A Reassessment in Washington
By Mowahid Hussain Shah
A landmark Summit was convened at the preeminent US media forum, The National Press Club, at Washington, DC. The focus of the day-long symposium was a reassessment on the hitherto taboo topic of the influence of Israel on US policy-making and its broader repercussions.
The National Summit – the first of its kind – attracted heavyweights associated with Congress, military, academia, media, intelligence, plus a cross-section of notable civil society activists. The topic and the venue ensured overflowing attendance as well as live media coverage on C-SPAN TV.
The discussion covered a broad spectrum of issues including, but not limited to, the reach of the pro-Israel lobby, its incitement of the March 2003 invasion of Iraq, its bellicosity on Iran, its control and muzzling of the Middle East discourse, its attempts to divert attention away from Israel’s nuclear arsenal, its clout on political parties, and whether Israel was a liability or an asset for America.
Some former senior Naval officers detailed evidence of Israeli espionage activity in the United States. Experts also presented evidence of the Israeli strategy of fragmenting of its foes and inciting ethno-sectarian wars. Spotlight was put on US officialdom for their willingness to subordinate America’s national security interests to those of Israel’s.
Various US Presidents came under blistering critique for crumbling under pressure. Nor did the US media come out unscathed for practicing self-censorship to cover-up Mideast realities.
Former Pentagon officials expressed dismay over the unfettered access Israel had in US policy corridors. Senior military veterans cited how, during their tenure in Iraq, they repeatedly found how pivotal the Palestinian issue was in the imagination of ordinary Iraqis.
Some pointed to the slow emergence of a lobby within the US military, which is strongly resentful of being manipulated into unwise interventions incited by Israel, where American lives and interests come in harm’s way.
The silencing and discrediting of critics of Israel was deplored. Ample instances were provided of prominent media personalities whose reputations were tarnished and their careers derailed for questioning the Israeli grip on the direction of US Mideast policies, and expressing empathy for the plight of the Palestinian people. Some educators were appalled to note how history-teaching in US high schools was being slanted to indoctrinate American pupils with a one-sided narrative.
This absolutist bid to ostracize adversaries of Israel and strike down any potential competitors has diminished democracy in America and shrunk US standing elsewhere.
The conclusion of the colloquium was that, in effect, Israel was neither an ally nor a friend of the US because of the deep damage it had done to the US. Speakers openly advocated terminating aid to Israel and stop the blank check.
The panelists urged the American public to develop critical discernment and suggested that the aura of invincibility, which the pro-Israel lobby has cultivated, would prove to be shallow should it be countered by an effective opposition. That is the inescapable challenge looming ahead for the American public in general and the Western Muslim community in particular. If it seems like a near impossible dream, so too was Pakistan when it was initially envisioned.
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