Unfair Tilt Toward Israel

[Classical_Liberal]

Unfair Tilt Toward Israel


By Michael Lerner and Cornel West
Tuesday, November 11, 2003; Page A25

In mid-September, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) joined Democratic Rep. Howard Berman of Los Angeles and several dozen other congressional Democrats in an extraordinary attempt to stop debate in the presidential primaries about America's approach to Middle East conflict. In a letter to candidate Howard Dean, the liberal Democrats criticized Dean's statement that if the United States wanted to play a positive role in bringing Israel and Palestine to peace, it would have to take a more neutral stance.



Pelosi and others insisted that these words were a violation of America's traditional tilt toward Israel, and that they could be interpreted as abandoning the U.S. commitment to Israel's survival. Of course Dean had neither intended nor implied any such thing. In fact, Dean has not been particularly courageous on Middle East peace issues, so the public hand-slap sent a powerful message: Democrats can be against the war in Iraq, but they dare not question America's almost blind support for Ariel Sharon's government.

Privately, some Democrats say they are doing this to ensure that their party does not lose the support of Jewish campaign contributors, who play a disproportionate role in the finances of the party. Pelosi, they say, was trying to reassure these contributors that the party would stay loyal to Israel.

Yet in precluding a serious public discussion of our Israel-Palestine policy, the liberal Democrats who are normally the champions of free speech are actually hurting the best interests of the United States, Israel and the Jewish people.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24513-2003Nov10.html

[bluesoul]

1. Taking a more

neutral stance is a problem for them? Now how progressive/liberal is that? Who are they so afraid of by speaking out?

[Classical_Liberal]

2. Remember Cynthia McKinney?

?