Alison weir

12 Pages·2011·0.99 MB·English

Alison weir
A very SpeciAl
relAtionShip
how isrAel is Allowed
to shApe the policies
of the United stAtes
ColdType
Alison Weir is president of the Council for the National Interest and
executive director of If Americans Knew. She can be reached at contact@
ifamericans knew.org.
These essays originally appeared at www.counterpunch.com and at
www.antiwar.com
Copyright 2011 Alison Weir
ColdType
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2 | ColdType | September 2011
A very SpeciAl
relAtionShip
how isrAel is Allowed to shApe the policies
of the United stAtes | essAys By Alison weir
❝
AuGusT 23, 2011 hard to get him to stay still long enough for
a photo.
The missile was It’s a happy picture, the kind that makes
Israeli video
fired remotely you smile; perhaps it reminds you of funny,
games in Gaza: by an Israeli energetic little children you know or re-
sitting in front member.
‘Minimal of a video Until you see the next picture. It was
taken on his second birthday. His name
screen and
collateral damage’ was Islam Quraiqe’
operating one
Death from a drone strike is not pretty.
of the many
The small body is charred, ripped apart; in-
I drones that
can imagine his mother dressing him ternal organs are pouring out.
that morning, making sure he would periodically He had been riding with his father and
be warm enough. I wonder if she’s the fly over Gaza uncle on a motorcycle in Gaza when the
one who took the picture. Someone and shoot missile hit them. His 29-year-old father, a
has written on the photo “kisses.” Palestinians member of the Palestinian resistance, and
It’s not a formal picture. He’s outside on 32-year-old uncle, a physician, were also
like fish in a
a sunny day. It looks like he was probably killed. Five bystanders, including a woman,
fishbowl
moving when the picture was snapped; his were injured.
arms seem to be swinging a little. As with The missile was fired remotely by an Is-
most almost two-year-olds, I suspect it was raeli sitting in front of a video screen and
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operating one of the many drones that pe- cines and 160 types of medical equipment.
riodically fly over Gaza and shoot Palestin- The Israeli assaults were allegedly trig-
ians like fish in a fishbowl. The operators While many gered by attacks on Thursday, August 18th,
are usually female, the preferred group for reports by unknown gunmen on the Egyptian bor-
this kind of desk job. describe the der with Israel that killed eight Israelis. Is-
The drones, which look like small, pilot- Israeli actions raeli forces killed the attackers in Eilat, also
less jets, are equipped with precision-guid- shooting dead, according to the BBC, five
as retaliatory,
ed missiles. Those operating them receive Egyptian policemen. The Israeli Defense
Israeli attacks
real-time video feeds from sensors located Minister told Egypt afterwards that “Israel
on Gaza occur
on the drone: a color nose camera, a TV regrets the deaths.”
regularly and
lens, an infrared camera for low light and There is no evidence connecting Gazan
were already
night, and a synthetic radar for looking resistance groups to the attack, and they
through smoke, clouds or haze. The cam- ongoing before have denied responsibility for it. Hamas
eras produce full motion video as well as the Eilat attack itself had maintained a unilateral de facto
still frame radar images. ceasefire since 2009 (some independent re-
Numerous articles extol the virtues of sistance groups, however, refused to take
Israeli drones. An August 17th article by part in this truce and continued to launch
David Rodman reports: “The Israel Air rockets in response to Israeli actions).
Force (IAF) has a rich history of employ- Groups in Egypt have periodically taken
ing unmanned aerial vehicles in battle with actions opposing Israel. Egyptian authori-
excellent results.” Rodman crows that with ties say they have identified three of the
the possible exception of the United States, attackers, who appear to have been based
“Israel is the country most closely identified in the Sinai, there are reports that Israeli
with [drone] operations in the post-World intelligence warned of the attack ahead of
War II period.” time, and there is mounting information
Islam was the second two-year-old to suggesting that the attackers may have
be killed by Israeli forces in two days. been Egyptian, not Gazan.
The first was killed by an Israeli “pre- While many reports describe the Israeli
cision” rocket the day before. The boy’s actions as retaliatory, Israeli attacks on
name was Malek Sha’at. His father was Gaza occur regularly and were already on-
also killed. The only picture available on- going before the Eilat attack. Two days ear-
line is of a small shrouded body. lier, on Tuesday, an Israeli air strike killed a
An article by reporter Aaron Klein pro- 29-year-old Palestinian man in the morn-
claims that Israeli weapons are “capable of ing, and Israeli ground soldiers killed a dis-
taking out stationary and moving targets abled teenager later in the day. The youth
with minimal collateral damage.” was shot more than 10 times, mostly in
Perhaps Klein is right. Two years of life the head. On Wednesday night there were
is decidedly minimal. Intolerably so. more Israeli air attacks throughout Gaza.
(The LA Times called this a period of “rela-
Putting it all into context tive calm.”) Some analysts suggest that the
recent Israeli escalation against Gaza may
During this period (August 18-20, 2011) Is- have been prompted, at least in part, by a
raeli forces killed 14 Palestinians including Netanyahu desire to deflect energy from
at least one other child, a 13-year-old, and the massive social protests that have been
injured at least 50, nine of them children. enveloping Israel recently.
Gazan resistance forces killed one Israeli The death toll among Gazans and Israe-
and injured about 20. Gazan hospitals, lis has been notably disproportionate. In
hard hit by the years-long Israeli siege, re- Israel’s Dec-Jan 2008-09 “Cast Lead” as-
port that they have run out of 150 medi- sault, Israeli forces killed approximately
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1,387 Gazans, while resistance forces killed eration – “sparked renewed global interest
nine Israelis. In the preceding year Israeli in Israeli drone operations.”
forces killed 713 Gazans; Gazan resistance Israeli Rodman states: “In terms of the tech-
fighters killed eight Israelis. Since “Cast Aerospace nological sophistication of its UAV force,
Lead” through the end of July of this year, Industries Israel is unquestionably well ahead of the
Israeli forces killed approximately 200 Ga- proudly pack. Only the United States is in the same
zans; Palestinian resistance groups killed league.”
unveiled its
approximately five Israelis.
latest drone,
Most of Gaza’s residents are refugee
known as the
families who were forcibly pushed out by
“GhosT,”
Israel in its 1947-49 founding war, in which
which the
non-Jews, who originally made up over 70
percent of the inhabitants, were expelled. company
In violation of international law, they announced, “is
have been prohibited from returning to at the forefront
their homes and have lived under crippling of technology
Israeli occupation for decades. Palestinian thanks to years
land is continually confiscated by Israel for
of experience sEPTEMbEr 1, 2011
Jewish-only use. A popular uprising against
and knowledge
Israeli occupation began in the fall of 2000.
acquired in subsidizing
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said
the field of
yesterday: “Those who operate against us
Israel’s
unmanned
will be decapitated.” That night at least 100
Israeli military vehicles stormed into the aerial vehicles. Ascendancy over
West Bank city of Hebron, closing the city ion
off for hours and rounding up more than the us
50 Palestinians, including several academ-
ics and members of charitable associations.
I
On Saturday, August 20th, Israeli Aero- srael’s Jerusalem Post newspaper re-
space Industries proudly unveiled its latest cently published an article calling Israel
drone, known as the “GHOST,” which the “The New Golden Country” for young
company announced, “is at the forefront of people from around the world. It re-
technology thanks to years of experience ports that Israel boasts “an ever-increasing
and knowledge acquired in the field of un- GDP, a strong currency, and a lower unem-
manned aerial vehicles.” ployment rate than the US.”
Israel partisan and author David Rod- The article fails to mention the well over
man reports that Israeli drones “played a $3 billion a year that American taxpayers
substantial part” in Israel’s 1982 Lebanon have given Israel for years, nor the fact
war (in which Israeli forces killed at least that some of this money has been used to
17,825 Lebanese, compared to 344 Israelis develop industries that compete with US
killed by the Lebanese resistance) and that companies, costing thousands of American
their use in what he acknowledges in pro- jobs and adding to the American unem-
found understatement were “asymmetric ployment rate.
conflicts” – in the 2006 Second Lebanon The story also omits the fact that Is-
war (Israeli forces killed at least 1,125 Leba- rael has periodically stolen US technology,
nese, almost all civilians, a third of them hurting the US economy still more, and
children; Lebanese resistance forces killed fails to note that support for Israel has cost
164 Israelis, about three-quarters of them Americans in the range of $3-$6 trillion and
soldiers and the 2008–2009 Cast Lead op- that these costs continue to escalate.
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The article reports that many young they retain their US citizenship, allowing
Jewish American singles “are realizing that them to continue to vote in US elections.
In the past ten
their future is in Israel. Since 2002, over Such dual citizenship used to be illegal
7,000 students and young professionals years alone, in the US, where it was felt that a citizen
have made Aliyah [“ascended” to Israeli Americans could have only one primary national loy-
citizenship] from North America and the have given alty (for example, in a war or other situ-
UK... bringing with them their skills...” Israel the ations where interests diverged between
Many of these new Israeli citizens, the two nations an individual would have to
equivalent of
article reports, then “telecommute to their choose which to support). It was only af-
approximately
home countries, commute to Europe or ter Israel became a nation and many Jew-
$200,000 per
consult globally,” adding to Israel’s econo- ish Americans wished citizenship in both
Israeli family of
my. countries that a 200-year American tradi-
five. In addition,
The Israeli story states: “Many students tion was changed.
and young professionals are drawn by the there have The Jerusalem Post article also neglected
incentive of free tuition for a bachelor’s or been weapons to mention Israel’s attack on a US Navy
master’s degree,” comparing this to the subsidies, loan ship that killed and injured approximately
United States, where obtaining a degree forgiveness 200 Americans and caused the ship to be
can put many into significant debt. scrapped. Despite all evidence to the con-
programs,
According to the article, “Israel sits, trary, Israel termed this a “mistake” and
special trade
quite literally, at the nexus of the world.” gave the US $6 million “compensation” for
preferences,
The newspaper reports: “This tiny nation a ship valued at $40 million, another blow
and other
is not only in the geographical heart of the to the US economy.
generous gifts
globe and at the center of international at- While US news media, which are highly
tention. Israel is also at the very core of in- from American Israel-centric in their coverage of the Is-
novation, a leader in global commerce and taxpayers to rael-Palestine conflict and portray Israelis
technology.” Israel as victims, the Jerusalem Post reports that
Again, the story fails to report the US “a recent Gallup survey on global wellbe-
subsidy of such “innovation.” ing ranked Israelis seventh in the world in
In the past ten years alone, Americans terms of happiness and satisfaction with
have given Israel the equivalent of approxi- their lives” (well ahead of the US).
mately $200,000 per Israeli family of five. In considerable contrast, the Palestinian
In addition, there have been weapons sub- Territories, where the population has been
sidies, loan forgiveness programs, special living under Israeli occupation for almost
trade preferences, and other generous gifts 45 years, is listed as the 12th lowest popula-
from American taxpayers to Israel. In fact, tion in this wellbeing survey.
despite being one of the world’s smallest Miami Congresswoman Ileana Ros-
nations, Israel receives more US tax money Lehtinen, the extremely pro-Israel head of
than any other country. the House Foreign Affairs Committee (it
On top of this, a multitude of organiza- is unknown whether she has dual citizen-
tions contributing money and assistance to ship) and who has just introduced yet an-
Israel have been given tax-deductible sta- other bill on Israel’s behalf, has proposed
tus in the US, removing still more money that the US end assistance programs to
from the American economy. For example, the Palestinian population, despite consid-
donations to the “Birthright Israel” pro- erable poverty among Palestinian families,
gram that takes Jewish American students while continuing the American dole to Is-
on fun-filled holidays to Israel, convincing rael, even though Israel is listed among the
many to then “ascend” to Israeli citizenship, world’s wealthiest nations.
are deducted from taxes owed to the US The Jerusalem Post crows, “The back
When Americans become Israeli citizens pages of daily newspapers are overflowing
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with last minute vacation deals within Is- In a recent speech before the Jewish
rael and abroad, and it is completely nor- People Policy Institute (JPPI), Ambassador
mal to find that your friend or coworker Palestinian Daniel Shapiro clarified what drives US
has just found a great deal to fly off to Eu- rocket attacks policies:
rope for a long weekend.” have killed “The test of every policy the Administra-
Meanwhile, the US continues to suffer a approximately tion develops in the Middle East is whether
growing economic crisis, numerous Ameri- it is consistent with the goal of ensuring Is-
20 Israelis.
cans have lost jobs and homes, schools are rael’s future as a secure, Jewish, democratic
There is no
being closed, businesses have gone bank- state. That is a commitment that runs as a
report that
rupt, and many military families are sub- common thread through our entire govern-
shapiro has
sisting on food stamps. ment.”
visited the
An increasing number of Americans are Shapiro went on to say: “This test ex-
calling for an end to US taxpayer subsidies victims of plains our extraordinary security coopera-
to Israel. Some go even further, suggesting Israeli shelling tion, our stand against the delegitimization
that it is time to reverse the money flow attacks on of Israel, our efforts on Iran, our response
and demand that Israel begin sending back Gaza, where to the Arab Spring, and our efforts on Is-
some of the billions of dollars it has re- over 1,400 have raeli-Palestinian peace.”
ceived from American taxpayers over the It also explains a factor in the downward
been killed
past 60-plus years. slide in American prosperity and standing
According to the CIA World Factbook, in the world.
Israel’s current account balance is 29th in Shapiro elaborated: ‘Israel will receive
the world; the US comes in at 196th. over $3 billion in US funding for training
and equipment in the coming fiscal year.
This assistance allows Israel to purchase
the sophisticated defense equipment it
needs to protect itself, by itself, including
the world’s most advanced fighter aircraft,
the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Our assistance
has also helped boost Israel’s domestic de-
fense industry.”
On top of this, Shapiro pointed out,
“Congress, at the request of President
sEPTEMbEr 14, 2011 Obama, provided $205 million to acceler-
ate production and deployment of the Iron
Dome short-range missile system, a proj-
us Ambassador:
ect to which I devoted particular attention
during my tenure at the White House.”
support for
Shapiro failed to note that this system
Israel drives all competes with American defense firms,
causing still further job loss for Americans,
us policies who have a higher unemployment rate
than Israel.
Shapiro said that one of his first visits
W
hile many Americans may as Ambassador to Israel was to see an Iron
believe that US policies are Dome battery deployed near Ashkelon,
designed to address Ameri- where he “had very moving visits with the
can needs, America’s new victims of rocket attacks in Ashdod.” Pal-
Ambassador to Israel explains that this is estinian rocket attacks have killed approxi-
far from the case. mately 20 Israelis. There is no report that
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Alison Weir
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Shapiro has visited the victims of Israeli ignored it, the US was thrown into a major
shelling attacks on Gaza, where over 1,400 recession and thousands of Americans lost
have been killed. Twenty years their jobs and homes.
ago similar Author and international attorney John
opposing international initiatives, pressure on Whitbeck writes that “the adverse conse-
undermining us needs Iraq created a quences for the United States of blocking
Palestine’s membership are dazzlingly ob-
humanitarian
Shapiro continued: “The test of our poli- vious. An American veto would constitute
catastrophe
cy – that it advances Israel’s status as a a shotgun blast in both of its own feet, fur-
in which,
secure, Jewish, democratic state – also ther isolating the United States from the
according to
explains our commitment to vigorously rest of mankind and outraging the already
the World
battle against those who would attempt to agitated and unstable Arab and Muslim
isolate or delegitimize Israel in the interna- health worlds (notably including Egypt, Iraq, Af-
tional community.” organization, ghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey).
As a result, Shapiro said, the US with- over 5,000 Since 120 nations have already recog-
drew from the South African conference on children under nized Palestine, such a veto would outrage
racism in Durban and vetoed UN efforts the age of countries all over the globe.
on Israel (which otherwise would have Shapiro went on to say:
five died each
passed). “The test of our policy – to advance Is-
month from
Currently, he said, the administration rael’s status as a secure, Jewish democratic
“embargo-
is “doing everything we can” to oppose state – explains our persistent efforts and
related causes”
the Palestinian bid for UN membership to the President’s determination to prevent
come later this month. “We are taking our Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
opposition to capitals around the world.” “Since 2009, the United States has led
This campaign is reminiscent of previous the world in imposing the toughest sanc-
pro-Israel campaigns, including the original tions ever against Iran, through U.N. Secu-
pressure brought by Israel partisans in 1947 rity Council Resolution 1929, through the
on the UN General Assembly to pass a rec- Comprehensive Iran Sanctions and Divest-
ommendation to give over half of Palestine ment Act, and through additional sanctions
to a Jewish state. imposed by European and other partners
Prince Turki al-Faisal, a member of the beyond those mandated by the U.N. Secu-
Saudi Royal Family who headed up its in- rity Council... We are working to increase
telligence service for many years, has just pressure on Iran through additional means,
published Veto a State, Lose an Ally, in which and have taken no option off the table.
he warns that if the US vetoes Palestinian Twenty years ago similar pressure on
UN membership, “Saudi Arabia would no Iraq created a humanitarian catastrophe in
longer be able to cooperate with America which, according to the World Health Or-
in the same way it historically has.” ganization, over 5,000 children under the
He writes that it would “provoke up- age of five died each month from “embar-
roar among Muslims worldwide,” further go-related causes.”
undermining American relations with the
Muslim world (over 1.2 billion people), Arab spring actions predicated on
“threaten regional stability,” and increase Israeli interests
“the chances of another war in the region.”
In 1973 Saudi Arabia, which has been an Shapiro explained that concerns for Israel
extremely important US ally, issued a warn- also drive the Administration’s actions re-
ing based on a similarly reasonable request garding the Arab Spring:
(that Israel obey international law – see “The test of our policy explains President
discussion below). When Henry Kissinger Obama’s original outreach to the Mus-
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lim world, and his response to the Arab next generation, but may not be if left un-
Spring. tended.”
“Israel’s interests were not served by the Ambassador Shapiro said that “one of the most fruit-
deep anger felt toward the United States in shapiro failed ful opportunities for deepening ties” be-
many Muslim communities, and the Presi- to mention that tween Americans and Israelis is in the eco-
dent made clear that those who would Israel’s current nomic sphere:
accept his outstretched hand must do so “There are approximately one dozen
account
knowing that the United States will remain American-Israel Chambers of Commerce
balance is 29th
a fierce defender of Israel’s legitimacy and throughout the United States, based in
in the world;
call on others to build their own connec- New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, Los An-
the us comes
tions with Israel. geles, and elsewhere. These organizations
in at 196th
“As the unprecedented events of the are run and organized by Americans who
Arab Spring have unfolded, we have rec- care deeply about the US- Israel relation-
ognized the opportunity presented by the ship and strive to facilitate US-Israel busi-
possible emergence of more open, trans- ness connections.”
parent, peaceful, and democratic govern- Shapiro pointed out:
ments, who will make better neighbors, “In 2010 alone the US imported $21 bil-
while remaining vigilant about the risks lion of Israeli goods and services; that’s 10
these changes could present. We know the percent of Israel’s GDP. American compa-
stakes for Israel are high, and in a situation nies and their representatives here directly
where neither of us can control outcomes, employ about 60,000 Israelis; that’s fully
we are working closely together to chart a 2 percent of Israel’s entire workforce. This
common strategy.” figure does not include the many thou-
Shapiro said that US support for a sands more that are supported by Ameri-
“two-state solution” is also based on Israeli can companies here as subcontractors or in
desires, explaining that he and the Admin- downstream businesses.
istration are “convinced that a two-state “American companies have opened two-
solution is the only way to guarantee Is- thirds of all foreign R&D facilities in Israel
rael’s future as a Jewish and democratic and brought in nearly 60 percent of all
state.” Therefore, he said, the administra- foreign direct investment. In 2011, Ameri-
tion’s “vigorous pursuit of Israeli-Palestin- can companies have acquired ten Israeli
ian peace” also meets the pro-Israel test. startups to the tune of $1.5 billion dollars,
not just for their products, but to establish
need to bolster pro-Israel ties leading international R&D centers tapping
among Jewish Americans into the greatest asset of Israel’s people,
their brainpower. American-sourced ven-
Shapiro spoke of the close allegiance that ture capitalism provides more than half of
most Jewish Americans feel for Israel, but all money for nascent technology compa-
expressed concern that “much research has nies to get off the ground.
shown that growing numbers of younger “Just as other Diaspora communities are
American Jews feel disconnected, or at best often in the lead in promoting economic
ambivalent, toward Israel. Valuable pro- ties with their countries of origin, many
grams like Birthright have exposed many of these projects began because of Jewish-
to this connection, but many more have American ‘champions’ of corporate interac-
not been reached.” tion with Israel.”
He said that “a stronger commitment Ambassador Shapiro failed to mention
to Zionist education for American Jewish that Israel’s current account balance is 29th
youth could do much to strengthen bonds in the world; the US comes in at 196th.
that we want to be even stronger in the
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Alison Weir
1973 War and shapiro’s personal ❝ Shapiro explained that the 1973 war had
ties to Israel a major impact on his family:
henry Kissinger “By the end of the war, and even more
In his speech, Ambassador Shapiro re- arranged so, by the end of our stay, our family’s rela-
counted his personal history “for the in- a massive tionship with Israel had been utterly trans-
sights it can give us about the connection airlift of us formed, from a solid but light connection
of the American Jewish community to the to the deepest of bonds. Throughout the
weaponry to
US-Israel relationship.” He stated: remainder of my childhood, family din-
Israel, saving
“I am a proud member of our Jewish ner conversations turned easily to events
Israel from
community in Washington, DC, active in a in Israel, from the thrill of the peace with
losing the war.
Conservative synagogue and the Jewish day Egypt to the anguish of the Lebanon War
This support
school that my children attend and where [initiated by Israel; fatalities were approxi-
my wife, Julie, worked for many years. And led to the mately 25:1 Lebanese to Israelis]. The am-
my profound respect for the State of Israel oil embargo ple bookshelves in my parents’ home grew
and its remarkable achievements stems against the laden with studies in Zionism, Jewish his-
from a lifetime of exposure to the extraor- us that tory, and Israeli literature.
dinary people who brought Theodore Her- caused a deep “A product of the Reform Movement, I
zl’s Zionist dream to life.” nurtured my own connection to Israel pri-
depression and
Shapiro explained that his close attach- marily through summer camp experiences
cost thousands
ment to Israel began in 1973 when he was at the Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute in
of Americans
four years old and his family spent a fall Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, an unlikely set-
their jobs
semester in Israel. They were there during ting for some of the most innovative Jew-
the war in which Egypt and Syria tried to ish and Zionist education to be found any-
retrieve land that had been taken by Israel where.
seven years before. “These experiences led me to spend
While Ambassador Shapiro didn’t go half a year after high school in Israel on
into this, there is a close US connection to a Reform Movement program, living with
the 1973 war, called by Israel and US media an Israeli family in Jerusalem, studying at
the “Yom Kippur War.” Hebrew Union College, traveling widely
Before and during this war, Saudi Ara- throughout the country, and volunteering
bia called on the US to pressure Israel to on Kibbutz Yahel in the Arava.
return the lands that it had taken and held “I returned for my sophomore year of
since 1967, in violation of international law. college at Hebrew University, supplement-
Instead, Henry Kissinger arranged a mas- ing my studies with work as a waiter at the
sive airlift of US weaponry to Israel, sav- wedding hall in the Beit Knesset HaGadol
ing Israel from losing the war. This support and long walks in Rehavia, where my girl-
led to the oil embargo against the US that friend – who is now my wife of 19 years –
caused a deep depression and cost thou- took an apartment.
sands of Americans their jobs. “In the years since, I have made Israel,
As historian Donald Neff later wrote, its history and people, its quest for peace
this boycott, induced by Kissinger’s weap- and security in the Middle East, and its re-
ons to Israel, left “economies around the lationship with the United States, the cen-
world shattered and many individuals terpiece of my academic studies at Bran-
living poorer lives.” Neff wrote that while deis and Harvard, my work on Capitol Hill,
“Kissinger admitted, ‘I made a mistake,’ and my service in the Clinton and Obama
skeptics might wonder whether it was a Administrations.”
mistake, or wanton disregard of US inter- Shapiro emphasized that in many ways
ests during a passionate effort to help Is- his story is not unique, stating that “it is
rael.” impossible to deny the special connection
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