Well, that was fast.
The libels on me and their easily traceable email trails show conclusively that there is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired, still less to factor in American understanding of trends and events in the Middle East. The tactics of the Israel Lobby plumb the depths of dishonor and indecency and include character assassination, selective misquotation, the willful distortion of the record, the fabrication of falsehoods, and an utter disregard for the truth. The aim of this Lobby is control of the policy process through the exercise of a veto over the appointment of people who dispute the wisdom of its views, the substitution of political correctness for analysis, and the exclusion of any and all options for decision by Americans and our government other than those that it favors.
There is a special irony in having been accused of improper regard for the opinions of foreign governments and societies by a group so clearly intent on enforcing adherence to the policies of a foreign government – in this case, the government of Israel. I believe that the inability of the American public to discuss, or the government to consider, any option for US policies in the Middle East opposed by the ruling faction in Israeli politics has allowed that faction to adopt and sustain policies that ultimately threaten the existence of the state of Israel. It is not permitted for anyone in the United States to say so. This is not just a tragedy for Israelis and their neighbors in the Middle East; it is doing widening damage to the national security of the United States.
Pretty strong stuff, coming from someone who earned a salary from the governments of Saudi Arabia and China. But no, he’s far too noble to let something petty like Saudi funding influence his thinking. Which he denies, of course:
Still, for the record: I have never sought to be paid or accepted payment from any foreign government, including Saudi Arabia or China, for any service, nor have I ever spoken on behalf of a foreign government, its interests, or its policies.
Barry Rubin says:
He had too much to hide. The media and his supporters tried to pretend that the case against Charles Freeman Jr. being the key US intelligence analyst was that he was “anti-Israel.” That’s nonsense. Scores of people who fit that description have been nominated and put into high offices many times.
When even Human Rights Watch thinks you have a problem identifying with foreign dictatorships, perhaps you really do have a problem, Chas.
And finally: Since when is Matt Welch a member of the Israel Lobby?
So whoever eventually gets the job will have been approved by “The Israel Lobby”? That’s good to know.
I would love to hear someone in the press ask: “President Obama, is you new NIC chairman fully approved The Israel Lobby – or is the person you picked as your first choice a paranoid, anti-semitic crap-weasel?”