by Joseph Sobran
ONE ISN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY THIS, but many people
believe that Israel now holds the White House, the
Senate, and much of the American media in its hands.
This is what is known as an anti-Semitic conspiracy
theory.
The odd thing is that it is held by many Israelis.
In an essay reprinted in the May 27th issue of The
New York Times, Ari Shavit, an Israeli columnist,
reflected sorrowfully on the wanton Israeli killing
of more than 100 Lebanese civilians in April: "We
killed them out of a certain naive hubris. Believing
with absolute certitude that now, with the White
House, the Senate, and much of the American media in
our hands, the lives of others do not count as much
as our own ..."
In a single phrase -- "in our hands" -- Shavit has
lighted up the American political landscape like a
flash of lightning.
Notice that Shavit assumes as an obvious fact what we
Americans can say publicly only at our own risk. It's
surprising, and refreshing, to find such candor in an
American newspaper (though his essay was reprinted
from the Israeli paper Haaretz).
The prescribed cant on the subject holds that Israel
is a "reliable ally" of the United States, despite
Israel's long record of double-dealing against this
country, ranging from the killing of American sailors
to constant espionage and technology theft. The word
"ally" implies that the relationship exists because
it's in the interests of this country, though
Israel's lobby is clearly devoted to the interests of
Israel itself, and it's childish to suggest
otherwise.
You expect that from the Israeli lobby; lobbies are
lobbies, after all. But it's unnerving that the
White House, the Senate, and much of the American
media should be "in our hands," as Shavit puts it.
Bill Clinton, a lover of peace since his college
days, raised no protest when the Israelis drove
400,000 innocent Lebanese out of their homes in
"retaliation" for rockets launched into Israel
(wounding one Israeli) by a faction over whom those
400,000 had no control.
Congress, of course, was supine as usual at this
latest extravagance of Israeli "defense." Congress
too is "in our hands."
A recent article in The Washington Post likened the
Israel lobby's power to that of the gun and tobacco
lobbies. But there is one enormous difference.
Newspapers like the Post aren't afraid to criticize
the gun and tobacco lobbies. They will say
forthrightly that those lobbies seek goals that are
dangerous for this country. They don't dare say as
much of the Israeli lobby.
But much of the press and electronic media are "in
our hands" in a more active sense: They supply
misleading pro-Israel propaganda in the guise of news
and commentary, constantly praising Israeli
"democracy" and ignoring Israel's mistreatment of its
non-Jewish minorities -- mistreatment which, if any
government inflicted it on a Jewish minority, would
earn it the fierce opprobrium of our media.
No decent American would think of reducing American
Jews to the status of Palestinians in Israel. The
idea is almost absurd. Yet Americans are taxed to
subsidize the oppression of Palestinians, on the
flimsy pretext that they are helping an "ally" in
America's own self-interest to be hated and despised
by the whole Muslim world.
All this is interesting less for what it tells us
about Israel than for what it tells us about America.
Frank discussion of Israel is permitted in Israel, as
Shavit's article illustrates. It's rarely permitted
here. Charges of anti-Semitism and a quiet but very
effective boycott will be the reward of any
journalist who calls attention to his own
government's -- and his own profession's -- servitude
to Israeli interests.
Very few in America are doing anything to change this
sorry state of affairs. Shavit wrote his article in
the desperate hope of turning back his countrymen and
his government from a morally and politically
perilous course. At least he can hope. It's harder
for us, when our own government isn't in our hands.