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Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: sea_urchin who wrote (9388)	12/4/2005 10:01:21 PM
From: Crimson Ghost	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 22250

AIPAC's Agenda is Not America's Council for the National Interest Until Israel defines itself and becomes a good neighbor to the Palestinians and Syrians, the issue of failed Middle East peace efforts will continue to metastasize terror around the world. THE DEBATE WE ARE MISSING T he Israel lobby is out of control. It shuts down any rational debate or even any discussion of Israel’s actions. Three past heads of Israel’s security service, Shin Bet, have said that the actions of the present Israeli government are self-destructive, yet those views are not heard by the American public. The many organizations that make up the Israel lobby include several whose main effort is to intimidate editors and producers in the media and prevent an open discourse about Israeli policies and our uncritical support for those policies. WHAT IS GOODFOR ISRAEL IS NOT ALWAYS GOODFOR AMERICA T he agenda of AIPAC and of the Israel lobby has never been the agenda of America in the Middle East. The present government of Israel is undermining long-term American interests and the war on terror. Even the half-step of disengagement from Gaza and a few of the Jewish colonies on the West Bank is not what Palestinians and a majority of peace-seeking Israelis have dreamed of and struggled for. ISRAEL, STOP SPYINGON AMERICA! T he close relationship of the Israeli lobby with the embassy of Israel and its rightwing government has created conditions for widespread espionage that has undermined the formation of credible policies for the United States in the Middle East. Our national security has been breached and incidents have continued almost up to this day. Forward, May 13, 2005) THE LOBBY REVEALS ITSELF L obby spokespersons are quite brazen in describing how they operate: "It is routine for us to say: This is our policy on a certain issue, but we must check what the Israelis think.” — Activist with a major American Jewish group, The Forward (May 13, 2005) And they like to work in the dark: "A lobby is like a night flower: It thrives in the dark and dies in the sun." — Steve Rosen, recently fired AIPAC policy director, in an internal AIPAC memo, cited Jerusalem Post, August 24, 2004 Three Israeli generals are on the program for AIPAC’s annual policy conference this week, but not a single American in uniform is there. If an American goal in invading Iraq was to ensure Israeli security, then why didn’t AIPAC honor one of the wounded Americans instead of three Israeli generals? NEW LEGISLATIONIS NEEDED J oin the campaign to support legislation that will apply to all lobbies working on behalf of foreign governments. We propose a Foreign Lobby Registration Act (FLORA), an act designed to make lobbies supporting foreign governments more transparent and accountable to the American people. It will also make clear that those lobbies do not work on behalf of American interests but, in fact, work to support the narrow interests of a foreign government. More than 60% of American voters according to a Zogby International poll believe AIPAC should be registered as the agent of a foreign government. If implemented under a FLORA, this would mean transparency in resources used by AIPAC dedicated to furthering the right-wing government of Israel. Contributors would have to be publicly listed. It would also put an end to the undeserved tax-exempt status that some foreign lobbies enjoy. We are joining with other organizations and individuals, including former congressmen, to promote such legislation this year. The Council for the National Interest Foundation (CNIF) is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that works to promote a rational and even-handed Middle East policy in the long-term interest of America, Israel, and the Arab states. It was founded fifteen years ago by former Congressmen Paul Findley (R-Illinois) and Paul “Pete” McCloskey (R-California) and its vice chairman is former Senator James Abourezk (D-South Dakota). We hold Capitol Hill hearings on the Middle East peace process and American policy towards the entire region. See our websites or call us at 800296-6958. AIPAC’s Agenda is Not America’s CNIF 800-296-6958 ~ inform@cnionline.org ~ www.rescuemideastpolicy.com ~ www.cnionline.org “We have one advantage over other organizations — we only have to promote the state of Israel.” — Former AIPAC Executive Director Thomas Dine, speaking at an AIPAC conference Council for the National Interest Foundation 1250 4th Street SW Suite WG-1 Washington, DC 20024