From: <abjpd1_at_(domain_name_was_removed)>
Date: Sat Jun 07 2008 - 21:40:13 PDT

> by Robert Fisk Published on Saturday, June 7, 2008> by The Independent/UK> >http://www.independent.co.uk/news/fisk/robert-fisk-the-wests-weapon-of-selfdelusion-842117

.html> > ************************************************> > No, I Can't!> > Uri Avnery> > June 7, 2008> > AFTER MONTHS of a tough and bitter race, a merciless> struggle, Barack Obama> has defeated his formidable opponent, Hillary> Clinton. He has wrought a> miracle: for the first time in history a black> person has become a credible> candidate for the presidency of the most powerful> country in the world.> > And what was the first thing he did after his> astounding victory? He ran to> the conference of the Israel lobby, AIPAC, and made> a speech that broke all> records for obsequiousness and fawning.> > That is shocking enough. Even more shocking is the> fact that nobody was> shocked.> > IT WAS a triumphalist conference. Even this powerful> organization had never> seen anything like it. 7000 Jewish functionaries> from all over the United> States came together to accept the obeisance of the> entire Washington elite,> which came to kowtow at their feet. All the three> presidential hopefuls made> speeches, trying to outdo each other in flattery.> 300 Senators and Members> of Congress crowded the hallways. Everybody who> wants to be elected or> reelected to any office, indeed everybody who has> any political ambitions at> all, came to see and be seen.> > The Washington of AIPAC is like the Constantinople> of the Byzantine emperors> in its heyday.> > The world looked on and was filled with wonderment.> The Israeli media were> ecstatic. In all the world's capitals the events> were followed closely and> conclusions were drawn. All the Arab media reported> on them extensively.> Aljazeera devoted an hour to a discussion of the> phenomenon.> > The most extreme conclusions of professors John> Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt> were confirmed in their entirety. On the eve of> their visit to Israel, this> coming Thursday, the Israel Lobby stood at the> center of political life in> the US and the world at large.> > WHY, ACTUALLY? Why do the candidates for the> American presidency believe> that the Israel lobby is so absolutely essential to> their being elected?> > The Jewish votes are important, of course,> especially in several swing> states which may decide the outcome. But> African-Americans have more votes,> and so do the Hispanics. Obama has brought to the> political scene millions> of new young voters. Numerically, the Arab-Muslim> community in the US is> also not an insignificant factor.> > Some say that Jewish money speaks. The Jews are> rich. Perhaps they donate> more than others for political causes. But the myth> about all-powerful> Jewish money has an anti-Semitic ring. After all,> other lobbies, and most> decidedly the huge multinational corporations, have> given considerable sums> of money to Obama (as well as to his opponents). And> Obama himself has> proudly announced that hundreds of thousands of> ordinary citizens have sent> him small donations, which have amounted to tens of> millions.> > True, it has been proven that the Jewish lobby can> almost always block the> election of a senator or a member of Congress who> does not dance - and do so> with fervor - to the Israeli tune. In some exemplary> cases (which were> indeed meant to be seen as examples) the lobby has> defeated popular> politicians by lending its political and financial> clout to the election> campaign of a practically unknown rival.> > But in a presidential race?> > THE TRANSPARENT fawning of Obama on the Israel lobby> stands out more than> similar efforts by the other candidates.> > Why? Because his dizzying success in the primaries> was entirely due to his> promise to bring about a change, to put an end to> the rotten practices of> Washington and to replace the old cynics with a> young, brave person who does> not compromise his principles.> > And lo and behold, the very first thing he does> after securing the> nomination of his party is to compromise his> principles. And how!> > The outstanding thing that distinguishes him from> both Hillary Clinton and> John McCain is his uncompromising opposition to the> war in Iraq from the> very first moment. That was courageous. That was> unpopular. That was totally> opposed to the Israel lobby, all of whose branches> were fervidly pushing> George Bush to start the war that freed Israel from> a hostile regime.> > And here comes Obama to crawl in the dust at the> feet of AIPAC and go out of> his way to justify a policy that completely negates> his own ideas.> > OK he promises to safeguard Israel's security at any> cost. That is usual. OK> he threatens darkly against Iran, even though he> promised to meet their> leaders and settle all problems peacefully. OK he> promised to bring back our> three captured soldiers (believing, mistakenly, that> all three are held by> Hizbullah - an error that shows, by the way, how> sketchy is his knowledge of> our affairs.)> > But his declaration about Jerusalem breaks all> bounds. It is no exaggeration> to call it scandalous.> > NO PALESTINIAN, no Arab, no Muslim will make peace> with Israel if the> Haram-al-Sharif compound (also called the Temple> Mount), one of the three> holiest places of Islam and the most outstanding> symbol of Palestinian> nationalism, is not transferred to Palestinian> sovereignty. That is one of> the core issues of the conflict.> > On that very issue, the Camp David conference of> 2000 broke up, even though> the then Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, was willing to> divide Jerusalem in some> manner.> > Along comes Obama and retrieves from the junkyard> the outworn slogan> 'Undivided Jerusalem, the Capital of Israel for all> Eternity'. Since Camp> David, all Israeli governments have understood that> this mantra constitutes> an insurmountable obstacle to any peace process. It> has disappeared -> quietly, almost secretly - from the arsenal of> official slogans. Only the> Israeli (and American-Jewish) Right sticks to it,> and for the same reason:> to smother at birth any chance for a peace that> would necessitate the> dismantling of the settlements.> > In prior US presidential races, the pandering> candidates thought that it was> enough to promise that the US embassy would be moved> from Tel Aviv to> Jerusalem. After being elected, not one of the> candidates ever did anything> about this promise. All were persuaded by the State> Department that it would> harm basic American interests.> > Obama went much further. Quite possibly, this was> only lip service and he> was telling himself: OK, I must say this in order to> get elected. After> that, God is great.> > But even so the fact cannot be ignored: the fear of> AIPAC is so terrible,> that even this candidate, who promises change in all> matters, does not dare.> In this matter he accepts the worst old-style> Washington routine. He is> prepared to sacrifice the most basic American> interests. After all, the US> has a vital interest in achieving an> Israeli-Palestinian peace that will> allow it to find ways to the hearts of the Arab> masses from Iraq to Morocco.> Obama has harmed his image in the Muslim world and> mortgaged his future - if> and when he is elected president.> > SIXTY FIVE years ago, American Jewry stood by> helplessly while Nazi Germany> exterminated their brothers and sisters in Europe.> They were unable to> prevail on President Franklin Delano Roosevelt to do> anything significant to> stop the Holocaust. (And at that same time, many> Afro-Americans did not dare> to go near the polling stations for fear of dogs> being set on them.)> > What has caused the dizzying ascent to power of the> American Jewish> establishment? Organizational talent? Money?> Climbing the social ladder?> Shame for their lack of zeal during the Holocaust?> > The more I think about this wondrous phenomenon, the> stronger becomes my> conviction (about which I have already written in> the past) that what really> matters is the similarity between the American> enterprise and the Zionist> one, both in the spiritual and the practical sphere.> Israel is a small> America, the USA is a huge Israel.> > The Mayflower passengers, much as the Zionists of> the first and second aliya> (immigration wave), fled from Europe, carrying in> their hearts a messianic> vision, either religious or utopian. (True, the> early Zionists were mostly> atheists, but religious traditions had a powerful> influence on their> vision.) The founders of American society were> 'pilgrims', the Zionists> immigrants called themselves 'olim' - short for olim> beregel, pilgrims. Both> sailed to a 'promised land', believing themselves to> be God's chosen people.> > > Both suffered a great deal in their new country.> Both saw themselves as> 'pioneers', who make the wilderness bloom, a 'people> without land in a land> without people'. Both completely ignored the rights> of the indigenous> people, whom they considered sub-human savages and> murderers. Both saw the> natural resistance of the local peoples as evidence> of their innate> murderous character, which justified even the worst> atrocities. Both> expelled the natives and took possession of their> land as the most natural> thing to do, settling on every hill and under every> tree, with one hand on> the plow and the Bible in the other.> > True, Israel did not commit anything approaching the> genocide performed> against the Native Americans, nor anything like the> slavery that persisted> for many generations in the US. But since the> Americans have repressed these> atrocities in their consciousness, there is nothing> to prevent them from> comparing themselves to the Israelis. It seems that> in the unconscious mind> of both nations there is a ferment of suppressed> guilt feelings that express> themselves in the denial of their past misdeeds, in> aggressiveness and the> worship of power.> > HOW IS it that a man like Obama, the son of an> African father, identifies so> completely with the actions of former generations of> American whites? It> shows again the power of a myth to become rooted in> the consciousness of a> person, so that he identifies 100% with the imagined> national narrative. To> this may be added the unconscious urge to belong to> the victors, if> possible.> > Therefore, I do not accept without reservation the> speculation: 'Well, he> must talk like this in order to get elected. Once in> the White House, he> will return to himself.'> > I am not so sure about that. It may well turn out> that these things have a> surprisingly strong hold on his mental world.> > Of one thing I am certain: Obama's declarations at> the AIPAC conference are> very, very bad for peace. And what is bad for peace> is bad for Israel, bad> for the world and bad for the Palestinian people.> > If he sticks to them, once elected, he will be> obliged to say, as far as> peace between the two peoples of this country is> concerned: 'No, I can't!'> > > > > -- > www.montrealmuslimnews.net> > Whatever Allah wills is, and whatever Allah does not> will is not.> > To join our newslist:> montrealmuslimnews-subscribe@lists.riseup.net> To unsubscribe:> montrealmusli
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  Video Quality Please select your video quality: Broadband - Best setting for viewing over broadband Dial-Up - Best setting for viewing over dial-up Keep as my default video quality Received on Sat Jun 7 21:41:02 2008