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King_David

(14,851 posts)
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:25 PM Jan 2013

Israel lobby should not have veto over US president's cabinet

If you care about the direction of this country but think you don't have time to pay attention to what the Israel lobby is doing, you may want to think again. This is no conspiracy theory - it is all in broad daylight and the stakes are big, in fact they are matters of life and death right now. As we communicate, the Israel lobby is teaming up with the neocon right to prevent President Obama from choosing his Secretary of Defence.

Now you may think, well the right just prevented him from choosing Susan Rice for Secretary of State, so what's new and different here? The difference is that the fight over Susan Rice was just another stupid partisan fight over nothing, and the Republicans won because they had the power to block her nomination in the Senate. This was just a defeated party scoring points against their enemy, a Democratic president, and they gained absolute nothing as far as US foreign policy is concerned.

In fact they lost - for a handful of photo-ops and smears on the Sunday talk shows, and making their enemy look weak, they actually got a Secretary of State who is more likely to support what they don't want. For example, John Kerry is in favour of getting rid of the antiquated and failed embargo on Cuba. And of course, the right could defeat Susan Rice; whereas they can't defeat Kerry, because he is a long-time senator; and the Senate is an "old boys' club" where someone like Kerry will sail through regardless of his politics.


http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/12/20121230652285915.html

14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Israel lobby should not have veto over US president's cabinet (Original Post) King_David Jan 2013 OP
Jewish lobby or Israel Lobby ? King_David Jan 2013 #1
Well, the tricky part is... Scootaloo Jan 2013 #9
Hagel did not seem confused at all. King_David Jan 2013 #10
I never said he was confused Scootaloo Jan 2013 #11
I agree nt King_David Jan 2013 #12
So...are you supporting Hagel for SoD? eom Purveyor Jan 2013 #2
As a Gay dude ? King_David Jan 2013 #3
So you posted this article just because it was from the evil, Arab...GASP, Al Jazeera? LOL eom Purveyor Jan 2013 #4
Not sure what you mean? King_David Jan 2013 #5
I posted that in mocking fashion and you know exactly what I mean. So answer the question... Purveyor Jan 2013 #6
I thought I posted an interesting article that I found, King_David Jan 2013 #7
Of course you didn't 'Kind David'...of course you didn't. eom Purveyor Jan 2013 #8
I support Hagel's nomination. xxxsdesdexxx Jan 2013 #13
Suppose that a former Israeli defense secretary... LeftishBrit Jan 2013 #14
 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
9. Well, the tricky part is...
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 12:35 AM
Jan 2013

Israel lobby groups often identify themselves as "Jewish" lobby groups - Some Israel lobby groups simply cram "Jewish" into their name such as the Jewish council for Public Affairs, Jewish People Policy Institute, American Jewish Committee, while others such as ADL, B'nai B'rith, and the sort just claim to lobby on behalf of Jews, when in fact their lobbying is on behalf of Israel.

There really isn't much by way of an authentic "Jewish lobby" in Washington - since Jews are hardly a monolithic group with easily-represented common interests in the US, constructing such a lobby would be quite difficult. On the other hand there are lots of Israel lobby groups in Washington, many of whom masquerade as representative for Jewish Americans. (Far more pose as "independent research groups," to be fair.)

When Hagel says "Jewish lobby," he means "Israel lobby." Just like when the Israel lobby says "Jewish lobby" it means the Israel lobby.

 

Scootaloo

(25,699 posts)
11. I never said he was confused
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 01:28 AM
Jan 2013

I'm saying that the Israel lobby self-represents as the "Jewish" lobby. I figure Hagel - and those others - simply take the Israel lobby at their word on that.

And in case you're wondering, I don't endorse Hagel as SecDef. Granted that has nothing to do with Hagel himself, rather more to do with the fact that I don't think this candidate or that will actually result in any shift in US policy. That being the case, I'd rather have a Democrat in there, just for consistency's sake.

King_David

(14,851 posts)
5. Not sure what you mean?
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:46 PM
Jan 2013

I truly hope you are not saying or worse believing that Arabs per se are evil?

 

Purveyor

(29,876 posts)
6. I posted that in mocking fashion and you know exactly what I mean. So answer the question...
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:49 PM
Jan 2013

did you post this supportive article of Hagel just because of the source?

King_David

(14,851 posts)
7. I thought I posted an interesting article that I found,
Sun Jan 6, 2013, 11:54 PM
Jan 2013

And I had no idea that you 'posted that in mocking fashion '

Strange as your post was, may I suggest if you post something in a ' in mocking fashion ' you should use this icon ,so that none of us would take your post to be 'bigoted' in any ' fashion '.

LeftishBrit

(41,190 posts)
14. Suppose that a former Israeli defense secretary...
Mon Jan 7, 2013, 05:26 AM
Jan 2013

who had been forced to resign for extreme incompetence if not worse, but was still an MK, was found to be actively advising the Romney campaign?

I am sure that there would be a lot of complaints about Israel 'controlling America', etc.

Yet this did happen with a British MP and ex-Defense secretary, and apart from some grumbling within the UK, I don't think there was a lot of fuss about it.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/us-election/9500834/US-election-Liam-Fox-feeding-ideas-to-Mitt-Romneys-Republicans.html

Mind you, if Romney actually took any advice from Liam Fox, I am not surprised that he lost!

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