40 thoughts on “Chuck Hagel, Knifed in the Back by the Lobby – Tikun Olam תיקון עולם إصلاح العالم
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  1. After WWI, many Germans believed that Jews “stabbed Germany in the back”. Your mix of metaphors and anti Jewish/Zionist diatribe is all too reminiscent of such dark times.

      1. One can only imagine the reaction of your like had a Zionist been accused of being anti-gay. You would be all over him, telling everyone how ‘intolerance against the different is an endemic part of Zionism’. Yet when a member of your camp is accused of such things – you blame the Jews for spreading libel against him.

        Jewish history is replete with anti-semitic Jews. History always repeats itself.

          1. Your slurs reveal your true personality and the degree of anger your harbor towards people. I hope you will find peace.

          2. @Reasonable Fella: It’s typical of the hasbarists to try to personalize things by insinuating that I harbor some sort of personal animus toward those I criticize. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The animus is purely based on politics and ideas. I hate injustice and lies. I hate them whether the liar is Jewish, Christian or Muslim, Israeli, Palestinian or American.

            As for peace, we won’t find it as long as people like you believe in your own righteousness and Israel’s.

          3. Do you support the Jabotinsky plan? If not, then I discourage you lumping yourself in a category with a bad name, understanding that it may be your intent to create a different impression about the ideology. You seem to be more of a peaceful, liberal leaning, “co-existencite”. 🙂

            If you do, well… then own the “ethnic cleansing”.

          4. Plus, being Iranian is not a political ideology. It’s a culture, national identity and/or heritage. Zionism is a political ideology. So that’s a false equation there. I am simply stating that it’s hard to put lipstick on a really nasty political ideology, the same way I would never put lipstick, personally, on Nazi ideals, which have nothing to do with Germanic heritage, culture, or national identity. There are anti-Zionists right in Israel, if I am not mistaken. So, being Israeli or a worshiping Jew is not the equivalent of being a Zionist, a political scheme and completely irreligious by virtue of the acts undertaken by Zionists throughout history.

          5. I’m getting mighty uncomfortable with your claims about yourself which I don’t believe are true. If you are also Persian Advocate or any other commenter retire that identity and only say things about yourself that are true. I do not like people making up fictional personnas here.

    1. Actually, the assault on Hagel is more reminiscent of “red baiting” and HUAC. Here’s a guy who says he is for American interests first and foremost, not Israel first and this is intolerable to those whose own duties are, shall we say, “dual” at best. This episode casts light on the inherent contradiction of dual loyalties and those who articulate such nonsense. If Hagel simply put Israel’s interests first, he’d have no problem with the Lobby, isn’t this so?

  2. Once again, Obama finds himself in an embarrassing spot. So much has swirled around Hagel that Obama is pretty much going to look like a sycophant to Israel if he fails to nominate Hagel. On the other hand, there are fools who still believe kowtowing to Netanyahu and his thugs is going to bring back the dead and decomposing peace process. Obama can choose Hagel, and concentrate on his legacy and deal with domestic issues in his second term (kicking Palestine to the curb for his successor to deal with), or placate the zionists by nominating a good lap dog. Chances are good that he will do the latter, simply because American support for zionism is still strong. No one will call him a sycophant except those of us who know.

  3. It will be a political disaster for the Israeli Lobby to have Chuck Schumer, Lindsay Graham, John Cornyn, and other Israeli Lobby-/neocon-/AIPAC-paid employees go up face to face against Chuck Hagel during Senate confirmation….

    If the Neocons were smart, which they’re not, they will not let the Israeli Lobby be drug thru the Senate like a old wet mop by putting up a full court press/’Susan Rice-style’ fight on Hagel. But they will…

    Don’t get me wrong –

    I’m hoping and dreaming and wishing and praying they DO – not just because it won’t matter and Hagel will still be confirmed, which he will, but because of the devastation to the Israel Lobby of being exposed like this, and of having the entire nation turn against Netanyahu and his minions.

    They’ll even start losing some of the FOX news demographic – and that would be curtains for the Lobby

    Saying that, let me close with a quote from Napoleon Bonaparte (no, not Bibi, silly rabbit)

    Napoleon: ‘one should never interrupt the enemy when he is making a mistake’

    Enough said 😉 (stolen from Chas Freeman)

  4. If a nominee was floated who had a position on Israel that you strongly disagreed with, wouldn’t you try to do everything you can to spread the word against that person, much like many of the groups and people you cite in this piece are doing in this case? Do you personally think Hagel would be the best choice for Sec. of Defense? Aside from his position on Israel, do you generally agree with his take on issues relevant to the job? Wouldn’t it be pretty groundbreaking for Obama to nominate a woman for the position instead, rather than another white male? Your two posts indicate that he is considering Michele Flournoy for the post. Would she not be a good choice?

    1. Yes, Chuck Hagel was a frontline Veteran and made the proper decisions regarding the Iran sanctions, which are fraudulent, deteriorate our reputational capital while we hypocritically allow Israel criminal immunity diplomatically before the same UN Security Council, and were the same kind that caused the deaths of 500,000+ Iraqi children.

      Senator Hagel is also a recipient of two purple hearts. His criticism of the W. Bush administration proved profoundly true in hindsight. He has served in four major subcommittees under our Committees on Foreign Relations. He is also part of the Select Committee on Intelligence. He retired from the Senate on his own terms: he stated that he would after two full terms from the beginning. He currently teaches at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service as a Distinguished Professor in the Practice of National Governance. He is Chairman of the Atlantic Council, Co-Chairman of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board; a member of the Secretary of Defense’s Policy Board and Secretary of Energy’s Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future.

      Leon Panetta had asked Hagel to chair an advisory committee for the Vietnam War 50th anniversary commemoration because when a Senator, Hagel co-sponsored the bill creating the commemoration committee.

      Hmm, someone that safeguards American interests over that of a foreign country’s even in the midst of government corruption and subversive treachery by entrenched Zionists (Neocons) AND cares that much about our nation’s veterans?

      Sounds like he may be OVERQUALIFIED! As for your suggestion, Flournoy founded the pro-Israel advocacy group, the Center for a New American Security which houses anti-Muslim warmongers like Douglas Feith, Richard Perle, Michael O’Hanlon, Frederick Kagan, Frank Gaffney, Norman Augustine, Richard Armitage, David Kilcullen, etc. The group is headed by retired Lt. Col. Dr. John Nagl, a Zionist Christian. She’s also buddy buddy with Ehud Barak and Benny Gantz after serving as under secretary to Robert Gates, a Neocon appointee. She refers to the bond between Israel and the US as a “marriage”. Incidentally, she is married to venomous Zionist, W. Scott Gould, a contributor to the Lobby’s Brookings Institution.

      The problem here is that Israeli-firsters are meddling with American politics, so you want to discard Chuck Hagel, well qualified for the position, for an Israeli-firster? o_O

      1. Actually, the ones doing the “meddling” are, if I’m not mistaken, American citizens themselves.
        You(!) may not like where their interests lie, but when push comes to shove these are American citizens trying to impact American policy in a fashion they deem best serving American interests.

        American citizens, American politics… the problem according to you is, what exactly?

        1. With due respect, you are mistaken, Ohad. Citizenship is an oath of superior loyalty. To dictate American policy in line with the interests of a foreign country is “TREASON”. It’s also sedition, subversion, and a violation of the Foreign Espionage Act if done in this coordinated fashion.

          America is not an empty vessel that one can steer towards a country’s interests halfway around the globe.

      1. I’ve got nothing against him. He seems like a good choice.

        I do think it would be groundbreaking, though, if Obama nominated someone who wasn’t a white male. It’s exciting to see a woman on the short list, though I know nothing about her.

    2. Do you personally think Hagel would be the best choice for Sec. of Defense?

      Certainly one of the better choices. Personally, I’d rather see Daniel Ellsberg as secretary of defense. But it ain’t gonna happen.

      Flournoy would be much less senior appointee & hence easier to cow & manipulate, which is why the Lobby likes her.

  5. It is not the Jewish Lobby that is knifing Chuck Hagel in the back, it is our weak kneed congress and our president that are doing the knifing. They are more concerned with campaign contributions than with the good of the good old USA.

  6. Yahoo! – Breaking

    Jewish leaders are starting to say they have been called by White House that Hagel nomination is a done deal. Announcement shortly.

    So tweets Matt Brooks, executive director of the RJC

    story at Mondoweiss.net

    The day before – Obama did discuss Hagel with David Gregory on Meet the Press – it looks very positive for Hagel.

  7. Hi Richard.
    I am one of your readers. I am a jew from France. I usually support right wing parties in Israel. I am not israeli .
    I like to read haaretz or left wing newspapers from times to times as i like to listen to what people who don t think like me have to say. I have discovered your blog recently and i find it interesting. I do not agree with a lot of the things you say but we can still be friends.
    However today i am not happy with what you wrote about dreyfus. I am not happy because the comparison you made is just irrelevant inappropriate and shocking.
    Dreyfus was accused ot betraying his country , France, and these accusations were the fruit of the latent and strong antisemitism that prevailed at that time in the french society.
    The story with hagel is totally different. Hagel has constantly expressed his anti israel pro hamas opinions and his indifference to the iranian problem. I am not shocked by the fact that the israel lobby is concerned and there is nothing outrageous aboutnthis.
    You obviously have a problel with aipac but i think dreyfus should stay out of this as i found your comparison deeply offensive and totally inappropriate.
    I will continue to read your blog though .

    M

    1. You are completely wrong in your claims about CHuck Hagel. I dare you to point to ANY “anti-Israel” or “pro Hamas” views he’s expressed. Saying he’s in favor of Israel & the U.S. talking to Hamas is NOT “anti-Israel” unless you’re willing to acccuse Israeli generals and intelligence chiefs of also being anti Israel, as they too have advanced the same view. Hagel is also not “indifferent” to Iran, he simply believes the issue can be resolved through different means than you.

      I would suggest as someone who is not American and has demonstrated no special knowledge of American politics, but who has demonstrated he supports far right Israeli parties, that you have no qualifications to judge Hagel’s credentials.

      Finally, the lies you’ve advanced about Hagel are indeed akin to those advanced against Dreyfuss in his day. Neocons have accused Hagel of betraying American interests & being anti Israel & anti Semitic, all of which is false.

  8. blutopie
    no longer ‘chosen’
    1052 Fans
    2 seconds ago ( 5:42 PM)
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    Now that we are pretty well assured that the Hagel nomination is a ‘done deal’ – .

    We can soon start focusing on William Kristol’s OTHER PICK for the Obama administration – namely Rep Jane Harman for CIA director to replace Petraeus

    Harman was actually caught on an FBI wiretap – criminally conspiring against the government of the United States – to derail the Justice Dept’s attempts to prosecute the Israeli spy network in the US, in addition to, as quid pro quo, accepting Mossad/the Israeli Lobby’s help in planting her at the chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

    Jane Harman claims she ‘doesn’t remember’ her taped conversation collaborating with a Mossad agent to SQUASH the criminal investigation of AIPAC members Steve Rosen and Weissman. .

    A hilarious moment on her wiretap came at the end when she told the Mossad agent – ‘this conversation never happened’.

    That’s always priceless when caught on wiretap

    ‘Two-fer Jane’ – squashing the criminal investigation against AIPAC while ALSO committing t.reason in coordination with a known Mossad agent to plant her at the chair of the House Intelligence Committee.

    Who know what she would do for Israel in that ‘appointment’ – they already OWN her – because she has already collaborated with them in the past

    May I advise Mr Obama to just please say ‘NO’ to this Israeli spy instead of making her CIA director?

    The rout of the Israeli Lobby is on!

    Time for the William Kristol Donneybrook!

  9. I have asked this question so many times but never got a good (practical) answer for it and will ask it here hoping that someone will give an answer. “How to counter the FALSE accusation of being “ANTI_SEMITIC” if you dare say what the supporters of the Aparteid Jewish State do not like to hear?”. It has proven to be a very powerful tool to make people especially Americans and Canadians simply shut up! Richard declined to answer my question in a public forum about Gaza lately.

    1. The slur “anti-semitic” is an ad hominem attack, it professes to identify an attribute of the speaker (you), rather than the speech (what you say, your argument.) The attributes of the speaker are separate from the speech, the argument. Identifying the speaker as a “lesbian” or “anti-semitic” doesn’t negate what they have to say. People are filled with lots of unreasonable beliefs about things including the world and other people and themselves and these things do impact what we think. The arguments that a person makes may be motivated by irrational beliefs but the argument stands or not on its merits alone.

      This is very simplified but it useful to separate the speaker from the speech. Someone once responded to my arguments and references with the accusations that I was “unemployed and angry” and “anti-semitic.” I conceded both for the sake of the argument and the argument came to an abrupt end.

      1. Thanks for your input. I noticed that in both the US and Canada the vast majority of people stay away from any discussion or action that would not be agreeable to the supporters of the Apartied Jewish State. Even if what is happeing is against the interests of their OWN country. This is simply because it has been planted very firmly in their minds that doing that will automatically trigger the accusation of being “Anti-Semitic”. It is a career ending (conversation ending in your case) and a life destroyer proposition in many cases! How to counter and help people get over that fear?

        1. You are not talking about how to respond to such an accusation, but coping with the power of the Lobby in the US (and Canada.) That is a different matter altogether: Slowly, through organization and relentless witnessing and blogging, the word gets around that the Zionist narrative endorsed by politicians is largely untrue. I think people are really frustrated on this matter and sooner or later the dam will break in the US and Zionists and their supporters will not be driving the train any longer.

  10. Looks like Obama is going to be nominating Hagel.

    Article:

    Obama expected to pick Hagel as opponents prepare for a fight

    President Barack Obama is expected to name Chuck Hagel as his choice for defense secretary as early as Monday, as critics of the former Nebraska senator prepare to go to war to fight his expected nomination.

    http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2013/01/04/obama_expected_to_pick_hagel_as_opponents_prepare_for_a_fight

    What does this say about Obama and about the lobby?

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