Where is the 'pro-Israel' American Left?
Hundreds of American Jews will arrive in Washington on Thursday to push for strong American sanctions against Iran. The activists will be addressed by Congressman Howard Berman (D-Cal), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, whose bill calling for a cutoff of refined oil products from Iran has been on hold since May to give the 'diplomatic process' an opportunity to work. The group will also be addressed by House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va). After the addresses, the group will break up to lobby individual Senators and Representatives on Capitol Hill.There are two things I want you to note here. First, who is participating?
"Congress is back, legislation is on the agenda, and this is September, when at some level decisions are being made in connection with Iran," Anti-Defamation League Washington Director Jess Hordes said of the planning of the event.Who's not participating? One group that's apparently not participating is J Street, the pro-'Palestinian' lobby. No, they're not one of the 'several other groups' or you could bet it would at least be mentioned on their website.
His organization will be joining the United Jewish Communities, the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the National Conference of Soviet Jewry and several other groups as part of the effort.
Another organization that won't be participating is American Friends for 'Peace Now':
"We urge rejecting deadlines imposed by outside parties, or deadlines that are the product of anything other than assessments by the Obama administration of the state-of-play of current diplomatic efforts," said Americans for Peace Now President Debra DeLee in a statement.It is inevitable that sanctions like this are going to affect the Iranian people, and as I have noted on several occasions, the Ahmadinejad regime has already ensured that in the event of sanctions, the Revolutionary Guard will have fuel but the populace may not.
"We also believe that additional sanctions aimed squarely at the ruling regime and its members may make sense, but that the US must not make the mistake of pursuing sanctions that target the Iranian people - like the 'crippling' sanctions currently under consideration."
The other thing you should note about this article is the Obama administration's position on Representative Berman's bill:
It's not clear at this point how the Obama administration feels about the sanctions bills, though it has threatened "crippling sanctions" against Iran should diplomatic engagement fail.The next time someone tells you that the American Left is pro-Israel, remember this post. And tell them that they are lying. The American Left is willing to let Iran develop nuclear weapons to destroy Israel.
The White House would not comment on whether or not it supported the proposed legislation.
What could go wrong?
posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:55 AM
3 Comments:
The American Left supported sanctions South Africa in the 1980s on the grounds that forcing change in South Africa was more important than black people being hurt by those sanctions. Yet with Iran, they sing a different tune. They oppose sanctions completely or support it only half-heartedly. When given a choice they side with the Iranian regime.
Hopenchange=same
They don't want a deadline on Iran, but they want to pressure Israel every opportunity.
Exactly. They believe in tough love towards Israel but forbearance towards Iran. Things are so bad that Barry Rubin had to check a Los Angeles Times editorial this week urging Obama to talk to Iran to be sure it was not a hoax.
On a related subject, another Gush Katif type disengagement scenario is all but dead. Sever Plocker explains why over at Ynet:
The Point Of No Return
Read it all
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