Monday, December 24

President Obama: Who Will You Choose - AIPAC or Senator Chuck Hagel?


Isn’t it time to tell Israel – Enough is Enough?
Salem-News.com
Obama and Hagel, courtesy: csmonitor.com

(WASHINGTON DC) - "I am aware how almost impossible it is in this country to carry out a foreign policy [in the Middle East] not approved by the Jews. Marshall (referring to Secretary of State George Marshall) and Forrestal (referring to Secretary of Defense) learned that.... terrific control the Jews have over the news media and the barrage the Jews have built up on congressmen .... I am very much concerned over the fact that the Jewish influence here is completely dominating the scene and making it almost impossible to get congress to do anything they don't approve of. The Israeli embassy is practically dictating to the congress through influential Jewish people in the country" --Secretary of State John Foster Dulles in February 1957 (Donald Neff’s book: “Fallen Pillars” page 99
President Obama as you can see nothing has changed in Washington D.C. since 1957 when Secretary of State John Dulles noted that any policy dealing with the Middle East must have the approval of Israel given its inexplicable power and influence upon our government, especially upon Congress.
There have been many reports, Mr. President, that you intend to nominate former Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense. Senator Hagel, unlike his Pro Israel detractors, has served this country honorably for decades including shedding his blood to serve this nation as a soldier. As a Senator he had the respect of his colleagues, He is currently a Distinguished Professor at the Edmunds A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University.
Mr. President you know Senator Hagel personally as he serves as Co-Chair of the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board since 2009.
It would be difficult to find a more qualified Secretary of Defense than Senator Chuck Hagel given his broad knowledge and wealth of experience in diplomacy, governance, war hero, and an expert on national security.
But there is one nation, along with its Pro Israel Jewish Neocons, out of the entire world that claims the right to interfere in America’s internal affairs, policies, political appo8intees, and electoral process, that nation is Israel.
The list of honorable men and women who’ve served in Congress and as Cabinet members who’ve lost their jobs due to the Israel’s Lobby smear and personal attack campaigns is long and depressing.
Isn’t it time to tell Israel – Enough is Enough?
The Israel Lobby has gained this overwhelming power primarily due to our corrupt political and campaign system that relies on generating enormous funds to run campaigns as well as the dominance of Jewish Americans in many of our national institutions from government, to Wall Street, but most importantly is the media that shapes public opinion and attitudes, a media that can make or break any politician’s career depending on his/her views on Israel.
The lobby has choked this nation from having any debate or dialogue on Israel, its illegal and belligerent policies against the Palestinians, our vast aid in the billions of dollars to one of the world’s richest nations at a time when we’re talking about a “Fiscal Cliff”.
Mr. President, the Jewish Neocons like William Kristol, along with AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, Jewish columnists, and papers like the Wall Street Journal and Washington Post have launched an ugly smear campaign assaulting the person and character of one of America’s heroes, Senator Chuck Hagel, to pressure you not to nominate him and to pressure the Senate not to confirm him.
They’ve stooped so low as to call this man an “Anti Semite”, a label that sends shudders through this country although no Jew alive today is a Semite while the entire Arab world are Semites.
For a foreign nation to have the power to lay down a “Litmus Test” over Presidential nominees with a “Veto” power in Congress is beyond any rational comprehension and in due time the American people will become aware of this political atrocity and will ensure that Israel and its supplicant politicians pay dearly.
Mr. President, the American people recall the farewell words spoken by the departing Senator Ernst Hollings (D-SC) on the Senate Floor May 20, 2004
You can’t have an Israeli policy other than what AIPAC gives you around here.”
President Obama, the clear choice is yours: Will you choose AIPAC or an American hero, Senator Chuck Hagel, to serve as Secretary of Defense.
Having him as Secretary of Defense along with John Kerry as Secretary of State will provide you with the wisest of counsel and guidance on world affairs. Both men are highly experienced, are good friends and both served this nation as decorated war veterans.
William Kristol launched this smear campaign knowing that his fellow brethren and like minded unpatriotic Americans will quickly pick up the assault baton and turn it into a national referendum as to whether or not you are a true friend of Israel.
Despite all that you’ve done to support and accommodate Israel’s demands and illegal policies, despite the embarrassing and humiliating vetoes cast in the U.N. Security Council and General Assembly, despite the tens of billions you’ve sent to Israel, money we can’t afford, despite Israel’s humiliating slap against Vice President Joe Biden and you on construction of illegal settlements, you are consistently asked to prove yourself over and over that you are a true friend of Israel, meaning you don’t question Israel’s demands or policies.
Here’s a 30 minute movie called “Daylight: The Story of Obama and Israel.” Produced by William Kristol’s Emergency Committee for Israel it was shown prior to AIPAC’s annual meeting attacking you directly as insufficiently compliant with Israel’s demands to bomb Iran.
The same Kristol and Committee are now showing an Ad on Cable attacking Senator Hagel as a threat to Israel given his principle of serving America’s interests and not foreign interests; thus they are angry that he won’t blindly accept Israel’s demand that Americans pay and die for Israel by bombing Iran.
Mr. President, America urges you to please stand up to Israel and dutifully work for this nation’s interests and the American people, not for a foreign nation. It is your Constitutional right to nominate your Cabinet members. Do not surrender your duty and obligation because a small minority with much wealth and an automatic access to the media rob you and this nation of this obligation.
We must never surrender our internal affairs to a foreign nation due to the wealth and powerful influence of its small minority supporters.
Americans already fought a foreign colonial power to gain the freedoms and liberties. Today we have a more stealth colonial power with tentacles across all government institutions working (many as dual citizens) for Israel, not their native country.
President Obama you must nominate Senator Chuck Hagel or forever be known as the President who surrendered our sovereignty and independence to a state whose belligerent policies against a defenseless people, the Palestinians, are condemned by the entire world.
With our money, weapons, and vetoes we are compliant in Israel’s long history of terrorism and war crimes against the Palestinians. Prior to exporting freedom and democracy abroad perhaps we can regain our freedoms and democracy at home from a small foreign colonial power.
Not nominating Senator Hagel will only further embolden Israel and its amen corner to further ensure that all such future decisions and nominations be first approved in Tel Aviv, not by the American people.
In the long term such a scenario is dangerous with serious ramifications for Israel, the U.S. in world affairs, and Jews around the world.
America votes for Senator Chuck Hagel as Secretary of Defense.
President Obama, as our President, won’t you join us?
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Mohamed Khodr who wrote the above post is an American Muslim born in the Middle East. He is political activist who frequently writes on the plight of Palestinians living under the brutal occupation of Israel, U.S. Foreign Policy, Islam, and Arab politics.


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1 comment:

  1. Besides accepting an Iranian nuclear weapons program even if Iran obtains ICBMS aimed at America, there are many many reasons besides Israel and Anti Semitism issues that make Chuck Hagel a very poor choice.

    Hagel's troglodyte record on gay rights is still an issue even though President Obama finds it very inconvenient as he would like to nominate Hagel tomorrow.

    I hope the President will not risk the political cost of loosing the confirmation battle on this terrible choice.

    It's not only about what he said many years ago, but that he has not come out for any specific or general commitment to equality for gay military families.

    In general for gays to accept Hagel, he must say that he would like to see DOMA overturned at the Supreme Court.

    But there are many ways a Secretary of Defense could help gay military families no matter how DOMA is decided and Hagel has not come out in favor of any of these.

    Reports to the contrary, LGBT equality is not yet a done deal in the military. There is still the matter of partner benefits. There still remain a handful of regulations that could be revised independent of the Defense of Marriage act that could bring some equity of compensation and benefits to gay and lesbian servicemembers. but remain denied due only to Department of Defense foot-dragging:

    Included in the discretionary benefits currently denied are spousal identication cards, cited in the Pentagon's own Working Group study as not requiring DOMA repeal to deliver.

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