David Brooks in his column attempted to stigmatize any criticism of the group of conservative thinkers who calls themselves "neoconservatives" as being some anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. He doesn't even want the critics to use the neoconservative label they use for themselves in talking about them!
I thought of that when I saw a column by Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, one of the best-known American Jewish leaders. He has been president of the American Jewish Congress (AJC) and vice president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC).
In this recent article, he talked about conflicts between the Israeli government and Jews in the Diaspora who criticize particular foreign policies of the Israeli government. It's an interesting piece in more ways than one. But this comment especially caught my eye:
World Jewry is not an amen chorus Ha'aretz (Israel) 01/07/04
One of my own proudest moments was the day some thirty years ago when Abba Eban and I, who were both suspected, correctly, of being "doves," were described in an article by one of the neoconservatives as "functional anti-Semites." To disagree with the then dominant line of Menachem Begin's government, that it was Israel's destiny to hold on to the West Bank, was not to be discussed as an argument about policy; such views were to be defamed as "Jewish anti-Semitism." (my emphasis)
Although neoconservative theorists tend to support the hardline thinking of Israel's Likud Party on Middle Eastern issues, leading neocons also disagree on Israeli policies. And there's certainly wide-ranging debate in Israel about those policies, even within the Likud Party.
And the support for the Likud Party hardline that is the most influential on the Bush Administration does not come from Jewish groups, "neoconservative" or otherwise. It comes from the Christian Right.
3 comments:
My favorite part of the Brooks piece (other than the whole anti-Semetic angle) was the downplaying of the Project for the New American Century. For such a two-bit rinky-dink organization, they have some heavy hitters signing the letters they have been sending to presidents. Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Jeb Bush, Dan Quayle, Krauthammer, Perle, etc. seem to be very active members of this little club...
And their agenda sounds pretty good...until you read between the lines. A Pax Americana. An American Empire. Us as global cop, exerting our influence to all corners of the globe. Preemptive war with anyone who dares to stand in our way.
So much for a peace dividend...let's get that war machine revved up and get down to business.
One term that's been suggested for the neoconservatives is "democratic imperialists." But I'm not convinced their commitment to democracy is all that serious. David Frum and Richard Perle in *An End to Evil* complain that the Bush Administration didn't just turn Iraq over to Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress - who are unlikely to have built much of a democracy on their own. - Bruce
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