Saturday, September 30, 2006
Ah, a "debate." On the "Israel Lobby." Speaking of much waving of hands and no light shed...in this corner, the scholar who started it all (Mearsheimer), a man who thinks Israel was a mistake (Judt), a serial prevaricating affirmative-action hire (Khalidi), vs. two Clintonistas (Indyk and Ross) and Shlomo Ben-Ami who, if he's the "pro" Israel side, you got balance issues (read his book to see what I mean). I wonder if they even managed to define what anyone meant by a "lobby." The New York Sun has the story: 'Israel Lobby' Caused War in Iraq, September 11 Attacks, Professor Says
Speaking to a crowd of hundreds at the Cooper Union, he was met mostly with support from two other professors, Tony Judt of New York University and Rashid Khalidi of Columbia.
"The Israel lobby was one of the principal driving forces behind the Iraq War, and in its absence we probably would not have had a war," said the University of Chicago professor, John Mearsheimer, at a forum organized by the London Review of Books.
Later, in response to a question from the audience, Mr. Mearsheimer claimed that the "animus to the United States" of Qaeda terrorist mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed "stemmed from U.S. foreign policy toward Israel."
This, Mr. Mearsheimer asserted, "Simply can't be discussed in the mainstream media." He appeared to have forgotten the article that ran on September 20, 2001, on the op-ed page of the largest circulation American newspaper, The Wall Street Journal, that began with the sentence: "Is American support of Israel behind the hatred of this country that pervades the Arab world and that literally exploded into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11?"...
On and on. Say, think there's any significance in the fact that Mearsheimer finds himself allied in these things with people who don't think Israel should exist, period? Nah, couldn't be. You know for someone who should be suffering under the lobby's jackboot, Tony Judt sure does get around.
For the "oh, this is exciting" view of the debate, see the NY Observer blog. I've tried to avoid turning this entry into yet another discussion on the issue of W&M's thesis, and keep it a news item on the debate itself, but I cannot help but quote one commenter there, which pretty well sums it up:
'Yet: No one could leave the hall unconvinced that there is an Israel lobby.'
So? There's an Environmental lobby, a Womens lobby, a Muslim lobby, a Fat lobby. What's your point?
Ooooooohhhhhhh... I get it. When Jews lobby, they must be trying to manipulate government. When everyone else does it, it's a sign of a healthy democracy.
[h/t's: Norm and Adam Holland]
No worries, we are taking the names. Elders never sleep, and the lobby's tentacles are looong....
Well, why would this surprise anyone? You KNOW how we Jews are......