind a wall funded by American taxpayers while they watch Zionists enjoy American funded settlements on their land.
Ariel, go back into your coma. Its not working anymore guys. The truth is coming out. I have nothing against Jews, never have. This is about one people grabbing land from another, much as we did here in America to the natives. I have a problem with another country having the influence it does on our government. No one wants to mess with the Zionist agenda.
Meg, actually, the casualty count doesn't say anything whatsoever. The palestinians almost entirely target civilian non-combatants, while the israelis almost entirely, if not entirely, target terrorists. Of course more palestinians die, many of them WANT to die, and their weapons are not as good. Furthermore, israel takes steps to protect its people, while the terrorist groups want innocent palestinians to die.
Obama is right on the money, and for those of you making comments like "well, jews run the banks so of course Obama supports them", you just make all of our points for us. The pro arab side is not "progressive", but a monstrous throwback to old-school anti-semetism and islamic fundamentalism. This is progressive???
Bamabanjo -- Israel is and has been for far too long OUT OF CONTROL. The one thing I'll agree with you on is that it is hard to tell who is puppet and who is master. All one needs to do is compare Palestinian casualties to Israel casualties and if that doesn't make it clear who the bigger monster is, well ... you do the math.
Nobody walks a fine line better than Mr. Obama. Soft shoe shuffler, he is.
Quite simply, many of the comments here are insane. riddimboy- what line of logic are you following? I guess Russia, China, countless nations in Africa don't count as countries that are violent, but godless? sphne- taken out by Mossad? You are a real piece.
In terms of dual US/Israeli citizens, a quick Google search shows that this isn't a special relationship- Ireland, Canada, France and other places have the same situation. In this regard, Israel is really treated no differently than other countries which permit people to become citizens without giving up their old status. The above list of supposed dual citizens is bogus anyway, most likely based on the spurious claim that all Jews are Israeli citizens, but definitely promulgated on right wing sites. This anti-Jew witch hunt is just that, and sucks every bit as much as the McCarthy hearings, except those making these claims are even more fringe wackos.
To other posters- Israel has more fairness in its little pinky than the total amount in the hooligans and punks lurking on this website spreading their filth. Who knew there were so many middle east experts. If these right wing tools were as active in American politics, I'd probably need to move because you'd try to create a fascist state, uber-allis! Thankfully, the numbers of people that can look into these comments and recognize their roots far outnumber those who'll be sucked in by the liberal outside, fascist interior of your Jew hatred. Looks like kooks live on CD, along with other Republican plants trying to undermine a Democratic victory in the general election. I hope the rest of the readers (and maybe even some who may have been fooled) can see clearly this reality.
sphne,
It takes great courage for a leader to stand up for what is right. Mandela spent over 25 years in prison for refusing to say Apartheid was ok. Gandhi spent countless times in prison for not bowing down to British injustice. Ron Paul would never kiss Israeli ass like these sycophants did.
Matti, I don't think Obama is perfect but he is the better than Hillary and McCain on this issue. I may be naive, but I do think he is just saying what he has to to get elected. I really believe if he didn't he would be taken out by the Mossad. These people are fanatics. He looked pained when he was talking. Maybe I am wrong, but what choice do we really have? Do you honestly think Nader, Paul or McKinney have a chance? Get real.
Sure, he's "progressive" - whatever the hell that means.
What a scam Obama is.
Obama promised to defend the only nuclear armed nation in the Middle East, promised them $30 billion of OUR TAXES for their "ethnic cleansing" of Palestine, and also defended the Apartheid ideology of Zionism.
No media agency is taking him to task for his comments at the lovefest at AIPAC.
Here's a blog that does though:
http://underboss.wordpress.com/2008/06/05/obama-running-for-president-of...
I think it is a shame that Obama would rather prostrate before the Israeli lobby and support injustice rather than stand up to what is right. What happened to integrity? What was the worse that could have happened? Lose a nomination or an election? Small price to pay for standing up for the truth.
I agree with you matti. Obama is not progressive, but he'll bring a lot of people to tears alright.
I would love to hear what Nader and McKinney's response would be about this Israel lobby.
I never considered life a numbers game or any kind of game.
"Just don't ever claim to be a "progressive" again"
Do tell us what a "progressive" is, matti.
Know this: It's a numbers game, this life. You make your best bet based on all the information you have, throw in some intuition (if you have any), and go for it.
The problem is, that's where most people stop, when in fact, that's just the beginning. What will you do after the election, matti?
This Obama nomination thing is kinda interesting, a lot of venom starting to leak out now among posters. Curious.
Well I have a news flash for all of you haters and trolls here, there is a bus about to leave for Crawford, Texas and if y'all hurry you can catch it.
Interesting, racists shouting "racist!".
Do you see now Obama supporters?
A vote for Barak Obama is a vote against the U.N., against international law, against the Constitution of the United States, against Peace, and against the principles of Democracy.
Go ahead and vote for Obama, go ahead and support a man who supports those who hide Rachel Corrie's murderer from justice, go ahead and support a man who would threaten to tear the World further apart from itself in order to recieve applause and money from a wealthy political action committee.
Just don't ever claim to be a "progressive" again, don't ever claim to care about the well-being of the World again, don't ever claim to believe in Truth, or Honesty, or Fairness, or anything but Corporatocracy and Greed and Power and Empire and Control.
Do what you want, I can't seem to stop you, though I try and try to open your eyes, as do many others.
Just stop lying to us -we see right through it.
And stop lying to yourselves - you'll only be hurt in the end.
Oh, and enjoy your OILWAR III, I'm sure this one will finally transform a finite resource that is mostly not in our country in to a reasonable way to run our living system.
Everybody else, try and still have fun, even if these idiots send us further down the path to Hell, okay?
Remember, at least as long as the nukes aren't actually flying- it could be worse.
-matti.
Religion based theocracies like Israel, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran and the U.S. always seem to be the most violent or repressive societies that fester like sores and incubate terrorists ( either the al-qaeda, taliban variety in pakistan or the state-sponsored type in israel and the U.S.). Maybe its time to give good old 'god' the f__kin boot.
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0721-02.htm
How is it this supposed progressive news source, cd, has avoided a McKinney article since 2004?
I didn't even know she was running for Pres.
I just google news searched McKinney Announces and didn't find ANY articles to reveal when she announced her candidacy, but I found an article from 2 months ago that describes her as running against Nader the sellout and a 2 other unknown Greens.
I think anyone who doesn't get a parties nomination should run for Pres on a party of whatever name they choose.
I read also though that she's the front runner of the greens.
I'd consider voting if she was in the race.
I now get the title. It didn't mean he walked a fine line, as in very "careful along a thin line."
It means, Obama talked a fine, great, fantastic line that guarrentees no peace in the middle east of the next 4 years, cause it doesn't matter if he or McCain were elected. Israel will be allowed unilateral, excessive violence without any concern for justice, fairness or compassion (why am even including that for consideration?). They use civilian deaths like we did. Innocent civilians are killed intentinally to punish the other civilians.
If this didn't confirm that Obama is the same old same old, then I want some of the drugs you're taking because you have a complete disconnect from reality.
June 3, 2008
Excerpt: "All the candidates in the House say yeah!
Republican presidential candidate McCain is opening this year's AIPAC jamboree; Clinton and Obama are closing it on Wednesday. Walt and Mearsheimer's verdict on the dangerous liaisons between presidential candidates and AIPAC remains unimpeachable: "None of the candidates is likely to criticize Israel in any significant way or suggest that the US ought to pursue a more evenhanded policy in the region. And those who do will probably fall by the wayside."
Take what Clinton said in February at an AIPAC meeting in New York: "Israel is a beacon of what's right in a neighborhood overshadowed by the wrongs of radicalism, extremism, despotism and terrorism." A year before, Clinton was in favor of sitting and talking to Iran's leadership.
And take what Obama said in March at an AIPAC meeting in Chicago; no reference at all to Palestinian "suffering", as he had done on the campaign trail in March 2007. Obama also made it clear he would do nothing to alter the US-Israeli relationship."
Asia Times http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Middle_East/JF03Ak01.html
Perhaps getting rid of the electoral college system would change all of this - just count actual votes cast.
rocyahsoul@yahoo.com
http://www.heart7.net/religious-mindcontrolcults.html
"Mind-control technology took a giant leap forwards after Dr. Joseph Mengele was appointed medical commandant of the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1943. Infants selected for mind-control programming were subjected to intense trauma in order to cause the mind to split into several thousand alter personalities. Such trauma consists variously of limb dislocation, electroshock, prolonged solitary confinement enforced consumption of one's excrement and enforced observation of executions.
Mengele, who was a high-level Illuminatus, specialized in mind control research involving twins. Frequently, trauma was induced in one twin by forcing he or she to watch the other twin being flayed or burned alive. After the mind had disassociated into multiple alter personalities, 169 alters could be individually programmed for specific tasks, e.g. to be a sex slave for Illuminati pedophiles, a drug courier or an assassin.
Each alter was given an access code. For reference purposes, the programmer then drew a 13 x 13 grid, each square denoting one specific programmed alter. Each programmed multiple was implanted with 13 such grids; interspersed between the grids were alters programmed to act as gate keepers, thus rendering it extremely difficult for a deprogrammer to access the next grid level.
At the conclusion of W.W.2, Mengele was brought to America under Operation Paperclip, where he directed mind-control programming at such diverse locations as China Lake Naval Weapons Facility, Fort Irwin and Mendocino State Mental Institution. "
It seems to me that Mr Obama knows perfectly well what he needs to do and say to get elected, and that's what he's doing.
What happens if (more probably when) he gets in is an altogether different thing. And, in terms of what was said to get there, does it really matter? What politician ever followed through unequivocally on election promises? It has never happened and never will.
And, hoping for the best -- that he is really a sheep in wolf's clothing -- what would he be allowed to do? The best we can hope is he will make a start.
While I'm a Obama supporter his pro-lsreal/ME policy is one of his sore points. One that will almost guarentee a hostile ME for years to come. However the other mainstream canadates (Clintion included) aren't that better and are either worst. Still from what I see her it's AIPAC that's the problem. EVERY mainstream politico has to applease them or get hit with the anti-isreal/jew monika-or worse. If you want to have a more level ME policy AIPAC's got to go.
MiMiCcS,
Obama may identify as a black man, but he is half white and he knows that and doesn't run from it.
Could it be that he has a rather unique perspective that we don't?
Little Brother and starofthesea,
Ditto. I guess until we have a perfect world we will always have to use our intuition and take some chances. Obama is not a perfect man and he will not be a perfect president and this will not be a perfect country under him. What it will be is a country with a chance.
Of course, we will have something to do with that as well.
Obama is a pimp,
At AIUPAC "undivided" is a buzzword for "kick them out". If Senator Obama does not understand this and tried to be "cute" by implying that he meant "for Jews and Arabs together", he deserves to be a Senator perhaps but not our next president.
Little Brother----Thank you for articulating so well my own ambivalence and distrust. I think what I am feeling is that no one, and I do mean no one (emphasis on the ONE) can effectively challenge the hideous beast that pulls the strings. AIPAC is just one of Hydra's heads. The underlying fear is that to overcome the powers of darkness and destruction require a mighty collective beaming of light and love that seems all but impossible to bring about. Divide and conquor has been all too effective amd thus so many are grabbing on to anything that even resembles LIGHT. And so Obama strides onto the stage promising change--not maliciously---just ineffectually.
I will always defend Israel. Jerusalem must be undivided.
You call that a policy bambino? It spells: disaster.
I was more interested in Obama's pledge that African-Americans would be partners with Israel in fighting racism and anti-semitism together. Now, I do not deny that there is racism or anti-semitism, and to the extent it exists, it should be fought against. But as somebody who wants to unite America, can we accept that intolerance to those who are different is what needs to be fought. There are after all many victims of intolerance. In a nation of such diversity, Chinese, Muslims, Irish, Catholics, Japanese, German, Hispanics, etc. there have been many groups have suffered, yet get ignored.
And can we be honest and admit there are African-American racists and Jewish racists. In fact, are not those who say that Israels right to Palestine as a Jewish state is due to they are Gods "Chosen people" intolerant, or even racist. Is God really a racist?.
Yet Obama continues to avoid these unpleasant truths, as he did when his Pastors racial anger exposed some truths about America that deserve discussion. Instead, we walks away from his Pastor, as well as his church, to avoid discussing what needs to be discussed to heal divisions.
Read his book Dreams from My Father from 1993. He provides a quote from one of Wrights sermons describing the world "where white folks' greed runs a world in need, apartheid in one hemisphere, apathy in another hemisphere. ... That's the world! On which hope sits."
There is truth here, but there is also a generalization that all whites are
responsible, thats racism.
Other comments he himself made in the book
"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."
"It was my father's image, the black man, son of Africa, that I'd package all the attributes I sought in myself, the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, Dubois and Mandela."
"To avoid being mistaken for a sellout, I chose my friends carefully. The more politically active black students, the foreign students....."
"It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names."
Obama blamed "white people – some cruel, some ignorant, sometimes a single face, sometimes just a faceless image of a system claiming power over our lives."
This dude is going to bring the country together? Will he respond to critism by accusing us of racism, just as those who label anyone critizing Israel as an anti-semite. In fact, some even call the New Testament anti-semitic because it says the Jews killed Jesus, himself a Jew. That some includes the State Department
An earlier commenter made light of the fact that anyone referring to Khazars is using the rights anti-semitic tool. I have just read Arthur Koestlers 'The Thirteenth Tribe". He is a Jew who believes 95% of Jews today are descended from Khazars, and makes his case. Khazaria for those who do not know, was a Jewish state over 1000 years ago, their king having adopted Judaism as the state religion. And am I an anti-semite for calling Israels treatment of the Palestinians a genocide and apartheid, when many Jews have done the same. Read Illan Pappe's, a Jew, "The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine".
At the same time, there is a tendency to lump all Jews together for Israels policies. Should all Americans be lumped together as supporters of Bushs genocide in Iraq? Of course not. So be careful of using generalizations. Zionism is Political Judaism, as Islamism is Political Islam. Slamming a political movement is not anti-semitism or racism, even if that movement is made up of mainly Jewish, Moslem, WASP's. etc.
I posted this elsewhere but seems appropriate.
AIPAC does not represent all American jews. They represent the neocon element in Israel and the US.
The main concern on Israels influence in US policy is the fact we have so many dual nationals in government. How can one be both an Israeli citizen and an American citizen, and make a decision that may adversely affect one or the other, and benefit the other without their being a conflict of interest on one side or the other. Lets face it, Israeli and American interests can conflict. This is the larger issue.
The last census said that 2.8 million of the 200 million adult Americans identify themselves as Jews. Thats 1.4% of the population, down from 1.8% in in 1990, so it's hardly the jewish "Votes" that are influencing policy.
But look at this list of dual nationalities in government.
http://www.viewzone.com/dualcitizen.html
"Michael Mukasey
Recently appointed as US Attorney General. Mukasey also was the judge in the litigation between developer Larry Silverstein and several insurance companies arising from the destruction of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001.
Michael Chertoff
Former Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, at the Justice Department; now head of Homeland Security.
Richard Perle
One of Bush's foreign policy advisors, he is the chairman of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board. A very likely Israeli government agent, Perle was expelled from Senator Henry Jackson's office in the 1970's after the National Security Agency (NSA) caught him passing Highly-Classified (National Security) documents to the Israeli Embassy. He later worked for the Israeli weapons firm, Soltam. Perle came from one the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktanks, the AEI. Perle is one of the leading pro-Israeli fanatics leading this Iraq war mongering within the administration and now in the media.
Paul Wolfowitz
Paul Wolfowitz has been rewarded with a new position in the Bush administration which will allow him to oversee classified intelligence and inform policies on WMD issues.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has offered Wolfowitz, a prime architect of the Iraq War, a position as chairman of the International Security Advisory Board, a prestigious State Department panel, according to two department sources who declined to be identified discussing personnel matters. The 18-member panel, which has access to highly classified intelligence, advises Rice on disarmament, nuclear proliferation, WMD issues and other matters. "We think he is well suited and will do an excellent job," said one senior official.
Former Deputy Defense Secretary, and member of Perle's Defense Policy Board, in the Pentagon. Wolfowitz is a close associate of Perle, and reportedly has close ties to the Israeli military. His sister lives in Israel. Wolfowitz came from the above mentioned Jewish thinktank, JINSA. Wolfowitz was the number two leader within the administration behind this Iraq war mongering. He later was appointed head of the World Bank but resigned under pressure from World Bank members over a scandal involving his misuse of power.
Lawrence (Larry) Franklin
The former Defense Intelligence Agency analyst with expertise in Iranian policy issues who worked in the office of Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Douglas Feith and reported directly to Feith's deputy, William Luti, was sentenced January 20, 2006, "to more than 12 years in prison for giving classified information to an Israeli diplomat" and members of the pro-Israel lobbying group American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
Franklin will "remain free while the government continues with the wider case" and his "prison time could be sharply reduced in return for his help in prosecuting" former AIPAC members Steven J. Rosen and Keith Weissman, [who] are scheduled to go on trial in April [2006]. Franklin admitted that he met periodically with Rosen and Weissman between 2002 and 2004 and discussed classified information, including information about potential attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq. Rosen and Weissman would later share what they learned with reporters and Israeli officials." (source: sourcewatch.com).
Douglas Feith
Under Secretary of Defense and Policy Advisor at the Pentagon. He is a close associate of Perle and served as his Special Counsel. Like Perle and the others, Feith is a pro-Israel extremist, who has advocated anti-Arab policies in the past. He is closely associated with the extremist group, the Zionist Organization of America, which even attacks Jews that don't agree with its extremist views. Feith frequently speaks at ZOA conferences. Feith runs a small law firm, Feith and Zell, which only has one International office, in Israel. The majority of their legal work is representing Israeli interests. His firm's own website stated, prior to his appointment, that Feith "represents Israeli Armaments Manufacturer." Feith basically represents the Israeli War Machine. Feith also came from the Jewish thinktank JINSA. Feith, like Perle and Wolfowitz, are campaigning hard for this Israeli proxy war against Iraq.
Feith was investigated by the FBI under suspicion of leaking classified information to Israel, being that he was Larry Franklin's boss when Franklin leaked those documents to Rosen and Weissman of AIPAC. For that he was forced to leave the National Security Council. Feith was also investigated by the Senate Intelligence Committee for sexing up 'intelligence' that was used to justify invading Iraq.
Edward Luttwak
Member of the National Security Study Group of the Department of Defence at the Pentagon. Luttwak is reportedly an Israeli citizen and has taught in Israel. He frequently writes for Israeli and pro-Israeli newspapers and journals. Luttwak is an Israeli extremist whose main theme in many of his articles is the necessity of the U.S. waging war against Iraq and Iran.
Henry Kissinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Kissinger sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle. For detailed information about Kissinger's evil past, read Seymour Hersch's book (Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House). Kissinger likely had a part in the Watergate crimes, Southeast Asia mass murders (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos), Installing Chilean mass murdering dictator Pinochet, Operation Condor's mass killings in South America, and more recently served as Serbia's Ex-Dictator Slobodan Milosevic's Advisor. He consistently advocated going to war against Iraq. Kissinger is the Ariel Sharon of the U.S. Unfortunately, President Bush nominated Kissinger as chairman of the September 11 investigating commission. It's like picking a bank robber to investigate a fraud scandal. He later declined this job under enormous protests.
Dov Zakheim
Dov Zakheim is an ordained rabbi and reportedly holds Israeli citizenship. Zakheim attended Jew's College in London and became an ordained Orthodox Jewish Rabbi in 1973. He was adjunct professor at New York's Jewish Yeshiva University. Zakheim is close to the Israeli lobby.
Dov Zakheim is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and in 2000 a co-author of the Project for the New American Century's position paper, Rebuilding America's Defenses, advocating the necessity for a Pearl-Harbor-like incident to mobilize the country into war with its enemies, mostly Middle Eastern Muslim nations.
He was appointed by Bush as Pentagon Comptroller from May 4, 2001 to March 10, 2004. At that time he was unable to explain the disappearance of $1 trillion dollars. Actually, nearly three years earlier, Donald Rumsfeld announced on September 10, 2001 that an audit discovered $2.3 trillion was also missing from the Pentagon books. That story, as mentioned, was buried under 9-11's rubble. The two sums disappeared on Zakheim's watch. We can only guess where that cash went.
Despite these suspicions, on May 6, 2004, Zakheim took a lucrative position at Booz Allen Hamilton, one of the most prestigious strategy consulting firms in the world. One of its clients then was Blessed Relief, a charity said to be a front for Osama bin Laden. Booz, Allen & Hamilton then also worked closely with DARPA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which is the research arm of the Department of Defense.
Judicial Inc's bio of Dov tells us Zakheim is a dual Israeli/American citizen and has been tracking the halls of US government for 25 years, casting defense policy and influence on Presidents Reagan, Clinton, Bush Sr. and Bush Jr. Judicial Inc points out that most of Israel's armaments were gotten thanks to him. Squads of US F-16 and F-15 were classified military surplus and sold to Israel at a fraction of their value.
Kenneth Adelman
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Adelman also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle, and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supported going to war against Iraq. Adelman frequently is a guest on Fox News, and often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. Through his racism or ignorance, he actually called Arabs "anti-Semitic" on Fox News (11/28/2001), when he could have looked it up in the dictionary to find out that Arabs by definition are Semites.
I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby
Vice President Dick Cheney's ex-Chief of Staff. As chief pro-Israel Jewish advisor to Cheney, it helps explains why Cheney is so gun-ho to invade Iran. Libby is longtime associate of Wolfowitz. Libby was also a lawyer for convicted felon and Israeli spy Marc Rich, whom Clinton pardoned, in his last days as president. Libby was recently found guilty of lying to Federal investigators in the Valerie Plame affair, in which Plame, a covert CIA agent, was exposed for political revenge by the Bush administration following her husband's revelations about the lies leading to the Iraq War.
Robert Satloff
U.S. National Security Council Advisor, Satloff was the executive director of the Israeli lobby's "think tank," Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Many of the Israeli lobby's "experts" come from this front group, like Martin Indyk.
Elliott Abrams
National Security Council Advisor. He previously worked at Washington-based "Think Tank" Ethics and Public Policy Center. During the Reagan Adminstration, Abrams was the Assistant Secretary of State, handling, for the most part, Latin American affairs. He played an important role in the Iran-Contra Scandal, which involved illegally selling U.S. weapons to Iran to fight Iraq, and illegally funding the contra rebels fighting to overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista government. He also actively deceived three congressional committees about his involvement and thereby faced felony charges based on his testimony. Abrams pled guilty in 1991 to two misdemeanors and was sentenced to a year's probation and 100 hours of community service. A year later, former President Bush (Senior) granted Abrams a full pardon. He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Reagan Administration's State Department.
Marc Grossman
Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs. He was Director General of the Foreign Service and Director of Human Resources at the Department of State. Grossman is one of many of the pro-Israel Jewish officials from the Clinton Administration that Bush has promoted to higher posts.
Richard Haass
Director of Policy Planning at the State Department and Ambassador at large. He is also Director of National Security Programs and Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). He was one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the first Bush (Sr) Administration who sat on the National Security Council, and who consistently advocated going to war against Iraq. Haass is also a member of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.
Robert Zoellick
U.S. Trade Representative, a cabinet-level position. He is also one of the more hawkish pro-Israel Jews in the Bush (Jr) Administration who advocated invading Iraq and occupying a portion of the country in order to set up a Vichy-style puppet government. He consistently advocates going to war against Iran.
Ari Fleischer
Ex- White House Spokesman for the Bush (Jr) Administration. Prominent in the Jewish community, some reports state that he holds Israeli citizenship. Fleischer is closely connected to the extremist Jewish group called the Chabad Lubavitch Hasidics, who follow the Qabala, and hold very extremist and insulting views of non-Jews. Fleischer was the co-president of Chabad's Capitol Jewish Forum. He received the Young Leadership Award from the American Friends of Lubavitch in October, 2001.
James Schlesinger
One of many Pentagon Advisors, Schlesinger also sits on the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor, who supported going to war against Iraq. Schlesinger is also a commissioner of the Defense Department's National Security Study Group, at the Pentagon.
David Frum
White House speechwriter behind the "Axis of Evil" label. He lumped together all the lies and accusations against Iraq for Bush to justify the war.
Joshua Bolten
White House Deputy Chief of Staff, Bolten was previously a banker, former legislative aide, and prominent in the Jewish community.
John Bolton
Former UN Representative and Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security. Bolton is also a Senior Advisor to President Bush. Prior to this position, Bolton was Senior Vice President of the above mentioned pro-Israel thinktank, AEI. He recently (October 2002) accused Syria of having a nuclear program, so that they can attack Syria after Iraq. He must have forgotten that Israel has 400 nuclear warheads, some of which are thermonuclear weapons (according to a recent U.S. Air Force report).
David Wurmser
Special Assistant to John Bolton (above), the under-secretary for arms control and international security. Wurmser also worked at the AEI with Perle and Bolton. His wife, Meyrav Wurmser, along with Colonel Yigal Carmon, formerly of Israeli military intelligence, co-founded the Middle East Media Research Institute (Memri),a Washington-based Israeli outfit which distributes articles translated from Arabic newspapers portraying Arabs in a bad light.
Eliot Cohen
Member of the Pentagon's Defense Policy Board under Perle and is another extremist pro-Israel advisor. Like Adelman, he often expresses extremist and often ridiculus anti-Arab and anti-Muslim views. More recently, he wrote an opinion article in the Wall Street Journal openly admitting his rascist hatred of Islam claiming that Islam should be the enemy, not terrorism.
Mel Sembler
President of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. A Prominent Jewish Republican and Former National Finance Chairman of the Republican National Committee. The Export-Import Bank facilitates trade relationships between U.S. businesses and foreign countries, specifically those with financial problems. "
Even if only 1/2 of this is true, no wonder our polices resemble that of Israel. In fact, Richard Pearle led a study group for Israels Prime Minister Netanyahu in 1996, with assistance from Douglas Feith, that recommended in the report "Clean Break" removal of Saddam in Iraq (done), an armed incursion into Lebaonon (done), strikes against Syria (done) and Iran (pending). Mission almost accomplished.
I have nothing against dual nationals, but if you are working in the US government, you must be 100% loyal to America, and holding citizenship in another country can not be permitted. In fact, Americans will lose their citizenship if they take a policy level position in the government of another nation.
How could anyone vote for a president that belongs to a church that hates white people and america. Even if he doesn't belong to that church anymore, "from what he says," he still was active for 20 years and supported this racist man. There's no way I would ever vote for this man.
I will with comfort and without critique assume that Obama is merely pandering to Zionist and Christian nuts, and that after the election will deal more sanely with Israel/Palestine than has been the case so far.
It would be a wonder if he had said anything other than this while running the AIPAC gauntlet.
Is it thinkable that one way for Jerusalem to remain undivided under a two-state solution would be for it to be a U.N. Protectorate?
Another way: joint administration?
Jews and friends of Jews should dissent and criticize current Israeli policies--this implies that American presidential candidates and AIPAC are no friends of Israel. Israel is on a path of self-destruction. So many problems, but the worst is that the expansion of the settlements assures that there will not be a two-state solution. Greater Israel will one day include most of the occupied territories and they will not be able to disengage. Then Palestinians will outnumber Jews and when they win the right to citizenship, the Jewish state disappears. So again, here is another case where peace is not only a pleasantry, it is the only real option!
• iammyself, much thanks for solving this vexing mystery of the disappearing comments; I do use HTML tags; I was so freaked out by the disappearances, and worrying about whether this or that word had been zapped by an automated censor that I didn't even think about the formatting! It's unfortunate that the site administrators don't see fit to provide feedback or warnings before imposing collective punishment.
• I've mentioned that all year I've been in a dialogue with someone who normally shares my skeptical political views, but who floated across that great divide on a wind of Hope and dwells in Obamaland. He knows how I feel about things, and keeps urging me to "cut Obama some slack" on the AIPAC/Israel wooing and other pro-military pronouncements, among other things.
I try to somehow feel reassured or encouraged, but I frankly am unable to come to terms with the hype-mendacious politics in our mendacious culture. Because my friend doesn't claim any special insight into what Obama REALLY feels or will do once elected about these problematic issues. That is, my friend doesn't exactly say that Obama is slyly BSing the Zionists and warmongers and will reveal his true convictions once he's in office.
It's more like a faith-based "transcendental" interpretation of Obama's expressed views that mutes or at least diminishes the immediate face-value awfulness of his pronouncements-- the more awful because they are voiced with unequivocal booming confidence-- on the theory that Obama is a political genius or adept who may succeed in miraculously restoring the Lazarus of our democratic constitutional republic.
I keep going into tailspins in which I say, "OK, let me get this straight. Obama looks all of these depraved Zionists in the eye and booms out views that resonate with the Zionists, and are thus hostile and discouraging to the Palestinian cause. But that's OK, because he doesn't really BELIEVE any of it. What-- oh, he's not necessarily LYING, but he's working his magic to draw together polarized groups to ULTIMATELY make real progress... so this splendid example of intellect, probity, and integrity speaks with a forked tongue, but that's not really so bad, because of course we have to keep our eyes on the prize, and trust him when he 'reaches out' to all segments of the political spectrum.
So you're saying, um, that the END really justifies the MEANS? No? Then..."
It goes on like that. And I still can't listen to him talk trash and come away thinking, as the believers do, that it's simply a tactic-- painful to bear, perhaps, but redeemed by great promise. If you say so.
I guess we can only wait and see.
Change we can believe in???
What change? NO change. Same old, same old US politician = Israeli agent.
US Senate = The other Israeli occupied territory.
marcy kaptur is the REAL franklin roosevelt democrat.. she is just as strong on fighting corporate greed as nader.. just as strong as dennis K.. and with the added plus of also fighting the other GREED harm.. abortion..
with her on the ticket she will become the most popular person in america.. even more so than obama... she will bring back the yellow dog democrats that left the party because of the GREED of abortion.. she is what sn bob casey of pa's father was... they are exactly the same... she will deliver pa.. ohio.. mich very easily.. BUT she will also bring back the yellow dog democrats and ga.. nc and sc may flip to democrats..
she will become the most popular person in govt and politics... she is BETTER than nader or dennis k since she is totally consistant on going after greed harm....
corporate greed harm of stealing the weaks money is one greed harm.. she is equal to nader and dennis k on this.. BUT she is consistant whereas nader and dennis k is NOT they over look the OTHER greed harm of the innocent and weak abortion makes one wonder if dennis k or nader is really REAL!!!
with marcy kaptor and bob casey of pa.. those 2 are REAL against all GREED harms..
marcy voted no to this greed war for oil for the robber barons and is strongly against the robber barons nafta and gatt greed harm whch lowers americans wages..
marcy kaptur is the REAL DEAL!!!! she is CONSISTANT!!! her judgement has been near perfect more so than anyone other than bob casey sr..
perceptionexperiment June 5th, 2008 6:58 pm
"It's a disgusting reality we have to deal with, but honestly he wouldn't be elected without saying this stuff."
That is a problem. In other words in order to get elected you must sound like a Republican, but don't worry he's really a progressive deep inside. So I am supposed to believe that once in office he will do a 180 degree sea-change and rule differently than he campaigned on.
This logic is faulty because if Obama does win he will be consumed with his re-election and will continue sounding and acting like a Republican. Then to top it off, if re-elected he will be consumed with continuing to be a Republican in order to not blow it for the new and next, "change" candidate of the Democrats.
So Israel is the ONLY reason America has enemies in the Arab world? Again, to loosely quote Jesus, "Hypocrite, first remove the beam from your own eye- then you will see clearly enough to cast the mote out of the eye of your brother." Quoting numbers of dead because...? Again, while every death is a tragic loss, how many have died in unfortunately endless wars around the world? Depending on what era you are discussing, this sounds like the number of dead in a shorter period of time in Iraq, China, Russia, America, WW1/2, Sudan, Zaire, Chechnya...
WAWA-I guess Ireland has a lily white history. I guess because it's an Island, and not in the Middle East. Maybe it's an ethnic thing, and Irish are more likable. Lucky you.
Regarding the UN votes, doesn't that seem (more than) a little bit out of scale given the previously mentioned atrocities around the world? Could that have something to do with the Arab bloc controlling third world votes with the threat of an oil cutoff, or is geo-political manipulation something you believe only happens with Jews?
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/jun2008/obam-j05.shtml
Obama told AIPAC, "The danger from Iran is grave, it is real, and my goal will be to eliminate this threat." He added, in language that was vague but undeniably ominous, "I will do everything in my power—everything, everything—to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon."
As for Iran, the Toronto Globe & Mail correspondent at the AIPAC meeting commented, "Sen. Obama seemed almost as hawkish as Sen. McCain or current President George W. Bush."
He criticized the Bush administration and Senator McCain on the grounds that the war in Iraq had strengthened Iran, the most formidable opponent of Israel in the Middle East. While repeating his support for diplomatic engagement with Iran, he said, "I will always keep the threat of military action on the table to defend our security and our ally Israel."
WHERE is Obama-and McCain- regarding the facts that 40 years of brutal military occupation of Palestine by Israel is WHY we have enemies in the Arab world?
What about the truth that Israel is ONLY a democracy if you are a Jew?
What about the fact that since the October War in 1973, Washington has provided Israel with a level of support dwarfing the amounts provided to any other state and USA Tax payers in a "conservative Estimate of Total Direct U.S. Aid to Israel equals $108 Billion."[1]
And what about the fact that Israel has been targeted by at least 65 UN resolutions and the Palestinians have been targeted by none.[ibid]
And that:
1,053 Israelis and at least 4,789 Palestinians have been killed since September 29, 2000. [ibid]
119 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians and 982 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis since September 29, 2000.[ibid]
6,845 Israelis and 32,569 Palestinians have been injured since September 29, 2000.[ibid]
And that Israel currently has 223 Jewish-only [APARTHEID!] settlements and 'outposts' built on confiscated Palestinian land. Palestinians do not have any settlements on Israeli land.[ibid]
The pandering of politically correct pandering politicians who ignore the facts on the ground makes this Christian of the Beatitudes who has been to occupied Palestine five times since June 2005 [has Obama ever been?] want to puke.
I also wonder WHERE is Obama regarding the continuing injustices done to Mordechai Vanunu and the fact that in April 1999, thirty-six members of the House of Representatives signed a letter calling for Vanunu's release from prison because they believed "we have a duty to stand up for men and women like Mordechai Vanunu who dare to articulate a brighter vision for humanity."
President Clinton responded with a public statement expressing concern for Vanunu and the need for Israel and other non-parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty to adhere to it and accept IAEA safeguards.
On June 4, 2008 Vanunu wrote a letter to many Editors and the World which i published on WAWA June 5, 2008:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
perceptionexperiment: Yes, I'm sure that Obama believes that all of Jerusalem should be 100% jointly ruled by Israel and Palestine.
I'm also sure he believe that armed monkeys will fly out of his butt to provide security too.
@4thefuture June 5th, 2008 8:48 am
"We've been "here" for more than 40 years! Are you just now figuring this out? "
Well most people have not even begun to figure it out! I am only just figuring it out myself.
I am finally beginning to realise that:-
* Only 5% of America's population is Jewish.
* The banks in this country are mostly controlled by Jews, and have been for a long time.
* AIPAC is is able to direct funds from the wealthy in a strategic manner, as campaign funds, or other "deals" where businesses owned by our politicians can be made to flourish.
* AIPAC is extremely effective at contacting and persuading our politicians.
* That Jews hold key positions in our media organisations, and are able direct it.
* Rupert Murdoch is a Jew, and controls a massive media empire. He pull no punches, and doesn't bother with fairness.
* 40 percent of all senior Judges are Jews.
* AIPAC provides a free member of staff for most of our politicians. That guarantees access for them as well as lots of information on each politician.
* Most of our politicians enjoy regular free trips to Israel. Including Pelosi and Hillary.
* While politicians are hounded if they even speak to Iranian politicians, all U.S. politicians must pledge allegiance to Israel, if they are to survive.
* Israel sank a US warship (USS Liberty). The US president covered it up for them.
Imagine if some other country sank a US warship?
* Anyone who even dares to publicly criticise Israel gets hounded and demonised.
* Israel attacked Lebanon using completely trumped up excuses. Lebanon had so much of the country destroyed, did almost nothing to defend itself, was cluster bombed. There could not have been the slightest doubt who was the aggressor, yet the US votes to send more weapons for Israel immediately.
* Israel was given $30 billion in "aid", even though it has no particular needs.
* Israel's 200 nukes are never mentioned, yet Iran who has nothing is a "threat".
* That Hizbollah, born under the Israeli occupation of Lebanon, and succeeded in ousting Israel from Lebanon and still defends Lebanon today, is called as a terrorist organisation.
Couldn't resist responding to the Khazar comment, yet another favorite of the right wing crowd (interesting to hear it parroted on a "left-wing" site; based on recent comments, are there still those out there that would deny the antisemitism of posters-Jewish bankers, lawyers, media, blah, blah, baaah?). Is this argument that only those who are native to a place have a right to live there? Following that logic, Mexicans have no right to go north, Arabs have no right to move to Europe, ad infinitum. Does every Palestinian have direct roots in the land? How many moved there from neighboring areas? The fact is Jews constituted a majority of Jerusalem's population at the beginning of the 20th century, and as shown in the Semitic roots of the Hebrew language, archeology, historical reports by visitors, and simply reality, Jews have remained connected to the land of Israel for millennia since the beginning of their Diaspora.
Zionism is no different than any other nationalism. There are black nationalists, French nationalists, Arab nationalists, on and on. The selective criticism of even the existence of Jewish nationalism is telling.
Selectively criticizing Israel's religious basis is also off base, as every nation has certain cultural traditions that are reified in the state structure. Actually, a larger source of offense in the Arab world is the secular nature of Israel.
Regarding Israel's current Jewish majority, there have been a series of population exchanges following conflicts in recent history, as empires changed to smaller groupings. Turkey vs. Greece for example. Bosnia vs. Serbia, Hutus/Tutsis, Zimbabwe. Iran and Turkey attack the Kurds. Turkish treatment of the Armenians. on and on. And yet the exchange of almost all Jews in Iraq, Egypt, Yemen, Morocco etc. and some portion of the Arab Muslims of Palestine is the only one that remains unresolved. Why? Because Palestinian refugees are kept in squalor to maintain a ready population of frontline troops, a convenient excuse to continue attacking Israel, and an ongoing excuse for all the problems of the Islamic world. When Israel occupied Gaza they tried to build towns for the refugees and were rebuffed.
The fact remains that Arabs in Israel have more political rights than those in the surrounding dictatorships/monarchies, and in talking to Jerusalem's Arabs, they prefer to remain in Israel, rather than under the failing government of the PA.
For those who argue for a simple end to occupation in the West Bank, witness the situation in Gaza (with attacks on the small Christian minority, silencing of opposition voices in Fatah, prodigious use of violence, and continuing reliance on Israeli support for electricity, medicine, food, and utilities) and then describe how a Palestinian government is ready to take control immediately.
Again, the simple fact that Israel is a majority nation of Jews is no different, and often more progressive than, others. Witness a nation of French (with the love of the French language), Arab Muslims (Saudi for example where other religions are banned), or Irish (which refuses to accept certain EU structures aimed to integrate).
What nation, outside of the good ol' US of A, isn't founded on some sort of common historical connection for its citizens? Yes Israel is the Jewish nation, similar to others, except that its very existence is constantly threatened and challenged.
Obama is a fool to exhibit with such fervour his pandering to the Zionists that own his party and run his country. He has no right to hand occupied East Jerusalem to the Zionists or to pre-suppose any outcome of a "negotiated" settlement in this most sensitive area. By his glowing words of alliance to this den of Zionist wolves he may well have achieved political contributions and support from this organization which already leads the US by the nose (or some other more sensitive orbs) and dictates military and foreign policy on behalf of Israel's racist and criminal territorial agenda, but whatever short term benefits he may appear to have garnered towards his election will undoubtedly be matched by an equal if not greater reaction on the other side of the world in terms of greater and more fervent support for Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran's justified position as a bulwark against hated American imperialism and hegemony in the region. A billion people who support the Palestinians in their struggle for justice just saw the next US president as, yet again, part of the continuing problem, and without hope of contributing any measure to a fair solution; a sad disappointment indeed.
How many more missiles on Haifa or Tel Aviv, in the next conflict has this statement contributed to? Everything suggests another conflict is only a matter of time if Israel gets its way, and through Washington, it seems Israel and these Zionists always get there way. And, if one believes that the matter will be settled peacefully by negotiation, then why be so foolish as to tilt the table? By siding with the Israeli child killers, thieves and thugs, it only reinforces the view common held outside America and Israel that the only way to an equitable justice for the Palestinian people is through continued armed struggle….. Not even a glimmer of hope remains in any peace initiative, does it?
In other words he just proved the Arab world right, that the US cannot be trusted. NO CHANGE THERE. And he hasn't even started yet.
Jerusalem is the undivided capital of israel, and always will be.
The arabs are right, jerusalem is occupied... by them.
I tried to check on the claims about financial contributions by Jews to American political campaigns but was unable to contact The Forward. The author of the CD article should have been more responsible in giving information as to author, article title, issue and date of the Forward article.
At any rate, I agree with urdog that forextrader has it backwards about who controls whom. Israel is the USA's guard dog in the Middle East, and guard dogs do not infrequently get a little out of control. But as for AIPAC, I doubt that they really control American politicians. Rather, I see them as tolerated rather than in control. They are given a feeling of being in control as appeasement, but the agenda is really the Americans'. Sure, like Israel, the AIPAC dog gets out of hand, and I'm not denying that they do intimidate many and affect the behaviour of politicians. However, if the USA really didn't want this dog, it would get put down. I am willing to listen to others' comments and be pronounced wrong on this if they are intelligent.
I am a 61 year old Canadian Jew. I was programmed with Zionist propaganda from the age of 7 or so. By the time I was 14 I knew I was not a Zionist. Many Jews are not Zionists, as I have pointed out before in comments to CD articles. It is very aggravating, to say the least, to read comments such as sphne's which in saying "Jewish (Zionist) people" is in effect saying they are one and the same. They are not. And there are, as a matter of fact, lots of fanatical Christian Zionists who would love for the world to end in a nuclear war over Israel.
Alltogethernow, you say it was a mistake to create a Jewish state. Maybe so. But bear this in mind. When WWII ended there were hundreds of thousands of concentration camp inmates still alive, many, but not all of them, Jews. Three years later, many of these were still living in the camps, because they had nowhere to go. Other countries wouldn't take them. The U.S. took the most, a little over 100,000. Britain, with a population of over 30 million, took 1,000! No, that's not a typo ¬ one thousand. Many countries were only too happy to have the Jews go to Palestine so that they wouldn't feel pressured to take them in themselves. Furthermore, having a western-oriented non-Arab/Muslim state in the ME was strategically important for access to oil and to a place to keep the Soviet Union, which generally supported the Arab states, in check. For this info., see "Displaced Persons: The Liberation and Abuse of Holocaust Survivors," by Ted Gottfried – an easy to read <100pages book.
USAn: I am Jewish, and I am NOT religious in any Jewish way. I was brought up in a Jewish family, in a Jewish community, with a lot of Jewish values. I have scads of Jewish relatives. I am ethnically Jewish. I have no use for the religion whatsoever.
B. Dylan: "God said to Abraham 'kill me your son';
Abe said 'Man, you must be puttin' me on...."
As far as Obama's words about Jerusalem go, this man is completely off track if he seriously wants peace in the ME.
Did anyone notice how Obama carefully didn't say that Jerusalem wouldn't also be the capital of Palestine? He said undivided, but didn't say anything about a joint rule...
Perhaps he is simple politically savvy when it comes to appeasing this necessary lobby (I mean if he didn't there's no way he'd be elected) while leaving the door open to do other things once in office.
It's a disgusting reality we have to deal with, but honestly he wouldn't be elected without saying this stuff.
FYI Are people aware of the following issue? The capital of Israel is Tel Aviv, right? BUT guess what is on many internet sites like WIKI:
'Jerusalem (Hebrew: יְרוּש;Ö¸×לַי'0;×‎ (audio) (help·info), Yerushaláyim; Arabic: القÙدس; (audio) (help·info), al-Quds)[ii] is the capital[iii] of Israel.'
however:
'Jerusalem has not been internationally recognized as Israel's capital, and no embassies are located in Jerusalem-proper. Palestinians view the eastern part of the city in which the Arab population resides as Occupied and consider East Jerusalem the capital of a potential Palestinian state.[11][12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem
You and your fellow zionist jews may like to see it as the capital, but it has no interantional standing as such. BUT what this illustrates is the work of zionists to make people think it is.
================
BBC sorry for calling Jerusalem capital of Israel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
JONNY PAUL, Jerusalem Post correspondent , THE JERUSALEM POST Jun. 15, 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The BBC apologized this week for referring to Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and promised not to repeat "the mistake," following a complaint by four British organizations.
Arab Media Watch, Muslim Public Affairs Committee, Friends of Al-Aksa and the Institute of Islamic Political Thought sent a joint complaint to the BBC after a presenter on its Football Focus program on March 24 mentioned that Jerusalem was Israel's capital and "historic soul."
The BBC's Editorial Complaints Unit posted a response on its Web site: "The reference was a passing one in a context where the focus was on sport, not politics. While recognizing the sensitivity of the issue of the status of Jerusalem, the ECU took the view that the program-makers had taken sufficient action by acknowledging the error and rectifying the Web site."
The Editorial Complaints Unit's ruling was: "Complaint resolved."
etc
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShow...
Check fof yourselves.....Zionist jews ared marking out Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and their efforts to use the BBC are revealing.
Opel. pray tell how do we force people to do anything? What on earth kind of argument is that? I have the same political options open to me as you do, I just use them better, apparently.
corvo, thank you. Even Feingold, lefty fool that he is, is not so low as to bow down to terrorist aggression. Good for him.
I actually respect Feingold though I certainly don't usually agree with him. There are some other good examples as well, like the late great Wellstone. But anyway, back to your circle-jerk...
Yup, I just confirmed the above situation.
"In case it doesn't, does anyone have any insight into what's going on with the CD comments?"
little brother,
I've noticed that this would happen if I tried inserting any markup language such as italics or bold. I suspect a poster or two (I can think of one in particular) got carried away and CD clamped down.
Dunno if there are other situations that make posts disappear.
Correction. My remarks are in response to Now What by Koehler.
Arik, I would say you're brain dead, but you make a very good point, namely about Sen. Feingold, who might be anti-Iraq War, but he was pretty vociferously pro-Lebanon War. So his Democratic and AIPAC creds were indeed never in question.
Ariel Sharon. Good choice for a handle. He's comatose, too.
" Little Brother June 5th, 2008 6:22 pm
The Headlines column featuring this story has a close-up of Obama gazing upwards, with a slight frown; it looks like he's watching an asteroid or other luminous body approach from above."
I SURE HOPE it's not another "being of light" that the Blairs, Tony and wife, and I believe also the Bushes, GW and wife, have been said to sometimes communicate with; not a "being" like a "body" of rock, but some sort of mystical character, for or about whom real Christians, perhaps all critical readers of Biblical scripture, realise is NOT a being of real good, but a "false light being".
If he thinks he's seeing and communicating that that "being" too, then we're in trouble. If he's really having such communication, then we're in ever BIGGER, worse trouble and then it's time to arrest these people and have them psychiatrically or psychologically treated.
Can't tell you one way or the other, if they really see and communicate with or receive messages from such a "being", for I'm certainly not present when these things supposedly happen; but if they really do, then "HEAD FOR THE HILLS, WE'RE IN BIG TROUBLE!", say. After all, our courts of so-called law and the law enforcement forces then are all compliant, by complicitly allowing such sick people to serve in U.S. politics. We could try to spot that so-called "being of light" and shoot it on sight, but not likely to be successful is this.
I remarked about this issue in the Comments to John Feffer's article The Way to a Just Foreign Policy also appearing today on CD.
Zionists will not approve (natch).
But one point. Should we really be angry at our politicians for having to bow down to these thugs, or at the thugs who force them to bow down?
Three cheers for Obama!! I'm so proud to see that my support of him has paid off, since clearly its nothing but my money and mind control that has made him say these things, he couldn't possibly BELIEVE that israel has the right to defend itself now could he?
Sorry lefties, but I strike again to break up your circle-jerk. CD tries to keep me down, but like Obiwan every time I'm struck down I return more powerful then before. You all know my name, you all know my game...
dlgreen, I can't tell you how angry it makes me so see other jewish people saying the things you say. If israel didn't stay strong in the face of arab aggression, they would simply not exist. Its simply not true to claim that most jews do not support AIPAC's efforts on israel's behalf. Yes, we don't support the iraq war, but politicians know this. They don't have to go along with any other policy of AIPAC other then the support of israel to be assured jewish votes. Look at how many anti-iraq war politicians, such as Russ Feingold, are jewish themselves. What other claims do you make? I don't see anything of substance in what you said at all, other then to pander to jew-haters.
USAn, yes, the CD software, and the people behind it, are worse then the chinese government. Its pissing me off quite a bit but it won't stop me. Oh, and FORGET about leftist jewish traitors having any impact on our opinions. Look, do you REALLY not believe that the arabs are a threat to israel? Do you REALLY not believe that they won't do anything to kill any israel they can find? Or do you just not care? I completely understand you not caring, but you should understand equally that I do.
jarielly, you think israel is a military threat to the us? Man, you need to let people know about this!
What kills me is that you lefties say this kind of insane stuff, and then expect me to take the rest of what you say seriously, and seriously consider changing my opinion on israel. How do you ever expect to change the opinions of jews, when you sound like insane nazis?
The Headlines column featuring this story has a close-up of Obama gazing upwards, with a slight frown; it looks like he's watching an asteroid or other luminous body approach from above.
And two articles below is the bloodless face of the monstrous Ehud Olmert,