missing text image: sites/all/themes/obs_2007/img/reply.gif
Steve (not verified) says:
One of the problems is that many things can be true at once; i.e. not necessarily mutually exclusive. Let me state that I am lefty, Jewish, American, pro-Israel, two-state solution on the lines of Barak-Rabin negotiations during Clinton era, anti-occupation of west bank, yada yada yada.
1. Neocons are predominantly but not exclusively Jewish, and the Jewish ones are predominantly but not exclusively pro-Likudnik (and parties to their right) Israel, and pro-Republican U.S. They also tend to be anti-peace making by Israel (real two state solution per Israeli Labor party and those to their left).
2. AIPAC is run by NeoCon and otherwise conservative (right wing?) Republicans (U.S.) who act not as an Israeli lobby but as a Likud lobby. They opposed Oslo, opposed negotiations with Syria, opposed Camp David, opposed Israeli policy when Barak and Rabin were prime ministers and undercut their policies and negotiations for peace. I think NY Review article on W&M & AIPAC was quite good on this.
3. Jewish American on the other hand are overwhelming Democratic. Have been in the past. Still are. In fact their voting was even more Dem and anti-Republican in the 2006 elections then in 2004. Despite the NeoCons tiny loud minority, Jewish American as a whole have been from teh beginning more opposed than the average American to the Iraq invasion and occupation. So yes we are patriotic Americans... and as such we as group are STILL actually more Democratic, more liberal, more opposed to Neocon & Bush Admin. policy then the average American. Alas, we in the large majority have failed to either re-take AIPAC or set-up more powerful (commensurate with our numbers) counterweight to AIPAC and NeoCons.
4. The most senior folks in the Admin... Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, the Joint Chiefs, Tommy Franks, and many others (Stephen Cambone?), are not Jewish, and have been known to have minds & opinions of their own (ok, maybe not Rice). Admittedly Wolfowitz, Feith, Libby, Perle, etc. are Jewish. Khalizad & Chalabi are Muslim.
So, in summary, some Jews probably are guilty of having influence and double loyalty (e.g., Perle, Peretz, etc)... and also being wrong (wrong on Iraq, wrong on Israel/Palestine).
However, large majority of American Jews completely disagree with them.
And lots of non Jews were the actual senior leaders in doing Iraq, undermining peace talks, etc.
One of the problems is that many things can be true at once; i.e. not necessarily mutually exclusive. Let me state that I am lefty, Jewish, American, pro-Israel, two-state solution on the lines of Barak-Rabin negotiations during Clinton era, anti-occupation of west bank, yada yada yada.
1. Neocons are predominantly but not exclusively Jewish, and the Jewish ones are predominantly but not exclusively pro-Likudnik (and parties to their right) Israel, and pro-Republican U.S. They also tend to be anti-peace making by Israel (real two state solution per Israeli Labor party and those to their left).
2. AIPAC is run by NeoCon and otherwise conservative (right wing?) Republicans (U.S.) who act not as an Israeli lobby but as a Likud lobby. They opposed Oslo, opposed negotiations with Syria, opposed Camp David, opposed Israeli policy when Barak and Rabin were prime ministers and undercut their policies and negotiations for peace. I think NY Review article on W&M & AIPAC was quite good on this.
3. Jewish American on the other hand are overwhelming Democratic. Have been in the past. Still are. In fact their voting was even more Dem and anti-Republican in the 2006 elections then in 2004. Despite the NeoCons tiny loud minority, Jewish American as a whole have been from teh beginning more opposed than the average American to the Iraq invasion and occupation. So yes we are patriotic Americans... and as such we as group are STILL actually more Democratic, more liberal, more opposed to Neocon & Bush Admin. policy then the average American. Alas, we in the large majority have failed to either re-take AIPAC or set-up more powerful (commensurate with our numbers) counterweight to AIPAC and NeoCons.
4. The most senior folks in the Admin... Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, the Joint Chiefs, Tommy Franks, and many others (Stephen Cambone?), are not Jewish, and have been known to have minds & opinions of their own (ok, maybe not Rice). Admittedly Wolfowitz, Feith, Libby, Perle, etc. are Jewish. Khalizad & Chalabi are Muslim.
So, in summary, some Jews probably are guilty of having influence and double loyalty (e.g., Perle, Peretz, etc)... and also being wrong (wrong on Iraq, wrong on Israel/Palestine).
However, large majority of American Jews completely disagree with them.
And lots of non Jews were the actual senior leaders in doing Iraq, undermining peace talks, etc.