Why Condemning Israel and the Zionist Lobby is so Important
A very important piece comes out today by James Petras, which I find one of the best, all-encompassing yet concise articles on Zionist power in America I've read in a while:
Why Condemning Israel and the Zionist Lobby is so Important
Many Jewish writers, including those who are somewhat critical of Israel, have raised pointed questions about our critique of the Zionist power configuration (ZPC) in the United States and what they wrongly claim are our singular harsh critique of the state of Israel. Some of these accusers claim to see signs of ‘latent anti-Semitism’, others, of a more ‘leftist’ coloration, deny the influential role of the ZPC arguing that US foreign policy is a product of ‘geo-politics or the interests of big oil. With the recent publication of several widely circulated texts, highly critical of the power of the Zionist ‘lobby’, several liberal pro-Israel publicists generously conceded that it is a topic that should be debated (and not automatically stigmatized and dismissed) and perhaps be ‘taken into account.’
Petras goes on to dissect the arguments of those who deny this Zionist role in influencing US foreign policy, as well as in stifling debate:
The main claims of ZPC deniers take several tacks: Some claim that the ZPC is just ‘another lobby’ like the Chamber of Commerce, the Sierra Club or the Society for the Protection of Goldfish. Others claim that by focusing mainly on Israel and by inference the ‘Lobby’, the critics of Zionism ignore the equally violent abuses of rulers, regimes and states elsewhere. This ‘exclusive focus’ on Israel, the deniers of ZPC argue, reveals a latent or overt anti-Semitism. They propose that human rights advocates condemn all human rights abusers everywhere (at the same time and with the same emphasis?).
Others still argue that Israel is a democracy – at least outside of the Occupied Territories (OT) – and therefore is not as condemnable as other human rights violators and should be ‘credited’ for its civic virtues along with its human rights failings. Finally others still claim that, because of the Holocaust and ‘History-of-Two-Thousand-Years-of-Persecution’, criticism of Jewish-funded and led pro-Israel lobbies should be handled with great prudence, making it clear that one criticizes only specific abuses, investigates all charges – especially those from Arab/Palestinian/United Nations/European/Human Rights sources -- and recognizes that Israeli public opinion, the press and even the Courts or sectors of them may also be critical of regime policies.
These objections to treating the Israeli-Palestinian-Arab conflict and the activities of Zionist Lobbies as central to peace and war serve to dilute, dissipate and deflate criticism and organized political activity directed at the ZPC and its directors in Israel.
The response of the critics of Israel and the ZPC to these attacks has been weak at best and cowardly at worst. Some critics have responded that their criticism is only directed toward a specific policy or leader, or to Israeli policies in the OT and that they recognize Israel is a democracy, that it requires secure borders, and that it is in the interests of the Israeli ‘people’ to lower their security barriers. Others argue that their criticism is directed at securing Israeli interests, influencing the Zionist Lobby or to opening a debate. They claim that the views of ‘most’ Jews’ in the US are not represented by the 52 organizations that make up the Presidents of the Major Jewish Organizations of America, or the thousands of PACs, local federations, professional associations and weekly publications which speak with one voice as unconditional supporters of every twist and turn in the policy of the Zionist State.
There are numerous similar lines of criticism, which basically avoid the fundamental issues raised by the Israeli state and the ZPC, and which we are obliged to address. The reason that criticism and action directed against Israel and the ZPC is of central importance today in any discussion of US foreign policy, especially (but not exclusively) of Middle East policy and US domestic policymaking is that they play a decisive role and have a world-historic impact on the present and future of world peace and social justice. We turn now to examine the ‘big questions’ facing Americans as a result of the power of Israel in the United States....
Petras goes on to detail how the pro-Zionist forces in America bring about their goals, whether it be in the media propagandizing for Israel, in lobbies ensuring pro-Israel politicians and stances, or in government carrying out pro-Zionist foreign policy. I would reproduce the whole article here, but it is available fully at the link above.
I will finish by quoting Petras' conclusions:
No other country, abuser or not, of human rights, with or without electoral systems, has the influence over our domestic and foreign policy as does the state of Israel. No other Lobby has the kind of financial power and organizational reach as the Jewish Lobby in eroding our domestic political freedoms or our war-making powers. For those reasons alone, it stands to reason, that we American have a necessity to put our fight against Israel and its Lobby at the very top of our political agenda. It is not because Israel has the worst human rights agenda in the world – other states have even worst democratic credentials – but because of its role in promoting its US supporters to degrade our democratic principles, robbing us of our freedom to debate and our sovereignty to decide our own interests. The Lobby puts the military and budgetary resources of the Empire at the service of Greater Israel – and that results in the worst human rights in the world.
Democratic, just and peaceful responses to the Big Questions that face Americans, Europeans, Muslims, Jews and other peoples of the world passes through the defeat and dismantlement of the Israeli-directed Zionist Power Configuration in America. Nothing less will allow us to engage in an open debate on the alternatives to repression at home and imperialism abroad.
Thus the importance of exposing what Petras terms the 'ZPC', and hopefully bringing a counterbalance to the Zionists' efforts.
that cannot be stressed enough.
When people assume that I criticize israel because I am muslim, or because I am Arab American (although I am not Palestinian or Lebanese) - I always reply that I focus on israel primarily because I am American and because israel has hijacked American foreign policy and uses (abuses) American tax dollars and America's military to serve its (diabolical) interests.
So, yes I agree that this point is paramount in the ongoing debate about israel's dominant role in American foreign policy.
This year, Israel has posted their largest surplus, as America has posted the largest deficit of any nation, ever. Since Rome, EVER.
Now consider that we give Israel well over $10 Million per day in direct aid and if you consider loan guarantees that never will get paid back it‘s a lot more than that. So the AIPAC money that comes back to buy congress is a small part of our tax dollar that went out in the first place.
Stay with me. We are PAYING to get SCREWED.
All you people with position that know about what is going on, but will dare not speak because your kid is in college and you have a mortgage, just know that your great grand children will be slaves. Grow some balls and speak up. Help us, help yourselves. The truth movement is growing and we are unstoppable.
but, people are learning the truth about israel.
There are only so many times people can be fooled before they start to wise up.
Xymphora has now found the article, and discusses it on his blog:
It also needs to be borne in mind that the history of Zionism is tied to the Bolshevik revolution in Russia, many if not most of the leaders of the communist revoltion in Russia were secular jews.
They murdered millions of Russians including the whole of the Russian Royal Family without any mercy. They obviously are very ruthless and desire total power over the whole world and they unly use the US to serve their own personal and Zionist goals. They would like nothing more than a world which is like their 'cummunist' Russia, where they rule and live like lords and everyone else is totaly beholden to them...no criticism, and no freedom....just totalitarian rule.
Thanks for the article, MonkeyZerg. It is concise and well-written, covering essentially everything that the public needs to know about the lobby.
yes, Zionism and Bolshevism are closely intertwined. Many people assume that Marx was a closet Zionist, the 'atheist' son of Rabbis worshipped as a prophet by his followers.
The real place people should be looking to in explaining the Zionist/Communist relationship is Moses Hess. He was what Marx said was his communist Rabbi. He was a German Rabbi, heavily
Zionist when most Jews were anti-Zionist, advocated the settlement of Jews in Palestine. Importantly, he was a religious Messianic Zionist, who believed that destiny will have the 'Jewish nation' rule above the Goyim of the world. He wrote the first drafts of the communist manifesto for Marx, teaching Gentiles to forsake God and nation and be reduced to animals who don't own anything. At the same time he was advocating atheism and communism to Gentiles, he was advocating Zionism and Rabbinic Judaism to Jews. I hope to write an article on this in the future to elaborate.