Lindsey Graham Reiterates Support for Israel, ‘Our Best Friend’
Source: NYT
Senator Lindsey Graham vowed on Wednesday to lead violent pushback against the United Nations if it tries to take over the peace process between Israel and the Palestinians, and against any nation that pushes to prosecute Israeli soldiers for war crimes through the International Criminal Court.
Mr. Graham, Republican of South Carolina and an all-but-official contender for his partys presidential nomination, acknowledged on questioning that the pushback would not be literally violent, but perhaps virulent, in the form of withdrawing United States financial aid to nations or international institutions.
I am in charge of the foreign assistance account, Im in charge of the money we provide for the United Nations, he explained, referring to his chairmanship of an appropriations subcommittee.
We provide 25 percent of the funding for the organization, Mr. Graham said, several times. Im not going to ask the American taxpayer to fund an organization thats going to be used in a way to marginalize Israel, which he called our best friend.
Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/05/27/lindsey-graham-reiterates-support-for-israel-our-best-friend/?_r=0
okasha
(11,573 posts)leftynyc
(26,060 posts)there isn't one republican (or Democrat for that matter) that doesn't feel the exact same way.
freshwest
(53,661 posts)They've been on the anti-UN routine since the John Bircher Society first spewed. It's been repackaged variously as the NWO, Illuminati, whatever sells to the masses who gobble it up.
The 2016 elections will make or break this nation for good.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)What has Israel ever done for the US? Why would it be "our best friend"?
oberliner
(58,724 posts)If you're interested, there is this article:
http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/friends-with-benefits-why-the-u.s.-israeli-alliance-is-good-for-america
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)have zero desire to listen. I admire your patience.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)is a kind of rebuttal. I suppose.
leftynyc
(26,060 posts)to prove my point so well and succinctly.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)but while succinct, your point is just an opinion, unprovable and pointless.
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)Israel has a great friend in the United States, such that it would not exist without the U.S. Israel goaded the US into war with Iraq, but I don't see how that was an act of friendship. It now tries to goad the US into a war with Iran, and I don't see that as an act of friendship either.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)That's ridiculous.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)So is the notion that neocons are joined at the hip with the Zionist movement or that they dominated the administration of GW Bush, or that they, aided and abetted by outfits like AIPAC and the Heritage Foundation that spoon fed our lapdog media the bullshit used to launch a war that benefited Israel at the time but has ended in disaster for both countries and the rest of the Middle East. Israel did not goad the US into war. American Zionist did that for it.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I think it would be more accurate to say that neocons wanted to invade Iraq for a variety of reasons, helping out Israel being pretty far down on the list. US getting control of Iraqi oil revenue being towards the top.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)and yes Americans goaded Americans into war with Iraq. Who else could do it? Of course, a large number of neocons just happen to have dual American/Israeli citizenship, including many who served in the GW Bush administration. So, whose national interests they were serving is a legitimate question and raises some interesting questions.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Ok - now I get where you are coming from.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)The days when legitimate criticism of the Israeli state and its American lobby could be dismissed by the canard of anti-Semitism, either stated or implied, is fast coming to an end. The Sabra and Shatila massacres in 1982 began the process. Operation Protective Edge in 2014 and everything that has happened in between have accelerated it. If vehemently opposing the slaughter and oppression of virtually defenseless people makes me an anti-Semite, I can live with the epithet.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Thanks in advance.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)Do you want a history of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict? The facts of what has happened are not in doubt, only the causes and the interpretation. So, please be more specific, and I will be happy to supply you a list of links from both sides and can sort it out for yourself.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Do you have some citation for that claim?
Response to oberliner (Reply #39)
Post removed
oberliner
(58,724 posts)You honestly believe that all those people are dual American/Israeli citizens?
Are you sure it's not just a list of Jewish people?
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)or what you believe. Every time I type some variant of the question into a search engine I get lots of hits that contain the same names. No matter what I do, I find no information to refute any of those claims, which is kind of fishy considering how rapidly with which the Jewish community usually dispels falsehoods about itself. So, are they just lists of Jewish people? Maybe, but it is more likely they are a list of American Jews with dual citizenship.
I am willing to repudiate this position if presented with facts to the contrary. Fire away.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)The first name listed under the Bush Administration list in your first link is Michael Mukasey. He's also listed on your third link as well.
He was born in the United States and lived in the United States his entire life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Mukasey
If you can provide any evidence to support the claim of him being a dual American-Israeli citizen, please do so.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)I'm not sure what evidence would support the claim if you discount all the links stating otherwise. Attached is a link from the ADL saying he isn't a dual citizen. Of course, at that point the question becomes why the ADL site should be considered more authoritative than the other hundreds of sites claiming otherwise? You tell me.
http://regions.adl.org/mountain-states/news/adl-sends-statement-to.html
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I really don't think that number of sites is the best measure.
King_David
(14,851 posts)Really?
Really?
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)The majority of American Jews are obviously not Israeli citizens. That does not mean all American Jews are not Israeli citizens. I would be greatly comforted to know that those who serve in positions of authority in the US Government do not possess dual citizenship of any nationality. That seems like a no-brainer to me. I don't know about you.
King_David
(14,851 posts)Tell us...
This should be good
Thanks in advance
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)hundreds of sites, many former and present American Jews serving in positions of authority in the US government have dual American/Israeli citizenship. You can find specifics on this by simply using your search engine. Whether or not any of it is true is difficult to know. With the exception of one link to ADL in Colorado, I can find no claims to the contrary. Were I compelled to reach a conclusion based upon what I can find, I would lean toward concluding it was true.
Why don't you see if you can do a better job of researching this matter than I have. I would be relieved to be refuted in this matter. Go ahead. That should be interesting, and thanks in advance.
King_David
(14,851 posts)The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)and the Iraq conflict was one of those wars. They demanded a war with Iran too. There are a number of Americans that join in those efforts on behalf of Israel. A huge number. Many of them members of Congress. All of them are putting the interests of Israel before the interests of the United States.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Israel demanded that the US fight Iraq?
You think there are a huge number of Americans (many of them in Congress) who put the interests of Israel before the interests of the United States?
Why would they do that?
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)simple as that. You seem to be shocked that Washington elected officials engage in a legal system of bribery called "lobbying" so that they can then propagandize for votes. It is a terribly corrupt system. The most recent open spectacle of it was when Netanyahu demanded and received a platform before Congress before the Israeli elections, an action unprecedented in US history.
https://consortiumnews.com/2014/10/02/how-israel-out-foxed-us-presidents-3/
Israel uses the US, and is not a friend to the US. It also treats Palestinians like they are sub-human.
This will continue as long as Israel has people willing to propagandize for these atrocities in the US.
sendero
(28,552 posts)... is a point of view that all of the security work that benefits mostly Israel somehow benefits us as well. Simply not true.
Nothing made Israel's "friendship" more clear than their intentional slights to our president, who they apparently feel, because of history, should make every decision for their benefit rather than the benefit of the US.
Israel is no one's friend and never will be.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)is a Zionist think tank, although any fault with the article cannot logically be attributed to that fact. I did find the comments on the Israelis recycling 80% of their waste water to be interesting, especially since Gaza and the occupied terrorizes have severe potable water shortages. Water from West Bank aquifers is actually diverted to use in Israel. Israel, as the occupying power in the Territories is obliged under international law not to loot the resources of the people in the occupation zone, let alone steal their land, murder and terrorize them.
If Israel helps the US, it is primarily in aiding and abetting crimes against the Palestinian people.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)I would think a "Zionist think thank" would be exactly the sort of group who would have an answer. After all, they are in favor of promoting such a friendship.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)of seeing that American foreign policy was put to the service of Israel. They would call such a relationship "friendship".
treestar
(82,383 posts)And to benefit Israel and be for that intent.
Penchant for innovation, really? We don't have that ourselves? Not a good sell to Americans.
The only convincing one is about having a base in the M.E., which presupposes the idea we should be controlling it. You have to believe in the right wing attitude toward the M.E. to find the base so needed.
d_legendary1
(2,586 posts)who needs enemies?
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)You beat me to it.
totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)But I think right now it's important to differentiate between support for Israel the country and supporting the ultra right wing government that they have right now. I think that eventually the Israeli voter is gong to wake up to the fact that Nuttyahoo's policies are not in their best interest.
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)it is who they are.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Is that who we are?
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)they elect. "We" are responsible for Nixon, Reagan and Bush. Those of us that voted against them might not bear as much responsibility as those who did, but we are a self-governing people through our elected officials and bear responsibility as citizens for the results. I take very no comfort in my insufficient efforts to elect Democrats when Democrats lose, as I am fully aware of the consequences I will bear, in addition to the responsibility for failure.
Israel is a democracy, and it elected its ultra-nationalist right-wing government and the citizens as a whole are responsible and will bear whatever consequences come of it.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Doesn't get much more nationalistic and right wing than that group.
In both cases, for Israelis and Palestinians, I think we ought to support those who don't back the right wingers.
The Second Stone
(2,900 posts)it is the rump "government" in a blockaded ghetto.
totodeinhere
(13,058 posts)in the past few elections. But Israeli politics are so fractured that a small plurality is all he has ever needed to form a government. But he has certainly received no overwhelming mandate.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Israel is our slow-paying tenant.
We have little choice but to defend them.
mpcamb
(2,870 posts)djean111
(14,255 posts)Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)BlueStater
(7,596 posts)Israel is just a fucking parasite that's trying to take every last drop of blood from the United States.
amuse bouche
(3,657 posts)and not interested in peace
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Wow
BlueStater
(7,596 posts)Israel IS a fucking parasite.
Friendships go both ways. Israel certainly TAKES a lot from the United States but what have those assholes ever given in return?
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)A parasite provides nothing to its host. a Shitty Little Client State acts as a catspaw in foreign policy for its host
sendero
(28,552 posts).... I'd hate to know who our enemies are.
Kingofalldems
(38,456 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)And most allies spy on one another.
Kingofalldems
(38,456 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)I know that Germany did recently expel our CIA chief for wiretapping their PM's private cell phone conversations.
olddots
(10,237 posts)This attempt to go all Sheldon on Lindsey's part may backfire .
Response to azurnoir (Original post)
Post removed
King_David
(14,851 posts)Think it should be bookmarked and pinned ?