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“Is This Pro-Israel?”
J Street, the counterweight to AIPAC that was launched yesterday, has a slick new video on YouTube:
11 Responses to ““Is This Pro-Israel?””
The organization is dishonest and misleading:
“For too long, the only voices politicians and policy makers have heard on American policy toward Israel and the Middle East have been from the far right. It is high time that mainstream pro-Israel, pro-peace Americans fought back for real peace and security.”
What's dishonest about that?
DLS,
It's an exaggeration, yes. However, the point is true enough. The far-right dominates the public discourse about American policy toward Israel and the Middle East.
Actually, the traditional Jewish lobby has been FAR more effective with Democrats than with Republicans or the so-called Far Right.
Arab-Americans, and the Muslims in the Middle East, were looking forward to Dubya's administration after years of Clinton's pro-Israel bent (and were shocked to find Dubya pro-Israel as well).
They recalled how Bush Sr. cut off flows of arms to Israel, and Baker was notoriously cynical about Israeli practices of creating “facts on the ground”.
This ad is more about creating a Jewish wing of the Democratic party — note the “bad guys” in the ad are all American conservatives!
Where are the suicide bombers and other people kill Israelis and want to annihilate Israel from the face of the earth….of course, in the view of J-Street they do not compare to that evil monster Hagee!
Marlowe,
I was unaware that suicide bombers held much political sway in D.C.
Ya learn something new every single day I guess.
Prediction: The fact that members of J-Street are Jewish will not prevent them from being called “anti-Israel” or even anti-semitic. Much like opposing the Iraq war made you unpatriotic, opposing any hard-line policy will make you anti-Israel, no matter how patently ridiculous.
Prediction 2: Assuming it hasn't already happened, it won't take long for the AIPAC neocon style Jews to start calling the J-street Jews traitors, sell-outs and saying that their sympathies lay with the terrorists.
The far right has not provided the only voices on Israel (in fact, the Left has voiced much more about that nation). J Street is dishonest.
J Street's liberal position, presented in fake “moderate” and “mainstream” drag (which is true for so much of what we encounter here on this site, where “moderate” is to the left of the “conservative” [sic] Democratic National Committee or Brookings), is obviously misleading (again, as may be the case here on this site, including to those making the “moderate” and “mainstream” claims themselves).
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“This ad is more about creating a Jewish wing of the Democratic party”
As if Jewish Americans already aren't so hugely Democratic and activist! They just don't necessarily adhere to the radical-PC demand that they bash Israel enough, in some people's minds.
I bet those guys relish Jimmy Carter's meeting with Hamas. Is he going to visit and embace the ayatollahs in Iran next?
Not to mention that “far right” in so many instances means everyone to the right of the DNC or Brookings. (“Moderate” or “centrist” to these people means “nicely and safely” to the left of DNC-Brookings, without goals too extreme — when that word isn't meant to refer to anyone the way “far right” is misused. As is often the case here as well as among the typical radical lefties, or so-called “progressives” [sic].
Hey DLS… did you know a majority of Israelis want to negotiate with Hamas? Crazy radical lefties over there eh?
Marlowecan is right, in that Democrats have also fallen in with the Israeli hardliners like AIPAC. The holocaust aftermath, when Israel became the symbol of victimhood, seems to extend to not ever being able to admit that even victims can be wrong about some things.
That can wear off with passing time, and I think it is beginning to wear off now.
I had occasion to take part in mailing some literatue to Congresspeople along the lines of JStreet, and I must say that the only encouraging responses we got were from Democrats, althoguh even those were relative unknowns (newcomers).
In that regard, I was very disappointed by Obama's condemnation of Pres. Carter.
Psychological pressure plus lots of money can have an awesome influence.
The tide is turning among the public, however, and eventually I hope it will reach Washington. We just can't afford to be the lackeys of extemism. any longer.
I hope J Street will help to turn the tide gently, before it becomes a tidal wave going too far in the other direction.
DLS-
I don't know what your personal history is, so I make no jpersonal judgment.
I think you should keep in mind, though, that ranting like you do creates more negative feelings about the influence of consideration for Israel on American poliics than a dozen truly anti-semitic articles
I know you are not trying to create support for Hamas, so I would advise being more thoughtful about how you present your opinions.
Insulting people is not going to win anyone over to your point of view, you know.
You've never expalined what you base your opinions on, for example
Why don't you start with that, instead of just calling everyone names?