AIPAC is not a real pro-Israel lobby. It is a pro-Likud lobby. As Gershom Gorenberg points out in his fine essay in Prospect Magazine, A Liberal Israel Lobby, AIPAC’s positions are regularly at variance with the Israeli government. If you’re a true pro-Israel lobby that wouldn’t be the case.
Gershom makes a cogent case that we need such a true pro-Israel lobby. One that doesn’t look only to maintain Israel’s military power so it can continue the Occupation and subjugation of several million Palestinians. One that takes a long view of Israel’s interests and lobbies for peace between the two peoples; a peace that is stable and unshakable.
There are rumblings that such a lobby, which has been bruited about for over a year, is about to come to pass. I know more than I’m allowed to say here (for once I’m in on a secret), but since Gershom, who has his Jewish journalist ear to the ground, has all but announced the imminent formation of the group I can go at least that far. Nathan Guttman reported some time ago in The Forward that the name ‘J Street’ is one being used among the supporters of the project. I’m hoping that shortly more concrete information will be announced by the founders.
One thing that should (but probably won’t) reassure AIPAC. The new group will spend much more time raising funds for political candidates than it will lobbying for policy. As such, it will be doing things that AIPAC itself cannot even directly do (though AIPAC’s donors do this themselves and with a vengeance). But certainly a goal will be to provide a countervailing weight to AIPAC on policy issues so that politicians, hitherto petrified to cross the group, might realize that their political funding sources will not dry up if they take a position counter to AIPAC.
I’ve followed the ups and downs of this project. I’ve despaired when George Soros announced he wasn’t on board. I’ve fretted when I worried that David Saperstein would sap the heart out of it by temporizing its agenda. And now, I’ve finally got something to cheer about as the new new Jewish thing is about to arrive. This baby is long overdue. Long may it thrive.
“AIPAC is not a real pro-Israel lobby. It is a pro-Likud lobby.”
This needs to be hammered home, again and again and again.
AIPAC does not represent Israel, nor the majority of Israeli Jews, nor does it represent the majority views of American Jews.
AIPAC does represent, more or less, the majority of American Jewish opinion. The fact that polls may show that a majority agrees with you that about supporting a “2-state solution” does NOT mean that they support “overlooking” Palestinian terror and the direct or indirect support the Palestinian Authority and HAMAS rulers of Gaza give it. Although this “progressive” lobby says it is for “Israeli security” in addition to “pushing forward the peace-process”, most Jews in Israe and the US now realize after years of painful experience that if “pushing the peace process forward” means making Israel make ‘gestures’ and concessions that directly affect the security situation, they will NOT support it. For example, one concessoin that “progressive” are always pushing for is reducing the number of security roadblocks, even though these are proven ways of preventing attacks.
In any event, among Jews active in communal affairs and in pro-Israel activities (inculding donating money, personally sending letters to Congress, sending children for extended visits and study in Israel), “progressives” are a minority and will be asked to show this isn’t true when they go to members of Congress and try to persaude them not to listen to AIPAC.
With the emphasis on ‘LESS’ rather than ‘more.’ AIPAC represents the real values of American Jews about as much as the Vatican represents the real sexual practices of American Catholics. AIPAC is in favor of war with Iran. American Jews, not. AIPAC members generally support Republican candidates like John McCain–American Jews, not. AIPAC leaders love Christian bigot-zealots like John Hagee–American Jews, not so much. AIPAC opposes withdrawal fr. settlements–American Jews support this. The majority of Israelis support negotiating with Hamas–AIPAC opposes this. So how does AIPAC reflect views of the mainstream? It doesn’t. It’s a radical fring that just so happens to have lots of money, lots of time, & lots of obsessive energy to put its point across in the community.
Besides, I’d trust Gershom Gorenberg’s views on this subject far more than yours & he agrees with me & not you. He’s an Orthodox Israeli-American btw.
Proven by whom? Can you provide any concrete evidence to support yr assertion? I thought not. The only entity which makes this claim is the IDF & its right wing supporters like you. Even many Israelis utterly reject this contention. The only result of 550 checkpoints is to make Palestinian life an utter misery & terror attacks are fueled by such misery.
Bar Kochba, it’s you who are in the minority. You have your friends in AIPAC. But you don’t represent anyone other than the rich Republican fatcats and Orthodox zealots & settlers.
The bearer of that ferocious warrior name, bar_kochba132, declares that “AIPAC does represent, more or less, the majority of American Jewish opinion.” I can’t even imagine where said declarer obtains such nonsense. Most of my friends and acquaintances are Jewish, most more religious than I, and range politically from somewhat conservative to very liberal, and with only one exception consider AIPAC a right-wing propagandistic organization more harmful than beneficial to the Jewish cause. Of course “cause” needs defining, but I would strongly suggest to Mr. Bar_kochba132 that he restrict himself to simply being a warrior and let others do the polling.
Understatement of the year!
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