Biden on the line: Israel needs to decide on Iran, AIPAC does not represent the entire Jewish commun http://blogs.jta.org/ENTRY_PERMALINK_HERE/biden-on-the-line/ Joe Biden had a 20-minute conference call with members of the Jewish media today. Among other things, when asked about a possible Israeli attack against Iran, he said: “This is not a question for us to tell the Israelis what they can and cannot do. ... I have faith in the democracy of Israel.” His overall argument was that on a host of issues – from Israeli-Palestinian talks to Syria to Iran – the Bush administration should have done a better job diplomatically and should have been more respectful of Israel’s autonomy. But the spiciest moment came when JTA’s Ron Kampeas asked him about the Republican Jewish Coalition’s efforts to highlight times when he broke with AIPAC on specific issues. “AIPAC does not speak for the entire American Jewish community,” Biden said. “There’s other organizations as strong and as consequential.” Biden quickly added that his disagreements with AIPAC are always tactical, never about the big picture. Still, it’s not the boilerplate stuff that you usually get from senators when you ask about the pro-Israel lobby. Listen to the snippet about AIPAC: [audio:/images/archive/aipacbiden.mp3] Here’s the full call: [audio:/images/archive/biden.mp3] Audio sound funny?  Upgrade your Flash player. To subscribe to JTA’s Behind the News podcast, click here. UPDATE: AIPAC spokesman Josh Block called in this response to our blog post: “Joe Biden is a strong supporter of the U.S.-Israel relationship; he has been a staunch supporter of U.S. aid to Israel; he is a leader in the fight against Palestinian terrorism, and is a vocal advocate of the special relationship between the two democracies. We look forward to continuing to work with him in the Senate or in the White House.” UPDATE II: It’s worth noting that the right-leaning Jewish groups most critical of the Obama campaign are themselves quite willing to break ranks with AIPAC and challenge the notion that it in someway speaks for the Jewish community as a whole (the Zionist Organization of America, for example). And to the hard-working press release writers at the RJC, before you fire one off here ... wasn’t it one of your major backers – Sheldon Adelson – who publicly rebuked AIPAC last year for joining Israel in lobbying for U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority? UPDATE III: And now Obama campaign spokeswoman Wendy Morigi: “Barack Obama and Joe Biden have both enjoyed close and effective cooperation with AIPAC over many years, grounded in their respect for its important mission to support Israel’s security and a strong U.S.-Israel relationship. That is a mission they share, and they look forward to continuing to work closely with AIPAC on their common goals.” en-us aeden@jta.org Copyright 2008 2008-09-03T;22:57:22-05:00 Comment by mrmojor2003@yahoo.com Dr Ron & Ralph “The two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can ‘throw the rascals out’ at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy.” - Carol Quigley Cynthia Mike Dennis Jesse Ross Jimmy And the men* who hold high places Must be the ones who start To mold a new reality Closer to the heart Dr Ron & Ralph

“The two parties should be
almost identical, so that
the American people can
‘throw the rascals out’
at any election without
leading to any profound or
extensive shifts in policy.”
- Carol Quigley

Cynthia Mike Dennis Jesse Ross Jimmy

And the men* who hold high places
Must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality
Closer to the heart

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by samemeht@yahoo.com Israel looks out for themselves, and we have to do the same. We have to stop assuming our interests are always 100% the same. NO interest group, ESPECIALLY one which really looks out for a FOREIGN country, should ever have this much influence. It has distorted our policy because we confuse and conflate our national interest with that of Israel. Hamas and Iran are NOT threats to the US. We have far bigger problems to deal with. This cowtowing to AIPAC is pathetic, and makes me depressed about the state of American politics. Israel looks out for themselves, and we have to do the same. We have to stop assuming our interests are always 100% the same. NO interest group, ESPECIALLY one which really looks out for a FOREIGN country, should ever have this much influence. It has distorted our policy because we confuse and conflate our national interest with that of Israel. Hamas and Iran are NOT threats to the US. We have far bigger problems to deal with. This cowtowing to AIPAC is pathetic, and makes me depressed about the state of American politics.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by molsen59@netzero.net Iran is not arab it is persian plus they are the oldest sivilisation they are smart and this none sense by Aipac will only hurt the jews whom supports them read some Iranian history to see if iranian are scared of ISrael oo Oldman called Macain Iran is not arab it is persian plus they are the oldest sivilisation they are smart and this none sense by Aipac will only hurt the jews whom supports them read some Iranian history to see if iranian are scared of ISrael oo Oldman called Macain

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by ronens@gmail.com I think your comments sound like more propaganda then anything you claim Israel might have said.  Let me ask you? as far as people being people, where do people have more rights to choose their lives? Where is there a democracy?  Where can a woman choose to wear a pair of shorts in the heat and not be forced to cover all but her eyes?  Where can a gay person be free to be gay and live with their lover? Where can students get together and protest government actions and not fear being murdered?  In Israel! Can you say the same about Israels neighboring Arab countries?  You can not! I am not saying Israel is perfect, as a county we have made mistakes, and will continue to be open about them and try to improve our government through fair, open elections.  Do you think that when there are protests for peace in Israel where 1 million people march against war and occupation that is not progress? What would happen is a million people tried to march against the government in Saudi Arabia? or Syria? or Iran? What would happen? tell me! AIPAC is also not perfect, but they are working hard to try and improve the situation for Jews around the world.  Jews help each other, Jews start organizations all over the world.  People arent starved in Israel, because there is aid there to help them.  Again, neither side is perfect, but please, before you throw rocks, remember, you live in a glass house! Look in the mirror and see your country before you criticize Israel. May we all live in peace very soon. I think your comments sound like more propaganda then anything you claim Israel might have said.  Let me ask you? as far as people being people, where do people have more rights to choose their lives? Where is there a democracy?  Where can a woman choose to wear a pair of shorts in the heat and not be forced to cover all but her eyes?  Where can a gay person be free to be gay and live with their lover? Where can students get together and protest government actions and not fear being murdered?  In Israel! Can you say the same about Israels neighboring Arab countries?  You can not!
I am not saying Israel is perfect, as a county we have made mistakes, and will continue to be open about them and try to improve our government through fair, open elections.  Do you think that when there are protests for peace in Israel where 1 million people march against war and occupation that is not progress? What would happen is a million people tried to march against the government in Saudi Arabia? or Syria? or Iran? What would happen? tell me!

AIPAC is also not perfect, but they are working hard to try and improve the situation for Jews around the world.  Jews help each other, Jews start organizations all over the world.  People arent starved in Israel, because there is aid there to help them. 

Again, neither side is perfect, but please, before you throw rocks, remember, you live in a glass house! Look in the mirror and see your country before you criticize Israel.

May we all live in peace very soon.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by mirza.meza@bigfoot.com Ahmadinejhad is not the leader of Iran and he has no authority to any military or even police forces. He is not commander in chief of Iran, Khamenei is. And he never said that he wants to wipe Jews off the map. But Israel government needs this propaganda to say that: “Hey, you see, Iran is going to attack me, Iran is making a nuclear bomb to kill our people… then you must do something.. we can not handle it… you must send your troops to Iran as you do with Iraq… you American! please… hurry… they are coming soon… and we know that you are foolish enough to do it again… please.” And if you are going to say that Biden or any other politician in U.S. can resist against lobby groups, you are wrong, nobody in this rank can be there without kissing AIPAC ass already. U.S. democracy is a cracked system as the most EU countries and Israel is the lord of them. Ahmadinejhad is not the leader of Iran and he has no authority to any military or even police forces. He is not commander in chief of Iran, Khamenei is. And he never said that he wants to wipe Jews off the map. But Israel government needs this propaganda to say that:

“Hey, you see, Iran is going to attack me, Iran is making a nuclear bomb to kill our people… then you must do something.. we can not handle it… you must send your troops to Iran as you do with Iraq… you American! please… hurry… they are coming soon… and we know that you are foolish enough to do it again… please.”

And if you are going to say that Biden or any other politician in U.S. can resist against lobby groups, you are wrong, nobody in this rank can be there without kissing AIPAC ass already. U.S. democracy is a cracked system as the most EU countries and Israel is the lord of them.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by ismail.omar0@gmail.com AMERICAN POLICTICS IS AMERICAN POLITICS. THE ISREALI PROBLEMS ARE THEIR PROBLEMS. AIPAC SHOULD NOT WORK CLOSELY WITH THE USA INSTEAD THEY SHOULD WORK WITH THE PALESTIAN ORGANAZATIONS LIKE AIPAC. ISREALI HAS KILLED MANY WOMAN AND CHILDREN, THEY THEM SELVES ARE TERORRISTS. THE WORD TERROST SHOULD NOT BE MISUSED. PALESTIANS HAVE KILLED BUT ISREAL KILLED MORE. ISREAL PLEASE LEAVE THE AMERICAN POLITICS TO BE AMERICAN. I KNOW A MAJORITY OF THE MEDIA IS OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY JEWISH PEOPLE BUT THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO PLAY WITH INNOCENT LIVES ESPECCILLY YOUR NEIGHBOURS. AMERICAN POLICTICS IS AMERICAN POLITICS. THE ISREALI PROBLEMS ARE THEIR PROBLEMS. AIPAC SHOULD NOT WORK CLOSELY WITH THE USA INSTEAD THEY SHOULD WORK WITH THE PALESTIAN ORGANAZATIONS LIKE AIPAC. ISREALI HAS KILLED MANY WOMAN AND CHILDREN, THEY THEM SELVES ARE TERORRISTS. THE WORD TERROST SHOULD NOT BE MISUSED. PALESTIANS HAVE KILLED BUT ISREAL KILLED MORE. ISREAL PLEASE LEAVE THE AMERICAN POLITICS TO BE AMERICAN. I KNOW A MAJORITY OF THE MEDIA IS OWNED OR CONTROLLED BY JEWISH PEOPLE BUT THAT DOES NOT GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO PLAY WITH INNOCENT LIVES ESPECCILLY YOUR NEIGHBOURS.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by jameslevin@gmail.com Your comment is pretty foolish.  Since when is anything so black and white?  Israel does not act perfectly, but neither does any other country, especially a number of its arab neighbors (ex. a country working on nuclear weaponry that’s lead by a man who thinks Israel and Jews should be wiped off the face of the world).  The scariest thing about this world is how people can be so narrow-minded and uneducated about their perspectives on the world. Your comment is pretty foolish.  Since when is anything so black and white?  Israel does not act perfectly, but neither does any other country, especially a number of its arab neighbors (ex. a country working on nuclear weaponry that’s lead by a man who thinks Israel and Jews should be wiped off the face of the world).  The scariest thing about this world is how people can be so narrow-minded and uneducated about their perspectives on the world.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00 Comment by Assad@hotmail.com Why Most Jewish Lobies are against fair dealing with their occupied subjects. Aren’t you a rasist? Leave the religions aside, people are people and should promote peace and equality. religons were the source of many wars and should never ever get involved in politics or make difference in people’s views. If you are killing people to promote your agenda, you are not any better than any other terrorist. Unfortunately these lobists have bought and stole the democrocy from the Americans and now everyone has to pay for their actions including Jews. Since when being a Jew means you can do whatever the heck it is you do. Isreal has killed and destroied many lives and countinues to do so and yet praised for its actions ????? What planet you are from??? get real and be fair. Why Most Jewish Lobies are against fair dealing with their occupied subjects. Aren’t you a rasist? Leave the religions aside, people are people and should promote peace and equality.

religons were the source of many wars and should never ever get involved in politics or make difference in people’s views. If you are killing people to promote your agenda, you are not any better than any other terrorist.

Unfortunately these lobists have bought and stole the democrocy from the Americans and now everyone has to pay for their actions including Jews. Since when being a Jew means you can do whatever the heck it is you do. Isreal has killed and destroied many lives and countinues to do so and yet praised for its actions ?????

What planet you are from??? get real and be fair.

]]> 2012-02-10T;00:53:00-05:00