The senator, his pastor and the Israel lobby

[subsuelo]

... before most Americans had heard of Wright, prominent pro-Israel activists were hounding Obama over Wright's views on Israel and ties to Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. In January, Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), demanded that Obama denounce Farrakhan as an anti-Semite. The senator duly did so, but that was not enough. "(Obama has) distanced himself from his pastor's decision to honor Farrakhan," Foxman said, but "He has not distanced himself from his pastor. I think that's the next step." Foxman labeled Wright "a black racist," adding in the same breath, "Certainly he has very strong anti-Israel views" (Larry Cohler-Esses, "ADL Chief To Obama: 'Confront Your Pastor' On Minister Farrakhan," The Jewish Week, 16 January 2008). Criticism of Israel, one suspects, is Wright's truly unforgivable crime and Foxman's vitriol has echoed through dozens of pro-Israel blogs.

Since his early political life in Chicago, Barack Obama was well-informed about the Middle East and had expressed nuanced views conveying an understanding that justice and fairness, not blinkered support for Israel, are the keys to peace and the right way to combat extremism. Yet for months he has been fighting the charge that he is less rabidly pro-Israel than other candidates -- which means now adhering to the same simplistic formulas and unconditional support for Israeli policies that have helped to escalate conflict and worsen America's standing in the Middle East. Hence Obama's assertion at his 26 February debate with Senator Hillary Clinton that he is "a stalwart friend of Israel."

But Obama stressed that his appeal to Jewish voters also stems from his desire "to rebuild what I consider to be a historic relationship between the African American community and the Jewish community."

Obama has not addressed to a national audience why that relationship might have frayed. He was much more candid when speaking to Jewish leaders in Cleveland just one day before the debate. In a little-noticed comment, reported on 25 February by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Obama tried to contextualize Wright's critical views of Israel. Wright, Obama explained, "was very active in the South Africa divestment movement and you will recall that there was a tension that arose between the African American and the Jewish communities during that period when we were dealing with apartheid in South Africa, because Israel and South Africa had a relationship at that time. And that cause -- that was a source of tension."

Obama implicitly admitted that Wright's views were rooted in opposition to Israel's deep ties to apartheid South Africa, and thus entirely reasonable even if Obama himself did "not necessarily," as he put it, share them. Israel supplied South Africa with hundreds of millions of dollars of weaponry despite an international embargo. Even the water cannons that South African forces used to attack anti-apartheid demonstrators in the townships were manufactured at Kibbutz Beit Alfa, a "socialist" settlement in northern Israel. Until the late 1980s, South Africa often relied on Israel to lobby Western governments not to impose sanctions.

African Americans, Arab Americans and Muslims all share some things in common: individuals are held collectively responsible for the words and actions of others in their community whether they had anything to do with them or not. And the price of admission to the political mainstream is to abandon any foreign policy goals that diverge from those of the pro-Israel, anti-Palestinian lobby.

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[still_one]

1. Many South African Jews were part of the anti-apatheid movement

Also, most American Jews were part of th Civil Rights Movement in this countrym and MOST AMERICAN JEWS WERE ALSO AGAINST APARTHEID

Farrakhan is a racist and anti-Jewish. When he referred to Judism as a "gutter religion", he made it very clear where he stood

Wright is not anti-Jewish, and a far more complicated person then the way the media tried to present him

Your article is also a distortion, and the issue is not as clear cut as it would try to imply

[ProgressiveMuslim]

2. Interesting though, the point that even though a marginal figure in African American life,

Farrakhan is always hauled out as the litmus test...

[still_one]

3. Agreed, but what is even worse is that somehow they were associating

Obama with Farrakhan by an association once removed, and even that association by Wright wasn't a strong one, but very superficial

I personally believe that Obama would be the best candidate especially when compared to mccain, who has made very clear of endless war, and the same bush policy related to the Israelli/Palestinian situation

Many people forgot that bush had an opportunity to take over where Bill Clinton left off, and lead and push the negotiations between Israel and Palestinians, but instead choose to ignore it, and encourge right wing members in Israel to expand settlements. He also broke off the sunshine talks between North and South Korea, and with out too much resistence brought back the cold war through abandoning ABM treaties, and dialogs with people we don't see eye to eye

mccain has made it very clear he will not only continue the bush policies, but will be much worse

Hillary has indicated that we should be selective in who we negotiate with, and Obama has seen no problem opening a dialog with ANYONE, at least that is what he says

That is why one of the reasons I believe the best hope for us is Obama, but unless he gets in, it will be meaningless.

He didn't abandon Wright, he said he had disagreement with some of the issues brought up in ONE speech that Wight had given.

I think condemning Obama for trying to ease concerns of Jewish groups is not wrong. He has made it very clear that he will work with ALL parties on ALL sides of the issues

[ProgressiveMuslim]

4. It was unfortunate that his great race speech reduced the I/P conflict to a Limbaugh-istic jingo. nt

[still_one]

5. 100% agree /nt