We Aren’t One: American Jewish Voices for Peace
Back in the 1980s the major American Jewish welfare organization adopted as its fundraising slogan "We are One." The implication was that American Jews were a united bloc. But we are not "one" and never have been. Ideologically, we are everything from anarchists to Zionists, working people to the gilded rich. Noam Chomsky is as Jewish as Irving Kristol, and Norman Finkelstein as Jewish as Alan Dershowitz. We are neither angels nor saints. And we are certainly not monolithic, despite perennial efforts to paint anyone critical of various aspects of Israeli policies as "self-hating" Jews.Go read the entire article but this is worth repeating:
The truth is that the overwhelming number of America’s estimated 6 million Jews is opposed to the Cheney-Bush-neocon regime as their voting patterns have shown time and again. In 2000 and 2004 the overwhelming majority of us voted for Gore and Kerry. In the 2006 congressional elections 80% of the Jewish vote went Democratic. And repeated surveys of Jewish college students show them to be overwhelmingly liberal to moderate. Tikkun Olam or "saving the world" remains our true heritage and legacy.
The overwhelming majority of American Jews has supported a negotiated "land for peace" settlement between Israel and Palestinians and has no interest in pursuing this or any Administration’s fantasies of perpetual war.So AIPAC doesn't represent the American Jews so who do they represent and why do they have so much power?
Indeed, one of the shrewdest American Jewish commentators, M. J. Rosenberg of the Israel Policy Forum, has rightly written: "There is nothing pro-Israel about supporting policies that promise only that Israeli mothers will continue to dread their sons’ 18th birthdays for another generation."
I'm pretty sure that AIPAC represents rich Jews who think that they can "save" Israel. I'm also pretty sure that they have so much power because of the whole "rich" thing. Money continues to talk.
ReplyDeleteI often find myself alarmed by the positions of AIPAC. Well, I often find myself alarmed by everything about the Middle East, but you already know that, Ron.
Exactly true Ron. When Polmer can walk out onto the floor of Congress and hand out campaign donation checks during a floor debate then you'll know AIPAC's grip on US foreign policy has been broken.
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