Friday, March 19, 2010

Public Opinion Shifts On U.S. Relationship With Israel



Youtube poster Media Matters Action Network says that Wolf Blitzer was "surprised" by Jack Cafferty’s viewer criticisms of Israel, and this is the case. Cafferty takes an atypically-sober tone, cautiously criticizing the Israel-US special relationship, suggesting that we should "start cutting back on the approximately 2.5 billion in aid we give to Israel every year…." and quoting Maureen Dowd saying that the White House is "appalled by Israel’s self-absorption." Then he polls viewers. The letters Cafferty reads are critical of Israel, 6-1. The 1 is repulsive: " We should be helping Israel occupy as much Arab land as possible" "You got a lot of emails?" Blitzer asks. "And most of it was anti-Israel, you would say?"

Cafferty then says this was a helluva way to treat Biden, the 1600 new settlements. Blitzer agrees: "I think a lot of people were very, very upset about it, including by the way in Israel." The former Jerusalem Post reporter, playing the role of Israel apologist, to the end.
(via Mondoweiss)
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Note: Wolf Blitzer the host is an AIPAC agent. Here from Wikipedia:
"Sometime in the mid-1970s, Blitzer also worked for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee as the editor of their monthly in house publication, the Near East Report. While at AIPAC, Blitzer's journalism focused on Middle East affairs as it relates to United States foreign policy.

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