M.J. Rosenberg
- : M.J. Rosenberg works in Washington supporting US efforts to advance an Israeli-Palestinian agreement. Previously, he worked on Capitol Hill for various Democratic members of the House and Senate for 15 years. He was also a Clinton political appointee at USAID. In the early 1980s, he was editor of AIPACs weekly newsletter Near East Report. After the signing of the Oslo Accords, Rosenberg broke with the AIPAC position and became a strong advocate of the "two-state solution" to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The views he expresses at TPMCafe are his alone.
It's Obama-Clinton
I can't help myself. I can't help but think that Obama-Clinton is the dream ticket. No, not because Hillary is my second favorite Democrat. She isn't. But I doubt Lyndon Johnson was the Kennedy people's second favorite either. The name...more »
Posted on May 13, 2008 6:49 PM
Obama On Israel-Palestine
I previously referenced this interview in my Cafe piece on Joe Lieberman's smear about Obama and Hamas. But I want to comment on it independent of that silliness. This is a great interview about Israel. That is not because Obama...more »
Posted on May 12, 2008 4:34 PM
Pulling The Plug on Lieberman PLUS Obama Talks About Israel
So now Lieberman is putting out the line that a Hamas "endorsement" of Obama is the same as an Obama endorsement of Hamas. I'm not going to argue about the illogic of Lieberman's statement. Or its sheer obscenity. If Obama...more »
Posted on May 12, 2008 12:04 PM
Five Myths About Being Pro-Israel by Jeremy Ben Ami of J Street Project
Jeremy Ben Ami, the founder of the J Street Project, has a piece in Sunday's Washington Post about what it means to be pro-Israel. Not surprisingly, Jeremy -- who is an American but from a very prominent Zionist family in...more »
Posted on May 9, 2008 4:18 PM
The Holocaust and The Occupation
Yesterday Israelis commemorated Yom Ha'Shoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day. Next week is Israel's 60th Independence Day. That Independence Day immediately follows Yom Ha'Shoah is appropriate. Together these two days encapsulate the message: Never Again. The existence of Israel is in no...more »
Posted on May 2, 2008 4:17 PM
Hatemonger Daniel Pipes: Forget Rev. Wright, Obama is a Muslim!
I guess the Wright story is passe. Daniel Pipes, the one-time academic and now full-time race warrior, is back to proving that Barack Obama is a Muslim. If only Barack had just said so. If he's a Muslim, he obviously...more »
Posted on May 1, 2008 1:06 AM
Netanyahu Agreed To Give Golan Heights Back to Syria
The irrepresible Bibi Netanyahu is now attacking Prime Minister Ehud Olmert for contemplating returning the Golan Heights in exchange for a binding peace with Syria. Nothing surprising about that except Daniel Levy now has the proof that when Netanyahu was...more »
Posted on April 30, 2008 11:41 AM
Obama: Dump Wright Now Before He Destroys You
Does the Obama campaign have any idea how much damage this preening fool of a minister is doing to this campaign? Pretty much everyone I know supports Obama, morally and financially. But, to a person, they are beginning to believe...more »
Posted on April 29, 2008 11:13 AM
Israel At Sixty: Same As It Never Was
I often refer to the Israel lobby as the "status quo" lobby because, frankly, I view it as advocating very little beyond the status quo. Its entire raison d'être seems to be to ensure that everything stays just the way...more »
Posted on April 25, 2008 11:04 PM
The Banality of Evil: What Would Hannah Arendt Say About Doug Feith?
Dana Milbank offers us a good take down on Douglas Feith, one of the two or three principal architects of the Iraq war. Feith, typical of the ideologues and seekers after profit, feels no guilt whatsoever about the role he...more »
Posted on April 25, 2008 7:24 AM
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Jimmy Carter beat Ted Kennedy in 16 out of 20 primaries and then lost the election to Reagan in 1980.
There is zero correlation between winning primaries and winning the general. Anyway, the racist vote will go Republican in November, in contrast to now.Posted at May 13, 2008 2:46 PM in response to If a Black Man Still Can't Get Served in a West Virginia Restaurant, How Can a Black Candidate Expect to Get Any Votes?
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Every election in this country since 1964 has been about black people.
The south is Republican because of racism. Obama lost PA and OH because of racism. And the upcoming election would not even be a contest but for racism.
In that sense, it is all about black people. If Obama was white, he's be winning a landslide. As LBJ predicted, the Dems lost the majority of whites when it endorsed voting rights.
This country is all about race. Always has been.
Posted at May 13, 2008 2:08 PM in response to The Myth Of The Black Racist Voter
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"More than racist, they are insecure and scared. Race is a factor, but it is definitely not racism in the sense of the social and political superiority as we commonly understand the term."
Sez you. Racism is racism is racism.
Posted at May 13, 2008 11:32 AM in response to The Negro Sings Of Zionism
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This is a brilliant piece. Have you read Arthur Hertzberg's introductory essay to his classic "The Zionist Idea." Sounds like you have.
In any case, pandering on Israel is little different than all the pandering candidates do on virtually every issue. The way I see it, a candidate has to say what he has to say. I have no doubt that Obama is more empathetic to both Israelis and Palestinians than any candidate ever to have run for President. He says what he has to say to make sure Jewish voters understand that the black man is not going to sell out Israel (race is a huge factor here. The Israel first Jews tend to be the more racist Jews in the community). But he will not bash Palestinians.
This brings me to Amy Poehler's brilliant HRC bit on SNL. "I'll say anything to be elected. My opponent won't." That is exactly true.
Posted at May 13, 2008 11:10 AM in response to The Negro Sings Of Zionism
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Thanks, Blue Pearl. I will keep speaking up. My side of the debate -- the clear majority of Jewish Americans -- has been silent too long. These rightwing ethnic chauvinists bring to mind that Jack Nicholson line, they "can't handle the truth."
And they work around the clock to suppress it.
I'll tell you, if I didn't have a secure job and money in the bank, I'd be scared shitless to take on this issue.
Look at what these people are doing to Rob Malley. Luckily he has a Harvard Law degree, but they are trying to make him unemployable because he dared to write that Barak was as bas as Arafat at Camp David.
Posted at May 12, 2008 11:00 PM in response to Obama On Israel-Palestine
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Ya see Vito. It's like this. It's an important issue and people care about it. And Americans need to know that most Jews are not rightwing xenophobic nuts.
As for doing penance for mr 4 years at AIPAC, I don't know. I left AIPAC in '86 and, i have to admit, stayed with the AIPAC position until 1993.
Then the Palestinians endorsed the two state solution and Israel recognized the PLO. I was on the White House lawn and suddenly I understood how imperative it was that Israel and the Palestinians end the conflict.
So that's where I've been these past 15 years.
I know how painful this all is to you. Hell, the Brandeis Student Senate voted down a resolution celebrating Israel's 60th birthday because it didn't mention the naqba.
That's Brandeis, my alma mater and a Jewish university.
It's all changing, Vito. It's hard. What can I tell you? Keep reading and keep those responses coming in. My value at TPM is gauged by the number of responses I get. So thanks my agitated friend.
Posted at May 12, 2008 8:38 PM in response to Obama On Israel-Palestine
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Are you really a Muslim? Damn. All my fans turn out to be Muslims! Just kidding.
Posted at May 12, 2008 7:43 PM in response to Obama On Israel-Palestine
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God, its hilarious watching the 2 or 3 rightwingers here defend Lieberman AS IF they don't know exactly what he was trying to do with the Hamas smear.
"It turns out that Hamas prefers Obama to the other two candidates." Bullshit. Quite possibly, Hamas prefers McCain simply because they are smart enough to know that any endorsement would hurt their chosen candidate.
Dan K, you can support whoever you like but don't insult the intelligence of TPMers by pretending that you do not know what Lieberman was doing. Just say it suits you fine.
"There is nothing we supporters of Obama can do about that. Obama's opponents will continue to point out that Hamas prefers Obama to the other candidates. It is irritating and disconcerting that these opponents continue to do this. But they are not lying, and they are perfectly within their rights in pointing it out."
Right. And we should lay down for race-baiting too. Fat chance.
Posted at May 12, 2008 7:41 PM in response to Pulling The Plug on Lieberman PLUS Obama Talks About Israel
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Nothing factually incorrect. And I read that the KKK supports McCain.
What would be wrong if Sen. Durbin pointed that out.
NOTHING. Except it would be despicable. You see, there is no correlation between who supports a candidate and what a candidate supports. So even though every white racist group in the country will support McCain in November does not make McCain a racist.Posted at May 12, 2008 3:55 PM in response to Pulling The Plug on Lieberman PLUS Obama Talks About Israel
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I like AJ, the Sopranos kid
Posted at May 12, 2008 1:37 PM in response to Pulling The Plug on Lieberman PLUS Obama Talks About Israel
