The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is among the largest members of the Israel Lobby in the United States. Without their support, you don't win elections. According to Morris Amitay, the former AIPAC director, "It's almost politically suicidal for a member of congress who wants to seek reelection to take any stand that might be interpreted as anti-policy of the conservative Israeli government."
AIPAC official Steven Rosen in an illustration of AIPAC's power to journalist Jeffery Goldberg put a napkin in front of him and said,"In twenty-four hours, we could have the signatures of seventy senators on this napkin." This statement proved all to real; on January 15th, an updated version of this napkin was released for the general public. Entitled "American Leaders Speak Out in Support of Israel’s Right to Self-Defense," this document is the ultimate piece of evidence of the control that the pro-Israeli Lobby has over U.S. politicians.
Eric Pate
CPO 2001
T H 8:30am
6 comments:
This is the most in-depth blog that I have read by another student during my stint at TCC, and I could not agree with your analysis more. I believe that our involvement with Israel has been overlooked by the media and buried by our officials. We have supplied and used Israel for both our and their interest for some time. We have helped create one of the world’s most fierce military’s in today’s era without any real backlash from the American people. I support Israel, but I do think we need transparency when it comes to our invested interest in their country.
Justin Ford
CPO 2001
T R 1:05
Thanks Justin, I appreciate it. You bring up another point which people need to realize, the fact that if you denounce the way Israel handles the Palestinians, it does not mean you don't support the Israeli people. It just means you believe that the rule of international law needs to be respected and cannot be brushed aside due to temporary interests. In the media around the world some pro-Israeli factors automatically label any critism of Israeli affairs as anti-semitic. Gaza has become the world's largest open-air prison and home to the most oppressed people on the face of the earth. The American people, along with the international community, are standing aside and not only watching but funding institutional genocide. The majority of the Israeli population believes the same; this conflict is being carried out for the benefit of a select few and endangering the lives of everyone else in Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Eric Pate
CPO 2001
T R 8:30am
Israel's defense force as stated above is one of the best trained and dangerous in the world. I agree that the some of the actions carried out by Israel are a little harsh and seem cruel, but in the situation that they are in they really don't have a choice but to be as intimidating as possible. What is being done however is not genocide but simply are preemptive measures necessary to ensure the survival of their country.
Alex Gramovot
CPO001
T-R 8:35
Genocide (noun) - the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.
What the Israeli government is doing and has been doing over the past 50 years is genocide. Look up the Palestinian Land Development Company founded by Israel's first president. Look into the ongoing construction of illegal settlements in the West Bank and Gaza. Slowly but surely Israel is eradicating any opposition in the Palestinian territories.
Eric Pate
CPO 2001
T TH 8:30
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