House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) is presently leading a 29-member Democratic delegation on an AIPAC-sponsored tour of Israel. The junket is to follow the same itinerary as last week’s 25-member Republican House group led by Minority Whip Eric Cantor. What is Hoyer up to?
As a clue, here are some of Hoyer’s remarks during a recent encounter with Israel’s racist foreign minister Avigdor Lieberman. It already tells you something about Hoyer’s views on Obama’s Middle East peace plan.
…After the 15-minute meeting, [House Majority Leader Steny] Hoyer came into the room and Engel told Lieberman that “out of all the members of Congress who are not Jewish, he is the strongest on Israel.”
“‘Even among those who are Jewish,'” Hoyer joked, according to Engel. Lieberman and his entourage of embassy staffers and his deputy Danny Ayalon all laughed.
Support for Israel (ala AIPAC) means supporting the agenda of the right wing Likud party.
This report by Ira Glunts for Mondoweiss tells all.
Hoyer’s trip reminds us that obeisance to Israel is a bipartisan obsession in American politics. In the final analysis powerful Democrats like Hoyer, who have been feeding at AIPAC’s trough for decades, may present a greater obstacle than Republicans to the Obama/Mitchell peace plans.
Here is what Hoyer stated in Israel. It’s a virtual litany of anti-Obama proLikud positions:
During the trip, Hoyer made a number of provocative statements which are at odds with the Obama administration’s current policy, although he did not criticize the President directly. The Majority Leader opined that
…the Palestinians were to blame for the stalled peace process because the U.S-designated Palestinian negotiation partner, Mahmoud Abbas, has wrongly insisted on Israeli compliance with a settlement freeze as a precondition for starting negotiations.
… the so-called “natural growth” construction, which means expansion of the existing settlements, should be permissible.
….expressed sympathy for the Israeli desire to build in East Jerusalem stating that, “I personally perceive Jerusalem as a unified city.”
…(supports) Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state.
Resistance against Obama’s Middle East peace effort is therefore a bipartisan one, which reflects business as usual in the AIPAC dominated Congress. AIPAC has by no means been sidelined by Obama and its right wing agenda remains viable and supported by members of both parties.
Any idea what the composition of Hoyer’s district — MD-5 — is like?
Outside of certain Christian and Jewish religious motivations, I frankly don’t understand the urge to bend the knee to Jerusalem now that the Cold War is over and the alliance serves no discernible strategic purpose.
Nor do I mean to imply that this is a case where the government is ignoring the will of the people. While popular support for Israel has flagged somewhat, it’s still quite strong. And again, aside from the religious loons, I don’t get it.
Hoyer’s district covers about 5 counties south of Baltimore. He’s been a Congressman for this district since 1981. Apart from that, I don’t know why politically a strong vocal even obescient proIsrael stance works for him.
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Presently at the Appeals Court in The Hague awaiting a ruling. Result could lead to an international arrest warrent through Interpol.
Lawyers for a Palestinian who
claims hewas tortured in an Israeli jail are seeking a Dutch arrest warrant for former Shin Bet head Ami Ayalon, a human rights activist said. Khalid al-Shami alleges he was permanently seriously injured after being tortured while jailed in Israel for 50 days early in 2000.The lawyers are appealing Dutch prosecutors’ decision not to investigate Ayalon when he visited the Netherlands last May (2008). Ayalon was a minister without portfolio and the former head of its Shin Bet security service, which is responsible for intelligence activities in the Palestinian territories.
Muhammed Omer’s hair-raising encounter with the Shin Bet
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."