Obama and
the Jewish lobby
By JAMAL KANJ
Thursday, January 03,
2013
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=344891
THE Israeli lobby is flexing its muscle against Barack
Obama's potential nominee to be the next Secretary of Defence.
The frontrunner Chuck Hagel is co-chairman of the
President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board Committee.
Hagel was a Republican Senator representing Nebraska from
1996 until his retirement in 2008.
He was one of few senators who crossed party lines on issues
most important to the American people.
Despite his Republican credentials and being considered by a
Democratic President, Israeli firsters from both parties are united in
pre-empting Hagel's official nomination.
Not because he is ill-equipped to lead the US armed forces,
but for not being adequately submissive to the Jewish lobby while in the
Senate.
When asked on NBC Meet the Press programme last week if he
would support the President's apparent nominee, leading Israeli firster
Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer responded: "I'd have to study his
record."
Schumer's response on a nominee by a President from his own
party was uncharacteristic of American politics.
Appearing on the same news programme Republican Senator
Lindsey Graham warned that the presumed President's pick will have tough questioning
from his fellow Republicans regarding "his position towards Israel".
Republican Jewish Coalition declared that such nomination
would "be a slap in the face of every American who is concerned about the
safety of Israel".
Democratic member of the House Elliot Engel said on C-Span
that Hagel's "endemic hostility towards Israel" is "troublesome
for me and for a lot of other people".
Another pro-Israel advocate in Washington was quoted by the
online Daily Beast last Thursday "The pro-Israel community will view the
nomination of Senator Chuck Hagel in an extremely negative light.
"His record is unique in its animus towards
Israel."
The power of the Israeli lobby is the best kept secret among
American elected officials.
I worked with an ex-Congressman who at the time was retained
as a lobbyist for an organisation I worked for in San Diego.
He had a near perfect Israeli voting score during his
service in Congress.
He once confided to me that his votes and many of his
colleagues' on issues pertaining to the Middle East were influenced first and
foremost by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Jewish financiers.
He said while sympathetic to the Palestinians, he also
remembered those (he named a few) who were ousted when "Jewish" money
started pouring into their opponent's coffer during election.
In fact, I remember attending a meeting with another
Congressman in late 80s who spoke off the record of his disgust with the power
of the pro-Israeli Jewish lobby.
He voiced his admiration for House member James Traficant
who distinguished himself by standing up to the Israeli lobby. He was elected
nine times before resigning to serve a jail sentence following a court
conviction.
Back to Hagel, on Sunday President Obama described his
choice as someone who "is a patriot".
"He is somebody who has done extraordinary work both in
the US Senate, somebody who served this country with valour in Vietnam,"
he said.
Hagel served as an infantry squad leader and was a recipient
of Cross of Gallantry, two Purple Hearts, Army Commendation Medal and the
Combat Infantryman Badge during his service in Vietnam.
Like the old Iron Curtain, the Israeli lobby is the new Big
Brother's "thought police" inhibiting open debate on a US foreign
policy inconsistent with the principles of the American Constitution.
Ironically, patriot Americans are shoved aside by the Jewish
lobby's "thought police" while individuals with dual Israeli
citizenship or ex-Israeli soldiers or even suspected spies were appointed
unchallenged to the highest offices in US administrations.
* Mr Kanj
(www.jamalkanj.com) writes a weekly column on Arab issues and is the author of
“Children of Catastrophe,” Journey from a Palestinian Refugee Camp to America.
This article was first published by the Gulf Daily News newspaper.
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