With President Obama addressing this years AIPAC Conference, what has drawn the most vociferous cheers and raucous applause? The disgusting smears of Liz Cheney.
Here's a taste:
“No president has done more to undermine and delegitimize Israel than President Obama.”
The response? Huge applause, despite the fact that the Obama administration has fought against Palestinian statehood efforts at the U.N. in an effort to specifically support Israel and
legitimize its concerns over the concerns of others.
Here's another example:
The Obama administration is only concerned with "containing Israel."
The response? Big cheers, despite the fact that the Obama administration continues to stand aside as Israel significantly expands its illegal settlements in Palestinian territories.
In contrast? Jane Harman, a California Democrat who served in Congress for 17 years, tried to counter Cheney's smears:
“This administration has done more for Israel’s security than any other.” There is “unprecedented” military cooperation between the countries.
The response? Tepid applause and a very vocal "boo" from the crowd.
This is the Israel lobby with which the President must deal – a lobby with a constituency full of Fox-News watchers and Rush-Limbaugh listeners. A constituency full of powerful figures in both conservative Jewish and fundamental Christian communities with unmistakable ties to a neo-conservatism that feeds on distortion and misdirection when it comes Israel and the Middle East.
It's a distortion that must be called out. Time and again. Whenever it occurs. If, that is, we as a country are to shape a more balanced and honest foreign policy in the Middle East.
----------------------------------
Follow me on Twitter @David_EHG
----------------------------------
Author's Note 1:
To view the AIPAC conference, where Obama is speaking, see this video feed.
Author's Note 2:
While AIPAC has plenty of speakers who try to quell the attacks on Obama and proclaim him as a friend of Israel, such speakers (and their moments of support for Obama) are rarely met with the same level of approval from the general crowd.
My point being: while AIPAC institutionally tries to walk a line between praise of and critique of President Obama and his policies, the general constituency feeds off of soundbites fitting for Fox News, and such feeding is representative of a deep problem in America's most powerful Israel lobby.