AIPAC Calls For Review Of U.S.-Palestinian Ties

[Purveyor]

Source: JTA

By Ron Kampeas · November 30, 2012
WASHINGTON (JTA) -- The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called for a "full review" of the U.S. relationship with the Palestine Liberation Organization, including shutting its Washington office, in the wake of its obtaining non-member state status at the United Nations.

"In requesting this action, PLO Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is effectively turning his back on talks with Israel and destroying his credibility as someone genuinely interested in a serious peace process," AIPAC said in a statement after the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved non-member state status for the PLO ion Thursday evening, 138 to 9 with 41 abstentions.

"Congress has specifically linked continued aid and the operation of the PLO office in Washington to the Palestinians not seeking statehood status at the United Nation," it said. "AIPAC applauds this congressional leadership and urges a full review of America’s relations with the PLO, including closure of the PLO’s office in Washington."

In fact, laws passed by Congress to date impose penalties for full U.N. membership, not the non-member status obtained Thursday.

Read more: http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/11/29/3113201/aipac-calls-for-review-of-us-palestinian-ties

[atreides1]

1. No

AIPAC can go pound sand! If the US Congress wants to cut aid and shut the PLO office down then Congress needs to grow a pair and do it without a unelected entity giving them their marching orders.

AIPAC, Norquist, Bozell...personally I've reached the point of not giving a tinker's damn about what any of them have to say...AIPAC can always pack its ass off the end of a pier...the sooner the better!

[leftynyc]

2. Time to grow up

The Palestinians knew what they were doing (I'm assuming) when they called for the vote yesterday and were well aware there would be consequences. I guess they think they can make up the aid they're not going to get from the US somewhere else. Their choice.

[closeupready]

4. They likely will get the aid from somewhere else.

[leftynyc]

8. Really? Where?

Which country has ever said they just can't wait to send more aid to the Palestinians? They're still waiting for the aid promised from their Arab "brothers".

[closeupready]

14. Somewhere - and even if not, they don't care. They aren't for sale.

They want self-determination.

[frylock]

7. yes, it is time for AIPAC to grow up and quit their continous whining

[leftynyc]

10. You're in fantasyland

I doubt very much AIPAC "whines" any more than the NRA, AARP or any other lobbying organization - in fact, it's their job. I'm guessing you're another who thinks the rest of America agrees with your position on this issue. You're another one who is wrong.

[frylock]

31. americans are fucking stupid, and i rarely care what the general population thinks..

you may want to look back at that vote total, because the US and Israel got scoreboarded. big time.

[leftynyc]

34. And it'll change nothing

That's what you don't seem to understand. Lovely that you treat the whole subject like a sports event. I doubt the general pop cares much about what you think either.

[frylock]

49. right, and that's why the neocons have their panties all twisted over this..

because it will change nothing. mmmm hmmmm. then why beef about? and how will i ever manage because gen pop doesn't care about me? oh, the horror.

[1StrongBlackMan]

32. Wow ...

I'm guessing you're another who thinks the rest of America agrees with your position on this issue. You're another one who is wrong.

Re-read that ... then, look into a mirror.

[leftynyc]

35. Don't need to

I'm with the majority of Americans and the current administration on this issue. It's the Israel sucks chorus that's just a very loud minority.

[byeya]

37. Israel was designed to be an apartheid state and is living up to its covert founding principles.

Israel is a poor excuse for an ally to the USA.
We need to cut our losses and stop pretending anything positive will come out of our relationship with this regime.

[leftynyc]

39. Never happen

Mostly because there are a large majority of Americans who disagree with your position. If you think we should throw our weight behind hamas, I seriously have nothing further to discuss with you.

[leveymg]

41. Actually, Americans support Palestinian Statehood by a 2/1 margin.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/behind-the-numbers/post/poll-high-ambivalence-on-palestinian-statehood/2011/09/07/gIQAtt1oiK_blog.html

42 percent of Americans say they back U.S. recognition of a Palestinian state; 26 percent oppose such a move. More than half of all Democrats — 54 percent — support Palestinian statehood, as do 45 percent of independents. Among Republicans, support slides to 27 percent. Support for Palestine as an independent nation is closely related to age: among those under 30, 58 percent back U.S. recognition, support then slides downward in each age bracket, bottoming out at 27 percent among those ages 65 and up.

[cali]

44. No more than Pakistan or plenty of Middle Eastern nations

and compared to what we do on the world stage, Israel is a piker. And what are Israel's covert founding principles?

[plethoro]

55. I think you are totally wrong. This is not 1974................nft

ddddddd

[pennylane100]

58. I do not believe that these two organizations

lobby for other countries. I think also that most American's are wondering why we are spending money to support a supposed democracy in the Middle East that has become very undemocratic lately is slowly loosing the support it used to have.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

9. Are you able to specifically spell out what was wrong with calling for this vote?

Is there something intrinsically wrong with Palestine asking for this recognition? Or are you just going with the notion that the Palestinians had better do what Israel tells them to do? I'll bet you would've had a barrel full of great advice for those stuck in the Warsaw ghetto--just grow up and do what they tell you to do. Right?

[leftynyc]

12. Nothing wrong with calling for the vote

I truly couldn't care less. Our congress has said they would hold up aid if they did this - they didn't make a secret out of it. They went ahead and did it and now they will deal with the consequences. It was their choice to make.

I've been watching this for decades. What is glaringly obvious is that not one country out there gives a shit about the Palestinians unless it's to use them as a tool. The Palestinian people have been shit on and bankrupted by their own leadership and not one country in the region has any intention of helping them in this endeavor. You can blame Israel for that until you're blue in the face and it still wont change the reality.

[closeupready]

15. If 'nobody cares about the Palestinians', then this is a good start

on the road towards self-respect, caring about themselves, and making others care about them.

Separately, do you think the US 'doesn't give a shit about' the Palestinians?

So why should they care what we think?

[leftynyc]

21. I don't think they should care

what on earth made you think I did? And, unfortunately, I don't think many Americans give a hoot about the Palestinians. I think many are going to wait and see how this shakes out - the UN vote gave the go-ahead to the PLO - not to Hamas. I'm thinking Hamas is not going to take that well so we'll have to see what happens there. Also, with recognition comes responsibility.

[closeupready]

25. It's nice on a liberal board that you are so cavalier about

human rights. But you know, if I'm yin, you must be yang. Cheers.

[leftynyc]

26. Just facing reality

It helps to keep hopes from crashing down.

[byeya]

38. You're not facing reality, you're parroting Likud.

[leftynyc]

40. Oh brother

Once again (because you're stubbornly not acknowledging facts here) - you are in the minority opinion when it comes to Americans. A small, very vocal minority. That you don't want to face that is not my problem.

[cali]

45. that's changing. Most democrats, for instance, did NOT support

Israel's latest bombardment of Gaza. You can desperately cling to your "it's a tiny minority", but things have a way of changing.

[azurnoir]

17. If a tree falls in the forest.............

reality is 138 countries voted to the Palestinians statehood and the PA gets a good deal of their funding from the EU and oh the current SoS asked Israel not to punish the Palestinians financially too

[hifiguy]

20. Thomas Jefferson once referred to a "decent respect for the opinions

of mankind." That 138 countries voted with the Palestinians, including France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland - each a developed democratic polity - is a pretty convincing verdict as to TJ's "opinions of mankind." "Apart from Canada, no major country joined the US and Israel in voting 'no." New York Times, November 30, 2012.

That speaks volumes.

[leftynyc]

23. 41 nations abstained

from the vote. That also speaks volumes.

[choie]

27. yeah, it says that

these nations are intimidated by the U.S.

[leftynyc]

28. Whatever

Everyone has their own issues to deal with and people they have to answer to. That's life.

[frylock]

51. compelling argument..

the fact those nations abstained rather than voting no sez more than you care to admit.

[Alamuti Lotus]

46. the nature of those countries speaks volumes as well

Analyze the list of abstained--with a very small handful of exceptions (*), it is largely composed of tiny Pacific nations (if that's what you can even call them--my state of Oregon has more people than the lot of them combined), tiny European monarchies like Andorra and Monaco (see previous), Caribbean island statelets that also function as tax shelters for the rich and powerful, former Eastern Bloc states, impoverished African dictatorships and pseudo-republics, and Central American military-dominated republics.

Aside from the tiny European dictatorships (Andorra is a clerical monarchy, Monaco is a real-life exclusive haven for the 1%), there's a common thread to all of these: generally small, corrupt kleptocracies heavily dependent on US aid, loans, and military bases to sustain their fragile economies and unpopular political status quos. Yes, it's truly a mystery why they voted in the manner that they did.

(*)--Germany and the Netherlands would be exceptions, excepting as explanation the nature of the conservative governments presently in power. Mongolia has recently spread its legs to the mineral companies of the US bloc, and the presently ruling regime adeptly does what it is told, no matter the objections and protestations of its populace.

[frylock]

52. you're not suggesting that the US would threaten to cut off aid in the event of a yes vote?

that's preposterous!

[plethoro]

56. Excellent. As we get closer to whatever fate awaits us, I

have the feeling that people will concentrate more one what's wrong and what's right rather than what's expedient and many drones ones country has patrolling all the crosswalks.

[John2]

22. Lets get

this straight, Congress is doing this on their own, just like they chose to go to War in Iraq. Of course, they lied to the Public, to do it, but it is correct, that organization ( Jewish) does not represent the whole American Electorate. I think the United States should deal evenly with the Palestinians and Israel, if they want to be a mediator. Neither side should be dictating Policy to the United States, which I think our Congress is incapable of doing, just like we see how dysfunctional they are every day. Those guys and ladies, can be bought off by anybody. So the Palestinians did the best thing in their own interests and the United States needs to get out of the way. They can look for funding from the countries that support them and go ahead and take it to the International Court. Just what is the United States Government (specifically our right wing House and Democrats being led by their noses) going to do?

[leftynyc]

24. The US government

will simply stop the aid. Congress holds the purse strings and have stated that's what they will do in the event of this vote.

[cali]

43. Aid will not be cut to the Palestinians

and why should there be consequences? what do you think is so wrong about Palestine joining the U.N.? How do you think it will impede peace? It's not like there was a viable path to peace before the vote.

[Mosby]

60. yeah, thanks to the dictator abbas who refuses to negotiate

You do realize that abbas is basically now unelected because he cancelled all the elections. That's who all these UN countries voted for, a fucking terrorist group and a dictator.

The us admin stated that if abbas and his cronies try to gain access to the ICC they will begin the process of stopping aid to unrwa and the PA.

The Palestinians are winning the media intifada, no doubt, you can see that by looking at the amount of support from american liberals and europeans. But at the end of the day how does that bring us closer to a solution? It doesn't, by demonizing and isolating Israel the american and european left ends up directly supporting radicals who want to replace Israel with one Muslim majority state. It feeds the Israeli right by confirming their suspicions about worldwide antisemitism.

[kickysnana]

53. Time to investigate AIRPACs influence in the US and bring back humanity and sanity.

Some people in occupied Palestine are doing terroristic acts. You cannot punish to the point of genocide and expect the world to go along. In that case we should do that to whatever state the 911 terrorists were living in. It is insane.

The US lost its way when Clinton left office. Why not ask the people of the US what they think. It would be much different than what our Congress is doing.

Just because you are Israel or the United States does not mean you can break international and humanitarian law.

[closeupready]

3. How is it in the Palestinians' interest promising NOT to seek statehood?

(at the UN.)

And why does Israel insist that the Palestinians' not do it?

Can someone explain?

[msongs]

6. because Israelis are the chosen people and palestinians are .... not nt

[Mosby]

61. Israeli Jews, Muslims, Christians, Druze and Bahai are the chosen people?

That's awesome!

[Dont call me Shirley]

33. Because the neocon faction of israel believes that all of the land of the palestinians is theirs

And they will not stop until they "push all the palestinians into the sea"

Secondly, now the palestinians can petition the international court to prosecute ISL for war crimes.

[PerceptionManagement]

42. This is why we should stop giving Zionists free American money, weapons and Intel

[LiberalArkie]

5. I think that Israel's embassies should be closed first

[earthside]

13. Now ... I can agree with that.

If the U.S. had a sense of honor it would recognize Palestine and recall the U.S. ambassador to Israel in light of its announcement of permitting yet another 3000 houses to be built in occupied Palestine.

[leftynyc]

36. Another poster in fantasyland

Don't get your hopes up.

[FarCenter]

11. Doesn't matter. The PLO is irrelevant anyway.

Isn't Hamas in Gaza and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank the real representatives of the Palestinians?

[azurnoir]

16. There are 4 Senators also calling for this Chuck Schumer Bob Menendez Bob Barrasso Lindsey Graham

and Chuck had his say about Palestinians a while back

The Palestinian people still don’t believe in the Jewish state, in a two-state solution. More do than before, but a majority still do not. Their fundamental view is, the Europeans treated the Jews badly and gave them our land — this is Palestinian thinking They don’t believe in the Torah, in David You have to force them to say Israel is here to stay. The boycott of Gaza to me has another purpose — obviously the first purpose is to prevent Hamas from getting weapons by which they will use to hurt Israel — but the second is actually to show the Palestinians that when there’s some moderation and cooperation, they can have an economic advancement. When there’s total war against Israel, which Hamas wages, they’re going to get nowhere. And to me, since the Palestinians in Gaza elected Hamas, while certainly there should be humanitarian aid and people not starving to death, to strangle them economically until they see that’s not the way to go, makes sense.

http://thinkprogress.org/security/2010/06/11/102026/schumer-strangle-gaza-economically/

now this went past the M$M with barely a blink if that but imagine if will the outrage if say Keith Ellison were to say Israel deserves the rockets because they do not believe in the Qur'an

[KamaAina]

18. Memo to Chuck: Israel was not going to allow Hamas to run candidates in the Gaza election

No country allows terrorist organizations to run casndidates for office. That's why the IRA formed its political wing, Sinn Fein.

Guess who prevailed upon Israel to relent and allow its sworn enemies to run, and ultimately win? That'd be the good old U.S. of A., led by Gee Dubya Boosh.

[azurnoir]

19. actually that's not quite true

it was Gee-Dub and then Israeli PM Ehud Olmert that forced the elections in 2006 when Hamas took the majority of seats in the Palestinian parliament, Abbas who was and is the head of the PA and PLO that tried to stop the election because he predicted the outcome, Israel reputedly allowed Hamas to grow to under cut the PA and PLO sort of divide and conquer

[TomClash]

29. AIPAC is a scourge on the body politic

We'll see what happens. There was a Palestinian movement before US aid arrived and there will be one after it is gone.

[1StrongBlackMan]

30. I'm still trying to understand this ...

Israel has said that it approves of a two-state solution; but considers the Palestinians seeking statehood status at the United Nation, as walking away from the peace process?

That doesn't make sense to me.

Is the concern that by the UN recognizing a Palestinian stae, Israel loses the ability to set the terms of the Palestinian state's borders without the international community having a say, also?

[kelliekat44]

47. Just like the US GOP has its head stuck in the sand against the changing times, so does the Likud

government of Israel. What people really missed about the US election is that kids who were just teens four years ago had a whole set of different morality and tolerance. Those teens grew up over the last four years and became voters...from all classes, races, and religions. So it is with the Israeli youth who are now being squashed but who will soon be able to vote and might even be able to refuse to oppress and fight with Palestinians who them selves will be ushering in a new group of adults. The one draw back is that the Palestinian youth who have seen their parent's homes demolished and land taken away will be more hardened and it might take longer for them to put down the sword. But it is inevitable...things will change in the ME. We, the US, must make realistic decisions as to whether or not we want to be in a position to shape the changes or merely react to them.

[ItsTheMediaStupid]

48. Fuck AIPAC

They're lobbying for a foreign government without having to register as such.

Reform the way we finance campaigns and a lot of crappy organizations lose their power.

AIPAC, the gun lobby, the Koch brothers, etc.

[L0oniX]

50. Hey AIPAC ....GO FUCK YOUR SELF! Who the fuck elected you? ASSHOLES!

[BlueMTexpat]

54. There is a huge difference between US aid to Palestinians and aid to Israel.

US foreign aid to Palestinians http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/US-Israel/paaid12.html

From that source, it is worthwhile noting that while funds may be appropriated for aid to Palestinians, they are often subject to severe restrictions. Additionally, Palestinians have by and large been coerced into accepting the status quo because funds that have been appropriated have been held hostage by some in the US Congress precisely because Palestinians have been desperately seeking some kind of official recognition outside the so-called bilateral process - which literally has been going nowhere.

Compare the amounts that the US has given/is giving to Israel. http://journalistsresource.org/studies/international/conflicts/u-s-foreign-aid-to-israel-2012-congressional-report

The EU provides aid amounts to Palestinians that are comparable to those provided by the US. http://eeas.europa.eu/occupied_palestinian_territory/ec_assistance/index_en.htm Europeans impose fewer restrictions on that aid. At this point, Palestinians see so comparatively little US aid actually arrive that they probably believed that they might as well forego it altogether if that is the ultimate consequence. Their UN victory may in essence be only symbolic. But when you literally have nothing else, symbolism is everything.

Even Israel was shaken by the lopsidedness of the vote, provoked not as the RW likes to argue by "hatred" for Israel. Many if not all of the European countries that voted for Palestinian recognition status - or at least did not oppose it - have very strong ties to/relations with Israel. I can tell you from firsthand experience that I probably see more Israeli produce and manufactured goods on sale in Europe than I do in the US, for example. The lopsided reaction was provoked especially by the ongoing desperate conditions in Gaza and the almost complete absorption/occupation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank, as can be clearly seen on maps. Both situations continue endlessly in their deadlocked cycle while people bicker furiously and kill each other instead of doing any meaningful negotiation. Whether one likes a government or not, one cannot negotiate meaningfully if one refuses even to talk to it - as has been done with Hamas.

Here is one article (of several, I am sure) that describes not only the lopsided nature of the vote, but how the Israeli Gov felt especially betrayed by one nation: Germany. And Germany spelled out the principal reason for its abstention:

“Not only has Israel refused to consider even a partial freeze of the settlements to appease the Palestinians, they have refused to even discuss the issue,” the diplomat said. “Our decision at the U.N. was based on the widespread feeling that Israel had failed to make real steps towards peace, and that they had made a mockery of our past support.”

The impact of that decision was immediate. Once Germany had declared itself as abstaining ahead of the vote, one European country after another announced it would either vote for the Palestinian bid or abstain.

When the final tally was announced, only nine countries opposed the designation: Israel, Canada, the Czech Republic, Panama, the United States and four small Pacific Ocean island nations, all but one of which are former territories of the United States. Voting in favor were 138 countries, with 41, including Germany, abstaining.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/11/30/3121178/israelis-decry-germanys-abstention.html

[aquart]

57. STOP THE PRESSES! Pro-israel lobby does something pro-Israel!

[Odin2005]

59. Go STFU, you vile scumbags.