Instead of Kvetching About the 'Israel Lobby', Let's Support the State Department When It Does Something Right

Mark Weisbrot and Robert Naiman

Robert Naiman, Just Foreign Policy, December 28, 2006

The State Department, in a "rare public rebuke," criticized Israeli government plans to build a new settlement in the West Bank, the New York Times reports.

"We are aware of reports about the Maskiot settlement," said a State Department spokesperson. "The establishment of a new settlement or the expansion of an existing settlement would violate Israel's obligations under the road map."

"The U.S. calls on Israel to meet its road map obligations and avoid taking steps that could be viewed as pre-determining the outcome of final-status negotiations," the spokesperson said.

It's not every day I get to wave my "Go State Department!" banner. Why, just yesterday I was criticizing them for their support of the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia.

But when even Jimmy Carter says "It would be almost politically suicidal for members of Congress to espouse a balanced position between Israel and Palestine, to suggest that Israel comply with international law or to speak in defense of justice or human rights for Palestinians," when the State Department does something right, we ought to ask Members of Congress to speak up.

Memo to Carter: if you want Members of Congress to do something, advising them that it would be "almost politically suicidal" might not be the most politically strategic way to go about it. [If I'm the 'Israel Lobby,' I'm delighted when I see stuff like this. I clip it from the newspaper and include it in my next fundraising appeal.]

How about a different approach: baby steps. Let's not start by, say, asking Members of Congress to use the word "apartheid" when discussing Israeli policies in the West Bank. Instead, let's start by asking them to speak up in support of the State Department when it does something right. How much chutzpah would that take? Is the 'Israel Lobby' going to take down Members of Congress for supporting the State Department? I don't think so. Rep. Dennis Kucinich called for an immediate ceasefire this summer when Israel was bombing Lebanon and he just got reelected with 66% of the vote.

If you agree with this strategy, pile in. Ask your Representatives in Congress to support the State Department's call for Israel not to build new settlements in the West Bank.

READ MORE: Israel, West Bank, United States, Somalia, Jimmy Carter

Mark Weisbrot is Co-Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research (www.cepr.net) Washington, D.C. and President of Just Foreign Policy. He received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Michigan. He has written numerous research papers on international economic policy.

He writes a column on economic and policy issues that is distributed to over 550 newspapers by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. His opinion pieces have appeared in the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, and most major U.S. newspapers. He appears regularly on national and local television and radio programs.

More information on his publications is available here.

Robert Naiman is National Coordinator of Just Foreign Policy, a
membership organization devoted to reforming U.S. foreign policy to
reflect the values and serve the interests of the majority of
Americans. Naiman edits the daily Just Foreign Policy news summary.
JFP's web site is www.justforeignpolicy.org.