In an editorial titled “Lies about the ‘Jewish lobby” published in the Miami Herald Abraham Foxman pointed out that “t is so wrong and disturbing to hear the term “Jewish lobby” used in the context of excessive Jewish power. The term “Jewish lobby” and even “Israel lobby” is often employed in a highly derogatory context and even in conspiratorial ways. There is, unfortunately, a tragic history connected with this theme, mostly in the 20th century. Part of that history was the infamous document known as “The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” the Czarist forgery which claimed to be the secret plans by Jews to take over the world. It was used by Hitler to justify the Holocaust. It was disseminated in America by Henry Ford in his newspaper, “The Dearborn Independent.” And, sadly, it continues to resonate in the current world.”

I do not question his assumption but following his logic Israeli journalists are propagating Antisemitism, too. For example: in a recent article published in the online edition of HAARETZ titled “For Mideast peace, Israel must cut off U.S. Jewish lobby ” the author claims that ” It was because of pressure from the American Jewish lobby that President Barack Obama decided to retreat from his demand that construction on the settlements be frozen as a condition for the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations. The Jewish lobby twisted Obama’s arm at a time when the Arab world, which is undergoing stormy upheavals, expected him to show a reasonable measure of balance. Not only did the president of a superpower become irrelevant, but the peace process itself also got stuck. It is so deeply mired now that the hearts of even sworn optimists are filled with despair. Because of the money it wields and its organizational capability, the Jewish lobby is able to influence candidates for the American presidency, swaying them to fall in line with the most extremist policies that Israel has ever adopted. And by relying on the influence of the Jewish lobby, the Netanyahu government is continuing to show contempt for international law. This lobby is the perfect gift for the anti-Semites who use this conduct as an excuse for attacking “the Jews.”
The article was published first in Hebrew titled “ להתנתק מהלובי היהודי”

Now, this is not the first time that Israeli journalists use the term “Jewish Lobby”. So why do we have to attack each and every US politician who uses this term? I am fully aware that many utilize this term to emphasize the alleged influence of Jewish groups in Washington. But blanket accusations of antisemtism hurt the quality of argument. Instead, we need to educate those who can be educated that Jews have the same right as any other interest group, minority, ethnic, or religious group to bring forward their concerns and suggestions. Nothing wrong with that! In my opinion, Chuck Hagel is not an Antisemite but, unwisely, chose the term “Jewish Lobby” for which he apologized. So lets stop this witch hunt and focus on the real issues that concern us and the State of Israel.

Yours,
Bernd