The chattering/blogging class eagerly awaits the publication of the new, full-length book on the “Israel lobby†by John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt in September. A taste of what may be in the offing was provided last week by a report that their Sept. 27th presentation at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs was cancelled. As […]
Israel lobby
New Senate resolution: will “one-staters” sit on their hands?
There is a good chance that there is no hope. It may well be impossible to unravel the Gordian knot of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But there will certainly be no hope unless the U.S. gets more actively engaged and takes a more balanced approach. That is a no-brainer, isn’t it? Americans for Peace Now, Churches […]
My speech on candor, Israel, and the rhetoric of the far left
By now, readers of this blog know that I was part of a panel discussion on “How To Talk Candidly About Israel” at the Steven Wise Free Synagogue in New York City, June 21st, 2007. I was on a panel with Anne Roiphe and the Philip Weiss. The moderator was JJ Goldberg. I have posted […]
So where were American Jews as Gaza collapsed?
In light of recent events, it is heartbreaking to recall both the hope that was generated when Abbas initially took over the Palestinian Authority and the role of the U.S. government –abetted by AIPAC– in dashing that hope.
What can American Jews learn from the Winograd Commission?
I am starting to get private and public criticism about this blog from people who believe I am betraying Israel, people who believe I am justifying Israeli war crimes, people who don’t want Israel to exist, people who think the U.S. should provide knee-jerk support for every Israeli decision, and people who believe the U.S. […]
Wes Clark says attacking Iran will hurt Israel
A new video blog on Wesley Clark’s “Stop Iran War” web site is, alas, rather amateurish, but he briefly articulates why launching an attack on Iran will hurt Israel. He makes sense. Assuming he is running for some kind of higher office, it is refreshing to see at least one nationally recognized political figure articulating […]
“AIPAC Hijack: With Friends Like These”: Worth Reading
Much has been written about the latest AIPAC Policy Conference. Bits and scraps of details have been revealed about it but, until now, I have not read an enlightening, detailed summary. Here is an impassioned description of what happened by Ameinu’s new Executive Director, Gidon Remba.
American Jews should support candid talk about Israel
At least as far as I can tell, Hillary Clinton hasn’t directly questioned Obama’s pro-israel bona fides. If he dares to express sympathy for the plight of the Palestinians again, or calls for a more pro-active American approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, let us hope she continues to lays off.
Redefine the American Jewish-Israeli relationship
The organized American Jewish community and Israel are like a tired old married couple that lives together on the basis of old habits, not new realities. They need to make an effort to redefine their relationship so that both can benefit. (Full disclosure: I stole that simile from Jerry Goodman, former director of the National Committee for Labor Israel and […]
Should Arab Americans and Jewish Americans join a new lobby?
Yesterday, Aviva called for a survey of American Jews and American Palestinians, indicating that the voices of the majority in both communities are often not heard. Great idea. What follows is an edited excerpt from a book I’m working on, tentatively titled “A Lobby for the Rest of Us.”  It is followed by another question from me. […]