If American election campaign funders who support Israel right or wrong formed a circle and demanded that President Obama stand naked in the middle of it while they sang Hava Nagila (“Let us rejoice”), I am sure he would agree to do so. That thought came into my mind when I read the Reuters’ report, published in Ha’aretz, of what Obama said to a group of fundraisers in the Manhattan home of Jack Rosen, chairman of the American Jewish Congress.
Then, as my imagination let rip, I imagined Obama thinking to himself, while he was naked and they were rejoicing, something like, “Thank God they didn’t demand that I bombed Iran as the price of their money and votes.”
To be serious…
Rosen said at the meeting, “It would be remiss for me not to say there are many in the Jewish community who are concerned.” About what exactly?
According to the Reuters report, the concern, not in quotes from Rosen’s mouth, was about the relationship between Israel and the United States. But that’s a fig leaf. The real concern of those American Jews who are taken in by Zionist propaganda is that a second term Obama might, just might, decide to put America’s own real interests first and confront the Zionist lobby and its stooges in Congress in order to get a real peace process going. (Readers of the third volume of the American edition of my book Zionism: The Real Enemy of the Jews will be aware of what former President Carter told me. For those who are not aware, Carter told me that any American president has only two windows of opportunity to take on the Zionist lobby – “in the first nine months of his first term” and “the last year of his second term if he has one.”)
So far as the present is concerned, Rosen added, “America has never been as supportive of the state of Israel as President Obama and his administration.” Another way to put it would be to say that no previous American president has had his testicles so firmly gripped by the Zionist lobby as Obama.
In response to Rosen’s opening remarks, Obama said Israel was “the U.S.’s most important ally.” (So how do you explain Israel’s cold-blooded and murderous attack on the Liberty, Mr. President?) He went on: “I try not to pat myself too much on the back, but this administration has done more for the security of the state of Israel than any previous administration. We don’t compromise when it comes to Israel’s security … and that will continue.”
The problem with the American presidential fixation with Israel’s security is that it is based on a myth – that poor little Israel has lived in constant danger of annihilation, “the driving into the sea of its Jews.” As I document in detail in my book, the truth of history is that Israel’s existence has never, ever, been in danger from any combination of Arab force. Not in 1948. Not in 1967. And not even in 1973.
And what about the future?
Unless it provokes a confrontation – I am sure it will at some point – there is no prospect of Arab attacks on the nuclear-armed military superpower of the region. Yes, missiles might be fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip prison camp, but they do not and will not constitute a major or serious threat to Israel’s security. And they would not be fired if Israel’s leaders were interested in peace on terms which would provide the Palestinians with an acceptable amount of justice.
For reasons I have explained in previous articles, the notion that a Palestinian mini state on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip would pose a threat to Israel’s security is too silly for words.
And just as silly, even more silly, is the assertion that Iran poses a threat to Israel’s existence. Even IF it did possess nuclear weapons, there will never be an Iranian leadership that would launch a first strike on Israel. If it did the whole of Iran would be obliterated. (I do not myself believe that Iran is currently developing nuclear weapons, but I would be surprised if there are not forces in Iran, the Revolutionary Guards for example, which are arguing for a nuclear weapons program for deterrence).
The unknown about President Obama is whether he is aware that Israel’s existence has never been in danger and chooses to ignore the truth of history for self-serving political reasons, or whether he is ignorant.
If the latter is the case there would be some hope for the future and I have a suggestion to make. Could somebody with influence and access and who cares buy a copy of my book, or get one free from my American publisher, and hand it personally to Obama? It could have this inscription by the donor: “If, Mr. President, you get a second term, you must read this book.”
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Obama said Israel was “the U.S.’s most important ally.” Aside from the Liberty, I understand that Israel has never even agreed to be an ally, since it is a country with no defined borders. What benefit does this "ally" bring to the USA? It even spies on it, besides propelling it into wars.
I think Obama is wilfully ignorant. Remember that he said not a word about the events in Gaza between his election on the day the IDF broke the truce by killing 6 Palestinians on Nov 4, 2008 until the end of the massacre on his inauguration day in Jan 2009, yet visited Sderot (ex-Nadj) and waffled on about how he would feel if his daughters were in danger of bombs like the poor Israelis. Nobody could be this ignorant, except a very ambitious POTUS surrounded by influential Zionists.
Obama and so many others speak about "Israel`s security". But as you so correctly point out, too often the threats to Israel`s security that they mention are "too silly for words".
But there`s the key; "words". They are not silly if you define "security" the way they do, which is actually "licence". That is licence to steal, licence to kill, licence to oppress, etc. When Netanyahu and Obama and the others are talking about Israel`s security, they are not being silly, they actually are talking about "Israel`s licence".
I like to think that, if Obama is granted a second term by the lobby, he will take them on big time. It is a comforting thought because the political alternatives for this country are even less acceptable than Obama who has assiduously earned his demerits throughout his tenure, IMHO.
I am sure he is sophisticated on Israel and sick to death of the obsequious lobby and its daily threats and attempts to control everything. He probably has a wrong grasp of the history of Zionism but is nonetheless opposed to the Netanyahus etc.
All this said -- I don't think he will get that second term because he alienated so many of his more natural constituency.
Alan, your books are unique and mindbending and have meant a lot to me over the past couple of years. Thanks.
While I agree that Israel has never been in much (indeed any) danger before, I would argue that rapid globalisation has now exported potent western militarisation and technologies to Israel's neighbours. Simultaneously, the same globalisation has knocked the stuffing out of Israel's fighting morale.
We saw it first in 2000, when Israel was forced from Lebanon. Then in 2005, when it was forced from Gaza.
2006 was a third strategic failure for Israel - and more than that, since 100s of 1000s of Israelis fled their homes in panic. The rockets that caused that are much more fearsome now.
Even 2008 in Gaza was an Israeli failure, their soldiers unwilling to fetch Shalit (they must surely have known where he was).
I cannot see the future, but for the first time ever, Israelis can't see one either. The recession, making it difficult to find jobs elsewhere, may be the only thing still saving the current regime.
Ah but you are wrong Mr Hart. israel is in constant danger. Not from an invasion, but from emigration. Without US support and finance the israeli population would leave.
A point on Iranian nuclear weapons. There is no worry that Iran will use such a weapon in a first strike scenario. Instead, it will be a bargaining chip that will be used to tighten the noose around Apartheid israel. To neutralise and restrict their ability to act as they wish.
What is being created, is a downward slope upon which is moving.
There is turmoil all across the world created by greedy bankers in addition to the danger of war created by Israeli lobby's anti Iranian stance and lack of progress towards solution to the Palestinian problem. From a religious perspective Israel is providing a proof of what Zionism stands for. Jews across Europe and USA are the most educated people. They cannot be compared to the Huttos and the Tutsis of Africa who were involved in the massacres. Many Jews are architects of laws which protect minorities in Europe and USA. There are many Jews who still in their living memories can recall the horrors of holocaust. Yet the same people are involved in the oppression of another people. Except for a few Jews almost whole of Israeli and Jewish community world community are ardent supporters of oppression of Palestinians. Jewish Israelis and the Jewish bankers are providing proof to themselves to the world and to the creator of what they really are.