Focus: The 'dual loyalty' slur returns to haunt U.S. Jews

[Gimel]

WASHINGTON - If the case of a "mole" in the U.S. Department of Defense turns out to be true, it would be the most grievous blow to the American Jewish community in years. As depicted Friday evening on the CBS television network, the story managed to touch all the most sensitive aspects of the status of Jews in America and Israel's role in the machinery of American foreign policy considerations.

It breathes new life into the assertion that Israeli and not American interests led to the war in Iraq. It revives the old charge that Israel is not an ally but a treacherous country, and the old saw that American Jews have a "divided loyalty" problem in their preference for Israeli over American interests.

A major Jewish figure said Saturday he felt positively relieved when he learned that Larry Franklin, the suspect in the case, is not actually Jewish. At least the charge that Jews in key positions are not sufficiently loyal won't stand up in this case.

....

Another Jewish figure said over the weekend that the manner in which the affair was brought to light and the contexts added to it, particularly regarding Israel's involvement in policy on Iraq, show a mindset similar to that of politicians who tried to present the war as a Jewish-Israeli conspiracy.

More..

A non-Jew is caught in witch-hunt against Israel.

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

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[ThatPoetGuy]

4. Hardly any Jewish-Americans support Sharon

or Bush, for that matter.

The last poll I saw said that 75% of American Jews were supporting Kerry; as James Baker said, "Fuck the Jews, they don't vote for us" (Republicans, that is).

Sharon should be driven out of civilization and denied salt or water or medicine.

To say American Jews should take his lumps is ludicrous.

[Union Thug]

2. I don't understand why people can't see the difference....

...between individuals who engage in the rituals of a religion and a government.

As an atheist, I don't really give a shit who people want to waste their time worshipping. I really don't. It's all the same fantasy to me.

However, I do start caring when a proto-fascist thug like Sharon condones and orders (oh irony of ironies) the continued use of violence against another religious and ethnic group, especially when my tax dollars are funding his fascist adventures. And now we've come to find out that one of his own spies has been acting directly against the interests of the United States - the same United States that makes Sharon's government viable. Without the US, Israel, as a nation, would collapse.

[DenverDem]

3. "Witch hunt against Israel"?!?!?!?!

Ludicris!!!!!!!!!!

The criminality of the Likud is the question.

The continuing LIE that challenging the Likud is anti-semitism is the greatest threat to Jews world wide as the Likud apologists continue to smokescreen their crimes using the innocent Jews.

Larry Franklin is the pawn who is being sacrificed to protect the treason of Perle, Wolfowitz, Feith, Cheney and all the other necrocon double agents in the busholini administration.

[Gimel]

13. seems that Franklin

is pretty much off the hook. Lets say it's a media smear that failed. (That's a non-partisan comment.)

[Gman]

5. The problem of divided loyalties is more so with evangalical nuts

than with American Jews.

[Gimel]

7. That wouldn't be

loyalties of a nationalistic nature.

[Classical_Liberal]

6. Most American Jews don't agree with the neocons or Aipac

Aipac probably gets most of its support from fundamentalist christians. Catching them spying is actually good for the propeace side in Israel, since Aipac was propping up the war monger governments in Israel by pushing the US toward a completely incritical position. The peace side in Israel just couldn't compete. It doesn't have any fanatics to reach out to in America. Though most Americans agree with them they aren't as involved in the issue and never will be. It is also good for Jews in the US, because if AIPAC weren't stopped at some point the smear of dual loyalty would become more prominant over time. The fact is Aipac is loyal to the likudnik agenda in Israel and that isn't good for America or Israel. You would think the writers at Haaretz would realize this.

[Gimel]

8. Some points in response

It doesn't have any fanatics to reach out to in America.

I rather doubt that.

You would think the writers at Haaretz would realize this.

This is a reporting article, not an op ed. The situation is presented, not judged. It is not good for anyone in Israel. It is, I am convinced, a phony charge. Who set this man Franklin up, I don't know, but it isn't a friend of Israel.

[Classical_Liberal]

9. Just because you think it was a setup doesn't make it so

That sounds like a conspiracy theory. If he was, I would think he was more likely set up by big wig neocons like Cheney, Fieth, or Scooter Libby.

[Gimel]

10. Time will tell

A counter-conspiracy theory. But that would involve naming parties responsible, which I didn't indulge in. Don't put the horse before the cart or the crime before the victim.

[DavidMS]

15. However...

I feel that a signifigant portion of the religious/social/comunity leadership in the US can be justly accused of maintianing dual loyalities. Recently I went to a program at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington (DC) for a program on the lies propagated by Jews for Jesus.

Afterwards I spoke with a official from a jewish organization who helped put the program togeater. Somehow I mentioned my opposition to zionism on religious grounds and he was quite upset about it. (I am witholding names).

I feel that this perticular group as opposed to the average American Jew may be most likely to reinforce that view.

I do not dispute that the faction in american politics most aligned with the Israeli goverment (like the 'Christian' Zionists).

[Name removed]

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[Violet_Crumble]

12. Couldn't agree more...

Well said :)

Violet...

[AlienGirl]

14. Do the intelligence agencies still have the "Jew room"?

It used to be that there were certain levels of intellegence that Jewish people were specifically excluded from, on the theory that they might leak secrets to Israel. The NSA excluded Jewish employees from the facility that monitored Israeli transmissions, dubbing that the "Jew room."

Source: http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/10news.html

Tucker