AIPAC and J Street: two heads to the same body?

AIPAC:

The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, AIPAC, was founded in 1953. Since its inception, the organization has lobbied for Israeli interests to become a deciding force in American foreign policy. AIPAC is one of the top five most-influential lobby groups in America, so political careers are often made or broken depending on whether a political candidate is willing to work in the interests of AIPAC.

AIPAC-approved politicians come in various shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: the same view of America's role in the Middle East. In particular, they approve of billions of U.S. tax dollars being given away to Israel, including grants issued for the sole purpose of purchasing American-built weapons.

Although one might be inclined to see Israel as a sort of American outpost to keep the Islamic world in check, it is a mistake to think of Israel and AIPAC - or their neo-Conservative supporters, for that matter - as part of some sort of pro-Western, anti-Islamic front. Generally, AIPAC's supporters have done little to stop the spread of Islam into the West. In fact, through their aggressive actions, they may have helped encourage such movement.

So who has cuddled up to AIPAC? Current U.S. President George W. Bush and former U.S. President Bill Clinton have. So has Vice President Dick Cheney. Senators Evan Bayh, Susan Collins, Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton, and former Senator John Edwards have. Don’t forget Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, as well as House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, House Minority Leader John Boehner, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Republican Whip Roy Blunt, former speakers of the House Dennis Hastert and Newt Gingrich, and Chuck Schumer. As one might expect, both U.S. Presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama are on the list, too. Yes, Obama.

Muslims tend to support Obama because they think he has a neutral view of the Middle Eastern crisis. However, at some point in time, AIPAC must have decided that Obama likes the Jews and is a fervent supporter of Israel. If AIPAC was not confident that Obama was their boy, AIPAC would not have lent support to the Obama campaign or stood behind Obama after the fact.


J STREET:

J Street, a marginal organization, claims to oppose AIPAC's militant, pro-Israel fanaticism. J Street argues that AIPAC does not operate in the interests of Jews and, unlike AIPAC, supports a two-state solution to end the Palestinian crisis. J Street also wants better communication with Iran.

But J Street's organizers and advisors have concerned themselves with more than just politics in the Middle East. Take for example, Debra DeLee and Alan Solomont, two individuals from a long list of people who work with J Street. Both are affiliated with the Democratic Party and support the party line. Then there's Robert Malley, a former advisor to the Clinton Administration, and Marcia Freedman, a spokesperson for gay rights and feminism. Freedman founded the "Women's Party" after a fallout with Israel's Independent Socialist Faction. Before immigrating to Israel, she was involved in the American Civil Rights Movement. Lincoln Chafee, a former U.S. Senator, supported same-sex marriage and wanted partial-birth abortions to be legalized. The list goes on and the pattern continues, showing that J Street's supporters tend to fight traditional affiliations of race, country, gender, family and religion. They promote gender bending, interracial mixing and the idea that race is immaterial; they want our children to see themselves as victims of the "burdensome" heterosexual world, the "confines" of womanhood, the "demands" of traditional morality and "entrapment" of family. In other words, social marxism for everyone.

I propose a third organization: a "stop trying hijack our national interests to serve your people" and "we were fine before you" lobby.