Naji Dahi wrote:
>
>
>
> AIPAC is very organized and has a lot of financial resources. The leadership
> of AIPAC is very Suave and competent. That is key to influencing policy
> decisions in american govt. They have been lobbying the American govt on
> behalf of Israel since 1948. Their power has graudally become stronger. They
> were not as strong under IKE as they are now.
>
I'm in pretty complete agreement with you, but I would qualify this. The u.s. government (read the u.s. ruling class) lets itself be moved by strong lobbying efforts mostly when it wants to be so moved. AIPAC probably helps a number of Congressmen, but if the leadership of either of the two parties _wanted_ to come down on Israel, they could and would take care of AIPAC very easily. Compare the (apparent) strength of the China Lobby in the '40s and '50s. They were powerful because they were going with the stream. They helped build support for what would have been u.s. policy in any case.
I think accusations of anti-semitism in this context are usually in bad faith. Anti-Semitism, I agree, remains strong -- which is why it still colors almost all political positions. But certainly the bulk of anti-zionists are _much_ less anti-semitic than many or even most of the political supporters of Zionism in western
Carrol