The Israel Lobby

Please, a round of applause is in order for the sub-editor who did the layout for today’s Op-Ed page in the N.Y. Times. With Maureen Dowd’s piece on the left, Thomas Friedman’s on the right, and Tony Judt’s central argument occupying the center-left stage, today’s paper is enough to make any editor proud: both symbol and content were handled perfectly.

The central piece, “A Lobby, not a Conspiracy” argues for calm in the storm caused by over-reactions to Messrs. Walt and Mearsheimer’s essay on “The Israel Lobby.” Judt did not over-react; if anything he is too gentle with those who attacked the essay, which asked for a more honest and open conversation about the State of Israel, and our country’s relationship to it. Judt notes that the lack of a realistic appraisal of the relationship is caused by fear – “America’s fear of anti-Semitism when discussing Israel.”

Part I of this post will discuss the reality of that fear, and Part II will demonstrate the harm done by its result.

That such fears end up benefiting neither country is discussed by Judt. The fact that the fear is a realistic response to recent intimidation of critics of Israel is not mentioned. The co-authors of “The Israel Lobby” are distinguished American scholars, one at Harvard and the other at the University of Chicago, yet their work did not appear in any American journal; it was up to the “London Review of Books” to be sure that the article saw the light of day.
 
Similarly the play, “My Name is Rachel Corrie,” based on the writings of a young American college student who died under an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the treatment of Palestinians, has never been produced in this country. It had two sold out runs in London, followed by a move to a larger stage in The West End. The New York Theater Workshop reneged on its agreement to produce the show – citing concerns about the recent election of Hamas, and of the health of Ariel Sharon.  Quite correctly, the London producers condemned this as “censorship.” (link)
 
Writers and producers who criticize Israel are not the only ones intimidated. Sir Richard Rogers, the British architect who won a billion and a half dollar contract for revamping New York City’s Convention Center, was forced to resign from, and then renounce, a group opposed to the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Jerusalem Post’s reportof March 5 on the successful efforts of the Anti-Defamation director Abraham Foxman, the  N.Y. State Assembly Leader Sheldon Silver, and Congressman Anthony Weiner to force Lord Rogers to publicly repudiate the group, or face the cancellation of the contract which had been signed months before.

 On April 17^th, Daniel Pipes bragged about the ability of a group he founded, Campus Watch, to frighten college professors. He describes it as an organization that “reviews and critiques Middle East studies in North America with an aim to improving them.”  The President of Hillel at Georgia Tech wrote an article for Front Page, complaining of the supposed bias of a professor. The student complained that the teacher had used the “word occupation in every statement. It was like a propaganda lesson from the Nazis”, and that “her intellectual capacity” should be questioned. The Professor later wrote in the Chronicle of Higher Education, under a pseudonym, of the experiences of some of her “friends over the past few years” who had been “placed on blacklists.”  (Proudly Pipes informs us that it was Campus Watch that produced the dossiers.) She mentions the self-censorship that is prompted by this fear, and the resulting “feelings of anger and frustration.”  Pipes, referring to these feelings, thanks the Professor “for the encouragement and guidance.” Pipes considers her response “the most eloquent, if unintended, testimony to” the “effectiveness” of Campus Watch. Pipes and the neo-con paper, the New York Sun, both call for financial vengeance against the institutions that employ Walt and Mearsheimer, authors of “The Israel Lobby.”

 Fear, then, is a response fully warranted by the actions that some supporters of Israel have taken against academics, producers, writers and architects. It is not an illogical response. But aside from some artists and intellectuals, who is hurt by this aggressive silencing of any debate on our relationship with Israel? Tens of thousands of Israelis and Americans, and hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have suffered.

Part II will prove this, as well as the genius of that layout sub-editor at The Times.

 

Comments

[stapler]

The whole content of our relationship to Israel must be aired. The notion that Israel is a "democracy" and there for must be supported without facts. Israel is a democracy in which Israeli Arabs, 20 per cent of the population live on 3.5 per cent of the land with second class status in everything from housing to education to jobs. No genuine Arab has ever been part of a coalition government. Outside it's borders, Israel is an occupying power in clear violation of international law. Our support for this expensive "ally," a nuclear rogue state, deserves rexamination, by all for the ultimate safety of all, and especially Jews. Likewise, the arrogant imperialism of our own government.

[Rick]

stapler
Your assumptions about Israel are false.
Your "arrogant imperialism" comment hints at the source of your "misconceptions".

[bbbustard]

Dear Rick - I must give you credit for consistency - you seem to live in an entirely fact free world! What assumptions are false? Why? Give me some facts!

[Rick]

Begin with "Wanderings; A History of the Jews" and work forward from there. Compile some "real facts", not just fashionable opinions. There are hundreds or thousands of texts devoted to middle eastern history that will predate modern political influence. Of course they will reflect the flavors of the authors, but you have to sort through that with any text.

Look at the "real" history of mid 18th century Zionism. Look at the roots of Baathism and modern Pan Arabism beginning with Nasser.

Contemporary American culture has accepted history according to the likes of Gammel Nasser, Yasser Arrafat, Haffas Asaad and others. This has been the fashion for the last 30 or so years.

There are 1.3 million Arab citizens of modern Israel. They hold public office. They own businesses. They serve in the IDF. They are indistinguishable from Jewish citizens of Israel. They are the wealthiest Arabs on the planet, excepting those who receive revenue from oil. They are free. They want nothing to do with "Arafat's Palistinians" because they regard them as interlopers.

Get out of Manhattan. Go to these places. Meet these people. You are caught up in a "world of ignorance". Take Maureen Dowd with you. Her tank is on empty.

[Rick]

Correction

I meant to say mid 19th century Zionism.

Sorry to mislead you

[Elmo]

"distinguished American scholars," yep .... together with that Brigham Young physics bozo. "it was up to the “London Review of Books” to be sure that the article saw the light of day." Yep right again, we do live in a gulag (you are ever the sharp one).

"died under an Israeli bulldozer while protesting the treatment of Palestinians" Saint Pancake, your Queen, was an idiot. And a maroon.
She killed herself, I think it's called something like playing on the freeway. Plus I keep forgetting every Pale is a saint, and every Yid a sinner. Shutting down the tunnels saved many a life (oops sorry, many a k*ke).

The truth sets many free. Others?

P.S. Shhhhh .... don't tell anyone, but we recently convened the secret Jooish secret society [we communicate by brainwaves (also how we control other people's minds)]. And although we haven't yet picked the exact date to bomb Iran. I just thought I'd share. And save the world a whole lot of your infantile bellyaching and whining.

Signed, part of the cabal

bwaha haha ha

[bbbustard]

Thanks for your comment. You're kind enough to prove my point about the possibilities of an honest analysis - you'll ensure it doesn't happen. Seen any good plays about Ms Corrie in the States lately?
I am particularly impressed by your characterization of unarmed persons believing that the "authorities" will not wantonly kill them is akin to suicide. You seem to be arguing that to expect others to act humanely is to deserve death.
Please let me know which other countries benefit from lobbying our Congress to the extent that Israel does.

[bbbustard]

Rick - Thanks for the reading list; although I am not sure that I'll get through it anytime soon. In fact, I've been lucky enough to do business and visit friends in Israel at least a dozen times. Your description of the life of Arabs there is thoroughly untrue. Is this one of your Indian Sex- Washing-Smell fantasies? To suggest that Nasser or Assad have much influence on our debate is ridiculous. I apologize for not engaging more substantively in discussions with you, but since you clearly have no interest in substance, I don't know why I would bother. Let me know about current liberal views supportive of Nasser and we'll talk -