By Ted Belman
I have been in Washington for a couple of weeks now and have been meeting with some influential people.
First I met with Jennifer Lazlo-Mizrachi , who is the founder and President of The Israel Project. She advised that they are to journalists what AIPAC is to politicians. Their mandate is to provide factual backgrounders to journalists in Jerusalem and Washington. As for their policy positions, they back the policies of the GOI whatever they may be. No help there but they do serve a useful purpose.
Then I met with Sarah Stern, founder and President of EMET (Endowment for Middle East Truth). She boasts an impressive list of Directors and Advisors. The mission of EMET is to provide policymakers in Washington and the American public at large with realistic and accurate assessments concerning the nature of those with whom we are at war. In this regard she views these issues as I do so far as I could learn. Daily, she communicates with the foreign policy establishment to keep them informed on the news from our perspective.
The day I met with her she was all worked up after attending a session at The Washington Institute of Near East Policy. It is a highly regarded institute, well funded which seeks to bring scholarship to bear on the making of U.S. policy in this vital region of the world. In this session, chaired by Dennis Ross, the message which went unopposed was that Fatah were moderates and must be supported. Aaaargh.
In her view, the idea of a two state solution, though unrealistic, is too entrenched to be dislodged. The establishment is wedded to it. Her energies are directed to making the point that both Israel and America are facing the same enemy and fighting the same war.
When walking to where I was staying, I struck up a conversation with a professor of Immigration and refugee studies at GWU. One thing lead to another and we ended up talking about Islam and Muslims. “You can’t condemn a billion Muslims, can you”. “Islam is a religion like all the others which preaches love and tolerance.” “The destruction of the environment is a bigger danger to Americans and the world then Islam is”. Where does one start?
Thursday I am going to the Hudson Institute to attend a session on The Ideological Struggle of European Muslims: Which Islam and Which Muslims? Should be interesting. I promise you, I will shit disturb if necessary and if given a chance.
Friday I am meeting with Clifford May, President of Foundation for Defense of Democracy. They put out a weekly update that is well worth signing up for. They are fighting the same battles that Israpundit fights. I am not aware of where we might differ yet. Perhaps after we meet.
Monday evening I am attending a dinner party along with ten others, at the home of Bernice Lipkin, the founder and editor of Think-Israel a major resource of articles and opinions in support of a strong jewish Israel. She is even more right-wing than I am. We will be discussing how to advance our agenda of transfer of Arabs and annexation.
My thanks to Paula Kauffman for facilitating this evening.
