U.S. minority politicians to meet on backing Israel on Hamas

[Wordie]

(Mods please note! This is an article about a meeting in the UNITED STATES, regarding our policy in the middle east. As such, it is allowed by DU rules. As Howard Dean is participating in this meeting, it seems important enough to post in the larger DU forums. Thanks. -Wordie)

Both Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Ken Melman, his Republic counterpart, will attend this meeting. The meeting is receiving financial support from the World Jewish Congress, the NAACP and LARS, an Hispanic human rights organization.

U.S. minority politicians to meet on backing Israel on Hamas
By Shlomo Shamir

NEW YORK - Leading Democratic and Republican politicians, representing minority groups, will meet tomorrow in Washington to discuss a plan to enlist support for Israel's hardline position toward Hamas from Hispanic and black members of Congress.

Some 50 black, Hispanic, Asian and Jewish lawmakers are expected to participate in the gathering at the annual meeting of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, a New York-based organization that works to improve relations between blacks, Hispanic and Jews and to promote cooperation between Jewish communities and other ethnic groups.

...Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder and president of the foundation, said that this year's meeting has a special significance. "The rise to power of Hamas has created an advocacy problem for Israel, and it is important for members of Congress who are identified with specific ethnic groups to add their voices to the support of Israel."

According to Schneier, "there are reports that Hamas leaders want to visit Venezuela and Bolivia and hope to enlist South American leaders to their cause. This makes it even more important for Israel to win over the leaders of large immigrant groups in the United States."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/689122.html

[Wordie]

1. Has anyone heard more about this? The meeting was today. eom

[bemildred]

2. Nothing much. Seems to be this meeting:

Rabbi Israel Singer Addresses Congressional Breakfast on Ethnic Alliance

3/2/2006 6:15:00 PM

WASHINGTON, March 2 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Rabbi Israel Singer, Chairman of the Policy Council of the World Jewish Congress, said: "We plan to use this alliance in the struggle against AIDS in Africa and Asia, the same way that five years ago we announced here the initiative to help the people in Argentina during its economic crisis".

He said that the coming together of such a diverse group "reflects the hope for the creation of a better world through building of alliances. This alliance changed the face of America in the past and we need to do it here and now and in the rest of the world. This is what America stands for."

Governor Howard Dean, Chairman of the Democratic National Committee who was a guest speaker at the Congressional breakfast called for America to re-dedicate itself to ethnic understanding cross all party lines.

The President of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding, Rabbi Marc Schneier, called for building the relationship between such natural friends who are all committed to the same values of human rights and human dignity.

The Seventh Annual Congressional Breakfast of The Foundation for Ethnic Understanding was held in Washington D.C. today. The four participating ethnic groups, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and American Jews -- make up one quarter of the U.S. Congress.

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=61788

[thebigidea]

3. the best way to work to improve relations is to work to end relations

I uh... huh?

[Wordie]

10. ...

Welcome to a discussion of middle east politics. Leave everything you know at the doorstep; this is a different world. :)

[cantstandbush]

4. I am amazed that people who have themselves experiences so much

discrimination, abuse, disenfranchisement, and marginalization would allow themselves to even consider taking part in such brazen hypocrisy and anti-democracy intolerance.

You would think that Israel would be eager to engage its enemies in order to make peace and not more war. The question of who is a terrorist and who is not must be addressed honestly (It was not an Hamas bulldozzer that smashed Racel Corrie to death in an attempt to protect the homes of occupied people.) When will Americans wake up and stop being brow-beaten by Israel into acting against our own best interests?

Let the flaming begin.

[Jim Sagle]

5. Hamas ain't nuthin' but shit and neither are any of its apologists.

[High Plains]

11. I guess that would include all the people who voted for it?

in democratic elections.

Too bad you Zionists can't impose the leadership you want on the Palestinians.

[Behind the Aegis]

13. I guess you have no problem with Bush...

...after all, he was democratically elected.

[High Plains]

14. Yes, I have problems with Bush.

I have problems with Hamas, too. And I have problems with the Israeli government.

But neither Palestine nor Israel is my country. I'll let the Palestinians make their own decisions.

Good to see the Zionist apologist brigade is on the ball.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. Good to see the Hamas apologists are being represented too!

[High Plains]

15. I have more problems with idiotic, inflammatory posts like the

one I originally responded to. They add absolutely nothing to any reasoned discussion.

How about this: "Israel ain't nuthin' but shit and so are its apologists."

EDIT: The statement above doesn't reflect my thinking; it merely mirrors Slagle's post for illustrative purposes.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. I have problems with the idiotic and inflammatory posts...

...about Israel, and sometimes, Jews. Anytime something goes wrong, we can, without a doubt, wait for the "Mossad did it" post. Or the lovely, qui bono posts...it's always Israel and another country, usually the US.

As for you hypothetical, that gets posted here all the time, just not in those words.

[Name removed]

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[Name removed]

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[karynnj]

7. Consider this:

Sitting in a foreign country, you would ask why America abandoned its own history. In fact, of course, it's simply the administration that is in power. If you looked at where people are on issues - you would see that they are for the most part where they were 10 years ago. There is a shift towards militarism and a concern about terrorism, but it exaggerated when looking only at the country's policies.

In Israel, there are people who were in Peace Now or who supported Seeds of Abraham, two organizations that were for tolerance. Likud came to power during a time of acts of terrorism. I assume that, just as in the US, the Israelis shifted because of that. Just like here, the administration doesn't relect everyone.

[Colorado Blue]

8. WHAT?

Are we now apologizing for a fundamentalist terror outfit that has vowed repeatedly to destroy Israel, which is extremely bigoted, has views on women's and gay rights that are absolutely medieval, and which believes every square inch of the Middle East, with all its ethnic and religious and cultural diversity, should be under Islamist control? Do you think America's best interests would be served by such an eventuality?

Since when is ISRAEL browbeating the US? You are discussing a refugee nation of 7 million people which is smaller than Lake Erie.

I strongly suggest a little reading of serious history, beginning with, say, the Diaspora. But particularly you might want to focus on 19th century Jewish history and go from there, including this link about the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa:

http://jimena.org/

With all due respect, you sound like an oil company executive.

Since when does American abandon its friends, simply because they're a tiny, embattled minority and have no oil?

[High Plains]

12. Nobody is apologizing for Hamas.

The Palestinian people have made their choice. Deal with it.

[Jim Sagle]

18. Israel will deal with it. Deal with that.

[Poll_Blind]

19. And the rest of the world will deal with Israel. You WILL deal with that.

Sanctions, severed political ties, boycotts. Regardless of how right you think it is, do you really think that Israel is doing itself a favor with its behavior?

After Sharon's "little visit" to the Al-Aqsa mosque it was clear that Sharon's Israeli government was not much interested in bargaining. This was a big kiss-off to the international community who had tried to work for peace between the two sides and it marked a real and tangible turning point in the way the rest of the world viewed Israel.

Before Sharon, Israel's responses to Palestinian terror attacks were considered something of a necessary evil. No, nobody like reading reports of Israeli incursions into Palestine or the appreciable number of civilians killed. However, equally grotesque were reports and pictures of what a suicide bomber does to a bus-load of innocent civilians.

But while the Palestinians are generally tagged as being disorganized and corrupt the Israeli government oozes organization in its behavior. Palestinian suicide bombers strap explosives to their bodies and sneak into military checkpoints or public places of business to kill and mame Israelis- they have no tanks, no jet fighters. Israelis do their killing from state-of-the-art helicopter gunships, tanks and whatever else the US lends them money to buy.

The world sees this, knows this disparity. They talk about it during smoke breaks, at dinner parties, waiting in line for movies, around the dinner table. No human being on earth who is world-politics conscious is unaware of this situation and these aspects.

It's starting to catch up with Israel now. Israel can't afford to completely ignore this world reaction and neither can you, Jim. Nor can you afford to call all anti-Israeli sentiment anti-semitic. Oh, granted, Israel's actions have given much-needed steam to what were once fringe groups of neo-nazis and that's not just bad for Jews everywhere- it's bad for Arabs, Indians, Americans- everyone.

As long as the Israeli government keeps this up it's going to get worse. And someday the U.S. won't veto another resolution against Israel's behavior. And then the sanctions will come and Israel will be in even bigger economic trouble than it already is.

I have no idea how it will end but it will end. Get that straight- Israel's arrogantly destructive behavior will end. It can either end on stage with two elected officials accepting Nobel Peace Prizes or in horror on top of horror and wars and slaughter.

You believe that Israel can continue doing whatever it pleases- but really, have you sat down to consider what the world opinion of Israel will be in 5, 10, 20 years if they keep electing conservative, militaristic governments with conservative, militaristic solutions to some very complex political problems?

When money from the United States dries up- and it will dry up sooner than you might think- what will Israel do then? Their are Israelis in bread lines in Israel rigth now- something I think which is very abhorrent to Jews who believe in the concept of Israel as a homeland where all Jews may prosper and be treated with respect. But when you have a conservative government with militaristic solutions to complex political problems you don't have nearly as much money to take care of the elderly and poor.

You're welcome to cheer their actions unconditionally and or feel detractors are anti-semitic. That's a great short term strategy for a polemic. But where's the long-term game plan? Where's the strategy that A) ensures that Israel is protected both economically and in a security sense in the long term B) ensures that Israel is a respected member of the world community C) ensures that Israel is an example for the rest of the world?

None of these long-term goals are being achieved by their conservative government- nor do I believe they can be.

PB

[Jim Sagle]

20. Jews have always had to deal with a hostile world.

We won't go quietly. End of a very odious discussion.

[Poll_Blind]

21. Israel's conservative government will not go quietly, on that we agree!

Just like the Bushies in our own government, they will do everything they can to stay in power. Until the money runs out. Until their rhetoric foments a civil war in Israel between the right and the left. You are very right, they will not go quietly. When they leave the building, they will be stepping over the bodies of Israelis who tried to stop their conservative poison.

And when a liberal party comes into power they will have to clear up the bloody mess that Sharon has gotten them into.

PB

[Jim Sagle]

22. On the contrary, they'll be voted out when the voters want new blood.

Ain't NOBODY like the Bush gang in Israel.

[entanglement]

26. That 'tiny, embattled' nation has, by all estimates 200+ nukes,

the unlimited military and financial backing of the World's only superpower, practices apartheid, is the most militarized state on earth and follows policies that can only be described as genocidal. And if you think it's only Palestinians that hate, you haven't heard some of the things the 'settlers' say.

PS: I strongly disagree with Hamas and its extremist ideology, but remember Hamas is the effect, Israel is the cause

[sadiesworld]

6. Misleading title.

It's an annual meeting, NOT a meeting set up to discuss this specific issue.

[Wordie]

9. You may be very right, given the other info posted about the meeting

upthread. Perhaps the title better represents the goal of some of the pro-Israeli partipants, as from what the other report says, the meeting covered a lot of other ground besides Israel's issues.

[entanglement]

24. While they're at it, can the NAACP get Israel and its flunkies

to apologize for its shameful support of apartheid South Africa?

[cantstandbush]

27. BINGO! n/t