The articles of Neumann and Blankfort bring in many responses. Here are some of them, from Les Blough, Elias Davidsson, Dr. Jo Tavener, Andrew Hanos, Miriam Reik, Dennis Hayman (please pay attention to his long but interesting piece) and others:

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I've heard Noam speak a number of times dating back to his lectures on linguistics in the 70's at Vanderbilt University. I've also read much of his political work. I've always had doubts about his attitude to the Zionist state, even though I've appreciated his excellent work on U.S. aggression, neo-colonialism and imperialism. This article confirms some of my suspicions and is a 'must read' for the Chomsky-lover. I've passed it on to other activists on my list serve. I've also raised these questions now - with this article - with my Palestinian friends who recently had Chomsky for a conference here in Boston. It seems the Zionists penetrate every level of business, intellectual venue and society to sell their wares. As a peace activist, I work primarily with ANSWER/IAC - a great bunch of people who know how to build opposition to the US/Zionist state. Even there, one has to be careful.

Les Blough
Boston, MA

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Dear Shamir and others,

I read with interest Jeffrey Blankfort's article, " The Israel Lobby and the Left: Uneasy Questions". I have some problems with the arguments advanced by Jeff.

First, the fact that some people decry as antisemitism any allegation that "Jews control the US" isn't the issue. Surely some will do so. The question is not whether this charge is antisemitism, but whether the charge is true.

Second, the designation "Jews" is vague. What is meant by this designation? All people who in some form or other are Jewish by descent, confession, faith or organisation ? Some of them, and if so who ?

Third, in order to prove "control" the traditional method is to infer it from circumstantical evidence. But such a method has been used by others to demonstrate that it is the military-industrial complex that rules Washington, to mention another candidate.

There is, in addition, something utterly illogical in concluding - beside all questions of factual evidence - that a cabal of "Jews" would factually overrule the formidable power of the numerous non-Jewish millionaires and billionaires. To make such presumption is simply not plausible. If the most wealthy strata of the US were not well served by the efforts of the "Jewish lobby", they would have long intervened and fanned antisemitism. It appears that the "Jewish lobby" serves them very well.

In my opinion the Jewish lobby is left to act as it does because its agenda fits perfectly the imperial agenda of the US. Such imperial agenda reflects not the view of one person or group but the convergence of multiple interest groups, the arms industry, oil industry, coca cola, pharmaceutical, Microsoft, the "Israel lobby" and many others. This is how politics are made.

Elias Davidsson

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Other than that I'd say it in terms of Class, I absolutely agree with Elias. Does the placing of Powell father and son and Rice in the Bush administration prove an African American usurpation of power? Here in Seattle, we've run into a nest of vipers associated with KKK'er David Duke who carry signs with the message "No Wars for Israel" and have a website with the same name that's full of lists of which Jews are in seats of power. As though that proves the Jewish conspiracy. Good grief.

Henry Noble

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Regarding Blankcroft's article on the Israel Lobby, it seems to me that Said's book on media coverage of islam says alot about the time it has taken for the left to come around to a more vocal and adamant pro-palestinian and anti-zionist view. In any event, the strength of the Israeli lobby, though important, seems to be the foundation of an argument - an argument never made clear in the article.

Furthermore, it is important to realize that there are a number of vocal palestine solidarity groups in the US now - I'm a member of one in Pittsburgh. As an American Jew it has taken me time to come around to this anti-zionist position. I know my reasons - none of them has been clarified in this article though Said's stuff on Islamic media representations has. Mostly, I think it was an issue for my feminism. I never really supported the notion of a jewish state. In any case, last Spring's demonstration in Washington against the war et al. has a very strong pro-palestinian contingent. The word is getting out despite the Lobby - so....what's going on. This article says nothing that can illuminate this growing solidarity. Besides Michael Tarazi, counsel for the PLO, who was here recently, kept telling us that the Lobby wasn't so organized and powerful as most thought.

Anyway, the point now is to stand in solidarity, to stop the US from sending military aid ( I was against embargo of Iraq and I am against economic embargo of Israel - and guess who would suffer most!) and convince those not involved in actively supporting Israel to reconsider.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jo Tavener

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I like Jeff and respect his opinions, but I am tired of his jumping all over Chomsky, who has done singular service in drawing people's attention to US imperialism. That doesn't absolve Chomsky from criticism, but it requires at least fair play:"

1) If you want to criticize a person's opinion, don't keep quoting what he said 10 or 15 years ago: the things he said may have been true then and are no longer (in this case, the Jewish lobby has, in fact, become far stronger in that period). He may have changed his mind - fair play, Jeff!

2) Arguing the importance of the Jewish lobby is important - but since foreign policy is not always (perhaps never) determined by one consideration alone, it is probably more worthwhile trying to evaluate the extent of the influence of others things and undermine them, such as the idea that Israel is a useful cop on the beat. If you are afraid to argue that we don't need Israel as a cop on the beat because it MIGHT support Chomsky's position, you have become a less useful advocate for Palestinians.

Best,
Miriam

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Gentlemen, - My friend Israel Shamir has recently sent out this essay for his readers. It is part of a forum of people tending to the left in politics. They are asking why the anti-war movement "failed." I have told them that they did not fail, but mobilized more quickly and powerfully than during the Vietnam era, but could not succeed because now the United States has developed high-tech conventional warfare so the war was over before they could prevail, and that they were not focused on the essential problem, i.e., they talked about peace, freedom, and love, as people on the left like to do, instead of subversion of our government and failure to exploit diplomatic opportunities. In Vietnam, our government was subverted by elements behind the murder of Jack Kennedy, identified by Jim Garrison - an historical repetition of Abe Lincoln's murder - , and did not seize the opportunity to make Ho Chi Minh as southeast Asian Tito. As to Iraq, our government was subverted by the Israel Lobby and we failed to take advantage of the Saudi peace plan. Now we have Jeff Blankfort, who is on the left, and clearly understands what's up. He so clearly understands what's up that anybody on the left or right can benefit from his formidable essay. Every patriotic American must understand what Mr. Blankfort is saying. If you cannot read the works of Paul Findley, especially his latest edition of They Dare Speak Out, read Blankfort's essay, which is an excellent teaser, a short course for those who have not the time to read Findley's scholarship. Nobody wants to be called anti-Semitic. Nobody wants to be targeted by the Israel Lobby. Everybody is petrified to undertake his patriotic duty of learning what is going on, because the truth is so unpleasant, and then doing something rational and effective to address the problem we have. The war is over. Fine. Now we must win the peace. And the problem existing before the war still exists. - J. R. G.

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Michael Neuman has a nice name and a nice counter-intelligence that is the classic sign that we are dealing here with someone of potential genius. He also has a way of formulating something cleanly and logically. His logic on the way to solve the present Middle East wound is faultless. Logic and clear thinking are not traditionally seen as actions, nevertheless they are or should be it precursors. When something so poisonously complex is reduced with so simple and effective an antidote available to all of us to act upon, perhaps the Jews have finally got their Messiah. Please don't crucify this one!

Andrew Hanos

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Neumann says: If someone knows of a way to get Israel out of the occupied territories faster, let's hear it.

Good grief! You mean you - Michael Neuman - learned student of the Arab-Israeli conflict - cannot think of a way to end the conflict? I can tell you a million ways, but how's this for starters:

Have all Arab nations recognize the existence of the state of Israel and sign a peace treaty and welcome all bona fide Arabs into "The Arab Nation", where this or that government will graciously make the accommodation and put an end to this madness born of intense mortification as a result of getting their ass whipped 5 times! That's a downright dirty shame! Should never have happened but for bigotry and prejudice..

"They" - and you know who I mean - are not going to get "driven into the sea" or get on a boat and go back where they came from anymore then American Negroes can be driven or shipped back to Africa, much to the consternation of the American KKK. Get it? See the parallel, or do I need to draw a picture. [ Sorry, I do not mean to be insolent, but for heaven's sake will the visceral Jew haters please shut up and leave the scene so honest people can work to end the conflict much to the delight of all the involved combatants!]

That's a course of action, Michael; not talk, talk, talk! Stupid talk!

martin Kessler
mdk4130@aol.com

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Dear Israel,

You are certainly a crafty old fisherman. You have scattered food upon the waters and are now watching all of us little fishes gathering to offer our opinions. The article by Michael Neumann was very thought provoking - to say the least. At first I was turned off by it - but then I said to myself - wait - remember what newsletter this is coming from. I went back to reading it. What turned me off was the emphasis on logic, strange as that may seem. But I appreciated where he went with his argument. When I finished reading the article I knew that a seed had been planted. There was a kernel of truth to be found there. But giving name to it was not immediately obvious to me.

I think that the solution of America switching sides, as he describes, is exciting in its far reaching impact. He is also making a good point that it would logically appeal to people of various viewpoints. It might be a good place to start - leaving the spiritual work until later. It certainly needs to begin with a change in the U.S.

I have also read the many comments from other readers and they all make excellent points. But which points have value depend on who you are addressing. Like connecting the dots to make a puzzle clear, perhaps we need to work at connecting the right people to make peace happen. It is happening without any help, but if it is encouraged and the means of communications are opened, it will happen faster. Yet, it starts with the most humble of beginnings - with each of us. If we get to the place where we can look each person we meet in the eye and see him or her for whom they really are - and honor that place in them, then we will have done something concrete to create peace in the world. And it will quickly spread until the 100th monkey syndrome (now called by science "morphic resonance") takes over and a great leap of humanity occurs. This is not wishful thinking. I have talked with people all over the world via the Internet - who simply want peace. They are tired of lies. Who are these people and why did they show up for all the peace marches?

They do not have a title, Left, Right or Center. They are just humans - being. Before going on I would like to share this little story:

The Parable of the Mad Merchant

By Dennis E. Hayman

The old man walked lightly down the dusty path toward the river, pail in hand. He looked around at the dawn filling the land with soft shadows and new color for this warm day. As he surveyed the hills, he focused in his heart on the love he felt for this land, the olive trees and other grasses, and the wonderful river that was such a blessing. He sent his love out to all the beings around him. Then he looked back over his shoulder at his home and sent his love there to the old dwelling and his family within. Soon he would return home with fresh water and begin his day.

The farmer stroked his chin meditatively as he spotted someone standing on the banks of the river. It was a man in the black raiments of a rich merchant from the city. His face was stern and authoritarian as he watched the farmer approach the river.

The farmer greeted the merchant, who replied perfunctorily as if he was in a hurry. The farmer wanted to make some small talk and find out what this man was doing so far from the city, but the merchant would have none of it. He got right down to his business.

"I am going to offer you a way to save yourself and live a happy and fruitful life", the merchant began.

The farmer smiled and said: "But I have nothing to be saved from. I have all that I need in life and the abundance of the Earth has provided for my family and myself. What more blessings could a person want"?

"Well", said the merchant, "In the first place, there is the problem with the water."

The farmer looked anxiously at the beautiful little river, but seeing that it was as it always was, and bubbling merrily away, he shrugged and said: "The river seems to be fine. It is always there for us, my friend. What more could one ask"?

The merchant frowned deeply. "You do not see the larger picture. You are a mere farmer and do not understand such things. I have come to teach you and protect you from your ignorance. Then I will let you join me in a great venture that will save many others."

The farmer simply cocked up one eyebrow and stood waiting for the man to continue. The merchant did not need much prodding as he was ready to sell his plan.

"First of all, you do not realize this, but there is not enough water to go around for everyone. Water is the necessity of all life, so it must be honored and kept away from those who do not appreciate and give homage to it. Every intelligent person knows this." He looked for confirmation from the farmer, but the old man's expression did not change. He remained attentive but silent and respectful. The merchant, empowered by the farmer's demeanor, continued to educate him.

"What I want to do is to place a huge dam here at this spot on the river. It will serve two purposes. First, it will provide more water for this area, and secondly we can control how much water flows out to the non-believers down stream. We will deal with them later.

"Next, we will construct a large factory here. Its purpose will be to bottle the special water from our lake and provide it to those who believe as we do. It will also provide jobs for the faithful.

"The label on the water bottles will identify it as the only pure water fit to drink. I have determined this and you can take my word for it. And we will not let just anyone partake of it. There will be another label on the back that gives the warnings and instructions about the use of the water and how it may not be used. It will state who can use it and who can not, and what will happen to them if they do not follow the rules. Do you see what I am getting at here"?

The farmer turned his head toward the river, then looked at his feet a moment. He returned his gaze to the merchant and the man assumed that this was his signal to continue. So of course he did.

"We will create a team of people to regulate the use of the water and to teach people everything they need to know about the water. They will make sure only the faithful have access to this water. They will ensure that the proper respect is maintained at all times, and control all the knowledge about the water. They will produce rules and regulations about dealing with other people who have not become members of the faithful and provide the teaching to convert them to the ways and demands of the one pure water."

The merchant frowned down at the farmer and folded his arms across his chest, looking very much in command. Still the farmer, ever patient, waited with calm demeanor. The merchant quickly grew impatient and said: "Well, man? I am giving you a chance to partake in this great new revelation, this new way to make a better life for you and your family. Are you ready to become one of the faithful"?

Once more the farmer looked across the river, seeing the sunlight dancing upon its surface. He heard the sounds of the birds of the morning singing of their love for life. He looked upon the breast of Mother Earth, at the grasses pushing forth with exuberance. Finally he glanced at his ancient olive orchard upon the hill and he winked one eye at them, as if sharing some intimate communication. Then he looked once more upon the merchant, who was glowering at him in impatience.

The farmer leaned closer to look deeply into the eyes of the merchant. Then he threw his head back and laughed out loud. He laughed so hard his body shook and the more he laughed the angrier the merchant became. Soon the farmer noticed the further discomfort of the merchant and being a compassionate man, he forced himself to stop laughing. He begged the man's forgiveness, saying: "I am sorry but for a moment there I thought that you were being serious. Then I realized that you were talking about religion."

He continued, saying: "I have lived near this river all of my life. I came into this life listening to the music and messages that it gives to all humanity. Its waters are a part of everything I am. My body is mostly water originally carried in my mother's womb as she formed her life from the water of this river. The water of this river is the same water that makes up all life here on this Earth. It gives freely of itself and freely seeks us out. We, the waters and I, are co-creators of this body and so it is with all life. We cannot be separate in any way. And while there are those people who live up and down stream from here, and understand life a little differently, it does not matter. They still co-create with the water, for there is only one water and it is the water of life. Therefore, why would anyone in his right mind want to place obstacles in between himself and his connection with the water of life? No middleman is needed merchant. You will have to be a very good salesman to convince others to follow you, but you seem the kind of person who is persistent and would find a way to use fear to get people to accept what you say instead of listening to their own hearts."

The farmer smiled a little friendly smile at the merchant, and leaned closer now, placing his hand upon the man's shoulder as he looked intently into his eyes again. "I do not need your religion, but please, let me help you in your pain and anguish. I am looking into your eyes and I see the problem. It seems that you must have a blockage of the bowel and the intestinal waste has backed up into your head, and you are looking out at life through brown colored eyes. Clearly you are full of shit! Come, and I will take you to my home. I have an herb that will help relieve your pain.

The merchant screamed an obscenity and turned and ran up the road as fast as he could, the heavy robes flapping in the wind of his passage and stirring up dust eddies, He could be heard screaming even after he was out of sight, but the farmer in his laughter, merely cupped his loving hands in the water of the river and kissed it.

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When I look out into the sea of faces of the recent peace marchers, I see multiples of this farmer. People of all walks of life who think for themselves. The "elite" fear these people - for they are not easily fooled. So, long ago they set out to eliminate them. Today in Palestine, the Israeli bulldozers knock down the Olive trees. For 40 years millions of American small farmers have been systematically purged from their land. Small business owners have been put out of business. These were the people who made the United States the great democracy it was - along with a lot of original input from Native Americans (who have also been systematically moved to the sidelines).

Who are these "Elites" that we talk about? They are artificial persons, controlled by only a few natural persons. The U.S. Constitution was specific in calling Humans, natural persons, and corporations were known as artificial persons. There was a real fear among the early leaders as to the harm that corporations could do to democracy. Their fears were realized in 1886 when the Court Reporter in a Supreme Court case (who was the former president of a railroad) placed a comment in the head notes of the case that said the judge ruled that from then on corporations had the same rights as natural persons. This was not true, but was used as the basis for so many other cases that it has become the law of the land. This ruling has resulted in corporations taking over power in all areas. They have now succeeded in making a large number of Americans into consumers instead of citizens.

But people are waking up. We need to speed up this awakening, for once people see what has happened, the reaction will be tremendous. Corporate greed has expanded to world control through the WTO and other organizations that are bent on privatizing everything in sight - and folks, water is a lot more important than oil in this case. Before long, we will not only be drinking it, we will be using it for energy.

Thomas Hartmann has a good book on this corporate elite. (The book is "Unequal Protection" and it has specific ideas on how to deal with it. Check his web site). There are townships in the U.S that are now revoking the rights of artificial persons. More needs to be done in this area, since right now the artificial persons' power is growing while the Bill of Rights for natural persons is being cut back by the Bush administration.

Let me quote from the book "The Secret of Shambhala", by James Redfield:

"World War II, as well as the cold war . . . was the previous generation's challenge to face. The great advances in technology had placed massive weapons in the hands of nations. In their nationalistic fervor, the forces of totalitarianism were attempting to conquer the democratic countries. This threat would have prevailed had not ordinary citizens fought and died in defense of freedom, ensuring the success of democracy in the world.

"But your task is different from that of your parents. The mission of your generation is different in its very nature from that of the World War II generation. They had to fight a particular tyranny with violence and arms. You must fight against the concepts of war and enemies altogether. But it takes just as much heroism. Do you understand? There is no way your parents could have done what they did, but they persevered. So must you. The forces of totalitarianism have not gone away; they are just not expressing themselves any longer through nations seeking empire. The forces of tyranny now are international and much more subtle, taking advantage of our dependence on technology and credit and a desire for convenience. Out of fear, they seek to centralize all technological growth into the hands of a few, so the their economic positions can be safeguarded and the future evolution of the world controlled..

"Opposing them with force is impossible. Democracy must be guarded now with the next step in freedom's evolution. We must use the power of our vision, and the expectations that flow out from us, as a constant prayer. This power is stronger than anyone now knows, and we must master it and begin to use it before it is too late."

The United States government has become the physical manifestation of the wishes of this corporate elite. To say that the U.S. is empire building misses the larger aims of the corporate elite. They are worried about the unfolding of the awakening of too many people. They are no longer content to wait for the deadly interest rates to do their dirty work. They try to speed up the process. Still we must ask ourselves: What would love do now? What will happen when personal power is taken back by those who love the land? Even the most difficult journey begins with the first step. But we are not alone on this path. There is help to be had from those indigenous peoples of this planet who have managed to survive. People like the Palestinians, Native Americans, and the native peoples of Australia. They have many insights and are waiting to help. All the other beings of this family of Earth are also waiting to help us.

For those who think that this is too esoteric or vague to be considered "something concrete" to do, then you have not taken the first step yet - changing yourself. Changing people with love may seem an impossible task, but so was winning WWII. That generation did it. Can we be less daring? Start with the first person you come to. You will be surprised at who you see within. Honor the differences and know that we are all one. A localized field of energy seeking to express itself in the grandest manner that we can. You cannot love your neighbor as yourself if you do not first love yourself. Start there and move on. You will find many others on the path with you, my friends.

Israel, to you I give many thanks for your honesty, insight, and sensitivity to the people of Palestine. Peace!

Dennis E. Hayman
aka - Bear