Comments on: Things You Never Knew about Aipac

By: John

John — Sun, 30 May 2010 16:04:08 +0000

[comment deleted for comment rule violation, any subsequent violations will result in losing comment privileges]

By: John

John — Sat, 08 May 2010 14:17:51 +0000

I think your all forgetting the proxy war that has been going on between Islam and Hinduism for centuries. War is inevitable when key resources are scarce and when key beliefs and systems are incompatible with other systems. For example, an orthodox Jew believes they are entitled to more land than they actually occupy as commanded from god. Where as the Muslims believe the world is Islam vs Infidels. I think its only natural for Israel and the United States to support a powerful modern India. The Pakistani government we support doesn’t have full control over their nation, and it’s not a modern republic. Islamists have more control in Pakistan than liberal media admits.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:03:28 +0000

Well said.

By: editorsteve

editorsteve — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:03:05 +0000

I hate to see any US-based group meddling in other countries, and India is a good example of what can go horribly wrong. Any incitement of Hindus against Muslims outside Indian borders also heightens communal strife within India itself.

It can also lead to nuclear war. Fortunately, the horror of a terrorist attack on Mumbai did not push Pakistan and India to war, because both governments have matured a bit. In fact, their reaction was more measured than ours after 9/11.

India used to be mindlessly pro-Palestinian (as in, “no matter what they do, they have a right to do it”), in the hope that the Arab world would help reign in Pakistan. Now that Israel is a major arms supplier, India has become mindlessly pro-Israel. The Indian government does indeed have a Pakistan fixation (the reverse is also true), but the people normally described as “Hindu Nationalists” are in the BJP and similar “fronts” (coalitions of supposedly like-minded groups like the RSS and the nationalist movement out of Tamil Nadu, where I usually spend 5 weeks a year teaching journalists). BJP is in the minority now; the more moderate (but unfortunately just as corrupt) Congress Party governs.

BJP was favored by the Bush Administration (which was surprised when Congress regained power 5 years ago), and the Bushies meddled. As you might expect, the Indian body politic gets annoyed at this sort of thing. Thus the “success” of a lobbying organization such as AIPAC depends on whom the folks in India vote for… and those folks have far more immediate issues than fomenting Hindu/Muslim strife, although in a close election incitement to base instincts can sway enough votes to make a difference.

AIPAC would try to bring BJP back into power and would force Pakistan to spend more of its scarce military resources in a “hot” or “cold” faceoff against India rather than controlling Islamic radicals. Aside from the immorality, this is not in the best interests of India or of the US or of world peace.

By: Richard Silverstein

Richard Silverstein — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:21:20 +0000

Thanks, M.J. No need to do any ashamnus. As you said, w/o yr Aipac background you might not have ended up w. the experiences & background enabling you to be as effective as you are at what you do now.

By: Anthony

Anthony — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 20:43:13 +0000

India is not the only country. Turkish secularists are also very close to the AIPAC.

By: MJ Rosenberg

MJ Rosenberg — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:02:31 +0000

I was editor of Near East Report from 1982-1986. But for two years previous to that I was an unpaid intern there. So that is six years. And then, during my almost two decades on the Hill, I worked closely with them (faithfully executing their dictates to Congress).
So I’d say 10 is about right.
I have done an infinite number of al chets and ashamnus and other such prayers for forgiveness from God for ever having been associated with them. But the money was good and AIPAC led directly to a bunch of other good jobs (the best is my current one).
And I’m still close friends with Tom Dine who, although as The Nation noted, not as critical of the occupation as me, now totally rejects the AIPAC line.
Any I think ten years is pretty much right. I wish it was a lot less (although I do happily exploit the connection).

By: Bessan

Bessan — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 13:22:29 +0000

Was Aipac involved in the recent dinner at the white house for the Indian prime minister?

More importantly, is Aipac involved in US intensifying relations with nuclear India.

And is Aipac’s goal the conquest of Iran by partnering India with Israel and US against Iran?

And those who are harping ” know your history:” The Iranian and the Indian people emerged from the same root, from the Scythian steppe, and shared linguistic and religio-cultural traditions for hundreds, perhaps thousands of very early years. Zoroaster influenced the religious/ethical foundations of the shared Indo-Aryan culture.