In a secret meeting between Jewish leaders and 25 Senators, the principal topic was likely how to contain and reverse pro- Palestinian sentiment among progressive Democratic voters, who, to the horror of the participants, actually have been embracing the possibility that Palestinians are human beings with plausibly the same rights as Israelis.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reports that 2020 Presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar met with Jewish campaign donors earlier this month and notes that among the donors was Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN), liquor heir and grandson of the late advice columnist “Dear Abby.” Klobuchar spoke about Israel, foreign policy, immigration, and climate change…
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will endorse a bipartisan resolution that would impede Americans’ First Amendment right to boycott. Schumer calls himself a “guardian for Israel.” The bill has 60 co-sponsors. A companion bill in the House of Representatives has 300 co-sponsors.
New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft pledged $20 million to establish a new foundation that will work to counter the international movement to boycott Israel over its violations of human rights. Kraft said that the foundation will combat “antisemitism,” which is often defined to mean criticism of Israel.
The Times of Israel reports that “Jewish leaders are meeting with Senate Democrats today.” All the organizations except one advocate for Israel. The Senators’ offices will not tell Americans when or where the meeting is, or what’s on the agenda…. a quarter of the Senate attended the meeting – see the list…
As Democratic support for Israel wanes, new pro-Zionist organizations are committed to rekindling the love affair by any means possible.
State lawmakers and governors across the US have allowed the Israel lobby to write public policy. New laws and executive orders have been crafted by Israel lobbyists, then copied from one state to the next, adopted with virtually identical language. The groundwork for anti-boycott legislation was laid by Israel partisans a decade ago…
Philip Weiss reports that Trump’s extreme pro-Israel policies have fostered a widening split among Israel-lovers. Rightwing Zionists love what Trump is doing. Centrist Zionists who worry that Israel is going off the rails are disturbed by Trump’s actions. Liberal and centrist Zionists have been going to occupied Jerusalem for more than a generation and seeing a 26-foot wall that reminded them of the Berlin wall on steroids, and seen bright red occupation signs warning Jews against going into Palestinian areas that remind them of South Africa. And they’ve done nothing…
Among Congress members’ subsidized trips abroad, Israel is by far the top foreign destination; most trips work to cultivate an Israel-centric perspective of the region, and are paid for by an organization with deep foreign ties. On the other hand, only a handful of legislators visit Palestine. 41% of Americans believe that if their representatives visit Israel, they should also visit Palestine.
The leaked documentary will be shown, followed by a discussion, at the Berkeley Central Library on Monday, Feb. 4, at 6 pm. The explosive film contains footage of Israel lobby manipulation obtained by an undercover reporter. The post contains a downloadable flyer for people in the Berkeley, California area to distribute.