Foreign Funding Bankrolls Anti-Netanyahu Campaign – Flies in 5-Man Obama Team

[shira]

Haaretz reporter Roi Arad revealed in an article in the Hebrew edition
today that the foreign funded organization, “One Voice”, is bankrolling the
V-2015 campaign to defeat Binyamin Netanyahu’s national camp in the March
2015 Knesset Elections.

One indication of the generous financing is that it has now flown in a team
of five American campaign experts (including Jeremy Bird, the Obama
campaign's national field director) who will run the campaign out of offices
taking up the ground floor of a Tel Aviv office building.

V-2015 is careful not to support a specific party - rather “just not Bibi”.
As such, the foreign funds pouring into the campaign are not subject to
Israel’s campaign finance laws.

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=66198

[Sienna86]

1. Interesting. nt

[libdem4life]

2. Another insight into Bibi/Boehner's attempted coup here? The plot thickens?

[shaayecanaan]

3. where can I send a cheque? nt

[geek tragedy]

4. Imra? Slow day on foxnews.com? nt

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Heh heh heh...

[shira]

7. That came from hebrew Haaretz. Here's english Haaretz...

The Obama campaign strategist who could break the Israeli elections wide open
http://www.haaretz.com/news/israel-election-2015/.premium-1.639158

[geek tragedy]

9. Interesting that you came by this story

via a pro-Likud, anti-Obama website indirectly rather than at Haaretz directly.

[shira]

10. Nah, I learned about it from some other source on Twitter.

I don't read Imra.

So what do you make of the story?

[geek tragedy]

13. Lots of money from the AIPAC crowd influences

US political system. Unseemly isn't it?

[shira]

15. What does AIPAC have to do with Obama's campaign strategist & his team....

....in Israel?

You're deflecting.

Carville and his team were in Israel in 1999 to help defeat Bibi, so it's happened before.

[geek tragedy]

16. This is 5 people out of a campaign that employed hundreds.

They stopped working for Obama in 2012. They can earn their living however they want. And these are not even close to the most senior people.

Compare that to Bibi effectively getting rid of the position of Ambassador to the United States and replacing it with the Ambassador to the Republican Party, filled by lying Republican, unethical Ron Dermer.

[shira]

17. And how about Carville and his team in 1999? n/t

[geek tragedy]

18. Man, the Bibi apologists are reaching back to

to 1999 to justify Israel officially aligning itself with the Republican Party.

[shira]

19. Here's why I ask: You'd go absolutely NUTS if Bibi's strategists....

...came over to America as "consultants" along with their own teams in order to influence our elections.

Am.I.Right?

You'd cry that ISRAEL is meddling in our elections, not some private consultants.



Hypocrisy.

[geek tragedy]

23. Bibi's government is directly trying to influence our elections and has aligned itself openly

with one party against the other.

That is far worse than campaign consultants making an extra buck between national elections in their own country.

Why do you post here? Do you think that your pro-Likud propaganda is going to influence anyone with two brain cells to rub together?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

25. Why do they post here? Sauce for the goose I guess. They like a proper ganda.

[King_David]

26. I support the Democratic Party and their policy on Israel

That's why I'm very comfortable posting here.

Not sure about another 10 people in this forum who's views on Israel are so diametrically different from democratic party policy .

I could never support a party that had such opposite views as mine especially for those that Palestinian viewpoint is single issue obsessed.

[shira]

29. They can't even find 1 current Democrat in power who shares their views on Israel...

And they wonder why we post here?

[azurnoir]

30. So you support this? US Democrats oppose latest Iran sanctions bill

A group of US Senate Democrats told the White House on Tuesday that they will not support passage of an Iran sanctions bill until at least the end of March.

The decision could halt the march of legislation that would levy more sanctions on Iran if no diplomatic agreement can be reached to prevent Tehran from being able to develop a nuclear weapon. Republicans could still push sanctions legislation – but without Democratic support, Congress would not likely have the votes needed to override a veto threatened by President Barack Obama.

The latest Democratic declaration on the sanctions appears intended to show that congressional Democrats are supporting the policy of their president.

Obama said if there is new sanctions legislation, Iran could walk away from the negotiating table, saying the "United States was operating in bad faith and blew up the deal." And he said the willingness of America's international partners to enforce existing sanctions against Iran would wane.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4619959,00.html

[shira]

36. Can u name even 1 Dem. in office whose views are like yours on Israel?

Just one?

I rest my case.

[azurnoir]

67. So do you support this? US Democrats oppose latest Iran sanctions bill

A group of US Senate Democrats told the White House on Tuesday that they will not support passage of an Iran sanctions bill until at least the end of March.

The decision could halt the march of legislation that would levy more sanctions on Iran if no diplomatic agreement can be reached to prevent Tehran from being able to develop a nuclear weapon. Republicans could still push sanctions legislation – but without Democratic support, Congress would not likely have the votes needed to override a veto threatened by President Barack Obama.

The latest Democratic declaration on the sanctions appears intended to show that congressional Democrats are supporting the policy of their president.

Obama said if there is new sanctions legislation, Iran could walk away from the negotiating table, saying the "United States was operating in bad faith and blew up the deal." And he said the willingness of America's international partners to enforce existing sanctions against Iran would wane.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4619959,00.html

[azurnoir]

31. please list off the differences between mainstream Democratic and Republican 'views' on Israel

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

33. But, but, but, but...

Sterp deflectin! I'm dern with ya!

[shira]

37. So u believe Dems views on Israel are rightwing like the Republicans?

If so, why do you post here?

[azurnoir]

65. what are the differences between mainstream Democratic and Republican 'views' on Israel?

I asked for information not accusations

[shira]

28. At least we support the Democratic Party on Israel. n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

32. If the Democratic party changed their position on illegal Israeli settlements

would you be supporting the Republicans?

[shira]

34. Would you prefer seeing the Democratic Party become more like....

....the isolationist paleo-cons like Pat Buchanan and his fellow rightwing scum buddies when it comes to Israel?

Your views on Israel appear much closer to those of the paleo-cons than Democrats.

Strange, that.

Yet here you are.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

44. I would actually like to see the Democratic party not support apartheid.

I would also like to see the colonista leeches that support apartheid to be booted from the party: to be sent packing back to their right wing hovels.

[shira]

48. They don't. There are no Dems. who make up lies about Israeli Apartheid either. n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

52. You keep repeating that to yourself.

May the tapestry of those misguided words keep you warm this winter night.

[shira]

53. So you believe all Dems in office support or cover for an Apartheid state? n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

56. Politicians do a lot of stupid things that they shouldn't do, but

it takes movements like BDS for them to realize that the tide has turned...that they will need to wake up to reality sooner or later. If they don't they will most likely find themselves out of office.

[King_David]

54. If someone worked on a democratic party campaign and mentioned Israel and Apartheid in the same

Sentence , that person would be off the campaign team before even finishing the sentence.

Antisemitism / antiZionism / Islamaphobia is not tolerated .

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

57. Yes, back to your tired old opinions again.

Perhaps Israel has too much of a hold over our elected Democrats and Republicans if they are so afraid of speaking the truth.

Calling a duck a duck should be welcome in any truthful movement / political party / news outlet, and not hyperventilated over by the professional criers.

[King_David]

59. I'm not sure how a single issue "Palestinian " obsessed issue poster

Could ever support the Democratic Party with their policies on Israel .

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

62. As always you are eternally confused with the concept of >>human rights<<, dave.

It's strange how that would have to be explained over and over to a supposedly educated person.

[shira]

27. What did they do to influence our elections? Again, you have a double-standard...

Quite hypocritical.

As to posting here, I support the Democratic Party on Israel.

You do not.

Why do you post here?

[geek tragedy]

35. No, you support the Republican party on Israel, as your posts in this thread so eloquently

demonstrate.

[shira]

38. LoL. Try to name 1 Dem. in office whose views on Israel are like yours.

Just one.

[geek tragedy]

40. How about you name all the Democrats supporting Netanyahu over Obama on his

dirty little plot with Boehner to undermine the President?

http://blogs.rollcall.com/white-house/obamas-big-win-on-iran-sanctions/?dcz=

Doesn't look like any Democrats in the Senate are on your side.

[shira]

41. LoL. I rest my case. You can't even find 1 democrat.

IMO, Bibi fucked up big time with Boehner. I totally agree with the Dems. Very stupid move.

Looks like he's trying to walk it back quietly as he's pushing the date farther back.

[geek tragedy]

42. You just spent the entire thread trying to justify what Bibi did.

Not fooling anyone.

[shira]

43. I didn't justify anything. I'm simply pointing out anti-Zio hypocrisy. n/t

[geek tragedy]

47. So now you're accusing Fox News, Peggy Noonan, Dianne Feinstein, and everyone

else who objected to this sordid, crass stunt of "anti-Zio hypocrisy."

Don't ever change!

[shira]

49. You're just sore b/c I called you out on your hypocrisy.

You'd be going apeshit if Israeli strategists and/or consultants were doing the same thing during Presidential election time here.

Am I wrong?

Frankly I don't mind one bit that these guys are trying to get Bibi out of office. I'll take anyone to the left of Bibi.

Are you rooting for the same? Because it'll be tougher for you guys to trash Israel with a more leftwing government running the show. Bibi is the gift that keeps giving to the Israel bashers. They freaking LOVE him. Bibi makes their job (of trashing Israel) much easier.

[geek tragedy]

51. Yes you are wrong.

Since the outrage here isn't over private consultants taking paid gigs (which really is a big snooze--no one cares), but rather elected offices and diplomatic positions being used to explicitly advance a partisan agenda.

You are offering a deliberately false equivalence.

If the Koch brothers hire Israeli tech guys to run their GOTV effort, that is not the same as the Israeli ambassador conspiring with a political party to undermine the President and acting in a malicious and deceitful manner towards his hosts.

You get the last word.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

45. There's a contingent of base conservatives that come to DU to play pretend Dem.

It's always good to shine the light on them.

[shira]

50. Says the guy who can't find even 1 Dem. he agrees with on Israel. n/t

[King_David]

58. Who ? Do these people support Israel like the democratic party does

Do these people oppose homophobia and homophobic governments and extreme right wing bigoted homophobic asshats like Hamas same as the Democratic Party does?


Because from what I have seen there's a contingent of posters even here in this group that are single issue Palestine supporters that have no other politics in common with the democratic party that are homophobic like right wingers and are motivated by AntiSemitism/ antiZionism (being the sole reason for being Pro - Palestinian) -- I'm not mentioning any names or making any accusations- just in general.

And certainly not Democratic Party supporters and campaign volunteers like I am for example.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

60. "and are motivated by AntiSemitism..."

Fantasies aside, dave, BDS will turn the tide with the Democratic party eventually.

If clowns like Bibi the baby killer continue to get into bed with right wingers like Mitt Romney, Sheldon Adelson, and the Orange Man, it will be lights out for Israel with the Dems.

Why support a repressive regime if they are trying to replace your party with the GOP?

[King_David]

61. We support the Democratic Party

Why would single issue "pro" Palestinian supporters - even consider such a pro-Zionist , pro -Jewish party?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

63. Your record seems to be skipping tonight, dave, and reading comprehension seems to be eluding you.

"We support the Democratic Party"

If clowns like Bibi the baby killer continue to get into bed with right wingers like Mitt Romney, Sheldon Adelson, and the Orange Man, it will be lights out for Israel with the Dems.

Why support a repressive regime if they are trying to replace your party with the GOP?


Would you support the Dems if they brought sanctions against Israel, dave?

[King_David]

64. Never will happen EVER

Democratic Party are Uber Zionists even when antisemitism was still fashionable in the USA .

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

66. You keep telling that to yourself.

The USA will only back Israel for so long as it moves further to the right.

When the Democrats finally realize that the demographics of its own party will not sustain apartheid Israel they will change their policy.

And when that happens I hope that you can cope with it and your never ever nevers.

[King_David]

68. You should try change Democratic Party policy

Join a Congressional campaign or Senatorial one.

Start in NYC or Miami or Los Angeles all strong democratic party strongholds.

You can then suggest Israeli policy to the candidate and or suggest Israel is apartheid state .... You would then be let go immediately and you will go home and toast Free Speech in the USA that the candidate couldn't publically prosecute you for attempting to hijack his/her campaign with what him/her considers hate speech.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

69. It'll come, dave, and when it does an ocean of hasbara excuses will not change the outcome:

an apartheid FREE Israel.

[King_David]

70. What motivates that OTT posts?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

71. Unvarnished reality.

How about yours?

[shira]

73. Loathing. The need to incite & bait. Dripping out of every post. n/t

[leftynyc]

78. LOL

they can't even name one elected Democrat that sides with them and yet they think it's just a matter of time before the Democratic party as a whole will change in their direction. The delusion is strong with these people.

[oberliner]

75. IMRA is not a pro-Likud, anti-Obama website

It's just a digest.

It just collects a bunch of articles from various sources (Ma'an, Ha'aretz, etc). They are also really good around election time with collected election data from a bunch of places.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. What are your feelings on that, shira?

[shira]

8. Looks like turnabout is fair play. This may explain why Bibi....

....so readily accepted Boehner's invite.

Then again, Obama's team may be a reaction to Bibi/Boehner.

Maybe neither has anything to do with the other.



We'll see.

[geek tragedy]

11. The United States government is not funding

this effort, so not fair play. Just the typical arrogance and ingratitude that Israel under Netanyahu shows towards the United States under Obama.

[shira]

12. Just a coincidence Obama's campaign strategist & his team are in Israel?

Come on.

Same thing happened during the Clinton administration when James Carville and his team were in Israel in 1999.

[geek tragedy]

14. Obama had many campaign strategists and a huge team.

Bird, though good at his job, isn't Axelrod or Plouffe.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

20. It's funny how some carry the water for the right...no matter what country.

[shira]

21. So the BDS crew wouldn't mind if Bibi's former strategists formed a team....

....as private consultants in order to influence Presidential elections in America?

Mondoweiss wouldn't cry foul one bit, right?

[geek tragedy]

22. Shit, Bibi himself was trying to influence the 2012 elections. He hired one of his chief political

hacks (Ron Dermer) as the US Ambassador and turned it into a campaign position for both Likud and the Republican party.

False equivalency is false.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

24. Again, it sure is strange that on a democratic message board you are dealing with sympathizers

of King Bibi and the right wing Lickrud party.

[shira]

39. Says folks who don't agree with any Dems. re: Israel on a Dem. forum. n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

72. The great thing about the Democratic Party is that one does not have to be in lock-step

with the party Mortis Operandi, and one can have differing opinions.

Now the Republicans party is the one that demands purity, loyalty and insanity with their cult followers.


Perhaps you have the two confused?

[shira]

74. That is great, but you don't agree w/ even one Dem. in office.

Last edited Wed Jan 28, 2015, 08:38 AM - Edit history (1)

So it isn't that you're not in lock-step with the party, you're completely outside the party when it comes to Israel.

Your views on Israel line up with the ultra-rightwing Paleocons who never cease bashing "Apartheid Israel" and those evil Zionists over at the antiwar.com sewer.

==============

Are you not aware that Phil Weiss and his Mondocreeps love the Paleocons at antiwar.com? They are definitely in lock-step when it comes to Israel.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

76. You are out of your depth, shira, as always...seeing how you couldn't understand my post.

Perhaps someday you will be able to grasp the simplest of concepts.

Until then...

[azurnoir]

77. Once again shira what are the differences between mainstream Republicans and Democrats on Israel?

why do you avoid the question ? or attempt to turn it around?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=93848

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

46. Did you just notice how them thar goal posts just shifted?

Fekking pathetic.

[leveymg]

55. Progress has been made. We all now acknowledge what wasn't before: mutual influence is a fact

Last edited Wed Jan 28, 2015, 12:38 PM - Edit history (3)

in both American and Israeli politics. It is a two-way street. Actually, a dangerous three-way intersection with a lot of other feeder roads for dark money but no stop light - SCOTUS took that away with the Citizen's United decision.

There is a lot of Saudi/GCC foreign money that gets laundered by foreign-controlled US corporations (Fox News parent NewsCorps being the most blatantly under Saudi control) and regularly injected into US elections (mostly but not exclusively handed to the PACS of strategically placed GOP conservatives, such as those on the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services Committees, several of whom got busted by the FBI eight or nine years ago.) Since the 1980s, when the the Saudis and US/UK defense contractors came up with a slush fund administered by Bandar called Yamama, Riyadh has have pumped billions of dollars and pounds sterling into various pockets on both shores of the Atlantic.

On some issues, such as escalation of the wars on Syria and Iran, AIPAC, Adelson and the Arabs have a united front. On others, they money bomb the US political system from different directions.

What laws there are against this shit should be enforced more vigorously and consistently. The establishment media is a gagged bird on this topic.