The following is an article from the June 13, 1996
edition of the Catholic publication The Wanderer.
In Our Hands
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.
Joseph Sobran is a nationally syndicated columnist who
now maintains a Website at http://www.sobran.com.
