Senator Hollings Is Right : Its all about Israel

[kalian]

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/

Isn't it funny how politicians have to wait until just before going into retirement to say what they really think about Israel and its influence over Washington policymakers?

Congressman Lee Hamilton (D-Indiana), formerly the senior Democrat on the House International Relations Committee, waited until after announcing his departure from Congress to attend a symposium on the Middle East where he noted that his congressional colleagues are "not even-handed" when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "for political reasons." Rep. Hamilton went on to say:

"Israeli leaders understand our system very, very well because they understand our system they can exploit it."

Rep. Sonny Callahan (R-Alabama) earned the ire of Tel Aviv's lobby by opposing "emergency aid" to Israel. In a speech on the House floor, a clearly angered Callahan lashed out at the Amen Corner:

"I am going to offer amendments as we go through the bill to strike all of the aid to Israel that was included here without any request from Israel, without any request from the administration, without any requests from anybody. But someone within this beltway decided since we were going to have a supplemental bill, they were going to get some pork in it for Israel."

...more...

I wonder what some here at DU will have to say about this senator.
Note...this senator is a DEMOCRAT...one of US. A PROGRESSIVE.
Let's hear the spin...go ahead.

[The Backlash Cometh]

1. I'm not a Democrat, but I think it's been obvious for some time that there

are pro-Israel lobbies in Washington. And, unfortunately, there have been Democratic politicians as well as Republican ones who have pandered to them. It would be a fairer system if Jewish-Americans could stand up and speak up for themselves. Even though they may be in favor of helping Israel, I think they would express more reserve about committing our American forces to put out conflicts which should best be dealt with through compromise.

[aquart]

3. American forces are NOT fighting in Israel.

Perhaps you have made some mistake.

"Pandered"? Now what would be the advantage? Jews are still less than 2% of the voting population.

You can't apply logic to bias, can you? It's always the fault of the Jews and everything would be all right if the Jews were.....? Twenty-five words or less. Get back to me.

And PLEASE do not attempt to speak for American Jews. You clearly never met one.

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. We are fighting Israel's enemies. Maybe not on their soil, but certainly

their enemies. I'm sorry if you feel defensive about this, but Israel may have tried more diplomatic methods long ago if they didn't have such a dumb lug super nation like the U.S. behind them.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. I won't speak for American Jews, as long as they stop speaking for us

Deal.

But the Washington lobby does exists. I've sat quietly and listened to many American Jews on this message board who were torn with what is happening, and who have come up with the same conclusions as I have. In fact, it was they who said not to lump them together with the pro-Israel lobbyists.

[mmm]

20. What a stupid post. It's about the MONEY, as you well know.

Nice try.

[aquart]

2. Jews are less than 2 percent of the American electorate.

Israel is the size of New Jersey with fewer mineral and strategic resources.

Israel is a debtor nation to the US so the legendary world-dominating wealth of the Jews doesn't seem to be in play. (But I'm sure you have an explanation for that.)

So I have to assume it is the sheer charm and mental prowess of Jews that causes everything to be all about them and not, say, the greedy white male fascist "Christians" who run the western nations.

But it makes it easier to have some tiny group to hate, a group that could, say, be wiped out and everything in the world would be better.

Spin? I can't compete with a whirling dervish.

[The Backlash Cometh]

6. Small, but well financed.

Money makes the world go round, the world go round, the world go round. Would you happen to know how much money is being spent on this year's presidential election?

[ronatchig]

9. Excuse me,

I have no wish to sound anti-Semitic but it seems as if the poster was pointing out a nation's -Israel- clout in the American congress not a religion's clout. Why is it that any criticism of Israel is construed as criticism of Jews? Would you also construe criticism of Italian influence in congress as a criticism of Catholicism?

[Hornito]

11. I find it very interesting how some try so hard to minimize the

influence and impact pro-Israel people (Jewish, and non-Jews) have on our politics and foreign policies. They always trot out the old canards about Jews only being 2% of the population, and what a "tiny little country" Israel is (never mentioning that it's bristling with hundreds of nuclear weapons), and other assorted horseshit fables.

Never mentioned is the incredible power that many of the pro-Israel folks have amassed and attained in the financial and media worlds, and how some use that power to support the Israeli Likud's fascist/apartheid aims. Never mentioned is the incredible power they wield over OUR politicians, through organizations like AIPAC, JINSA, and others. Shhhhhhh! To even mention such F-A-C-T-S, is to risk being accused an anti-Semite. How fascist,

Some of us are not at all fooled though, especially those of us who are Jews, who KNOW what the facts are, and who do not agree with the Likudniks and their Republican and Democratic allies. As an American, I totally resent the incursion of Israel (and any other foreign power) into our politics, elections, and policies. I am an American first, and a Jew second, unlike the Liebermans, Perles, Feiths, and Wolfowitzs in this country.

Still, our invasion into Iraq wasn't ALL about Israel. It was also about oil. Oil and Israel ARE the two primary reasons. The radical Zionist PNAC'ers could care less about the oil, but played the Bush oil mongers like a well tuned fiddle to get what they wanted.

[atreides1]

7. Here's my take on it

Yes Israel gets a lot of funding from the US, and they need it. This shows that they are far from being an independent state, if for some reason the US was to with hold the loans given, Israel would have very tough time defending itself.

It could even result in Israel utilizing it's "non-existent" nuclear
arsenal to prevent its destruction.

The real question is why does the US continue to support Israel? We really don't have that much in common.

Democracy- yes it is but not in the same vein as the US, the Israeli government is based on a parlimentarian system like the UK.

Laws- yes Israel has laws, but the difference is that the Jewish religion plays a much bigger part in Israeli law, then the Christian
religion does in US law.

These are just two examples, and there are probably more. So again the question what does the US and Israel have in common that Americans would go into debt to help?

Anyone else?

[Name removed]

8. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[madrchsod]

10. 92+billion dollars

has been given to Israel in the last 50+ years. each year Israel gets over 2+ billion taxpayers dollars free..this doesn`t take into account the military aide that are "loans"..but the loans that are never paid back.
for anyone to think the Jewish community hasn`t influenced government policy is naive....

[kalian]

14. Not to mention propping up their economy....

:eyes:

[Jim Sagle]

12. Israel RAWWWWWWWWWKSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Jim Sagle]

16. Take your antisemitic insult and jam it right back up your ass where it

came from.

[kalian]

17. Yeah, that's it.... To be expected from such a "progressive" poster

:eyes:

[Jim Sagle]

19. You started it.

[kalian]

21. "You started it"....

hmmm...sounds like the I/P issue. :eyes:
Sorry, I don't support war-mongers and illegal occupiers.

[Jim Sagle]

22. But you don't mind accusing other DUers of disloyalty.

[kalian]

23. Your posts....and your reactions....

speak for themselves.

[Jim Sagle]

24. As do yours.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[kalian]

26. Sigh....

:eyes:

[DulceDecorum]

15. This space

intentionally left blank.

[peacetalksforall]

18. There is a tar pit of terminology when this subject comes up.

I don't think there is anything wrong with despising the politics and policies of the current administration in Israel. And it is ridiculous to think that anyone who does despise the politics of Israel is anti anything other than killing and homelessness.

Terms thrown around are pro-Israel, pro-Jew, pro-semite.
And anti-Israel, anti-Jew, anti-semite and anti-Likud Party.

Most of the citizens of Israel are not of a semitic linneage.

It does appear that pro-Israel influence peddlers who are citizens of this country have some kind of domination and cooperation in the leader corp of our current government. Even before this current administration, there has been disproportionate aid and policy. We have had intense partnerships involving intelligence, weapons, defense, and politics with Israel and not with the Muslim countries.

Israel has gone overboard in trying to bring peace in the past, but are currently on a path of destroying all chances of peace and co-existence with the approval of the U.S.

Why did Clinton and Carter try so hard along with Egyptian and Jordanians leaders and to some extent Syrian leaders? While U.S. citizen influence-peddlers such as Wolfkowitz and Perle and many others are associated with the Likud Party? There is no denying that Israels' policies today are a disaster for peace and hope.

But, then, none of it makes sense when combined with the Bush=Saudia Arabia relationship and the Christian-Jew Armeggadon-rapture stuff and what we're learning about the Christian and Nazi relationships of our past.

I have no respect for a countries leaders and their supporters who will not allow equally eligible people to co-exist on the earth.