Why the presidential candidates won't talk about Israel

Analysts say politicians hold their tongues on giving additional US aid to Israel for fear of being labeled as anti-Semitic.

By David R. Francis

from the May 12, 2008 edition

Israel, celebrating its 60th birthday last week, has proved to be an expensive ally for the United States.

Since its birth, Israel has received at least $114 billion from the US in direct foreign economic and military aid, says Shirl McArthur, a retired US diplomat who periodically updates his Israel cost estimates for the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WREMA), a magazine often critical of US policy toward Israel.

That estimate, Mr. McArthur notes, is conservative. For instance, he has not factored inflation into that $114 billion cumulative sum. The late Washington economist Thomas Stauffer did that calculation several years ago. He found total official aid to Israel, up to 2002, came to $247 billion. He added other costs of US support of Israel (interest on debt, higher oil prices, etc.) to reach a highly controversial total of $1.6 trillion.

For comparison, the cost to the US of the Iraq war is running about $144 billion a year.

In March, a Memorandum of Understanding from the White House to Congress urged an additional $30 billion in military aid to Israel, a sum spread at about $3 billion a year through fiscal year 2018. Currently, Israel ranks as the top recipient of American foreign aid ($2.4 billion in 2007 by an official calculation) if reconstruction money for Iraq is excluded. Next are Egypt ($1.8 billion) and Afghanistan ($1 billion).

Up to now, the presidential candidates have largely ducked the question of what they would do to further peace between Israelis and the Palestinians.

"It's quite remarkable it has not been raised," says Stephen Walt, coauthor of "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," a controversial book published last year. "They have gotten a free pass on details for a peace process."

The Harvard University political science professor further criticizes the press for not questioning the candidates about what they would do to push forward a two-state solution to the decades-old struggle with its sizable cost to American taxpayers. Presumably a lever the US has in the dispute is to withhold the aid it gives to Israel and the far smaller amount ($73.5 million requested for fiscal 2008) given to the Palestinians.

"The presidential candidates make it a point never to talk about Middle East foreign aid," says McArthur.

Why the silence?

"Fear," says Paul Findley, a frequent critic of US foreign policy to Israel. He blames the Israeli lobby for contributing to his defeat in 1982 when running for reelection as a Republican congressional representative from Illinois.

None of the three remaining presidential candidates have uttered "even a syllable" of complaint about US policy toward Israel, rather a "paean of praise," Mr. Findley says. "This is a phenomenon without precedent in American history."

To Findley, the "most powerful instrument of intimidation" used by pro-Israel groups is the charge of "anti-Semitism." The meaning of that term has been expanded. It used to be applied to those hostile to a race or faith, that is, against Jews or Judaism. Now it's often applied to critics of Israel or US-Israel policy, says Findley.

Considering the horrific history of the holocaust, politicians "run like rabbits" to avoid the charge of anti-Semitism, Findley adds.

Another fear of politicians involves the campaign contributions of pro-Israel political action committees (PACs). Last week WREMA reported that more than 20 of these PACs have contributed $1.1 million to Washington politicians in the 2007-08 election cycle. That amount is dwarfed by what the three presidential candidates have raised for their campaigns.

Since Israel now has a relatively prosperous per capita national income comparable to Cyprus or Slovenia, direct US economic aid to Israel has been replaced gradually by military aid. Since money is fungible, that would make little real economic difference to Israel as its government pays its high military bills. In fact, Congress allows Israel to use 26 percent of the aid it receives to buy arms outside the US, thereby helping build up its own weapons industry. "We are thus shooting ourselves [the US weapons industry] in the foot," charges Janet McMahon, managing editor of WREMA.

Professor Walt maintains he's pro-Israel. The US refusal to put pressure on Israel to settle with the Palestinians on a two-state solution, he argues, is not helpful.

"Giving any country unconditional backing encourages irresponsible behavior," he says. It could lead to an apartheid state, or as Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert put it, Israel facing "a South African-style struggle."

Source

Pro-Israel PACs Swett It Out in New Hampshire

By Janet McMahon

As part of their continuing campaign to keep John Sununu out of the U.S. Senate—an effort which failed in 2002, when then-Representative Sununu (R-NH) was first elected to “the world’s greatest deliberative body”—pro-Israel PACs bestowed a whopping $44,000 on would-be Democratic opponent Katrina Swett in 2007. In case that name doesn’t ring a bell, Swett is the daughter of the late Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), who was one of Israel’s most ardent champions in the House. Her husband is former Rep. Dick Swett (D-NH), who, after two terms in the House and an unsuccessful Senate bid, managed to amass a respectable $95,500 in pro-Israel PAC contributions. Will Sununu’s Democratic opponent, former Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, who received $72,022 in pro-Israel PAC contributions to oppose Sununu in 2002, find it in herself to rise above the spurn?

Top Ten 2008 and Career Recipients of Pro-Israel PAC Funds

Compiled by Hugh Galford

HOUSE: 2008 CYCLE		SENATE: 2008 CYCLE
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)	$34,700	Levin, Carl (D-MI)	$61,850
Hoyer, Steny (D-MD)	32,500	Swett, Katrina (D-NH)	44,000
Pence, Mike (R-IN)	30,000	Lautenberg, Frank (D-NJ)	39,000
Kirk, Mark (R-IL)	27,000	Pryor, Mark (D-AK)	37,500
Boehner, John (R-OH)	27,000	McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)	35,500
Cantor, Eric (R-VA)	25,500	Collins, Susan (R-ME)	33,500
Klein, Ron (D-FL)	16,150	Coleman, Norm (R-MN)	31,000
Crowley, Joseph (D-NY)	15,745	Durbin, Richard (D-IL)	29,000
Johnson, Tim (R-IL)	13,000	Reed, Jack (D-RI)	27,500
Bachmann, Michele (R-MN)	13,000	Landrieu, Mary (D-LA)	24,790

House: Career		Senate: Career
Berkley, Shelley (D-NV)	283,405	*Levin, Carl (D-MI)	720,737
Engel, Eliot (D-NY)	193,418	*Harkin, Tom (D-IA)	526,950
Hoyer, Steny (D-MD)	171,775	Specter, Arlen (R-PA)	492,973
Obey, David (D-WI)	156,100	*Lautenberg, Frank (D-NJ)	473,078
Kirk, Mark (R-IL)	156,882	*McConnell, Mitch (R-KY)	412,685
Cantor, Eric (R-VA)	156,730	Lieberman, Joseph (D-CT)	373,851
Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana (R-FL)	133,490	*Durbin, Richard (D-IL)	359,421
Lowey, Nita (D-NY)	130,738	*Baucus, Max (D-MT)	342,648
Levin, Sander (D-MI)	124,221	Reid, Harry (D-NV)	320,301
Lantos, Tom (D-CA)	123,250	Wyden, Ronald (D-OR)	277,562

		*up for re-election

Pro-Israel PAC Contributions to 2008 Congressional Candidates

State	Office	Dist.	Candidate	Party	Status	2007 Cont.	Career Total	Committees
Alabama	S		Sessions, Jeff*	R	I	21,500	218,325	AS, B
	H	03	Rogers, Michael	R	I	3,075	13,325	AS, HS
	H	04	Aderholt, Robert	R	I	1,000	15,500	A(HS)
	H	06	Bachus, Spencer	R	I	2,000	14,500
	H	07	Davis, Artur	D	I	1,000	81,067	W
Alaska	S		Murkowski, Lisa	R	I	1,000	53,600	FR
	S		Stevens, Ted*	R	I	10,000	85,200	A(D, HS), C, HS
Arizona	H	05	Mitchell, Harry	D	I	150	3,150
	H	08	Giffords, Gabrielle	D	I	4,150	11,374	AS, FR
Arkansas	S		Pryor, Mark*	D	I	37,500	47,000	AS, C, HS
California	H	08	Pelosi, Nancy	D	I	11,500	96,300	House Speaker
	H	10	Tauscher, Ellen	D	I	10,000	22,000	AS
	H	11	McNerney, Jerry	D	I	6,000	8,000
	H	12	Lantos, Tom	D	N	2,000	123,250	FR
	H	24	Gallegly, Elton	R	I	1,000	47,250	FR, I
	H	27	Sherman, Brad	D	I	1,000	54,930	FR(NE)
	H	28	Berman, Howard	D	I	1,000	68,050	FR(NE)
	H	29	Schiff, Adam	D	I	6,000	54,917	A(FO), I
	H	30	Waxman, Henry	D	I	1,000	37,832	C
	H	36	Harman, Jane	D	I	2,000	99,271	C, HS
	H	37	Millender-McDonald, Juanita	D	N	500	1,500
	H	37	Richardson, Laura	D	I	2,000	2,000
	H	43	Baca, Joe	D	I	1,000	1,000
	H	47	Sanchez, Loretta	D	I	2,000	47,700	AS, HS
Colorado	S		Allard, Wayne*	R	I	–5,000	55,500	A, B
	H	02	Udall, Mark	D	I	2,500	13,750	AS
	H	07	Perlmutter, Edwin	D	I	150	7,374	HS
Connecticut	H	02	Courtney, Joseph	D	I	3,500	9,500	AS
	H	03	DeLauro, Rosa	D	I	1,000	46,400	A, B

State	Office	Dist.	Candidate	Party	Status	2007 Cont.	Career Total	Committees
Delaware	S		Biden, Joseph Jr.*	D	I	1,500	102,507	FR
Florida	S		Nelson, Bill	D	I	–5,000	127,221	AS, B, C, FR, I
	S		Klein, Bernard	D	N	5,000	5,000
	H	05	Brown-Waite, Virginia	R	I	2,000	6,300	HS
	H	12	Putnam, Adam	R	I	1,000	7,500
	H	16	Mahoney, Tim	D	I	4,000	6,000
	H	17	Meek, Carrie	D	N	2,500	9,500
	H	17	Meek, Kendrick	D	I	500	16,500	AS, W
	H	18	Ros-Lehtinen, Ileana	R	I	7,500	133,490	FR
	H	19	Wexler, Robert	D	I	7,000	20,750	FR(NE)
	H	20	Wasserman Schultz, Debbie	D	I	4,500	16,000	A
	H	21	Diaz-Balart, Lincoln	R	I	2,500	21,000
	H	22	Klein, Ron	D	I	16,150	26,374	FR(NE)
	H	23	Hastings, Alcee	D	I	5,000	54,350	I
	H	25	Diaz-Balart, Mario	R	I	500	11,000	B
Georgia	S		Chambliss, Saxby*	R	I	1,000	28,500	AS, I
	H	04	Johnson, Henry Jr.	D	I	1,000	30,200	AS
	H	04	Coyne, John III	D	N	2,000	2,000
	H	07	Linder, John	R	I	500	20,650	W
	H	12	Barrow, John	D	I	3,250	34,574	C
Illinois	S		Durbin, Richard*	D	I	29,000	359,421	A(D, FO)
	H	05	Emanuel, Rahm	D	I	3,500	22,500	W
	H	06	Roskam, Peter	R	I	2,000	4,750
	H	08	Bean, Melissa L.	D	I	5,250	43,529
	H	08	Greenberg, Steven	R	C	5,000	5,000
	H	09	Schakowsky, Janice	D	I	1,000	22,250	C, I
	H	10	Kirk, Mark	R	I	27,000	156,882	A(FO)
	H	11	Weller, Gerald	R	I	500	37,650	W
	H	15	Johnson, Tim	R	I	13,000	23,500
	H	17	Hare, Philip	D	I	1,000	6,650
Indiana	H	02	Donnelly, Joseph	D	I	1,000	5,000
	H	03	Souder, Mark E.	R	I	2,500	3,500	HS
	H	05	Burton, Dan	R	I	7,000	94,000	FR
	H	06	Pence, Mike	R	I	30,000	55,250	FR(NE)
	H	08	Ellsworth, Brad	D	I	2,000	53,250	AS
	H	09	Hill, Baron	D	I	3,500	28,465	C
Iowa	S		Harkin, Tom*	D	I	6,000	526,950	A(D, FO)
	H	02	Loebsack, David	D	I	2,000	2,000	AS
Kansas	S		Brownback, Sam	R	I	500	103,850	A(FO)
	S		Roberts, Pat*	R	I	22,500	22,500
	H	02	Boyda, Nancy	D	I	2,150	2,150	AS
Kentucky	S		McConnell, Mitch*	R	I	35,500	412,685	A(D, FO)
Louisiana	S		Landrieu, Mary*	D	I	24,790	155,179	A (HS, FO), HS
	S		Vitter, David	R	I	2,500	38,000	C, FR
	H	03	Melancon, Charlie	D	I	2,000	29,100	C
	H	05	Alexander, Rodney	R	I	2,500	11,000	A, B
Maine	S		Collins, Susan*	R	I	33,500	89,000	AS, HS
Maryland	S		Cardin, Benjamin	D	I	–1,000	92,015	B, FR(NE)
	H	05	Hoyer, Steny	D	I	32,500	171,775		House Majority Leader
	H	07	Cummings, Elijah	D	I	2,000	20,500		AS
Massachusetts	S		Kennedy, Edward	D	I	1,000	100,120		AS
	S		Kerry, John*	D	I	9,000	20,252		C, FR(NE)
Michigan	S		Levin, Carl*	D	I	61,850	720,737		AS, HS
	H	11	McCotter, Thaddeus	R	I	1,000	11,500		FR
	H	12	Levin, Sander	D	I	1,994	124,221		W
Minnesota	S		Coleman, Norm*	R	I	31,000	71,980		FR(NE), HS
	S		Klobuchar, Amy	D	I	–5,000	32,835		C
	H	06	Bachmann, Michele	R	I	13,000	16,500
Missouri	S		Bond, Christopher	R	I	1,000	166,700		A(D, FO), I
	S		McCaskill, Claire	D	I	5,000	19,335		AS, C, HS
	H	04	Skelton, Ike	D	I	7,000	78,450		AS
Montana	S		Baucus, Max*	D	I	15,000	342,648
Nevada	H	01	Berkley, Shelley	D	I	34,700	283,405		W
	H	03	Porter, Jon	R	I	4,000	5,000		B, W

State	Office	Dist.	Candidate	Party	Status	2007 Cont.	Career Total	Committees
New Hampshire	S		Swett, Katrina*	D	N	44,000	44,000	B, W
	H	01	Shea-Porter, Carol	D	I	2,000	2,000	AS
	H	02	Hodes, Paul	D	I	8,000	10,600
New Jersey	S		Lautenberg, Frank*	D	I	39,000	473,078	A(HS), B, C
	S		Menendez, Robert	D	I	–1,000	130,818	B, FR
	H	01	Andrews, Robert	D	I	7,500	55,750	AS, B
	H	02	LoBiondo, Frank	R	I	4,000	15,250	AS
	H	03	Adler, John	D	O	1,000	1,000
	H	03	Saxton, James	R	N	1,000	74,900	AS
	H	07	Ferguson, Michael	R	I	1,000	11,000	C
	H	09	Rothman, Steven	D	I	3,000	68,503	A(D, FO)
	H	10	Payne, Donald	D	I	1,500	23,250	FR
New Mexico	S		Domenici, Pete*	R	N	1,000	51,600	A(D, HS), B, HS
	H	03	Udall, Tom	D	I	2,500	6,500	A
New York	H	02	Israel, Steve	D	I	1,000	29,100	A(FO)
	H	06	Meeks, Gregory	D	I	5,000	5,500	FR
	H	07	Crowley, Joseph	D	I	15,745	91,902	FR, W
	H	09	Weiner, Anthony	D	I	1,000	23,050	C
	H	15	Rangel, Charles	D	I	7,000	23,500	W
	H	17	Engel, Eliot	D	I	11,000	193,418	C, FR(NE)
	H	18	Lowey, Nita	D	I	12,000	130,738	A(FO), HS
	H	19	Hall, John	D	I	3,000	3,000
	H	20	Gillibrand, Kirsten	D	I	5,250	9,250	AS
	H	24	Arcuri, Michael	D	I	2,150	8,150
	H	26	Reynolds, Thomas	R	I	1,000	10,000	W
North Carolina	H	10	McHenry, Patrick	R	I	3,000	31,000	B
	H	11	Shuler, Joseph Heath	D	I	3,250	6,250
North Dakota	S		Conrad, Kent	D	I	1,000	270,539	B
Ohio	S		Brown, Sherrod	D	I	0	63,750
	H	01	Chabot, Steve	R	I	1,000	13,500	FR(NE)
	H	02	Schmidt, Jeannette	R	I	1,500	1,500
	H	08	Boehner, John	R	I	27,000	51,500	House MLeader
	H	18	Space, Zachary	D	I	3,150	10,150
Oklahoma	S		Inhofe, James*	R	I	13,000	102,800	AS
Oregon	S		Smith, Gordon*	R	I	23,000	91,089	C
Pennsylvania	S		Specter, Arlen	R	I	3,000	492,973	A(D, FO, HS)
	H	04	Altmire, Jason	D	I	5,250	7,250
	H	07	Sestak, Joseph	D	I	3,150	12,150	AS
	H	08	Murphy, Patrick	D	I	6,000	10,250	AS, I
	H	13	Schwartz, Allyson	D	I	5,500	35,650	B, W
Rhode Island	S		Reed, Jack*	D	I	27,500	134,850	A(FO), AS
	H	02	Langevin, James	D	I	3,000	20,000	HS, I
South Carolina	S		Graham, Lindsey*	R	I	19,000	36,500	AS, B
	H	06	Clyburn, James	D	I	3,500	8,100	House M Whip
South Dakota	S		Thune, John	R	I	1,000	13,230	AS, C
Tennessee	H	03	Wamp, Zach	R	I	1,000	5,000	A
	H	06	Gordon, Bart	D	I	2,000	60,900	C
	H	09	Cohen, Steve	D	I	4,000	7,000
Texas	S		Cornyn, John*	R	I	13,500	29,980	AS, B
	H	17	Edwards, Chet	D	I	2,000	66,200	A(HS), B
	H	22	Lampson, Nicholas	D	I	1,000	35,506
	H	23	Rodriguez, Ciro	D	I	2,000	6,000	A(HS)
	H	28	Cuellar, Henry	D	I	1,000	3,500	HS
Virginia	S		Warner, Mark	D	O	2,000	2,000
	H	07	Cantor, Eric	R	I	25,500	156,730	W
	H	10	Wolf, Frank	R	I	11,500	69,500	A(FO)
	H	11	Davis, Thomas III	R	N	1,000	18,000	HS
Washington	H	02	Larsen, Rick	D	I	1,000	18,500	AS
	H	06	Dicks, Norman	D	I	1,000	27,850	A(D), HS
	H	08	Reichert, Dave	R	I	2,000	4,500	HS
West Virginia	S		Rockefeller, John IV*	D	I	16,500	229,700	C, I
Wisconsin	H	07	Obey, David	D	I	6,000	158,100	A
	H	08	Kagen, Steven	D	I	4,000	9,000
	P		Kerry, John			14,000	20,252
			TOTAL for 2007-2008 Election Cycle					1,107,604
			TOTAL 1978-2008 Funds to Congressional Candidates					45,530,258
			TOTAL No. of Recipient Candidates, 1978-2008					2,065

Under The Holly Tree

Sunday, May 11, 2008