Dennis Leahy
28th February 2015, 08:21
There is an organized protest in the US against AIPAC that is worth noting:
For anyone that is not aware "AIPAC" (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is (reportedly) the most powerful lobbying group lobbying the US Congress.
Wikipedia says:
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC, / (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)ˈ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)eɪ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)p (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ć (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English) AY-pak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_key)) is a lobbying group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_group) that advocates pro-Israel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel) policies to the Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) and Executive Branch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_%28government%29) of the United States. The current President of AIPAC is Robert Cohen.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-AIPACWebSite-3)
Describing itself as "America's Pro-Israel Lobby",[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-AIPACWebSite-3) AIPAC has more than 100,000 members,[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-4) seventeen regional offices, and "a vast pool of donors."[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) It has been called "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel,"[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-6) and one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) The group does not raise funds for political candidates itself, but helps organize to channel money to candidates.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5)
Its critics have stated it acts as an agent of the Israeli government (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_government) with a "stranglehold" on the United States Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) with its power and influence.[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-7) The group has been accused of being strongly allied with the Likud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likud) party of Israel, and the Republican Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29) in the US, but an AIPAC spokesman has called this a "malicious mischaracterization."[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) AIPAC describes itself as a bipartisan organization,[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-8) and bills it lobbies for in Congress are always jointly sponsored by both a Democrat and Republican.[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-9)
Peter Cohen (and others) started a group called "Humanity for Palestine", to try to do something about the genocide and cultural genocide and imperialism of the Zionist State of Israel against Palestine and Palestinians. I feel that his words, his motivation, and his passion deserve a wide audience. This isn't just a generalist glance at Israel's policy, or a discussion of whether my inclusion of the word "genocide" is correct, or about the history, political spin, or tactics of AIPAC. This is just an informative post about a specific protest. Even if the group is unable to successfully navigate the stormy seas that the multi-million dollar lobbyist group, AIPAC, will create - and on to victory (in shutting down AIPAC), it still raises awareness. I'm sure a lot of "mainstream" people have no idea that AIPAC even exists.
Rather than use the forum's quote feature - which italicizes text - I'll indent the quoted material. These are the words of Peter Cohen:
Tomorrow I’ll be going to #ShutDownAIPAC (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/shutdownaipac?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), which will last from February, 28th to March 3rd in Washington, DC. Why am I going?
I’m going as an American, to say no to the lobbying regime, to government by money, and to the undue influence of corporations and foreign governments in the election of our leaders and the making of our policies; to stop the legalized bribery and blackmail that allows a country to give millions to our lawmakers so it can in turn get billions from them; and to stop our tax money from making this occupation possible, through the $3 billion a year in unconditional aid.
I’m going to expose the suppression of free speech in academia and the mass media that keeps most Americans unaware of the truth of what is going on in Palestine, because the notion that we cannot criticize a government, its elected leaders, or its policies is un-American.
I’m going because a state that deprives half its population of the most basic rights is not a democracy; it’s a hypocrisy.
I’m going as a Jewish person because this occupation is waged in my name.
I’m going to expose the lie that this is a conflict between Jews and Muslims or Jews and Arabs and not between a nationalist Colonialist project and its victims; the lie that being Jewish does not mean uncritically supporting a particular state no matter who governs it or what it does; and the lie that supporting Palestine makes a Jewish person ‘self hating’.
I’m going because those who come from a history of discrimination, ethnic cleansing and genocide have a special obligation to oppose oppression wherever they find it; and because I know that ‘never again’ means now.
I’m going as a human being to hold the State of Israel to the Geneva Conventions and all UN resolutions, as double standards undermine the very existence of International Law.
I’m going because I oppose nationalist extremism and ethno-religious supremacism whatever form they take, by whomever they are practiced, and against whomever they are directed.
I’m going to say ‘enough’ to an endless 'Peace Process' that only enables the ongoing absorption of Palestinian land, appropriation of Palestinian resources, and concentration of Palestinian people into ever-smaller reservations, ghettos, or Bantustans and the periodic bloodletting of a civilian population deprived of even the right to flee.
I’m going to reaffirm the inalienable rights of all people, including the right to life, security, dignity, self-determination and return to their homes and the land of their birth.
I’m going because we will not survive this century by walling ourselves in with ‘our kind’ while walling out Mankind; because I see in Palestine not a conflict between two peoples, but between the ideals of humanity and a myopic tribalism fueled by fear and suspicion of the 'other'; because the children being murdered in Palestine are my children.
I’m going as a witness because I saw with my own eyes in five visits to occupied Palestine that everything I had been sold a lie; that the guard towers, walls, barbed wire, crowded checkpoints and other images of everyday day life under occupation are not the answer, but the problem.
I’m going for the Palestinian people I met who endure an intolerable and unjust situation with dignity, equanimity, humor and great humanity; because to experience the hospitality, generosity, thoughtfulness and gentleness of these people is to realize just how cruelly they’ve been maligned.
Finally, I’m going because – despite what we hear – this is a problem that is very easy to solve. Once one realizes that Israel’s actions are not driven by legitimate security needs but by a deliberate and systematic program of Colonial expansion; that Israel does not want peace, but perpetuation of the status quo of an emerging Greater Israel and increasing containment of the Palestinian population; that this situation is only made possible by the unconditional US support that absolves Israel of its obligations under international law; and that this is in turn only made possible by the fear AIPAC and the rest of the pro-Israel lobby instill in our elected officials, one sees why the road to Jerusalem leads through the Washington Convention Center.
#StopTheBlankCheck (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stoptheblankcheck?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #NotInMyName (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/notinmyname?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #NotOnMyDime (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/notonmydime?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #PullThePlug (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pulltheplug?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716) #ShutDownAIPAC, #FreePalestine (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freepalestine?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716)
For anyone that is not aware "AIPAC" (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) is (reportedly) the most powerful lobbying group lobbying the US Congress.
Wikipedia says:
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC, / (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English)ˈ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)eɪ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)p (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)ć (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)k (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English#Key)/ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA_for_English) AY-pak (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Pronunciation_respelling_key)) is a lobbying group (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interest_group) that advocates pro-Israel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel) policies to the Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) and Executive Branch (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_%28government%29) of the United States. The current President of AIPAC is Robert Cohen.[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-AIPACWebSite-3)
Describing itself as "America's Pro-Israel Lobby",[3] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-AIPACWebSite-3) AIPAC has more than 100,000 members,[4] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-4) seventeen regional offices, and "a vast pool of donors."[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) It has been called "the most important organization affecting America's relationship with Israel,"[6] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-6) and one of the most powerful lobbying groups in the United States.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) The group does not raise funds for political candidates itself, but helps organize to channel money to candidates.[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5)
Its critics have stated it acts as an agent of the Israeli government (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israeli_government) with a "stranglehold" on the United States Congress (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congress) with its power and influence.[7] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-7) The group has been accused of being strongly allied with the Likud (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Likud) party of Israel, and the Republican Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_%28United_States%29) in the US, but an AIPAC spokesman has called this a "malicious mischaracterization."[5] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-bruck-5) AIPAC describes itself as a bipartisan organization,[8] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-8) and bills it lobbies for in Congress are always jointly sponsored by both a Democrat and Republican.[9] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Israel_Public_Affairs_Committee#cite_note-9)
Peter Cohen (and others) started a group called "Humanity for Palestine", to try to do something about the genocide and cultural genocide and imperialism of the Zionist State of Israel against Palestine and Palestinians. I feel that his words, his motivation, and his passion deserve a wide audience. This isn't just a generalist glance at Israel's policy, or a discussion of whether my inclusion of the word "genocide" is correct, or about the history, political spin, or tactics of AIPAC. This is just an informative post about a specific protest. Even if the group is unable to successfully navigate the stormy seas that the multi-million dollar lobbyist group, AIPAC, will create - and on to victory (in shutting down AIPAC), it still raises awareness. I'm sure a lot of "mainstream" people have no idea that AIPAC even exists.
Rather than use the forum's quote feature - which italicizes text - I'll indent the quoted material. These are the words of Peter Cohen:
Tomorrow I’ll be going to #ShutDownAIPAC (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/shutdownaipac?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), which will last from February, 28th to March 3rd in Washington, DC. Why am I going?
I’m going as an American, to say no to the lobbying regime, to government by money, and to the undue influence of corporations and foreign governments in the election of our leaders and the making of our policies; to stop the legalized bribery and blackmail that allows a country to give millions to our lawmakers so it can in turn get billions from them; and to stop our tax money from making this occupation possible, through the $3 billion a year in unconditional aid.
I’m going to expose the suppression of free speech in academia and the mass media that keeps most Americans unaware of the truth of what is going on in Palestine, because the notion that we cannot criticize a government, its elected leaders, or its policies is un-American.
I’m going because a state that deprives half its population of the most basic rights is not a democracy; it’s a hypocrisy.
I’m going as a Jewish person because this occupation is waged in my name.
I’m going to expose the lie that this is a conflict between Jews and Muslims or Jews and Arabs and not between a nationalist Colonialist project and its victims; the lie that being Jewish does not mean uncritically supporting a particular state no matter who governs it or what it does; and the lie that supporting Palestine makes a Jewish person ‘self hating’.
I’m going because those who come from a history of discrimination, ethnic cleansing and genocide have a special obligation to oppose oppression wherever they find it; and because I know that ‘never again’ means now.
I’m going as a human being to hold the State of Israel to the Geneva Conventions and all UN resolutions, as double standards undermine the very existence of International Law.
I’m going because I oppose nationalist extremism and ethno-religious supremacism whatever form they take, by whomever they are practiced, and against whomever they are directed.
I’m going to say ‘enough’ to an endless 'Peace Process' that only enables the ongoing absorption of Palestinian land, appropriation of Palestinian resources, and concentration of Palestinian people into ever-smaller reservations, ghettos, or Bantustans and the periodic bloodletting of a civilian population deprived of even the right to flee.
I’m going to reaffirm the inalienable rights of all people, including the right to life, security, dignity, self-determination and return to their homes and the land of their birth.
I’m going because we will not survive this century by walling ourselves in with ‘our kind’ while walling out Mankind; because I see in Palestine not a conflict between two peoples, but between the ideals of humanity and a myopic tribalism fueled by fear and suspicion of the 'other'; because the children being murdered in Palestine are my children.
I’m going as a witness because I saw with my own eyes in five visits to occupied Palestine that everything I had been sold a lie; that the guard towers, walls, barbed wire, crowded checkpoints and other images of everyday day life under occupation are not the answer, but the problem.
I’m going for the Palestinian people I met who endure an intolerable and unjust situation with dignity, equanimity, humor and great humanity; because to experience the hospitality, generosity, thoughtfulness and gentleness of these people is to realize just how cruelly they’ve been maligned.
Finally, I’m going because – despite what we hear – this is a problem that is very easy to solve. Once one realizes that Israel’s actions are not driven by legitimate security needs but by a deliberate and systematic program of Colonial expansion; that Israel does not want peace, but perpetuation of the status quo of an emerging Greater Israel and increasing containment of the Palestinian population; that this situation is only made possible by the unconditional US support that absolves Israel of its obligations under international law; and that this is in turn only made possible by the fear AIPAC and the rest of the pro-Israel lobby instill in our elected officials, one sees why the road to Jerusalem leads through the Washington Convention Center.
#StopTheBlankCheck (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/stoptheblankcheck?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #NotInMyName (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/notinmyname?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #NotOnMyDime (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/notonmydime?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716), #PullThePlug (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/pulltheplug?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716) #ShutDownAIPAC, #FreePalestine (https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/freepalestine?source=feed_text&story_id=10206057072927716)