Comments on: It’s Gone from High Noon to Kumbayah at the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington D.C.

By: Heather

Heather — Sun, 17 May 2009 21:10:37 +0000

To the above comment: Actually, Mr. Finkelstein, what I find astonishing is the hubris of some in the international community who think that an externally imposed “peace” solution will get to the root of the problems that underlie the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, which is in reality the Israeli/Arab conflict.

With Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on the way to the White House tomorrow, let’s revisit history. The day after its inception as a modern state alongside land apportioned for the Palestinians, five Arab armies attacked Israel, rejecting partition and creating the Palestinian refugee crisis. It does not take a rocket scientist to see that what Israel’s enemies could not do directly in ‘48, ‘67, and ‘73–destroy Israel–they have attempted to do over the past five decades by waging a public relations battle in which the Palestinians are cannon fodder.

Re: Iran, as I’ve written before, Israelis are among the few democratic allies the U.S. has who have never, ever even remotely suggested that Americans fight or die for them. All they ask, as strong democratic allies, is the support of friends in fighting their own battles, as any free people have the right to do. The fact that they cannot count on that support from some in the U.S. Jewish community is shameful.

Thank you for commenting–you have reinforced my conviction of the need to raise awareness of the historical record and the need for moral clarity in this age of moral relativism and distortion.

By: Norm Finkelstein

Norm Finkelstein — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:47:50 +0000

The Israel lobby is aiming to soften up US public opinion for an attack on Iran. Americans should resist its propaganda.

The level of hubris necessary to pull this off is astonishing. Fresh off the dismissal of the Rosen-Weissman spy charges involving its own employees, Aipac is flexing its political muscle and reminding the world of its resurgence. It does this through a combination of manipulation, public lobbying and punishment of its enemies.

We in the US must be prepared to resist. We must protect ourselves from Israel’s propaganda offensive ginning up war with Iran. We must encourage President Obama to stay strong in his commitment to Israeli-Arab peace, whether or not Israel is a willing partner. Keeping our eyes on the prize of peace is going to be the hardest challenge of all, because the Netanyahu government is doing everything it can to divert the world’s attention.

By: Norris Hall

Norris Hall — Wed, 06 May 2009 15:16:42 +0000

There can be no compromises with Palestinians.
God gave the land of Israel. It is written in the Bible.
A two state solution would be a violation of God’s word and his plans for his people.
The only solution is for Arabs to move to Arab lands.
There’s plenty of places they can live besides Israel.
Israel should be a Jewish state and it cannot fulfill its destiny if Arab are allowed to live there.
The new Israeli government is taking a more hardline view. A rejection of the two state solution that has been constantly supported by misguided governments along the way.
One cannot ignore the will of God.
The Jews are the chosen people.
Any attempt to divide their God given land is an abomination and insult to God.

By: Erik

Erik — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:42:25 +0000

Of course, AIPAC works with whomever is in office in Washington and Jerusalem and is generally very effective at doing so. Now that President Obama is at the helm, the emphasis seems heavy on cooperation with other countries to put the squeeze on Iran’s leadership via sanctions.

Yes. That’s why it was good to hear what Biden had to say.

Great conference from what I saw of it online. A bipartisan event.

Biden gave a great speech. The highlights are already up on U tube here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPIf4mzPFLE

This was an interesting observation and quote from the conference:

Kerry received his most sustained applause when he suggested that Israel should not be expected to pull out of the West Bank any time soon.

“Israel withdrew from southern Lebanon, only to face Hezbollah; Israel withdrew from Gaza, only to face Hamas rockets. Israel is not about to let the same thing happen in the West Bank, nor should they,” Kerry said.

http://www.boston.com/news/world/middleeast/articles/2009/05/06/biden_says_viable_palestinian_state_must_be_achieved/

By: Dan Lederman

Dan Lederman — Wed, 06 May 2009 03:02:06 +0000

I agree that diplomacy should be the first method used in finding a solution. Sanctions can help but not if the United States provides unconditional funding to Hamas.

As congress decides on the next spending bill it should remove the $300 million earmarked for a Hamas-backed “unity” government. Aipac should insist that no dollars fall into the lap of a government that calls for Israel’s destruction.