Tag Archives: Israel Lobby
Print|Email Republican Jewish Coalition Bars Ron Paul From Presidential Debate, Saying He’s Too “misguided and extreme”
On Wednesday, Dec. 7, the Republican Jewish Coalition will host a presidential-candidates forum featuring Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum. Not invited is the GOP candidate currently polling around third in New Hampshire and second in Iowa: Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas). The explanation:
Paul was not invited to attend the RJC’s candidates forum because the organization – as it has stated numerous times in the past – “rejects his misguided and extreme views,” said [RJC Executive Director Matt] Brooks.
“He’s just so far outside of the mainstream of the Republican party and this organization,” Brooks said. Inviting Paul to attend would be “like inviting Barack Obama to speak.”
. . . .
Anti Defamation League National Director Abraham Foxman has a perhaps unintentionally interesting take about Paul, U.S. politics, and Israel:
with the exception of Ron Paul, there is not much difference between the parties
Rep. Ron Paul: I Would Not Aid Israel In Military Action Against Iran
Canada stands ready to join with other nations in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon
In a blunt warning amid an escalating crisis, the Harper government declared Friday that Canada stands ready to join with other nations in preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Supporting a resolution by the International Atomic Energy Agency that expresses “deep and increasing concern” over evidence that Iran is proceeding with plans to become a nuclear power, the Harper government vowed in its submission to “continue to work with like-minded nations on next steps.
(Read more)
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Comment from reddit:
Given Iran’s history it’d be wise to seek a nuke. It’s a pity that it’s necessary but I’d do the same and nothing would stop me.
IRANS RECENT HISTORY
1953-CIA backed coup overthrows the popular democratic gov.
1953-1979 The US Supported a brutal dictatorship. 1000’s murdered by the Shahs secret police the SAVAK.
1979-81 US hostages taken and released.
1980-1988 Following popular revolution against the US backed dictator, Iran is invaded. The US supported the aggressor in the war that cost Iran 500,000 casualties.
The US escorts shipping up and down the gulf, except Iranian, which it allows Iraq to attack
When Iraq falters in its attack, the US provides chemical weapons satellite intelligence
1988- USS ship shoots down a commercial flight operated by Iran Air. refuse to apologize. Gives medals to the shooters. George H. W. Bush declared, “I will never apologize for the United States of America — I don’t care what the facts are” in reference to the incident
1998 Irans regional neighbours, India/Pakistan get nukes, no longterm sanctions are placed on them.
2002 USA places Iran in Axis of Evil
2003 Iran offers full transparency on WMD, aid on the war on terror including HAMAS hizbollah, and co-ordination on Iraq, normalisation of relations. Offer rejected by USA
2003 US invades countries on either side of Iran’s borders.
2003-9 Israel calls for Iran to be bombed, launches practice raids.
Dissent at the Homicidal Maniacs Club — Obama & Sarkozy about Netanyhu
Sarkozy: “I can’t stand him. He’s a liar.”
Obama: “You’re fed up with him? I have to deal with him every day!”
Romney: U.S. ‘Should Not Play The Role Of Leader’ In Mid-East Peace, ‘Follow’ Israel Instead
If Mitt Romney becomes president, there are a lot of important foreign policy decisions that he’d leave up to others. Most notably, Romney often says that whatever the generals decide, that’s the course he’ll take in Afghanistan (although he backtracked on that stance when pressed recently).
Now it seems that a President Romney will allow the Israeli government to decide American policy toward that country. The free daily newspaper Israel Hayom — a media outlet closely associated with right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — asked Romney if, as president, he would ever consider moving the American Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. In his answer, Romney made some astonishing claims. First, that his policy toward Israel will be guided by Israeli leaders; second, on the Jerusalem issue, he’d do whatever Israel tells him to do; and third, he does not think the United States should take a leadership role in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict:
ROMNEY: The actions that I will take will be actions recommended and supported by Israeli leaders. I don’t seek to take actions independent of what our allies think is best, and if Israel’s leaders thought that a move of that nature would be helpful to their efforts, then that’s something I’ll be inclined to do. But again, that’s a decision which I would look to the Israeli leadership to help guide. I don’t think America should play the role of the leader of the peace process, instead we should stand by our ally. Again, my inclination is to follow the guidance of our ally Israel, as to where our facilities and embassies would exist.
The policy that the American Embassy reside in Tel Aviv and not Jerusalem pre-dates the current administration. In fact, as Lara Friedman notes at Americans for Peace Now, the U.S. “does not recognize the sovereignty of any party in any part of Jerusalem (East or West)” and it’s “a policy that dates back to pre-1948, and has been followed by every U.S. Administration since, regardless of the President or party in the White House.”
Did he mean this as a joke?
Gates: Israel an ‘Ungrateful Ally’
In comments at the National Security Council Principals Committee, former Secretary Gates termed the Israeli government an “ungrateful ally,” insisting they had offered “nothing in return” for massive amounts of US aid and high level intel sharing.
The context of the comments is equally telling, coming amid reports of an FBI whistleblower’s attempts to reveal the details of spying on the Israeli embassy. Though the attempted leak failed to go public, it is now revealed that it detailed “Israeli officials trying unlawfully to influence US policy and edging toward military action against Iran.” (Read more from news.antiwar.com)
U.S.: We will stop aid to Palestinians if UN bid proceeds
The United States will stop all financial aid to the Palestinian Authority if they proceed with plans to ask the United Nations for recognition of an independent state in September, a U.S. official warned Friday.
U.S. Consul General in Jerusalem, Daniel Rubinstein, told chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat in the name of the Obama administration, that the U.S. would veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for recognition of an independent Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip within the June 4, 1967 borders and for UN membership. (Read more from haaretz.com)
Declassified Massive Israeli manipulation of US media exposed
29 standing ovations for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu @ U.S. Congress
Best Raputre Commentary I’ve Heard
Onion Headline: Government Official Who Makes Perfectly Valid, Well-Reasoned Point Against Israel Forced To Resign
They nailed it.
“The United States deeply regrets any harm Mr. Milstrand’s careful, even-tempered, and factually accurate remarks may have caused our democratic partner in the Middle East,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in an unequivocal condemnation of the veteran foreign-service officer’s perfectly reasonable statements. (Read more from theonion.com)
Mideast envoy George Mitchell to resign
On the surface it appears that president Obama has given up on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and, frankly, given the evidence, it is difficult imagining that there is something different beneath the surface. To wit:
Special Envoy George Mitchell resigned, clearly angry at the lack of support his peace efforts received from the White House – and his resignation letter was about as curt and cold as any in recent memory. The announcement of his resignation followed reports that the president’s Thursday speech on the Middle East will, amazingly, say virtually nothing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
A day after Mitchell’s resignation came news that the president had decided that he will speak at this month’s AIPAC conference, the traditional setting for pandering to the Israeli government and, more significantly, to Israel-centred political donors. (Read more from english.aljazeera.net)
Israel ‘approves new West Bank settler homes’
JERUSALEM — Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has approved the construction of 294 new homes in Beitar Ilit settlement on the occupied West Bank, anti-settlement NGO Peace Now reported on Sunday.
It also said that work had started on more than 2,000 settler homes since the end in September of Israel’s 10-month freeze on Jewish construction on Palestinian land.
Peace Now made its announcement as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was in Washington preparing to address the US Congress and a powerful pro-Israel lobby, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). (Read more)