For advocates of Israel, a couple of weeks in March have managed to rattle a message built into America’s DNA through decades of hard work. In the new reality created by Israel’s March 17 election and the events surrounding it, Israel’s commitment to peace and to pluralism is being questioned by key audiences whose full…
Bipartisanship was the name of the game as American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual conference opened in Washington on Sunday, but a bitter feud over Benjamin Netanyahu’s planned speech to Congress threatened to strip bare any pretense of harmony. As the Israel lobby kicked off its meeting, Netanyahu jetted into town after proclaiming that he…
Regulars at the annual parley of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee are used to hearing speakers warn that “critical times” face supporters of Israel. Mostly, this is no more than a standard injection of some alarmism to jolt members into action. This year the term is amply justified. And the catalyst is not some…
Being an effective pro-Israel activist in South Africa is no easy feat. We do not yet have a strong American-style “lobbying culture,” which is partially because our democracy is only 18 years old. The historic relationship that existed during the apartheid years between the white minority regime and the Israeli government, and between the Palestine…
When lobbyist Jack Abramoff appeared in federal court, where he was eventually convicted of mail fraud and conspiracy, he faced a sartorial dilemma. Abramoff, an Orthodox Jew, wondered whether he wear his kippah and risk smearing the Jewish people with his transgressions? Or should he cover his silver mop with a fedora, which would diminish…
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