Aipac’s hidden persuaders
A map contained in a brochure distributed at an Aipac meeting
‘The Israel lobby is aiming to soften up US public opinion for an attack on Iran,’ writes Richard Silverstein, ‘Americans should resist its propaganda’.
Despite the ballyhoo of the recent Aipac national policy conference in Washington, when Israel-US bonds were feted, relations between the two countries are currently more strained than at any time since 1991. That was when the elder George Bush, as US president, fiercely lobbied Yitzchak Shamir to join in the Madrid peace conference. Relations then reached their nadir when James Baker uttered his infamous remark about Israel’s American-Jewish supporters: “Fuck the Jews, they don’t even vote for us.”
If relations continue to deteriorate in coming months, we might have to go back in time to the Suez crisis of 1956 to find a time when relations were this fraught.
A case in point is Iran. That bogey-nation was everywhere at the Aipac conference. Every keynote speech – if they weren’t directly written by that group’s staff – seemed unmistakably scripted and “on message”, dedicated to the existential threat that Iran poses not just to Israel, but the entire world.
A glossy brochure distributed at the Aipac meeting showed a map (pictured below) centred on Iran and beyond, with a dark ominous ring around Iran’s neighbours and as far away as India, Russia, Africa and eastern Europe. The message: these are the countries under imminent threat of Iranian ballistic missiles.
The brochure copy even intimates that the next step for Iran is “building a missile with range to reach US territory”. (Never mind that Iran doesn’t yet have any ballistic missile capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, nor will it have the bomb itself for anywhere from a year to five years depending on which you source you choose to believe.)
Israel is in the midst of a massive diplomatic, political and intelligence campaign, both public and covert, that could lead – if those officials behind it have their way – towards a military strike on Iran. It is a war for the hearts and minds of Americans. Or you might call it the war before the war. In intelligence circles, this Israeli project is known as perception management and defined by the department of defence as:
Actions to convey and/or deny information … to foreign audiences to influence their emotions, motives and objective reasoning as well as to intelligence systems and leaders … ultimately resulting in foreign behaviours and official actions favourable to [US] objectives. In various ways, perception management combines truth projection, operations security, cover and deception and psychological operations.
The Israelis are following the template of the Bush administration’s run-up to the Iraq war. First, the US government advocated half-hearted efforts at diplomatic engagement. Then it ratcheted up pressure through sanctions and UN resolutions. That is where the Israeli campaign stands now.
Aipac’s members carried a unified message to Capitol Hill during their lobbying of US senators and members of Congress. They demanded that Congress pass the most draconian sanctions ever proposed against Iran. They demanded that Iran be offered a limited time in which to respond to an ultimatum insisting it drop its nuclear programme.
What then? If you review Aipac’s literature and the various commentaries published either by Israeli diplomats or their supporters in the US media, they don’t specify what comes next. But any sensible person can guess that the final step will be war: “Israeli leaders have … hinted at pre-emptive military strikes if they decide that diplomacy has failed.”
The Israelis surely know that the Obama administration will never go to war against Iran. In fact, they know that Obama would not approve of Israel doing so. But I’ve become convinced, in doing the research and speaking to knowledgeable sources, that Israel is prepared at some date in the near future to attack Iran itself, even against the wishes of the US.
This of course will put Obama in an untenable position: do US forces attack the Israelis (in effect defending the Iranians) and risk the fallout that would occur in relations between the Democratic administration and American Jews? Or does he allow the Israelis to carry on to their targets and bomb Iran, accepting the bloodletting and mayhem that will inevitably result? If Israel wishes for the latter outcome, they must lay the groundwork here in the US for tacit acceptance by the American people of a third-party attack on Iran.
Indeed, they are already a good deal of the way toward this goal, as the latest polling from Rasmussen Report reveals. According to it, 49% of Americans believe that if Israel attacks Iran then the US should help Israel.
Some readers may say this is alarmist. Before I learned some of the information I gathered from sources both public and not, I also would have labelled this as overly dramatic. But Israel hasn’t shrunk, for example, from drafting opinion columns for US newspapers on the menace posed by Iran, and telling the editor that a local Jewish community leader would be attaching his name to it.
Within the US Israel exploits a willing circle of Likudist advocacy groups and thinktanks – such as the Washington Institute for Near East Peace, the Israel Project, the Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs as well as Aipac itself – that are closely scripted and co-ordinate their political message with Israeli diplomats. While some of these groups deny such a close affiliation, there is proof of scripting and amplification of the Israeli government’s agenda. And of course there may be cases in which the organisations know the needs of their patron so well that they need no prompting.
In another example, Israeli diplomats monitored and encouraged a member of Congress to host an anti-Iranian conference that would advocate Israel’s message of sanctions (and more).
Israel, along with enablers like Aipac, has not shrunk from hounding its critics. One peace activist in the US so angered Israeli authorities that he was driven from a job through a whispering campaign in the community, which also included a disparaging article leaked to a willing reporter.
The level of hubris necessary to pull this off is astonishing. Fresh off the dismissal of the Rosen-Weissman spy charges involving its own employees, Aipac is flexing its political muscle and reminding the world of its resurgence. It does this through a combination of manipulation, public lobbying and punishment of its enemies.
We in the US must be prepared to resist. We must protect ourselves from Israel’s propaganda offensive ginning up war with Iran. We must encourage President Obama to stay strong in his commitment to Israeli-Arab peace, whether or not Israel is a willing partner. Keeping our eyes on the prize of peace is going to be the hardest challenge of all, because the Netanyahu government is doing everything it can to divert the world’s attention.
The Lobby Wants War With Iran :
http://original.antiwar.com/justin/2009/04/30/the-lobby-wants-war/
AIPAC pushing for new Iran sanctions bill?:
http://tinyurl.com/cykqqe
Cheney in Manhattan: ‘A giant conspiracy’ on Iran:
http://tinyurl.com/qkxyaf
James
May 16, 2009 at 10:40 am
It seemed as though Mr. Chaney, while VP, was very much in favor of helping Israel. Whether that be with
arms or technology. President Bush seemed to be willing to provide Israel with lots of money, limited arms and technology, but not to commit to supporting a strike on Iran. Hopefully President Obama will also see the folly of even a “limited nuclear strike” on Iran. If he goes along with this lobbying, then WW III is a reality.
Cathy
May 16, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Israel operates through the use of force and fraud because it is essentially a criminal minded state. It is constantly driven by fear and megalomania just like Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany.
John Hanks
May 17, 2009 at 3:58 am
We the American people are NOT Israel’s BITCH … Obama and Congress are.,..!
F**K Israel
Israel is NO Friend to America..!!
Congressional members with dual American / Israeli Citizenships are TRAITORS, they need to be lined up against a wall and SHOT..!!
(message edited)
KAK
May 17, 2009 at 1:09 am
Boycott/divest/sanction Israeli goods,technology and research.Also American Jews that support the zionist agenda and worlwide zionist terror /mafia network. The Russian mob was and still is actually an enormous jewish crime syndicate. Israel is an Apartheid state which overtly discriminates against ALL NON-JEWS(GENTILES)! Sop the $30 billion in aid to Israel. We DO NOT SUPPORT ISRAELI WAR CRIMES. ARREST THEM.
jerry
May 17, 2009 at 6:13 am
[...] May 2009 by Stephen Hopkins From What Really Happened: ‘The Israel lobby is aiming to soften up US public opinion for an attack on Iran,’ writes Richard Silverstein, ‘Americans should [...]
AIPAC Pushing US into Next War « Aude Sapere
May 17, 2009 at 6:38 am
America has to do something about AIPAC and organisations like it. It’s foreign policy needs to be released from the clutches of Zionism. As long as it is subject to Zionist machinations, then America and its people will continue to be lied to, and constantly brainwashed into wars that do not serve them in any way. We should remember that AIPAC has a history of stealing security secrets from America and giving them to Israel. AIPAC is a security breach in America’s side and Americans had better start waking up to this fact. AIPAC is not a friend of America, and nor are those involved with it and organisations like it.
Ian deMontfort
May 17, 2009 at 9:15 am
USA have to resist of zionist to take over the Government like by Hitler in Germany.
Stan
May 17, 2009 at 12:49 pm
the American people have to understand,its not just obama,bush,etc.AIPAc buys or blackmails the president and most bgovernment officials.They want total control of Americas power aside from the fact that they hate Americans.Every American should learn of what happened to the USS Liberty to understand how much these people hate America.God bless.
doug
May 17, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Perception management? Like saying: Nothing is sure but Death and Taxes… when we know that Taxes are explicitly ‘voluntary,’ and that the foreign-held control over our sic-Federal ‘Reserve’ is the ambilical-chord of society itself.
If I were China, witnessing this liassion-by-proxy between the EU and AIPAC, I would ‘declare’ the Dollar insolvent, accept the 30% los, and rise the world prices to put the Jews out of business. ‘Let the markets decide’ should be everyone’s focus, not ll this hoopla over politicos and their secret masters…
TSGordon
May 17, 2009 at 3:12 pm
The real question that is never asked is why should israel be the only country with nuclear weapons? MADD worked between the USSR and the US for 50+ years. It is a proven deterrent. It is also a proven fact that when one country has an overwhelming dominant military it typically attacks it’s neighbors. The other questin that is never asked is what right does israel or any other country for that matter, have to dictate anything to anyone other then itself? We believe in “democracy” and “freedom” for ourselves and clearly the hell with everyone else.
ddearborn
May 17, 2009 at 3:14 pm
This has been going on for centuries folks WAKE UP!
Truth seekers go here http://www.trueworldhistory.info/
and watch “Money Masters” also go here http://www.iamthewitness.com/ for a great website!
Red Pill
May 17, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Nuclear weapons were not created for deterrence, the plan from the beginning of the nuclear age was to use them on the mass of the human population to prove once and for all who is the superior.
The nuclear trigger has been pulled on us several times in the past decades; we are the Living Dead.
The 49% of the population who want to join Israel and begin a nuclear war need to consider that they are also the Living Dead, and that they and their families have already been destroyed in an all out general nuclear war.
Patrick Sullivan
May 17, 2009 at 5:43 pm
As with apartheid Africa in the past, the entire world community must maintain the on going boycott of Israeli products. In the EU, where critizism and pressure against Israel is more common in their news and TV press than in the US, the boycott of Israel has been quite successful there and is responsible for a 21% decline in Israel products causing great economic hardships. Boycott all Israeli products with the product bar code beginning with 729 or 0729,
Eurekasam
May 17, 2009 at 5:46 pm
[...] May 16, 2009 http://pulsemedia.org [...]
Blue Sky Sunshine » AIPAC’s Hidden Persuaders
May 17, 2009 at 7:56 pm
In the USA, we are prohibited from boycotting ISR. In fact, if I walked in to Wal Mart and asked the clerk whether a particular item was mfd in ISR, I could be fined $50,000. Further, if the clerk failed to report this to the authorities, the clerk too could be fined. This is not hypothetical; fines are levied every year.
“The Bureau is charged with administering and enforcing the Antiboycott Laws under the Export Administration Act. Those laws discourage, and in some circumstances, prohibit U.S. companies from furthering or supporting the boycott of Israel.” The Bureau in this case is the Commerce Dept’s Bureau of Industry and Security.
Tell me again that ISR does not lead our lawmakers around by the nose.
ShiningLight
May 17, 2009 at 9:51 pm
If I’m not mistaken, it’s only businesses, not individuals that are subject to this clear violation of the U.S Constitution, not to mention the spirit of our purported “free-enterprise” system.
When examined closely, this law, giving not simply favored trading status to an occupied territorial government and its business citizens, but really, a law which denies an American business the right to control with whom they do business.
Moreover, the law denies businesses the right to express themselves politically through the tactical strategy of boycotting. In this case, the law only prevents businesses from boycotting Israeli made products. Businesses are free to boycott against products made anywhere else in the world.
Unfortunately for Hebrews everywhere, Zionism is destroying their religion and ultimately their culture, from within. Sadly, most of them don’t even no it’s happening to them and being perpetrated by an idea – an idea that they are somehow “special” people. Closer to God than non-Jews.
If only they understood history and their own lineage. A lineage that proudly consists of bastardized Mongol half-breeds from Khazaria who decided to convert to the religion of the Hebrews in 740 C.E.
Interestingly, one cannot convert, one must be born a Hebrew. Which begs the question, are the Israeli’s in power occupying the land formerly known as Palestine really the “chosen” race? Are they the “Biblical Jews?”
Clearly, the answer is NO.
So, why do dim-witted zealot American Christians support such a pariah, fascist, hate-mongering group of people such as those who currently occupy and control Palestine? A group that hates Christ and Christians.
Perhaps it’s that condition where a kidnapping victim begins to identify with and feel sorry for the kidnapper. Whatever it is, it’s a sickness that is eating away at these United States like a cancer. It’s best we operate and surgically remove it.
Night_Hawk
May 18, 2009 at 5:26 am
[...] Aipac’s hidden persuaders ‘The Israel lobby is aiming to soften up US public opinion for an attack on Iran,’ writes Richard [...] [...]
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May 18, 2009 at 12:43 am
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Austoon Daily » Aipac’s hidden persuaders
May 18, 2009 at 3:43 am
I think all of the above is a case of the following:
“Be careful for what you wish for becasue you just might get it”
After an Israeli launched Nuclear Holocaust, these individuals just may find the rest of the world a far more difficult mass of peeople to “deal with”, than they were ever able to imagine.
Short sighted future mass murderers, filled with blood lust, seldom, if ever, manage to realize real time, “cause and effect”, “blow-back” of their paraniod abnd delsuional actions.
It is always after the dust settle, and the body count begins to be recorded, that such would be mass murderers realize, way too late, that they done did a stupid thing.
By then of course, the job to “sensitize the population” as to the mass murderers’ “side of the story” becomes a sory exercise futility.
Like the current planned economic devastation happening on a global scale, this too, the nuclear massacre of the Iranians will happen within my lifetime. More the pity.
Whatever. now how about a “Motzel Tov”..??? And from the insane “Christian Fundementalists an “AMEN”..???
FT
Fellow Traveller
May 18, 2009 at 6:34 pm
yes, Ameerica should resist the softening up. unfortunately, this resistance should have started years prior to this article. Where is the resistance to the slithering snake imposing greater strictures upon free speech? the fear of nuclear war is the decoy to these more imminent yet subtle issues.
holographic
May 19, 2009 at 1:05 am
I think many Americans are waking up to the whole influence that Israel has on our country. And woe to those who would use our country to benefit that shithole full of Zionist pigs!
THe dude
May 19, 2009 at 2:04 am
Man charged over ‘anti-Semitic’ YouTube video
Associated Press
Thursday, 14 May 2009
Police have charged a man who allegedly posted a video on YouTube with inciting racism under a so-far untested Australian state law, officials said today. A newspaper report said the video targeted Jews.
The 38-year-old man from the west coast city of Perth could become the first person convicted under Western Australia state’s racial vilification laws enacted four years ago.
The laws were introduced in response to a series of violent attacks by white supremacists around Perth. The only person previously charged under the law was a 16-year-old Aboriginal girl, but a magistrate said the case involved petty name-calling and dismissed it.
State police spokeswoman Susan Usher said the suspect will appear in court next Tuesday charged with “conduct likely to incite animosity or racist harassment.” He cannot be identified under Australian law until his first court appearance.
If convicted, he faces a possible maximum penalty of 14 years in prison plus a fine of 24,000 Australian dollars ($18,000).
Detectives acting on a tip arrested the man at his home yesterday. He was released on bail, Usher said.
The video shot at locations around Perth “contained content that was targeting a specific religion including threats to harm specific persons,” Usher said.
Commissioner Karl O’Callaghan said police had contacted YouTube about having the video removed.
“We have been working with them to pull the video down and they have been fairly cooperative in the past,” O’Callaghan told reporters.
Police have not specified the religion. But the Perth-based newspaper The West Australian said Jews were targeted.
The newspaper said the 10-minute video showed the man saying to the camera “your days are numbered” and “I will put you in the camps with the rest of them.”
He is also shown taunting a Jewish man outside a shopping centre and calling him a “racist, homicidal maniac,” the newspaper said.
Also yesterday, an Australian who has denied the Holocaust occurred was sentenced to three months in prison in a different state for defying an order to stop publishing anti-Semitic material on his Web site.
The man, Fredrick Toben, remains free pending an appeal in the Federal Court in South Australia.
Toben last year avoided prosecution in Germany on a Holocaust denying charge when a British court ruled against extraditing him. In 1999, Toben was convicted in Germany on a similar charge and served seven months in prison.
Nicolae
May 19, 2009 at 4:43 am