I have attended various talks at both my NJ synagogue and the Vermont one that I have attended since moving here. I am also influenced by my daughter, who is currently working as a Jewish social advocate in Boston. She is currently involved with groups like Jews for Peace. Like many religious young Jews, she has a problem with the gap between the Jewish values that she learned and strongly believes in -- and what is happening in Israel. A few years ago, I was startled when the word "apartheid" was used to describe the situation experienced by the Palestinians. Looking objectively on their lack of political representation and at the way that they have been allowed only the least valuable land and even then are restricted by the Israelis.
My daughter recently sent me this link that was created by the VT chapter of a group she belongs to. %3Foh%3D3eceebc5219ce2d88e5d1127ab4d461a%26oe%3D516B840D%26__gda__%3D1366057216_944802a33a8cf881abe6d040b33adf4f&fbid=739751420221&message=id.157087471118691&hash=AQBCvztKgf7JO9WI
The fact that the Republican mentions the Sandinistas as if they -- not the Reagan administration's illegal support of right wing thugs tells everything. Strangely, they are praising Obama for the statements that only by Olympic quality spinning could be seen as AIPAC agenda mostly to attack Kerry when his actions are really not public or known. I would also say from today's perspective, Kerry's long shot attempt to get Assad to see that his and Syria's interests lie with cutting ties to Hezbollah and Iran actually speak well for him. Imagine the number of lives saved and the improvement in regional stability had Assad seen that Kerry had a point. Now ask yourselves whether if Kerry knew ahead of time that the chance he could move Assad was 1% - and 99% of the time nothing would come of it other than Republicans (and some Democrats) taking shots at Kerry. IMO. the magnitude of the gain - and the comparative lack of real loss if it failed would make it a shot worth taking -- if a politician were more interested in making a better world. For the Republican, how well did the far greater (and illegal) effort in Central America work out OR how did the neo con dream really fare. In Syria, Obama and Kerry gave Assad NOTHING and gave up NOTHING - it was a gamble that cost just Kerry's time and the time of those supporting him. Peanuts compared to the very unlikely but incredibly important gains had it worked. No matter what happened afterwards, we do not need to ask if there were something we could have done earlier.
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