PROMINENT JEWS SIGN LETTER ATTACKING ISRAEL LOBBY
GUY DINMORE, FINANCIAL TIMES - An open letter signed by more than 150
people - including prominent academics, former diplomats and officials -
decries what they allege is a campaign of political vigilantism waged by
American Jewish groups to set the public agenda. "Indeed, students [in a
practice reminiscent of the most sordid aspects of the McCarthy years]
have been enlisted to act as informers on their teachers. Institutions
deemed to be insufficiently supportive of Israel have been subjected to
pressure by state legislatures or private donors," says the letter,
signed by many prominent Jews.
"They've constructed a Warsaw Ghetto of the mind," Norman Birnbaum,
professor emeritus at Georgetown University and one of the organizers of
the letter, told the Financial Times.
The letter accuses Abraham Foxman, head of the Anti-Defamation League,
of inducing the Polish consulate to deny its premises to Prof Judt, an
allegation the league rejected as "baseless". Mr Foxman said the ADL was
proud of its 93-year record of defending free speech in its fight
against anti-Semitism, hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
Few serving Democrats are willing to wade into this debate, but Zbigniew
Brezinski, former national security adviser to President Jimmy Carter,
was outspoken during the Lebanon conflict, calling Israel's response to
Hizbollah's attacks "dogged, heavy-handed, politically
counter-productive and morally unjustifiable".
"When we supply Israel with cluster bombs, that's an act of
international friendship and peace. When Iran supplies Palestinians with
weapons, that means terror," he told a dinner hosted by the New America
Foundation. "Bush should say either I make policy on the Middle East or
AIPAC does
ft.com 0000779e2340.html |
