The Israeli Dog and US Tail

People are awful sensitive; you gotta watch what you say. A former quitter of these vigil reports has quit the list again, citing our “…very different positions about the role of Israel and the Israeli lobby on US foreign policy”, and an allegation that my speech of last week at the Cindy Sheehan rally contributed to “… an effort to discredit her courageous actions against the Iraq War by claiming that she had said her son died for Israel…” [in the speech I said “… the war in which Casey died was supported and directed by many Israel-firsters”, with full responsibility for the statement, and no attribution to Cindy].

Despite the “differences” between our “positions”, my critic failed to support her opposition to the points I raised in the speech. Specifically, she failed to provide any evidence that the creation of the Jewish state was planned by “US Imperialism” and was not in fact opposed by key elite figures at the time as contrary to US interests. Apparently, the gesture in the speech that I was not exonerating US Imperialism per se had no ameliorating effect on her.

It’s a bigger problem than one person being offended, however, and we would like those who have convinced themselves that US Imperialism is the source of Jewish supremacism in Palestine to stand up and state their arguments, minus the usual empty platitudes such as “if it weren’t in US interests, we would drop them like a hot potato”.

If support for Israel is in US imperialist interests then why, Viliger M asks, don’t Jews get this point, and instead spend millions of dollars creating Israeli PACs and blanketing the US Congress with staffers and misinformation on a daily basis? Why do they need to waste their energy and financial resources on a US foreign policy that would support the creation and maintenance of a Jewish supremacist state in Palestine absent their efforts in that regard?

Well, maybe that’s because (a) it’s not in the US’s best interest to support such a rogue state (Cindy Sheehan’s words) and (b) the stranglehold on our government is required to maintain pro-Israel policies counter to US interests.

But don’t take out word for it; read “A War for Israel” by Jeff Blankfort, and The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy by Mearsheimer and Walt, then make up your own mind. Or – if you think these fellows are driven by anti-Semitic urges, then check out Jewish Power by JJ Goldberg, he of impeccable Jewish credentials.

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7 Vigilers
Who supports Israel more than the Jewish community?
Henry Herskovitz
Jewish Witnesses for Peace and Friends