Rather, the question is the extent of the israel lobbys power. 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. The antihagel alliance, led from behind the scenes by the powerful israel lobby group aipac the american israel public affairs committee, also includes the debka jewish intelligence site. In his book hagel labeled the war in iraq one of the greatest blunders of u. Hagel had the audacity, in an interview for a 2008 book, to say something that you are not supposed to say in official washington, that the israel lobby pulls the strings on many members of. Indeed, numerous journalists have come out to defend hagel against. Chuck hagels record on terrorism, israel, iran news. Simply put, the question is whether supine and reflexive support for all things israeli remains a prerequisite for important. This suggests the israel lobby has powers that are at once vast, invisible and malevolent. Hagels confirmation represented a crack in the alliance between the israel lobby and the republican right. That crack may now prove wide enough for kerry to drive a. But, as bruck explained, hagel did not make the obeisance to the lobby that the overwhelming majority of his congressional colleagues do.
The scene at the hagel hearing updating the atlantic. Unfortunately, hagel could not take advantage of that opportunity. Looking back a halfyear later, the entire episode might hardly be worth a second glance, except for this. He is the author of the forthcoming book crisis tales. On more than one occasion, hagel criticized the impact of the israeli lobby on american foreign policy. In his senate confirmation hearings, defense secretary nominee chuck hagel expanded on his apology for using the term jewish lobby and said it also was wrong to suggest proisrael groups. Foreign policy is a book by john mearsheimer, professor of political science at the university of chicago, and stephen walt. Aspiring officials like secretary of defense chuck hagel and u.
Hagel, the lobby and the limits of power politics al. Hagel was one of just four senators who in october 2000 abstained from signing a letter affirming. In retrospect, its apparent that the israel lobby had never even shown up for the fight. Chuck hagel not antisemitic for saying proisrael lobby. That year, hagel praised millers book about the middle east. But many observers see his attitude toward israel and the israel lobby as problematic. 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. Israel relationship did earn a stamp of approval from at least one sourcestephen walt, coauthor of the israel lobby, a 2007 book. Reading the israel lobby and us foreign policy is a rather dispiriting experience when one grasps how highly lauded it is by so many people.
Chuck hagel not antisemitic for saying proisrael lobby has a. Hagel has now said he misspoke, and should have said israel lobby, as he. 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. In 2007 scholars mearsheimer and walt wrote of this power in their book, the israel lobby and u. This is an institution that does not inherently bring out a great deal of courage, hagel continued. 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.
Hagel is willing to take on the job of defense secretary, and he does understand war from the bottom, unlike the neocons, who plan the wars. Referring to the charges of antisemitism against hagel, jeremy benami, executive director of the liberal proisrael group j street, told the new york times. Graham focused on a comment hagel made in an interview for a book that there is a jewish lobby that intimidates a lot of people on capitol hill. In backing hagel, mainstream news organizations call out. In his 2008 book, the much too promised land, aaron miller. The challenge created an unusual opportunity for hagel, for there could be no better and conclusive evidence of the israel lobby s power of intimidation of u. Hagel, the israel lobby and kerrys peace bid the forward. Or consider, says stephens, hagels use of the word intimidates. The jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here. But as the rest of the interview makes clear, what the senator was really talking about was the israel lobby.
Jews of dominating and controlling american middle east policy to. After first voting for the iraq war, hagel became one of. 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.
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. The jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people up here on capitol hill, hagel told aaron david miller in 2008. Hagels made especially good theatre, largely because the reek of treachery was in the air. The economist, too, in its customary succinct and understated fashion, determined on september 29, 2007 that the book s main thesis that the israel lobby was critical in persuading george. Indeed, i think his nomination represents a power slide by the lobby.
Israel lobby out in force to block hagels appointment as. So, just how powerful is the israel lobby in the us. I was surprised obama had the guts to nominate hagel, because hagel is the antithesis of the israel lobby in our politics. The proisrael lobby in washington is very unhappy about hagels impending nomination. And with obama now dithering about this selection the lobby and its neocon allies sense another impending victory. Noting that hagel had already said he should have used the term proisrael lobby instead of jewish lobby, graham asked hagel to name one person, in your opinion, whos. The correct term, as hagel quickly acknowledged last week, is israel lobby. Hagel wisely caves in to the israel lobby the occidental. The israel lobby is taking aim at another prospective obama administration appointee deemed insufficiently supportive of israels likud policies, exnebraska republican sen. It is simply beyond disturbing to think that somebody of chuck hagels stature and significant record of national service is being slandered in this way. Hagel had the audacity, in an interview for a 2008 book, to say something that you are not supposed to say in official washington, that the israel lobby pulls the strings on many members of congress. The israel lobby is hell bent on sabotaging president barack obamas tentative plan to appoint former sen.
In hearings, chuck hagel expands on jewish lobby apology. Senators plan to press potential defense secretary chuck. How not to think about the israel lobby foreign policy. In choosing hagel, an antiwar president gets backup from. Stephen walt and john mearsheimer used the latter in their book on the subject. But kristol, and then others, went further, publishing a passage from a 2008 book in which hagel is quoted as saying. 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. 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 said the presidents nominee for.
More recently, two wellknown professors, john mearsheimer of the university of chicago and stephen walt of harvard university, though carefully avoiding the term jewish lobby in their 2007 book, the israel lobby and u. Chuck hagels lacklustre performance at his confirmation hearing thursday heartened neoconservatives and other hawks opposed to his nomination, those who argued that the israel lobby has been exerting. Hagel hearings showcase proisrael agenda by jim lobe posted on february 03, 20 february 2, 20 if former defence secretarydesignate sen. Simply put, the question is whether supine and reflexive support for all things israeli. 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. Send us hagel and we will make sure every american knows he is an antisemite, a senior republican. At first blush, it seems as though hagels characterization of israels supporters as the jewish lobby is mistaken at best, deeply antisemitic at worst. A committed supporter of israel and, also, of a twostate solution between israel and palestine, hagel did not make the obeisance to the lobby that the overwhelming majority of his congressional. Some of hagels statements that inflamed the extremely sensitive souls of the jewish lobby appeared in aaron david millers book, the much too promised land.
Senator hagel, senator graham, and the israel lobby u. Hagel says his positions on israel has been completely distorted, though. The hagel circusits all about israel by jim lobe washington, feb 2 20 ips if former defence secretarydesignate sen. That the former nebraska senator once suggested the jewish lobby.
But there is no way he would mention the israel lobbys role in his senate confirmation hearings. How the hagel nomination battle became a fight over the. How the hagel nomination battle became a fight over the israel lobby many democrats want a democrat for defense secretary. How the chuck hagel fight changed the american jewish. War lobby fights hagels nomination american free press. Perhaps the new yorkers connie bruck described hagels predicament best in assessing why the israel lobby is so determined to destroy the nebraska republican though he is a committed supporter of israel. Chuck hagel will undoubtedly face numerous questions about his support. Senator chuck hagel, as quoted by middle east expert aaron david miller in a 2008 book. Proisrael groups have long cited what they say is hagels record of hostility to israel.
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