Israel Matzav

Mattie Fein, Republican candidate for Congress in CA 36

I don't know how many of you are old enough to have seen Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein. It's one of the funniest movies ever made, and I saw it several times in high school and college.

The first time I ever heard of Mattie Fein, who is the Republican candidate for Congress in the 36th district (Los Angeles area) was when she did an ad that spoofed Young Frankenstein (and she doesn't look old enough to have seen the original when it first came out). I showed it to you once before here, but it's definitely worth another look.

Let's go to the videotape.



Mattie Fein must keep an awfully watchful eye on blogs, because I got an email from her thanking me for running the video. I asked if she'd like to answer my candidate survey, which she agreed to do. The results are below.

1. Do you believe that there is a solution to the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians, and if so what is it?

2. If you believe that solution is what is commonly referred to as the 'two-state solution,' why do you believe it hasn't happened to date? Do you anticipate any change in the circumstances that have prevented the two-state solution from happening and if so, what and when?

3. What do you think the United States ought to be doing to help Israel live in peace and security with its neighbors, and do you believe that the Obama administration is doing it? If not, what should they be doing differently?

4. Do you believe that the United States should be pressuring Israel not to build on the West Bank? In East Jerusalem?

Answers to Questions 1-4.

I believe Israel should unilaterally annex the West Bank territory at present populated by 300,000 “Jewish settlers,” and yield corresponding territory under Israeli sovereignty to the Palestinian Authority. The United States should recognize the annexation, and move its Embassy to Jerusalem. Whether Palestinians then choose to form a state or remain internally convulsed ala Somalia would be of no concern to Israel of the United States. The unilateral annexation would not violate international law. In 1980 and 1981, respectively, Israel unilaterally annexed East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights as the fruits of war. The West Bank has never been under the sovereignty of any nation since 1948. Jordan exercised a provisional sovereignty in 1950, before renouncing jurisdiction over the West Bank in 1988 speaking through King Hussein. The unilateral annexation of the West Bank would be every bit as legitimate as Kosovo’s secession from Serbia by force of arms and status as an independent nation recognized by the United States and many other nations.

5. What do you believe the United States ought to be doing about Iran?

Question 5. The United States should be covertly assisting indigenous democratic forces in Iran with communications aid as it did with Solidarity in Poland and Otpor in Serbia to oust Milosevic.

6. Do you believe the current sanctions against Iran are sufficient? If not, what is wrong with the current sanctions, what additional sanctions would you propose and would you impose them immediately or wait for some period of time or event? [Note that I reworked question 6 since you all last saw this survey. CiJ]

Question 6. The sanctions are worthless because routinely disregarded by China and Russia, among other nations.

7. Would you support Israel taking military action to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons? Under what circumstances?

Question 7. The United States should support whatever Israel believes is justified by national security worries over Iran.

8. Would you support the United States taking military action to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons? Under what circumstances?

Question 8. The United States should, short of war, destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities by sabotage, covert action, or bombing ala Israel’s destruction of Iraq’s nuclear research facility as Osirik.

9. Would you be willing to work with the pro-Israel, pro-peace J Street lobby?

Question 9. No, and hell no!!!!

Mattie also pointed me to this interview she did several months ago with Eric at Tygrrrexpress. You should especially read questions 8, 9, 12 and 13.

Fein's opponent, Jane Harman, is quite close with AIPAC (more here and here), but apparently believes that business is business. Hmmm.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:04 PM