Liberal bloggers criticize liberal hero for embracing AIPAC, Israeli officials
Rep. Alan Grayson become something of a folk hero in the liberal blogosphere (and a boogeyman to conservatives) after his vocal criticisms of Republicans, particularly when he called the current health-care system in the United States a "holocaust." But now some liberal pundits are criticizing Grayson because they say he's too supportive of Israeli policies.
Writing on the Mondoweiss blog, Max Blumenthal -- in a post entitled "Gutsy progressive congressman Alan Grayson leads a double life" -- argues:
Grayson has battled for the public option and opposed the wars Obama has inherited from Bush. Of course, these positions are upheld by a broad swath of congressional Democrats and, at least in the case of the public option, are supported by a majority of Americans. But when it comes to the Israel-Palestine conflict, Grayson is fully programmed by AIPAC and the pro-war, pro-settlements wing of the Israel Lobby.
Blumenthal then goes on to mischaracterize an interview Grayson gave to the Philadelphia Jewish Voice early this year, writing that the congressman says AIPAC excecutive director Howard Kohr helped to "educate" him about "Israel-related issues."
Grayson did say he had recently met twice with Kohr, but added that he was already quite familar with the Middle East and gets his information from the Israeli media:
I think what AIPAC often tries to do is to educate Members of Congress who frankly follow this a lot less closely than I do. In my case, I read Haaretz and the Jerusalem Post online four or five times a week, so I am pretty familiar with the circumstances and why the war took place.
Over on TPM, MJ Rosenberg links to Blumenthal's piece and makes a similar attack on the Florida congressman:
He seems fearless.
But not when it comes to Israel where he is pure AIPAC. 100% path of least resistance. And proud of it.
It just goes to my point that most Members of Congress only stick their necks out on issues when they are sure it won't cost them....anything. That is why some of your favorite legislators who are great on the environment, labor, marriage equality, health care, Afghanistan, Iraq, whatever, are hawks on Israel. They are afraid of AIPAC.
Grayson is typical. Brave, with a big asterisk.
There is, of course, the other possibility left unexplored by Blumenthal and Rosenberg: Grayson votes the way he does on Israel issues not because he is "afraid of AIPAC" but because that is actually what he really believes.
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I don’t know about Max but I do not consider supporting AIPAC’s positions to be pro-Israel. AIPAC’s support for the status quo will lead either to an apartheid state or the “one state solution” (that state won’t be Israel). And, no, I do not consider Grayson’s support for AIPAC motivated by anything other than expediency. He opposes the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war and has carved out a leftisy positions on domestic issues. But, suddenly, he’s a Netanyahu supporter without even a word of criticism for the Gaza horrors. Come on. He’ll criticize US policies and US Presidents with cheerful abandon but defers to the Israeli prime minister and the lobby that supports him. I credit him with hypocrisy. Any alternative explanation (i.e., he thinks its okay to criticize US policies but not Israel’s) is much worse. If he really cared about Israel, rather than about pleasing AIPAC, he would support J Street and a diplomatic solution not AIPAC’s devotion to preserving a status quo that is killing Israel.
Blumenthal is a piece of shit who should get it over with. Convert to Islam, bend over, and take it up the ass.
And I’d like to see Rosenberg writer one thing, just one thing, that is critical of the Arabs without the bullshit moral equivalence that Jews by accident of birth like him love to employ. But watch, he just can’t do it.
For people-of-the-blog who are interested in reading and viewing more of the work of Max Blumenthal:
In addition to its availability on Mondoweiss [ http://mondoweiss.net/2009/12/gutsy-progressive-congressman-alan-grayson-leads-a-double-life.html ], the text of Blumenthal’s article, Progressive Hero Alan Grayson’s Secret Life As An AIPAC Tool, is available on Blumenthal’s own website: http://maxblumenthal.com/2009/12/progressive-hero-alan-graysons-secret-life-as-an-aipac-tool/ .
For those who haven’t seen Blumenthal’s classic video report, Rapture Ready: The Unauthorized Christians United for Israel Tour [2007], it can be found at:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/max-blumenthal/rapture-ready-the-unauth_b_57826.html
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Boris Goykhman
12/02/09 08:16 PM
The fact that Max Blumenthal is a total douche bag notwithstanding, shame on us Jews for not being able to unite around core issues such as support of Israel.