Harvard distances itself from criticism of Israel lobby

[barb162]

Fri., March 24, 2006
Harvard distances itself from criticism of Israel lobby

By Shmuel Rosner

WASHINGTON - Harvard University has decided to remove its logo from a study that denounces the pro-Israel lobby's impact on American foreign policy, in order to distance itself from the study's conclusions.

The university also appended a more strongly worded disclaimer to the study, stating that it reflects the views of its authors only. The former disclaimer said merely that the study "does not necessarily" reflect the university's views.
snip
The study's many critics claim that its academic quality is poor, and that it is essentially a political polemic rather than genuine academic research. Well-known researchers such as Marvin Kalb, also of Harvard's Kennedy School, said this week that the study fails to meet minimal academic standards.
snip
Israeli officials have been concerned over the study, saying it is liable to be used to delegitimize Israel among the American intelligentsia. As of yesterday, however, it did not seem to have won much support among academics specializing in American foreign policy. According to one such academic, who asked to remain anonymous, "the study obviously contains many correct facts, but their presentation is skewed and the conclusions derive from them are unfit for publication. For instance, it completely ignores the enormous influence of the Arab oil lobby on American policy, and presents a one-sided and utterly politically biased picture of the world."
snip
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/698102.html

[PVK]

1. Very interesting.

{snip}
In addition to reiterating the well-worn charge that Jewish neoconservatives in the Bush administration were responsible for America's invasion of Iraq, the study accuses the pro-Israel lobby of inciting the American government and people against the Palestinian Authority, tilting American policy against Syria and other Arab states, and trying to push the United States into aggressive action against Iran's nuclear program.
{snip}

And the problem with this claim is....?

[Jim Sagle]

2. One problem is that it reverses cause and effect.

The idea is conveyed that "Israel lobby" (pro-Israeli Americans) pulled strings to make the Bush regime do things it wouldn't otherwise do. That's hogwash.

When Cheney spoke at AIPAC, he was really saying: "Thanks for the millions, suckers. I'll take the cash, you can have the credit - and the blame."

[barb162]

6. Between Cheney and Bush, they must

have had 20+ reasons to go into Iraq before they ever started their administration.
I agree with you Jim. Both Bush and Cheney are damned good at denying any repsonsibility for their failures (like ignoring all reasons why we shouldn't have gone in there) re Iraq and positively brilliant at maintaining their reasoning for going into Iraq. Yeah, the GOP can gleefully take the money from all the lobbies.

[barb162]

4. Well there's a lot wrong

Bush had it in for Hussein ever since Daddy Bush had an assassination attempt made on him by Hussein, he thought Daddy made a mistake by not going to Baghdad in the Gulf War, etc. Right after 9-11 Bush asked Richard Clarke if Saddam Hussein did it. Clarke told him no, it was al qaida. In other words, Bush (Sonny) had a hard-on against Saddam for years before he ever became Prez and he was gunning for Hussein. I think Aipac had nothing to do with Iraq.

Your other comments are a little bit too general and it involves too many countries for a response. Syria? An assassination of a neighbor's political leader caused a UN investigation for starters. Syria's leaders are not some Nobel Peace Prize winner types.

[PVK]

5. Not my comments. The quote was from the article.

I snipped it for responses.

[barb162]

7. gotcha, the last paragraph

of the Haaretz article

[noodleheadstudios]

3. “Israel is nothing but a ‘shi**y little country’.”

“Israel is nothing but a ‘shi**y little country’.”


During a reception at the home of a leading columnist for the London Daily Telegraph, Daniel Bernard, French ambassador to England, told guests that the world’s current troubles were all the fault of “…that shitty little country, Israel.”



“Why,” he asked, “should the world be in danger of World War Three because of those people?”



Of course, for hypocrisy and anti-Semitism, there’s no one like the French… after all, they’re the same folks who wouldn’t allow their German conquerors during World War II to trouble themselves to round up the
Jews in France… so the French happily and dutifully rounded them up themselves, and turned them over to the Germans…



But… is Israel really a “shitty little country”? A closer look would reveal that France should follow the Israeli example. After all… Israel, the 100th smallest country in the world, with less than 1/1000th of the world's population, can lay claim to the following:



The cell phone was developed in Israel by Israelis working in the Israeli branch of Motorola, which has its largest development center in Israel.



Most of the Windows NT and XP operating systems were developed by Microsoft-Israel.



The Pentium MMX Chip technology was designed in Israel at Intel.



Both the Pentium-4 microprocessor and the Centrino processor were entirely designed, developed and produced in Israel.



The Pentium microprocessor in your computer was most likely made in Israel.



Voice mail technology was developed in Israel.



Both Microsoft and Cisco built their only R&D facilities outside the US in Israel.



The technology for the AOL Instant Messenger ICQ was developed in 1996 by four young Israelis.



Israel has the fourth largest Air Force in the world (after the U.S., Russia and China). In addition to a large variety of other aircraft, Israel's air force has an aerial arsenal of over 250 F-16's. This is the largest fleet of F-16 aircraft outside of the U. S.



Israel's $100 billion economy is larger than all of its immediate neighbors combined.



Israel has the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita



According to industry officials, Israel designed the airline industry's most impenetrable flight security. US officials now look (finally) to Israel for advice on how to handle airborne security threats.



Israel has the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world.



Israel produces more scientific papers per capita than any other nation by a large margin - 109 per 10,000 people --as well as one of the highest per capita rates of patents filed.



In proportion to its population, Israel has the largest number of startup companies in the world. In absolute terms, Israel has the largest number of startup companies than any other country in the world, except the U.S. (3,500 companies mostly in hi-tech).



With more than 3,000 high-tech companies and startups, Israel has the highest concentration of hi-tech companies in the world -- apart from the Silicon Valley, U. S.



Israel is ranked #2 in the world for venture capital funds right behind the U.S.



Israel has the highest average living standards in the Middle East.



The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.



On a per capita basis, Israel has the largest number of biotech startups.



Twenty-four per cent of Israel's workforce holds university degrees, ranking third in the industrialized world, after the United States and Holland and 12 per cent hold advanced degrees.



Israel is the only liberal democracy in the Middle East.



When Golda Meir was elected Prime Minister of Israel in 1969, she became the world's second elected female leader in modern times.



Israel was the first nation in the world to adopt the Kimberly process, an international standard that certifies diamonds as "conflict free."



Israel has the world's second highest per capita of new books.



Israel is the only country in the world that entered the 21st century with a net gain in its number of trees, made more remarkable because this was achieved in an area considered mainly desert.



Israel has more museums per capita than any other country.



Medicine... Israeli scientists developed the first fully computerized, no-radiation, diagnostic instrumentation for breast cancer.



An Israeli company developed a computerized system for ensuring proper administration of medications, thus removing human error from medical treatment. Every year in U. S. hospitals 7,000 patients die from treatment mistakes.



Israel's Givun Imaging developed the first ingestible video camera, so small it fits inside a pill. Used to view the small intestine from the inside, cancer and digestive disorders.



Researchers in Israel developed a new device that directly helps the heart pump blood, an innovation with the potential to save lives among those with heart failure. The new device is synchronized with the camera, helps doctors diagnose heart's mechanical operations through a sophisticated system of sensors.



Israel leads the world in the number of scientists and technicians in the workforce, with 145 per 10,000, as opposed to 85 in the U. S., over 70 in Japan, and less than 60 in Germany. With over 25% of its work force employed in technical professions, Israel places first in this category as well.



An Israeli company was the first to develop and install a large-scale solar-powered and fully functional electricity generating plant, in southern California's Mojave Desert.



All the above while engaged in regular wars with an implacable enemy that seeks its destruction and an economy continuously under strain by having to spend more per capita on its own protection than any other county on earth.



And unlike France, Israel actually wins its wars.

*********************************************************************
Thought you all should check that out...
Noodlehead
http://savethesoldiers.com

[not systems]

8. "The per capita income in 2000 was over $17,500, exceeding that of the UK.

and yet the US subsidies Israel to the tune of $500 per person.

Why?

The lobby?

What?

[martymar64]

9. With all that going for them

Then they don't need MY tax dollars going to them as foreign aid.