the debate has arisen in the U.S. by two eminent scholars (let´s call them X and Y) whether there is an israeli-dependent influence of jewish interests on exterior politics of bush`s government, with one of the goals of occupying iraq, and, more threatening still, of an occupation of iran. the new yorker points out in his menu-issue, the latest i could lay my hands on in europe, that the attempts of israeli influence on government behaviour certainly is futile: U.S. ordered israels troops withdrawals behind the suez channel in the six day war, forbade the storming of beirut, and so forth. a salient point. it is perhaps worth to mention that the saudi influence on u.s. politics was, and this has been documented, evident in the relation of saudi ambassador to the u.s., prince bandar, and the president, george w. bush.
the two scholars have not only led two sole interviews in their now published book, and, as the german zeit and its editor, josef joffe painstakingly shows, left out any possible self-critisism – the hallmark of serious research. I have once, i believe in 2000, encountered a charming young banker in a stylish new york bar and made one of the mistakes of my life: i commented on the influence of jewish publishers, aplenty in manhattan alone, on the news world, especially during fashion week – a fleeting thought maybe, and intended as pure flattering conversation. It turned out my banker was a son of a jewish bankhouse in france, i had blundered completely (to the worst, for a german journalist as a guest in nyc), and my flirt was over. i hasten to compare the jewish-influence-on-us-politics-debate with the dreyfus case in france in 1898 – oui, j´accuse! – it seems to be a trait of national interior politics, be they european, middle-eastern or american, to be afraid of outside or inside influence, especially jewish ones, since the middle ages, when jews suffered in a history of looked for scape goats, be it for pestilence, drought, harvest failures, price risings and other social maladies. one u.s. paper, according to the new yorker, wrote: „yes, it´s anti-semitic“ – a strong word, indeed, but not entirely reputable, lest refutable, one has to admit. i wonder on my part whether there is such a thing as a jewish consensus on the situation in the midde east at all, given the fact that the jewish intelligentia (is it dangerous to assume it exists?) strongly opposes israel´s politics toward palestinians in general, is deeply divided about it, especially in the united states, where they tend to be supporting the democrats, rather, one assumes, than endorsing the current government. in germany, where every israeli move is carefully commented upon, the relations towards israel in itself are tenderly tended, and where the jewish community has a strong voice and is listenened to with awe and admiration – through the zentralrat der juden -, the new u.s.-debate seems to cause some dismay: the book (whose name escapes me for the time being, i regret) is published in the u.s. and in germany on the same date, and requires, it seems, a german reaction, which i hereby try to give, without, admittedly, having been able to obtain a copy yet.
it is interesting that the new york times in todays issue has an article on 9/11 fatigue – a certain reluctance in the general public and even, to my astonishment, of relatives of the world trade center victims, to commemorate the tragedy´s date after six years. (As 9/11 Nears, a Debate Rises: How Much Tribute Is Enough?
September 2, 2007, Sunday
By N. R. KLEINFIELD (NYT); Metropolitan Desk
Late Edition – Final, Section 1, Page 1, Column , 1720 words
DISPLAYING ABSTRACT – Again it comes, for the sixth time now — 2,191 days after that awful morning — falling for the first time on a Tuesday, the same day of the week. Again there will be the public tributes, the tightly scripted memorial events, the reflex news coverage, the souvenir peddlers. …)
… a reflection on the subject, that states that the attack pearl harbour is not remembered too intensely, as it perhaps should. one relative of a victim is quoted as having said, in my recollection, that the six years seem but a day ago. another voice tells us that the 2001 tragedy should now lay behind, allowing the public conscience to heal in due course, a natural phenomenon. and one critic has it, that there even exists a 9/11 industry, ranging from books to the general media, of which the movie of oliver stone comes to mind.
to see that 9/11 influenced u.s. foreign policy to a degree that the war on terror and the occupation of iraq are all encompassing, and that a possible jewish influence on these proceedings runs, presumably, its course, might foreseeably lead to a renewed conflict with iran – and iran´s current rhethoric about destroying israel and its presumed atomic weapons program makes this more imminent. are we in the foreplay of a new campaign against iran? a military one, championed by u.s. troops? a campaign, i hesitate to ask, fueled by… well… jewish interests?
