What is the best way to tell the government of Israel that we do not want another war?

[mahina]

I grew up very sympathetic to the Israelis and still am. Even within Israel there is a lot of diversity of opinion about many things that the govt. has done and is doing, and in this moment, things that it threatens to do.

Newt is speaking to AIPAC. AIPAC has been very influential on capitol hill, no surprises there.

Do American citizens have any channel to communicate OUR interests to AIPAC?

[snappyturtle]

1. Do you really think they'd listen if we did have a channel of communication?

I think governments and military complexes are in their own
little worlds and don't give a damn about the people whose
taxes fund them.

[gateley]

2. Sadly, I agree with snappyturtle. :-( nt

[Brother Buzz]

3. The purse can speaks loud at times

To bad we don't control the strings

[white_wolf]

4. Sadly we don't.

Honestly if it was up to me I'd tell Israel if they want to go to war with Iran they can do it on their own without any American aid or funding. Of course, I'm no fan of the actions of Israel's government so I am not unbiased.

[Odin2005]

5. They won't listen. The lunatics are increasingly in control there.

Israel's religious lunatics are reproducing much faster than the sane folks and will start a civil war if the government tries to get rid of the settlements.

Time to eliminate all aid.

[broiles]

7. Tell them we will come to Iran's defense if they (Iran) suffers

an unprovoked attack That would get their attention, but it won't happen.

[Odin2005]

11. That's what the geopolitics analyst George Friedman suggests.

[MrScorpio]

6. Take away the money that we give to them

That should get their attention.

[Pirate Smile]

17. Congress could and would fund Israel by a veto proof margin - with both parties turning on the

President if he tried.

Congress makes it impossible for ANY President to cut funding for Israel. They can easily do it over a veto. Israel is being run by crazy RW'ers in a way that reminds me of how the world saw Bush after 9/11 & before he started actually listening to to the more sane people in his second term.

When it comes to Israel, Congress is scary because even Democrats will do what Bibi wants instead of sticking up for President Obama.

Perfect English or not, Netanyahu shares no common language with Obama
Obama has made clear he has no intention of becoming Likudnik to prove his support for Israel.

-snip-
Presumably, former president Bill Clinton did not conceal his opinion of Bibi from his wife. If Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has forgotten Bibi's tricks then Dennis Ross, who was the coordinator of the peace process in the Clinton administration and is an advisor to Obama, can refer her to his book "The Missing Peace."

There he quotes president Clinton's reaction to Bibi's retreat from a commitment.
"At times he was tough," writes Ross, "yelling at Bibi when he retracted an earlier pledge on Palestinian prisoners. 'This is just chicken shit. I'm not going to put up with this kind of bullshit.'"

Aaron David Miller, who was Ross' deputy, also documented the days of Bibi and Bill. In his book "The Much Too Promised Land," Miller relates that during their first meeting in the summer of 1996, Bibi lectured the president about the Arab-Israeli issue, prompting Clinton to expostulate when it was over, "Who the fuck does he think he is? Who's the fucking superpower here?"

Most definite of all is Joe Lockhart, who was the White House spokesman at the time. In a recorded interview to Clayton Swisher, author of the book "The Truth About Camp David," he described Netanyahu as "one of the most obnoxious individuals you're going to come into - just a liar and a cheat. He could open his mouth and you could have no confidence that anything that came out of it was the truth."

http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/perfect-english-or-not-netanyahu-shares-no-common-language-with-obama-1.269819

[New Yawker]

8. The Likudniks needs to be removed as well as Kadima

Every Israeli should vote Labor forever and ever (Tzipi Livini is a good person and would be a GREAT PM!)

Right-wing fruitcakes are disqualified (that includes the Hasidics - sorry, but even in Brooklyn, it's too extreme for my taste as a Jew)

Avigdor Lieberman is like Joe Lieberman, just equally as bad.

Ending all foreign aid to all the countries in the world would save billions of wasted dollars trying to help others, when they need to learn how to help themselves and not to beg for money from other government.

[unkachuck]

9. "I grew up very sympathetic to the Israelis..."

....me too, but in my gut, I don't believe the Israeli tail is wagging the US dog....I have no proof or facts, but I'm convinced Israel is our pawn and short of being asked to commit suicide, will do our bidding....

....I can not fathom the mighty US empires' foreign policy in the Middle East is at the mercy of the tiny state of Israel....

[napoleon_in_rags]

21. Exactly. The Neocon line is that American Hegemony is inseparable from Israeli interests.

But if you look at the facts, the best outcome for Israeli security would be if we dusted off the ICBMs, and sent a box of cigars to Russia and China saying "Congratulations, its an Islamic Proxy state, and its all yours!" Iran is incredibly formidable BECAUSE its become a line in the sand against American Hegemony, and its being backed by these larger forces. Israel is in the role of the sacrificial lamb, the hostage at risk from the continued expanse of American Empire, and its a terrible place to be. If American Hegemony were off the table, it would be no problem bringing International pressure to bear to stop the nuke program, including support from Russia and China. So yes, Israel is being used as a pawn. The sooner Israel and AIPAC see it, the better.

[Lil Missy]

10. Cut off U.S. funding.

[leveymg]

12. Release the FBI tapes in the OSP-AIPAC spy case and show the American

People the truth about how Israeli agents planted false Iran WMD evidence in Pentagon files 2005 and tried to trick the US into going to war the last time.

[Faryn Balyncd]

13. Stop financing their actions.

(much more effective that hypocritical dramatic whining, while simultaneously footing the bill.)

[Cerridwen]

14. "Do we have a channel to communicate?"....$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Yes, we do.

[aquart]

16. Sigh.

Actually, no. If Israel ever made any strike of any kind against Iran, it would be with huge guarantees of arms and money from us.

We don't have money to withhold, we have money to bribe, persuade and cajole.

WILL SOMEBODY PLEASE LOOK AT A FUCKING MAP? One with, say, demographic distribution? Then tell me how YOU think tiny Israel will move to control Iran?

[Cerridwen]

24. I posted the universal sign for "access".

The OP asked "Do American citizens have any channel to communicate OUR interests to AIPAC?" which I paraphrased and to which I replied. I'm talking about the one guaranteed way American citizens have access to...well, just about anything.

I'm not talking about any one country or organization or group.

[aquart]

15. How many people in Iran? How many in Israel?

How, in your infinite wisdom, do you think Israel could fund and fight a war against so large a nation?

I know that Israel is a giant military behemoth in the frenzied imagination, but exactly how do you think they could fight Iran and still have forces left for self-protection from their near and land-hungry neighbors?

A little less hysteria, more geographical, fiscal, and demographic common sense.

[bowens43]

23. they're insane and they think they have god on their side

they attacked Iraq, they will Iran.

[Bohunk68]

18. Ah, yes

Poor little Israel, who several years ago had over 200 nukes and has never signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty. And Iran has how many nukes? Not a one. Poor little Israel who has consistently pushed the Palestinians out of their own lands, cut down their olive groves, stolen their water, tore down solar plants. Poor little Israel. Iran should not be allowed to protect itself from the Israel menace?

[SwampG8r]

20. have they ever admitted even

owning a nuke?
i know they worked with the south africans to build the first ones they had but i have never seen even the existence confirmed by the israelis
i may be out of the loop on this one tho

[SwampG8r]

19. usually

what happens is
if we want to look like we had no part and disapproved we will have "strained" relations with isreal about a year ahead of the action
then after the action we "use our influence" to "bring the israelis back into the international community"
then we make nice with the israelis and we all forget about it
make no mistakes israel doesnt fart without washington knowing brocolli or asparagus

[Behind the Aegis]

22. Do you know what the acronym "AIPAC" means?

If not, allow me: American Israel Public Affairs Committee

You want to communicate your interests? Join.

However, it is an American group, not an Israeli one. If you want to communicate to the Israeli government, I suggest writing the embassy.

BTW, Obama is also speaking to AIPAC, March 4th. You will know, because there will likely be threads all over DU.

[LeftishBrit]

25. AIPAC isn't the government of Israel; it's an American organization

As far as communicating with the government of Israel, I think President Obama is trying to discourage them from doing anything hot-headed. Ultimately they'll make their own decisions, like any other nation, but America does have a lot of influence on them - after all, it holds some serious purse-strings.

As citizens, one idea may be to subscribe to organizations that are affiliated with Israeli left-wing/ pro-peace groups; e.g. 'Peace Now'.

P.S. if this is about Iran, rather than the usual Israeli-Palestinian issues - I really don't think that a war is going to happen! A war between Israel and Iran could lead to the destruction of BOTH countries, and the leaders know it. Most Middle Eastern governments, including those of both Israel and Iran, indulge in a lot of sabre-rattling as a standard foreign policy practice; but if I had a pound for every time people have started predicting war between Israel and Iran during the last ten years, I would be a rather rich woman.

[magical thyme]

26. first, we need to tell out own government that we do not want another war

Then, we need to explain to our congresscritters that we expect them to cut off funding to israel, or we will vote them out. Connecticut can lead the way by sending their Lieberman packing.

[FarCenter]

27. Disallow dual citizenship

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

28. Eisenhower went to the UN and got an arms embargo against Israel, France, Britain in '56.

Despite the protests of congress (including LBJ). If effectively ended the Suez Crisis and the war there.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Crisis

The emergency special session was convened 1 November; the same day Nasser requested diplomatic assistance from the U.S., without requesting the same from the Soviet Union; he was at first skeptical of the efficacy of US diplomatic efforts at the UN, but later gave full credit to Eisenhower's role in stopping the war.[198] In the early hours of 2 November, the General Assembly adopted the United States' proposal for Resolution 997 (ES-I); the vote was 64 in favor and 5 opposed (Australia, New Zealand, Britain, France, and Israel) with 6 abstentions.[199] It called for an immediate ceasefire, the withdrawal of all forces behind the armistice lines, an arms embargo, and the reopening of the Suez Canal, which was now blocked. The Secretary-General was requested to observe and report promptly on compliance to both the Security Council and General Assembly, for further action as deemed appropriate in accordance with the U N Charter.[197][200] Over the next several days, the emergency special session consequently adopted a series of enabling resolutions, which established the first United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF), on 7 November by Resolution 1001.[201] This proposal of the emergency force and the resulting cease-fire was made possible primarily through the efforts of, Lester B. Pearson, the Secretary of External Affairs of Canada, and Dag Hammarskjöld, the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The role of Nehru, both as Indian Prime minister and a leader of the Non Aligned Movement was significant; he tried to be even-handed between the two sides, while denouncing Eden and co-sponsors of the aggression vigorously. Nehru had a powerful ally in the US president Dwight Eisenhower who, if relatively silent publicly, went to the extent of using America’s clout in the IMF to make Eden and Mollet back down.[202] Portugal and Iceland went so far as to suggest ejecting Britain and France from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defense pact if they didn't withdraw from Egypt.[203][not in citation given] Nehru achieved his objective of protecting Egypt’s sovereignty and Nasser's honour; the Suez War ended in Britain's humiliation and Eden later resigned.[202] Britain and France agreed to withdraw from Egypt within a week; Israel did not.

[Nye Bevan]

29. Here is a link to the "Contact Us" page at aipac.org:

http://www.aipac.org/en/about-aipac/contact-us

[flexnor]

30. 'Do American citizens have any channel to communicate OUR interests to AIPAC?'

there is a channel to communicate interests between American citizens and AIPAC

unfortunately, it's one way