Israel Lobby and Congress
By:Parshang Khakpour
INTRODUCTION
The United States, as an important country which influence the other parts of the world, deserve to be studied and analyzed from different aspects.The first and the most important step is to be familiar with the basic and fundumental organizations, systems and ideologies which the United states is built upon them.Searching through political aspects-that can be resulted in economical, cultural, social …aspects-one can find that the U.S. includes three main branches.
1.The Executive Branch
2.The Legislative Branch
3.The Judicial Branch
Each of these main parts has special and to some extance complicated responsibilities and powers.
Althought he Constitution considers a kind of checks and balance system to prevent disorganizations and describes special and systematic principles for each of these branches, the Congress as a law-making center has had a very considerable location.Congress and law-making process in the U.S.- maybe as the other countries' legislative organization-is not a simple and clear one.But this article is not going to focus on the complicated procedure of Congress election and the very detailed process of making laws and passing Acts.
But the main point that the article is trying to focus on is that:Who is actually running the Congress?
The article,throught documentory method,is going to discuss about the claim that the Congress is not so much ruled by American Congressmen as the elected ones but by Lobbying, and the focus is on ISRAEL LOBBY.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONGRESS
Directly organized by the Constitution in Article 1,Section 1,Congress is vested all legislative powers.
There are a lot of powers that according to Article 1,Section 8, of Constitution are upon the Congress, that some of them comes bellow:
*To promote progress of science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to authors and inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
*The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes,Duties,Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the Common Defence and general welfare of the United States, but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.
*To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States,… .
*To Declare war, grant Lettersof Marque and Reprisal and make rules Concerning Captures on Land and Water.
*To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval forces.(1)
The power of Congress has been increased even more than that by additional powers granted by 16th Constitutional amendment which mentiones:"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes and incomes, from whatever source derived , without apportionment among the several states , and without regard to any censusor enumeration."(2)
As it's clear Congress is an office to make essencial and proper laws for internal and external matters.It's necessary to add that, this bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States ,is consisted of two houses; The Senate and the House of Representative. The 435 members of the House and 100 Senators go to the Congress through direct elections.
LOBBYING
Lobbying is very common and important in American policy and has a key role in vital domestic and foreign procedures in U.S.
But how much lobbying can influence the Congress?and how much Israel Lobby take the control of the Congress?
Lobbying means activities and procedures that request the political authorities to show special positions in special cases of policy or to eager others to do that.
Donald E.dekieffer in his book,( The Citizen's Guide to Lobbying Congress,page1)mentions that"Our Constitution gaurantees all citizens the unqualified right to petition their government for redress of grievances and the freedom to state their views without governmental interference…But where one does draw the line between merely exercising a constitutionally gauranteed right and lobbying professionally?"(3)
ISRAEL LOBBY
The Israel lobby in the United States can be described as an unconditional relationship of individuals and groups who effect on U.S foreign policy at the benefit of Israel.As Mearsheimer and Walt define in the book,The Israel Lobby and U.S Foreign Policy, "The core of the lobby is comprised of American Jews who make a significant effort in their daily lives to bend U.S foreign policy so that it advances Israel's intrest."(4)
There are a lot of citizens and big wigs in this lobby who can disturb a lot of clout that makes individuals' opinions about policy very different from what they belive in reality and with their own understanding.To be against Israel lobby and it's intrests directly means their political and social death.Israel lobby is so powerful that it can make critics of Israel be silenced by smearing the character of their opponents.
Poul Findley as a Congressman from Illinois for some 22 years can be a good example to support the idea.He belives that many politicians have lost elections due to the influence of this group.As Glenn Frankle mensions in his Article,A Beautiful Friendship, Poul Findely,Pete Mc Closkey of California and Sen.Charles Percy of Illinois were defeated because they were regarded "too sympathetic to Arabs causes and too critical of Israel."(5)Findley thinks Israel lobby played a role in his own defeat in the early 1980s.According to Clenn Frankel he was blamed because he had meeted Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and had appriciated him as"A great champion of human rights".As he argues in his book,They Dare to speak out,"A non-jewish strategist told Stephen D.Isaac , the author of Jews and American Politics, you can't hope to go anywhere in national politics if you're a Democrat,without jewish money".(6)
Such states brings to mind some important questions:Is it true that there are polititions, or in other word, authorities and organizations from one Stat(Israel) who are working ,making decisions and control the other State (United States)?
Are there some Israelis who wear the clothe of Congressmen but serve Israel?or they are just the other lobbyies in America, with the same influence and effect?
First, it is important to be familiar with the basic and fundumental shape of Israel Lobby.
It seems that Israel lobby includes two kinds of lobby;formal and informal.The main cause to have an informal lobbying is that "American jews recognize the importance of support for Israel because of the dire consequences that could follow from the alternative."(7)
According to Mitchell Bard Israel as one of the most powerful countries is not just faced to military defeat , but the most fundumental threat for them is, Bard argues,"annihiliation" and american jews try to have political power in the Unitad States to prevent this threat.
So one can find that Jews participation in policy and focusing on lobbying in the United States is very vital and essencial for them, because their existance is in danger and the case becomes more and more important when the location is the Middle East.Informal lobbying which can influence "Jewish voting behavior and American public opinion"(The Water's Edge and Beyond,page 6)(8)try to strengthen their power.
But informal lobbying is not sufficient to have a great influence on policy makers.Thus they use the systematic organizations that can help them to receive their goals.The process is not just political.They get profited by cultural, social and religious organizations and faces which accelerate the mechanism e.g think thanks,media,political action committees and other lobby groups.By inviting some specialists from think thanks from Washington and Tel Aviv they try to convince ideologically the Congressmen to follow their goals.
Two considerable formal lobbying groups are:
*The American Israel Public Affair Commeettee(AIPAC)
*The Confrence of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.(The Water's Edge and Beyond,page 13)
THE AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIR COMMITTEE(AIPAC)
Steven Spiegel argues in his book,The Other Arab-Israeli Conflict Making American's Middle East policy,page 52,that "The tention between Eisenhower administration and Israeli supporters, was so acute that there were rumors that the administration would investigate the American Zionist council.Therefore an independent lobbying committee was formed which years later was renamed…AIPAC."
But what is it (AIPAC)in nature?How powerful is it in Congress?
Some politicians and writers like Stephen Zunes belive it's just as other lobbies and committees in the United States with pre-described powers and influence in domestic and foreign policy.They argue that there are a lot of pro-Israel organizations known as left-leaning groups like American for Peace Now, The Israel policy forum, and the Jewish Alliance For Justice and Peace, who are opposed the activites done by Israel in Palestine like occupance and settlement and also U.S copmlete support in favor of Israel policies.
But there are a lot of claims which state the Israel lobby has become a supper lobby and AIPAC has an unimaginable power in U.S policy.
As Mearsheimer and Walt describe:"AIPAC's success is due to it's ability to reward legislators and Congressional candidates who supports it's agenda, and to punish those who challenge it."(9)It can suggest for drafting legislation on external matters, as well as the annual foreign bill.
AIPAC is so powerful that it's advocates can be sure to get any financial help or electional supports to enter in Congress.The opposite can be happen for the opponents,and it's not the matter of being a congressman.The same story may happen during the period when the lawmakers serve in Congress.Lewis Roth of Americans for Peace Now says"AIPAC has atrifecta of Power on the Hill—direct lobbying, tremendoue grass-roots support and money from contributers who look to them for guidance."(10)
Hedrick Smith brings some examples that show the strong effects of AIPAC in U.S related to President Reagan's administration.He notes that:"By 1986,the pro-Israel lobby could stop Reagan from making another jet fighter deal with Saudi Arabia ,and Secratory of States,George Shultz had to sit down with AIPAC's executive director-not Congressional leaders- to find out what level of arms sales to Saudi AIPAC would tolerated."(11)
AIPAC's most important reason to lobby the Congress is described and focused mostly in the Middle East,where they have been making a new State-in Palestine-during fewer than a century.There, they are under the most political and military pressures from Palestinian groups and the other countries ,specially the Islamic ones.
The other fact that makes the Middle East very controvertial for Israel lobby and consequently Israel is Iran.
Iran,because of it's opposite position against the nature of Israel and it's existance in the Middle East and also because of it's anti-Zionism policies that has taken during the three decades, has always been a dark and a real enemy for Israel.Iran, is not only a military threat but an ideologic one,that challenges the ideologic bases of Israel.It is making the atmosphere of other countries,like Syria and Lebenan and even pro-Israel Arab countries-the anti-Zionism, too.
So, as time passes the Middle East is becoming a big and uncontrolable region.Being a nuclear Iran in the Middle East can add more problems for Israel.So it's clear why they are trying to take the control of the Congress and put more pressure on Iran,as the main point,and on the Middle East as a whole.
By lobbying the Congress AIPAC tries to encounter the danger.The U.S policy has mostly considered the Israel interests even if it damage it's own diplomacy.
One of the methods used by AIPAC to influence the Congress is to meet with Congressmen and spend money on issues related to Israel intrests and for those U.S representatives and senators who vote for pro-Israeli Acts.The Washington post noted that "AIPAC's web site which details how members of Congress voted on AIPAC's key issues ,and the AIPAC Insider, a glossy periodical that handicaps close political races are scrutinized by thousands of potential donors. …Between the 2000 and 2004 elections, the 50 members of AIPAC's board donated on average of $72,000 each to compaigns and political actions committees."(12)
These are some of AIPAC's successes:
*Reiterating standards for Palestinians government.
*Prohibiting U.S aid and contracts with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority
*Condemning Iran for holding Confrence casting doubt on whether the Holocaust happened
*Passing the Iran Libya Sanction Acts
*Passing the Syrian Accountability Act,for it's support of Lebenan.
*Incresing military aid to Israel
They mostly focused on Iran Freedom Support Act and The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act.The first one follows Israel's goal to put pressure on Iran not to be a nuclear power and also provides some helps to those groups who are against the government.The next is aimed to put a rigid restrictions against the Palestinians Authority,Hamas.
They do whatever they can and nothing can stop them.It is intresting to note that about the last measure(The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act)AIPAC gathered a lot of activists to lobby for it.Some opposed it.One of the opponents of the bill was Betty McCollum who has a positive position about Israel.but she"took offence after an AIPAC representative from Minneapolis confronted Bill Harper, her chief of staff, over her vote.Harper said that the AIPAC rep told him:McCollum's support for terrorists would not be tolerated."(13)
Not only, Israel and AIPAC support politically and economically pro-Israeli candidates to enter the Congress during the election, they has mostly been profited by their advocates of both the democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Specially after September 11th that the United States had been aimed by terrorists , the U.S-relationship increased,and this raised when the United States physically entered the Middle East during Iraq war.So they found their ally(Israel)more desereved to help.Now they had the same enemies in the same location:TERRORIST,in the Middle East.
But who are the terrorists?They defined some descriptions but it can be summerized as whoever against U.S-Israel alliance.They shared their goals and procedures in peace and war, in the Middle East.Israel needed to have a supporter in the region to convince the world to accept it’s existance.The United States could be the best choice ,because Israel and AIPAC had the support of american authorities.The United States, as a superpower in the world, was appropriate enough to help them.It had been entered to a big and controvercial war with Iraq and had spent a lot of budget on it.With the new atmosphere among the american people and political leaders against terrorism and Islamic extremism , Israel would be benefited to strengthen it's relationship with U.S and tried to play the role of the real victim in the Middle East to have more supports from U.S.As Glenn Frankel mentions in A Beautiful Friendship according to the report by Gallup Poll 68 american people are pro-Israel and just 23 percent of them have unfavorable opinion about it. Israel lobby and AIPAC as the most important committee for pro-Israeli activities considerably effects on political matters, but it's not the end of the story.They also try to open the scientific, economic, social,and cultural ways to influence on Congrss, although most of them ended to political goals.AIPAC becomes vital to help those Congessmen who are not professional in it's(AIPAC's) field.So it lobbies and hold confrences on issues like" terrorism,Islamic militarism, and nuclear prolification."(14)
It's not the whole story.Israel lobby influeces the Congress for Scientifical,economical, social and other important aspects.This example can be fine to notice:
Based on the American jewish Congress web site that reported in December 18,2007 "The American jewish Congress applauded House adoption of the U.S-Israel Energy cooperation Act(USIECA)"(15)
Neil B.Goldstein, American Jewish Congress Executive Direcror mentioned that"In an era when some groups are trying to isolate Israel's academic community, this measure (USIECA)will help build bridges between Israeli academicians and the U.S."(16)
AJCongress national policy Director Mathew Mark Horn "thanked the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Jewish Council for Public Affairs for their help in galvanizing Congresstional support." (17)
CONCLUSION:
United States, became very significant and considerable country, in many aspects.Specially after World war II it improved economically , scientifically and politically.So it could be a good target for jewish people who were looking for a quiet place, far from the Hitler's Europe, to find a new identity and understanding from themseleves.It was necessary to show a new community of jewish to the world.So They had to be powerful enough.They began to immigrant to the United states in large groups.Begining with economical activities they searched for political power.By systematic activities and supporting each other in different vital offices they has now taken the control of one of the most important countries,United States.The American people are some how,tax payers for the benefit of Israel,and the most miserable part is that they are so convinced by Israel lobby and other pro-Israeli groups that help to Israel is necessary that they rarely ask themseleves,who are actually controlling the main parts of our country?It's not just the common people.This unconditional supports actually has been done by political intelectuals.This relationship is kept from the both sides.Israel lobby supports the political authorities,includes congressmen,and they vote for Israel intrest as an answer.
By:Parshang Khakpour
INTRODUCTION
The United States, as an important country which influence the other parts of the world, deserve to be studied and analyzed from different aspects.The first and the most important step is to be familiar with the basic and fundumental organizations, systems and ideologies which the United states is built upon them.Searching through political aspects-that can be resulted in economical, cultural, social …aspects-one can find that the U.S. includes three main branches.
1.The Executive Branch
2.The Legislative Branch
3.The Judicial Branch
Each of these main parts has special and to some extance complicated responsibilities and powers.
Althought he Constitution considers a kind of checks and balance system to prevent disorganizations and describes special and systematic principles for each of these branches, the Congress as a law-making center has had a very considerable location.Congress and law-making process in the U.S.- maybe as the other countries' legislative organization-is not a simple and clear one.But this article is not going to focus on the complicated procedure of Congress election and the very detailed process of making laws and passing Acts.
But the main point that the article is trying to focus on is that:Who is actually running the Congress?
The article,throught documentory method,is going to discuss about the claim that the Congress is not so much ruled by American Congressmen as the elected ones but by Lobbying, and the focus is on ISRAEL LOBBY.
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONGRESS
Directly organized by the Constitution in Article 1,Section 1,Congress is vested all legislative powers.
There are a lot of powers that according to Article 1,Section 8, of Constitution are upon the Congress, that some of them comes bellow:
*To promote progress of science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to authors and inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.
*The Congress shall have power to lay and collect Taxes,Duties,Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the Common Defence and general welfare of the United States, but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States.
*To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States,… .
*To Declare war, grant Lettersof Marque and Reprisal and make rules Concerning Captures on Land and Water.
*To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval forces.(1)
The power of Congress has been increased even more than that by additional powers granted by 16th Constitutional amendment which mentiones:"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes and incomes, from whatever source derived , without apportionment among the several states , and without regard to any censusor enumeration."(2)
As it's clear Congress is an office to make essencial and proper laws for internal and external matters.It's necessary to add that, this bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States ,is consisted of two houses; The Senate and the House of Representative. The 435 members of the House and 100 Senators go to the Congress through direct elections.
LOBBYING
Lobbying is very common and important in American policy and has a key role in vital domestic and foreign procedures in U.S.
But how much lobbying can influence the Congress?and how much Israel Lobby take the control of the Congress?
Lobbying means activities and procedures that request the political authorities to show special positions in special cases of policy or to eager others to do that.
Donald E.dekieffer in his book,( The Citizen's Guide to Lobbying Congress,page1)mentions that"Our Constitution gaurantees all citizens the unqualified right to petition their government for redress of grievances and the freedom to state their views without governmental interference…But where one does draw the line between merely exercising a constitutionally gauranteed right and lobbying professionally?"(3)
ISRAEL LOBBY
The Israel lobby in the United States can be described as an unconditional relationship of individuals and groups who effect on U.S foreign policy at the benefit of Israel.As Mearsheimer and Walt define in the book,The Israel Lobby and U.S Foreign Policy, "The core of the lobby is comprised of American Jews who make a significant effort in their daily lives to bend U.S foreign policy so that it advances Israel's intrest."(4)
There are a lot of citizens and big wigs in this lobby who can disturb a lot of clout that makes individuals' opinions about policy very different from what they belive in reality and with their own understanding.To be against Israel lobby and it's intrests directly means their political and social death.Israel lobby is so powerful that it can make critics of Israel be silenced by smearing the character of their opponents.
Poul Findley as a Congressman from Illinois for some 22 years can be a good example to support the idea.He belives that many politicians have lost elections due to the influence of this group.As Glenn Frankle mensions in his Article,A Beautiful Friendship, Poul Findely,Pete Mc Closkey of California and Sen.Charles Percy of Illinois were defeated because they were regarded "too sympathetic to Arabs causes and too critical of Israel."(5)Findley thinks Israel lobby played a role in his own defeat in the early 1980s.According to Clenn Frankel he was blamed because he had meeted Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and had appriciated him as"A great champion of human rights".As he argues in his book,They Dare to speak out,"A non-jewish strategist told Stephen D.Isaac , the author of Jews and American Politics, you can't hope to go anywhere in national politics if you're a Democrat,without jewish money".(6)
Such states brings to mind some important questions:Is it true that there are polititions, or in other word, authorities and organizations from one Stat(Israel) who are working ,making decisions and control the other State (United States)?
Are there some Israelis who wear the clothe of Congressmen but serve Israel?or they are just the other lobbyies in America, with the same influence and effect?
First, it is important to be familiar with the basic and fundumental shape of Israel Lobby.
It seems that Israel lobby includes two kinds of lobby;formal and informal.The main cause to have an informal lobbying is that "American jews recognize the importance of support for Israel because of the dire consequences that could follow from the alternative."(7)
According to Mitchell Bard Israel as one of the most powerful countries is not just faced to military defeat , but the most fundumental threat for them is, Bard argues,"annihiliation" and american jews try to have political power in the Unitad States to prevent this threat.
So one can find that Jews participation in policy and focusing on lobbying in the United States is very vital and essencial for them, because their existance is in danger and the case becomes more and more important when the location is the Middle East.Informal lobbying which can influence "Jewish voting behavior and American public opinion"(The Water's Edge and Beyond,page 6)(8)try to strengthen their power.
But informal lobbying is not sufficient to have a great influence on policy makers.Thus they use the systematic organizations that can help them to receive their goals.The process is not just political.They get profited by cultural, social and religious organizations and faces which accelerate the mechanism e.g think thanks,media,political action committees and other lobby groups.By inviting some specialists from think thanks from Washington and Tel Aviv they try to convince ideologically the Congressmen to follow their goals.
Two considerable formal lobbying groups are:
*The American Israel Public Affair Commeettee(AIPAC)
*The Confrence of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations.(The Water's Edge and Beyond,page 13)
THE AMERICAN ISRAEL PUBLIC AFFAIR COMMITTEE(AIPAC)
Steven Spiegel argues in his book,The Other Arab-Israeli Conflict Making American's Middle East policy,page 52,that "The tention between Eisenhower administration and Israeli supporters, was so acute that there were rumors that the administration would investigate the American Zionist council.Therefore an independent lobbying committee was formed which years later was renamed…AIPAC."
But what is it (AIPAC)in nature?How powerful is it in Congress?
Some politicians and writers like Stephen Zunes belive it's just as other lobbies and committees in the United States with pre-described powers and influence in domestic and foreign policy.They argue that there are a lot of pro-Israel organizations known as left-leaning groups like American for Peace Now, The Israel policy forum, and the Jewish Alliance For Justice and Peace, who are opposed the activites done by Israel in Palestine like occupance and settlement and also U.S copmlete support in favor of Israel policies.
But there are a lot of claims which state the Israel lobby has become a supper lobby and AIPAC has an unimaginable power in U.S policy.
As Mearsheimer and Walt describe:"AIPAC's success is due to it's ability to reward legislators and Congressional candidates who supports it's agenda, and to punish those who challenge it."(9)It can suggest for drafting legislation on external matters, as well as the annual foreign bill.
AIPAC is so powerful that it's advocates can be sure to get any financial help or electional supports to enter in Congress.The opposite can be happen for the opponents,and it's not the matter of being a congressman.The same story may happen during the period when the lawmakers serve in Congress.Lewis Roth of Americans for Peace Now says"AIPAC has atrifecta of Power on the Hill—direct lobbying, tremendoue grass-roots support and money from contributers who look to them for guidance."(10)
Hedrick Smith brings some examples that show the strong effects of AIPAC in U.S related to President Reagan's administration.He notes that:"By 1986,the pro-Israel lobby could stop Reagan from making another jet fighter deal with Saudi Arabia ,and Secratory of States,George Shultz had to sit down with AIPAC's executive director-not Congressional leaders- to find out what level of arms sales to Saudi AIPAC would tolerated."(11)
AIPAC's most important reason to lobby the Congress is described and focused mostly in the Middle East,where they have been making a new State-in Palestine-during fewer than a century.There, they are under the most political and military pressures from Palestinian groups and the other countries ,specially the Islamic ones.
The other fact that makes the Middle East very controvertial for Israel lobby and consequently Israel is Iran.
Iran,because of it's opposite position against the nature of Israel and it's existance in the Middle East and also because of it's anti-Zionism policies that has taken during the three decades, has always been a dark and a real enemy for Israel.Iran, is not only a military threat but an ideologic one,that challenges the ideologic bases of Israel.It is making the atmosphere of other countries,like Syria and Lebenan and even pro-Israel Arab countries-the anti-Zionism, too.
So, as time passes the Middle East is becoming a big and uncontrolable region.Being a nuclear Iran in the Middle East can add more problems for Israel.So it's clear why they are trying to take the control of the Congress and put more pressure on Iran,as the main point,and on the Middle East as a whole.
By lobbying the Congress AIPAC tries to encounter the danger.The U.S policy has mostly considered the Israel interests even if it damage it's own diplomacy.
One of the methods used by AIPAC to influence the Congress is to meet with Congressmen and spend money on issues related to Israel intrests and for those U.S representatives and senators who vote for pro-Israeli Acts.The Washington post noted that "AIPAC's web site which details how members of Congress voted on AIPAC's key issues ,and the AIPAC Insider, a glossy periodical that handicaps close political races are scrutinized by thousands of potential donors. …Between the 2000 and 2004 elections, the 50 members of AIPAC's board donated on average of $72,000 each to compaigns and political actions committees."(12)
These are some of AIPAC's successes:
*Reiterating standards for Palestinians government.
*Prohibiting U.S aid and contracts with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority
*Condemning Iran for holding Confrence casting doubt on whether the Holocaust happened
*Passing the Iran Libya Sanction Acts
*Passing the Syrian Accountability Act,for it's support of Lebenan.
*Incresing military aid to Israel
They mostly focused on Iran Freedom Support Act and The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act.The first one follows Israel's goal to put pressure on Iran not to be a nuclear power and also provides some helps to those groups who are against the government.The next is aimed to put a rigid restrictions against the Palestinians Authority,Hamas.
They do whatever they can and nothing can stop them.It is intresting to note that about the last measure(The Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act)AIPAC gathered a lot of activists to lobby for it.Some opposed it.One of the opponents of the bill was Betty McCollum who has a positive position about Israel.but she"took offence after an AIPAC representative from Minneapolis confronted Bill Harper, her chief of staff, over her vote.Harper said that the AIPAC rep told him:McCollum's support for terrorists would not be tolerated."(13)
Not only, Israel and AIPAC support politically and economically pro-Israeli candidates to enter the Congress during the election, they has mostly been profited by their advocates of both the democrats and Republicans in Congress.
Specially after September 11th that the United States had been aimed by terrorists , the U.S-relationship increased,and this raised when the United States physically entered the Middle East during Iraq war.So they found their ally(Israel)more desereved to help.Now they had the same enemies in the same location:TERRORIST,in the Middle East.
But who are the terrorists?They defined some descriptions but it can be summerized as whoever against U.S-Israel alliance.They shared their goals and procedures in peace and war, in the Middle East.Israel needed to have a supporter in the region to convince the world to accept it’s existance.The United States could be the best choice ,because Israel and AIPAC had the support of american authorities.The United States, as a superpower in the world, was appropriate enough to help them.It had been entered to a big and controvercial war with Iraq and had spent a lot of budget on it.With the new atmosphere among the american people and political leaders against terrorism and Islamic extremism , Israel would be benefited to strengthen it's relationship with U.S and tried to play the role of the real victim in the Middle East to have more supports from U.S.As Glenn Frankel mentions in A Beautiful Friendship according to the report by Gallup Poll 68 american people are pro-Israel and just 23 percent of them have unfavorable opinion about it. Israel lobby and AIPAC as the most important committee for pro-Israeli activities considerably effects on political matters, but it's not the end of the story.They also try to open the scientific, economic, social,and cultural ways to influence on Congrss, although most of them ended to political goals.AIPAC becomes vital to help those Congessmen who are not professional in it's(AIPAC's) field.So it lobbies and hold confrences on issues like" terrorism,Islamic militarism, and nuclear prolification."(14)
It's not the whole story.Israel lobby influeces the Congress for Scientifical,economical, social and other important aspects.This example can be fine to notice:
Based on the American jewish Congress web site that reported in December 18,2007 "The American jewish Congress applauded House adoption of the U.S-Israel Energy cooperation Act(USIECA)"(15)
Neil B.Goldstein, American Jewish Congress Executive Direcror mentioned that"In an era when some groups are trying to isolate Israel's academic community, this measure (USIECA)will help build bridges between Israeli academicians and the U.S."(16)
AJCongress national policy Director Mathew Mark Horn "thanked the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and Jewish Council for Public Affairs for their help in galvanizing Congresstional support." (17)
CONCLUSION:
United States, became very significant and considerable country, in many aspects.Specially after World war II it improved economically , scientifically and politically.So it could be a good target for jewish people who were looking for a quiet place, far from the Hitler's Europe, to find a new identity and understanding from themseleves.It was necessary to show a new community of jewish to the world.So They had to be powerful enough.They began to immigrant to the United states in large groups.Begining with economical activities they searched for political power.By systematic activities and supporting each other in different vital offices they has now taken the control of one of the most important countries,United States.The American people are some how,tax payers for the benefit of Israel,and the most miserable part is that they are so convinced by Israel lobby and other pro-Israeli groups that help to Israel is necessary that they rarely ask themseleves,who are actually controlling the main parts of our country?It's not just the common people.This unconditional supports actually has been done by political intelectuals.This relationship is kept from the both sides.Israel lobby supports the political authorities,includes congressmen,and they vote for Israel intrest as an answer.
No comments:
Post a Comment