The author of a book that quotes chuck hagel criticising the influence of the pro israel lobby in washington has defended him from charges of. I am also puzzled by the brouhaha over hagels use of the term jewish lobby while discussing israel in an interview with former state department advisor aaron miller. Rather, it was more radical, rightwing groups like the emergency committee for israel that took. The theme of the mainstream prohagel arguments is, only the israel lobby is against hagel, but were against the israel lobby. Hagels made especially good theatre, largely because the reek of treachery was in the air. Hagels use of the term jewish lobby in a conversation with aaron david miller, the former middle east negotiator who doesnt hide either his jewishness or his support for israel had an olfactory element to it. Looking back a halfyear later, the entire episode might hardly be worth a second glance, except for this. In their effort to expose hagel, the lobby and its shrinking band of loyal foot soldiers only succeeded in exposing their own weakness. He did not treat these sacred texts with sufficient reverence. Jan 31, 20 at j street, the liberal proisrael lobby, leader ben ami found it troubling that some claiming to represent the proisrael community have tried to impugn senator hagels commitment to the u.
Jeff goldberg has an interesting post about the mixed feelings that the america israel public affairs committee aipac may have about launching a major lobbying campaign against chuck hagel he may be rightand it would be wonderful if truebut i know that aipac has been quietly working the phones, arguing against the nomination. Chuck hagel on israel and his alleged antisemitic perspectives at the u. Hagels jewish lobby remark was well in keeping with the broader pattern of his thinking. Dec 26, 2012 the israel lobby led the charge against hagel, but there is plenty of animus for him in the broader republican party, too. Another reason for the israel lobby s strenuous opposition to hagel is his general foreign policy perspective. Senators only asked chuck hagel about iran and israel.
Jan 31, 20 defense secretary nominee chuck hagel in senate hearings expanded on his apology for the use of the term jewish lobby, and said it was also wrong to suggest pro israel groups intimidate. Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination for secretary of defense only served to disconnect intelligent voters and damage israels image on primetime tv. During chuck hagels marathon senate armed services committee hearing today, questioners returned to a handful of issues again and again, especially hagels record on iran and israel. Hagel says his positions on israel has been completely distorted, though. In choosing hagel, an antiwar president gets backup from. Interestingly, miller, who conducted the interview for his 2008 book the. Colin powell tries to clean up hagels mess, fails national. Foreign policy in mearsheimer and walts cartography, the israel lobby is not limited to aipac, the american israel public affairs committee. Regarding his unfortunate use of the term jewish lobby to refer to certain pro israel groups, senator hagel understands the sensitivity around such a loaded term and regrets saying it.
Hagel also has been criticized by the american jewish committee for an incident in 1999 where. But many observers see his attitude toward israel and the israel lobby as problematic. First, it makes it sound as though he was invoking. I know some will question whether senator hagels assurances are merely attempts to quiet critics as he seeks confirmation to this critical post. The jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here. Or consider, says stephens, hagels use of the word intimidates. Hagel later clarified these remarks saying he was referring to the israel lobby. Chuck hagels notorious 2008 statement about the american israel public affairs committee aipac, the leading institution of the proisrael lobby, claimed that the jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here in congress. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the israel lobby and u.
This book is highly scholarly treatment of the topic of how the zionist regime and aipac played the key role in starting the war and destruction of iraq and brining. Hagels jewish problem he doesnt have one, but lets. But as for a proisrael lobby, its existence is the subject of books and countless articles. Chuck hagel not antisemitic for saying proisrael lobby. The author of a book that quotes chuck hagel criticising the influence of the proisrael lobby in washington has defended him from charges of antisemitism, and. Why the war party fears hagel, by patrick buchanan. It consists of a multitude of institutions and individuals that work to influence congress, the president, academia, the media, religious institutions, and american public opinion on behalf of israel. Hagel, the lobby and the limits of power politics al. I know some will question whether senator hagel s assurances are merely attempts to quiet critics as he seeks confirmation to this critical post. And because he has rather bluntly stated that his job as.
Mar 04, 20 chuck hagel s notorious 2008 statement about the american israel public affairs committee aipac, the leading institution of the pro israel lobby, claimed that the jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here in congress. Senate including cries of antisemitism harms israel. Perhaps the worst affront israels american representatives ever inflicted on the us military was the coverup of the israeli air and torpedo boat attack on the uss liberty in 1967. Is the israel lobbys premier organization outsourcing its assault on chuck hagel. Harvard university professor stephen walt, coauthor of a 2007 book critical of the israeli lobby wrote in foreign policy that the real meaning of the hagel affair is what it says about the climate inside washington. Chuck hagel not antisemitic for saying proisrael lobby has. Hagel also has been criticized by the american jewish committee for an incident in 1999 where he was the only senator not to sign an open letter to russian president boris yeltsin threatening to cut aid to russia if it did not take action against rising anti. A spokesman for aipac, marshall wittmann, had no comment on.
The writers main intention is producing this book is to point out that us national interests are being adversely affected by many of the policy choices encouraged by the lobby. Simply put, the question is whether supine and reflexive support for all things israeli. On more than one occasion, hagel criticized the impact of the israeli lobby on american foreign policy. These are the most important political developments in the hagel appointment. Jan 10, 20 the evidence is that hagel once referred to the term jewish lobby rather than israel lobby, and that he has generally been more willing to criticize israeli policies than many of. But hagel apparently sees things in terms of jewish interests versus american. The israel lobby led the charge against hagel, but there is plenty of animus for him in the broader republican party, too. Bush, said hagels comments about the jewish lobby may have been impolitic, but his views on that point are far from. Because it is the israel lobby that is, today, the main force agitating for war with iran, and us military intervention in syria. In his 2008 book, the much too promised land, aaron miller. This is probably the most controversial quote by hagel, in part because he used the phrase jewish lobby, appearing to single out the religion when in fact proisrael lobby would have. When aipac sends up to the hill one of its scripted proisrael resolutions, it is whistled through. Hagel has now said he misspoke, and should have said israel lobby, as he.
Dec 27, 2012 at issue in particular is hagels use, in a 2006 interview, of the descriptor jewish lobby to refer to the proisrael lobby in washington, which includes us christians, too, and which. Foreign policy is a book by john mearsheimer, professor of political science at the university of chicago, and stephen walt, professor of international relations at the kennedy school of government at harvard university, published in late august 2007. They understand that not all supporters of israel are jewish, and that not all jews are part of the israel lobby. The evidence is that hagel once referred to the term jewish lobby rather than israel lobby, and that he has generally been more willing to criticize israeli policies than many of.
Another reason for the israel lobbys strenuous opposition to hagel is his general foreign policy perspective. Dec 29, 2012 the israel lobby is hell bent on sabotaging president barack obamas tentative plan to appoint former sen. Chuck hagel not antisemitic for saying proisrael lobby has a. Opinion in defense of hagel for defense the new york times. Aug 20, 20 in retrospect, its apparent that the israel lobby had never even shown up for the fight. Hagel, the israel lobby and kerrys peace bid the forward. He must understand, first, that there is a difference between jews who support israel and the israel lobby. The israel lobby is taking aim at another prospective obama administration appointee deemed insufficiently supportive of israels likud policies, exnebraska republican sen. Jan 08, 20 this is probably the most controversial quote by hagel, in part because he used the phrase jewish lobby, appearing to single out the religion when in fact proisrael lobby would have. Hagel owes it to all americans, not just to american jews, to do more than apologize for use of the expression jewish lobby in communicating his concern about its power. Senator chuck hagel, as quoted by middle east expert aaron david miller in a 2008 book.
But as the rest of the interview makes clear, what the senator was really talking about was the israel lobby. The hatchet job on hagel is driven by fear of the israel lobby. Chuck hagel and the neocon smear machine the atlantic. Chuck hagels confirmation and the orthodoxy of us debate on. Chuck hagels notorious 2008 statement about the american israel public affairs committee aipac, the leading institution of the proisrael lobby, claimed that the jewish lobby intimidates a lot. This suggests the israel lobby has powers that are at once vast, invisible and malevolent. Hagel has conceded he misspoke in using the phrase jewish lobby. That the former nebraska senator once suggested the jewish lobby. Chuck hagels jewish critics relent after nod the forward. Foreign policy kindle edition by mearsheimer, john j. In backing hagel, mainstream news organizations call out. The correct term, as hagel quickly acknowledged last week, is israel lobby.
Because the israel lobby is a rightwing fringe that supports the. At j street, the liberal proisrael lobby, leader ben ami found it troubling that some claiming to represent the proisrael community have tried. Foreign policy is a book by john mearsheimer, professor of political science at the university of chicago, and stephen walt. The antisemitism charge was recently advanced by bret stephens in the wall street journal, who wrote that mr. Walt thou the cover of this copy was in rough shape and by the some of stuff in this book is dated by now the book published in 2007 and article the book is based on came out 2006 is very educational and informative and also is fairly easy to read and follow as well, that out of the way this book does make soiled case the americaisraeli alliance, zionism and the israeli lobby too, and gives evidence. The disgusting is the fact that because hagel once described the israel lobby as the jewish lobby it also contains some christians. Rather, the question is the extent of the israel lobbys power. So, just how powerful is the israel lobby in the us. In retrospect, its apparent that the israel lobby had never even shown up for the fight. Feb 14, 20 but in the case of hagel, the strongest pro israel lobby, aipac, has been silent on the nomination. Buy the israel lobby and us foreign policy 01 by john j mearsheimer, stephen m walt isbn. Looking back a halfyear later, the entire episode might hardly be worth a.
Regarding his unfortunate use of the term jewish lobby to refer to certain proisrael groups, senator hagel understands the sensitivity around such a loaded term and regrets saying it. Hagel went public with a taboo subject when he said the jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people on capitol hill, and then added. The word cloud above is based on a transcript of the hearing. In the 2006 interview, hagel stupidly used the term jewish lobby to refer to the proisrael lobby, which is problematic for two reasons.
Walt thou the cover of this copy was in rough shape and by the some of stuff in this book is dated by now the book published in 2007 and article the book is based on came out 2006 is very educational and informative and also is fairly easy to read and. Mar 04, 20 chuck hagel s notorious 2008 statement about the american israel public affairs committee aipac, the leading institution of the pro israel lobby, claimed that the jewish lobby intimidates a lot. It consists of a multitude of institutions and individuals that work to influence congress, the president, academia, the media, religious institutions, and. After first voting for the iraq war, hagel became one of its most vocal. Hagels jewish problem he doesnt have one, but lets see. The israel lobby, by mearsheimer and walt, is a highly detailed and well research book on the operations of the israel lobby in the united states. Defense secretary nominee chuck hagel in senate hearings expanded on his apology for the use of the term jewish lobby, and said it was also wrong to suggest proisrael groups intimidate. The american israel public affairs committee, widely seen as the lobbying group hagel spoke about in his 2007 remarks referring to the jewish lobby that has intimidated lawmakers. Hagel, the lobby and the limits of power politics al jazeera. This is probably the most controversial quote by hagel, in part because he used the phrase jewish lobby, appearing to single out the religion when in fact pro israel lobby would have. Jan 07, 20 the author of a book that quotes chuck hagel criticising the influence of the pro israel lobby in washington has defended him from charges of antisemitism, and said the presidents nominee for.
In office, hagel sometimes challenged gop orthodoxy on foreign policy issues. In choosing hagel, an antiwar president gets backup from the. The author of a book that quotes chuck hagel criticising the influence of the proisrael lobby in washington has defended him from charges of. And that is a big step forward for opponents of the war party. Miller author of the book in which hagels jewish lobby quote appears. The israel lobby asserts what almost 40% per the authors of americans recognize that israel is one of the main causes of antiamericanism, that the u. The israel lobby is one of the most powerful and pervasive special interest groups in the u. At issue in particular is hagels use, in a 2006 interview, of the descriptor jewish lobby to refer to the proisrael lobby in washington, which includes us christians, too, and which.
If the problem with hagels statement was, in part, that he conflated jews, broadly speaking, with a proisrael lobby that consists of jews, christians, and other americans, colin powell was the. Hagel s use of the term jewish lobby in a conversation with aaron david miller, the former middle east negotiator who doesnt hide either his jewishness or his support for israel had an olfactory element to it. But as for a proisrael lobby, its existence is the subject of books and. Rather, it was more radical, rightwing groups like. Jan 09, 20 in the 2006 interview, hagel stupidly used the term jewish lobby to refer to the proisrael lobby, which is problematic for two reasons. But in the case of hagel, the strongest proisrael lobby, aipac, has been silent on the nomination. May 04, 2018 the israel lobby is one of the most powerful and pervasive special interest groups in the u. Chuck hagels confirmation and the orthodoxy of us debate. Chuck hagel will undoubtedly face numerous questions about his support. It was a new york times best seller the book describes the lobby as a loose coalition of individuals and.
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