121 The History of US-Israeli Relations: Just How Powerful IS the Israel Lobby?
In a recent very interesting-if extremely controversial and polarizing-episode of Mondoweiss e the show interviewed Tony Greenstein-who goes way over the ultimate third rail in the Zionist debates in his book discussing the historical relationship between Zionism and the Holocaust. Greenstein argues that in many ways Zionism and anti Semitism have always been two sides of the same coin.
FN: A very provocative assertion to say the least. Note that other writers far more symathetic to Israel have noted the fact that a number of the leading Zionists prior to the successful founding of Israel seemed themselves to fit the definition of “anti Semitic Zionists” or “self hating Jews”-a la Arthur Koestler. Find female author… The very arresting story of Koestler is a picture of someone who felt stained by the existence of anti Semitism-and his own Jewishness. It’s very notable that once Israel was founded Koestler never visited the now nation ever again. It was as if he expected the founding of Israel to end anti Semitism. When it didn’t it’s arguable he gave up-simply lost his will to be, will to live. In his mind Israel was supposed to end Jewishness, end what anti Semites had always hated and feared in about the Jews-a la the Diaspora.
Indeed, in this vein, it IS notable that in the US those who support Israel in the most unqualified way are also the most blatant anti Semites starting with someone like Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik who recently made a big name for herself by with great self righteousness publicly forcing the resignations of some Presidents of Ivy league schools over alleged insensitivity to anti Semitism.
Harvard, Penn antisemitism backlash spotlights new Ivy presidents | AP News
But Stefanik as Cold Warrior against anti Semitism is more than a little ironic in light of her history promoting the Great Replacement Theory-that the Jews are bringing all those brown skinned illegal immigrants into the country to destroy White people-presumably taking away their majority status.
Elise Stefanik is defending replacement theory ideas shamelessly (msnbc.com)
This was the whole premise behind the Charlottesville white supremacy march: Jews will not replace us!
Indeed, in further following this premise of the connection between Zionism and anti Semitism, as Greenstein discusses in his book-others have discussed it too-leading Zionists after Hitler’s ascension in 1933 made the case to the Nazi regime that Zionists agree with them and want the same thing-Jews leaving the country. The argument was to send Germany’s Jews to Palestine…
However the host in this Mondoweiss interview asked one question I thought was problematic in a revealing way. To paraphrase he said to Greenstein: I don’t CARE about what the Zionists did during the 1930s what matters to me is what they’re doing to Gazan children TODAY.
I have to say I have a real problem with the premise behind such a question and it actually goes to the central issue I have with many hedonistic leftists. It’s this idea you saw in the Vietnam War and today regarding what I agree is Israel’s genocide in Gaza. For them who cares about history what matters is stopping suffering going on NOW. All that matters is what’s going on now. With the LEFT this is never any history just NOW. In 2016 they had no use for HRC’s proposal of the public option-all that mattered was their bumper sticker demands SINLGE PAYER NOW. Everything is always NOW.
This ahistorical NOWness might explain terrible takes that maybe Trump will be BETTER for the Palestinians. Seriously these are arguments today leftists are making.
It led to the unforgivable error of 1968 leftists in not supporting Hubert Humphrey-belatedly Daniel Ellsberg himself acknowledged it was a “big mistake”-to use the phrase Chomsky used criticizing the leftists that hadn’t supported Clinton in 2016.
At the fundamental level my problem with this idea-this is not the time for a history lesson, there’s a genocide going on, children are dying!-is the goal should be not to virtue signal and impress the world with how righteous you are how much seeing these suffering, hungry, dying children hurts you to your soul, but to actually ending this suffering. Often you also hear impatience with anyone who argues what’s happening in Gaza is a “complex question” or issue, etc-it’s not complex it’s simple, don’t do genocide.
Yes and no-the diagnosis is simple. But the cure is necessarily complex. And for that you need history. Obviously what needs to happen is the US government needs to change its Israel policy. Yet history shows this is much easier said than done-as long US history and precedent is that Israel gets a blank check. The solution-that if we are going to continue to support Israel there need to be real conditions-is simple but what’s complex is why the US government has been historically so adverse from doing this. It’s for this we need history.
I would argue that if we can finally ‘Free Palestine” we need history. So let’s go to the history books. In that vein I’d like to review three books in particular. Let’s look at three in particular:
1. Harry Truman and Israel
2. The Much Too Promised Land
3. Prophets Without Honor.
Why Some Diaspora Jews ‘Feel Furious With Israel’ Right Now – Jewish World – Haaretz.com
Gaza caught in the crossfire as Hamas, Israel, and the US near an impasse – GZERO Media
I have a lot of sympathy for those who argue that the “special relationship” with Israel is no longer in US interest
as well as those who question if it ever was
Josh Ruebner
Amazon.com: Israel: Democracy or Apartheid State?: 9781566560290: Ruebner, Josh: Books