CONGRESS: NEW KNESSET FOR ZIONISTS?
By Harmony Grant
25 Jan 07
Recent events leave me wondering which is the real Jewish state—Israel
or the USA? The Bush administration already took us to war to make
the Mideast safer for Israel, and now it’s gearing up for war
with Iran—sending anti-missile missiles, an aircraft carrier,
and cruise missile-firing ships to the Gulf—for the same reason.
If the midterm election was supposed to be a referendum against
U.S. policy in the Mideast, it failed royally. In fact, the midterm
election left things even rosier for Zionists and gloomier for those
wanting an escape from the Jewish lobby’s ruinous foreign policy.
Don’t take my word for it; that’s analysis from the
JTA, Global News Service of the Jewish People (“Division of
congressional posts seems to favor Jewish issues,” Jan. 9,
2007). JTA’s Ron Kampeas notes that in the new Congress there
are “more Jews in powerful positions than the [Jewish] community
has seen in more than a decade—it also features more friendly
faces across the board, Jewish leaders say.”
Although Jews comprise only 2 percent of the U.S. population, there
are now 30 Jews in the House, an increase of 4 from the last Congress,
and “a record 13 Jews in the Senate…20 percent of the
Democratic presence.” (JTA) Significantly, JTA says, both House
and Senate have Jews in the top political position of caucus chair.
Rep. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) chairs the Senate and Rep. Rahm Emanual
(D-Ill) chairs the House.
Who now controls the International Relations Committee with jurisdiction
over US foreign relations, border disputes, foreign loans, diplomacy,
measures related to international commerce and economic policy, and
over the American Red Cross and UN organizations? That would be Rep.
Tom Lantos (D-California) who is “the sole Holocaust survivor
in Congress and one of Israel’s staunchest defenders in the
House of Representatives” (JTA).
Lantos’ deputy at the committee is Rep. Howard Berman, also
a Democrat from California and also Jewish. JTA’s piece notes
that “four of the committee’s seven subcommittee chairmen
are likely to be Jewish.” These Jewish politicians are set
up to chair the Mideast subcommittee, the International Terrorism
and Nonproliferation subcommittee, the Western Hemisphere subcommittee,
and the committee on Europe and Emerging Threats.
JTA lists several other Jews assuming prominent positions and notes
that the biggest gain for Israel is Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) as majority
leader. Hoyer “is on a first-name basis with much of the board
of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and has been
to Israel multiple times…”
Jewish ADL lobbyist Stacy Burdett “noted the ascension of
Sen. Ted Kennedy and Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) to the chairmanships
of their respective houses’ immigration subcommittees.” Burdett
was pleased that their increased power would help defeat pressure
from conservatives to tighten US immigration policy.
Some people say there’s no Jewish elite with a powerful political
agenda and that to say so is anti-Semitic. But the power of American
Zionists is confirmed by Jewish sources themselves, like JTA. It
is these Jewish organizations themselves which insist that there
are unified Jewish interests (the foremost being unconditional support
of Israel) and that all Jews should rejoice if more of their Zionist
brethren are in government. Jewish Americans like Norman Finkelstein
who think independently and resist the herding of organized Jewry
are a minority.
All of this is pretty bad news for Americans—Jewish and gentile—who
are concerned about the geopolitical consequences of our reckless,
dangerous and imbalanced support of Israel. If Americans are fed
up with the Bush administration’s military actions in Iraq,
they’re going to have to wise up to the hands that are really
pulling the strings.
Our foreign policy in the Mideast will grow only more destructive
unless the Zionist lobby and Zionist politicians are recognized as
primarily loyal to a foreign power, Israel – not to American
interests and our troops, dying for Israel in Iraq.
Harmony Grant writes and edits for National Prayer Network,
a Christian/conservative watchdog group. Read more of her work at www.hisnamesake.blogspot.com.
Contact her at harmony@truthtellers.org.
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