[Peace-discuss] Jewish Liberals Launch Counterweight to AIPAC

[Stuart Levy]

On Thu, Apr 17, 2008 at 01:19:17PM -0500, Robert Naiman wrote:
> At last, at long last.
> 
>   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/jewish-liberals-launch-co_b_97221.html
> 
>   http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/17/132327/677


Thanks for posting this!  They have my support.

And thank you for your article yesterday on Carter's talks with Hamas.
Let's hope mainstream sources take the hint and use it as an excuse
to talk more broadly about the value of holding discussions with Hamas and others,
and not just blindly repeating the "but they're a terrorist organization"
line.   The US is in no position to accuse any group of committing terror.

One paper with a decent editorial on it (from google news) is the
Kansas City Star, who wrote e.g. (on Obama's criticism of Carter's visit,
which is the focus of nearly all the Carter-talking-with-Hamas news stories)
  http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/11101

  [...]
   But isn't Obama all about getting to the table with these people,
   no matter how distasteful? We can be as offended as we like by the
   tactics of Hamas. But they've got a very real, and very political
   backing in the Palestinian territories.  True, they are not a state
   actor.  But it is hard to imagine a lasting peace agreement that
   ignores them.  They simply have too much support in the region.

   It's not a one-off situation, either: A study out this week notes
   that Nasrallah, the head of Lebanese Hezbollah, is the most respected
   Arab leader on Earth at this moment. Hezbollah and Hamas are not
   that far apart, and are frequently linked, at least by Israel. Can
   the continuing Israel/Hezbollah animosity be solved without the
   involvement of Hezbollah?  No.

They don't get up enough courage to say that a US President should be
talking with Hamas, but they're clearly cheering Carter on.

   Stuart