J Street Questionnaire

© MMIX v 1.0.2

Hi Isaac,

I don't like what either one said. But Biden sounds like the lesser of evils. Gingrich sounds like he's ready for a rubber room. Biden might benefit from an extended vacation on a funny farm, where he could milk contented cows. Both of them likely felt they needed to please the audience: the crazier, the better. The truth is that Iran is not doing, and has never done, one thing that threatens us. Iran has not threatened us for about twenty-five hundred years when they threatened the ancient Greeks, whom some people think were our ancestors (but they actually were not our ancestors). Of course it is true that Iran had the temerity to boot out the Shah, whom the CIA had installed in 1953. Defying the Empire is always considered a bad career move, by those who are running the Empire. The regional hegemony of Israel would be diminished if anyone but Israel had nuclear weapons in the region. But they don't! And no one could use them even if they did. So what's the big problem with Iran? Oh, I know, Iran is a handy boogieman. If there are no boogiemen that the Empire can use to scare people, why, then, people might get the idea that they don't need all the paraphernalia that those running the Empire love so much: no army, no navy, no marines, no airforce, no intelligence agencies, no torture, no skulduggery, no fun. So there you have it in a nutshell. "Nut" is the operative word here. Or, as those crazies have been saying in Iran, "Nuts to you." Will AIPAC get to start World War III? Who knows? I hope not.

Sorry my answer didn't fit into a box on your questionnaire.

- Morley Evans


On May 6, 2009, at 10:30 AM, Isaac Luria, J Street wrote:



Stand with Joe on Israel and Iran








Morley --

You couldn't ask for a starker contrast in visions for America's role in the Middle East than Newt Gingrich and Vice President Joe Biden provided at AIPAC over the past 72 hours.

Gingrich called for military action against Iran and a "wait and see" approach to the two-state solution [1] -- while Biden pressed for tough, principled diplomacy with Iran and argued that a two-state solution is in the essential interests of Israel and the United States. [2]

Biden also spoke from the heart (as he tends to do!) about the politics of this issue during his speech, saying "you're not going to like this" before challenging Israel on the issues of settlements and the two-state solution. He rightly didn't let the Palestinians off the hook either - pressing them to end terror and incitement against Israel.

I don't know about you - but I liked what Vice President Biden said. We need to show the Administration the depth of the political support in our community for their approach on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - and that we reject the worn-out Gingrich / Bush / Cheney approach to the Middle East.

Click here to tell President Obama and Joe Biden you like their approach on Iran and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

We'll deliver your petitions to the White House next week to show them the depth of the support we have in our community for their pro-Israel, pro-peace approach to the Middle East.

"Show me," said Vice President Biden at AIPAC's conference yesterday to the Israeli government, the Palestinians, and the Arab states.

He said that "Israel has to work towards a two-state solution" and that Israel should freeze settlement construction, "dismantle outposts and allow Palestinians freedom of movement."

To the Palestinians, Biden's call was to "combat terror and incitement against Israel."

On Iran, he repeated the Administration's commitment to "direct, principled diplomacy with Iran with the overriding goal of preventing them from acquiring nuclear weapons."

The "show me" message could well have been addressed to us - asking us to demonstrate for the President, the media, and our community that we stand with him as he pursues a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and tough, direct diplomacy with Iran.

Click here to add your name to tens of thousands of others who are standing up for President Obama's approach to the Middle East.

Thanks so much.

Isaac

Isaac Luria
Campaigns Director
J Street
May 6, 2009