Clinton, Obama and McCain - The Israel factor

U.S. Democratic senators and presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are scheduled to join Arizona senator and Republican presidential hopeful John McCain as vice-chairmen of the National Committee for Israel 60th, according to a statement released by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations on Friday.

The National Committee for Israel's 60th, the planning committee overseeing Israel's 60th anniversary festivities, was organized by the Conference of Presidents in order to give official sponsorship to the dozens of events and ceremonies planned to take place throughout the United States in honor of the anniversary.

Serving on the planning committee is often seen within the U.S. Jewish community as a public sign of support for Israel. The committee will also be co-chaired by former American presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, and every living former U.S. secretary of state, including Henry Kissinger, have signed on to serve on the committee as well.

The Israel Factor - Which American candidate can work best with Israel?

The Arizona Senator believes America must give Israel whatever equipment and technology it needs for defense. John Sidney McCain says he's "proudly pro-Israel" and argues that there can be no peace process "until the Palestinians recognise Israel, forswear forever the use of violence, recognise their previous agreements..." Has he asked Israel to do the same? No.

He criticises Carter's meeting with Hamas, calling it "a grave and dangerous mistake for an American leader". And he wants the United States to continue providing Israel with whatever military equipment and technology it needs. If elected McCain would "work to further isolate the enemies of Israel". Surely his time would be better spent worrying about why half the world hates the US.

McCain even thinks Israel's military action in Lebanon in 2006 was justified. He's willing to use military force against Iran if it acquires a nuclear weapon and poses a "real threat" to Israel. Well, we know from past experience what "real threats" boil down to. And guess what: he too co-sponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006.

The Senator for New York and former First Lady supports moving the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I want the Iranians to know that if I am president, we will attack Iran," she ranted when asked what she'd do if Iran launched a nuclear attack on Israel. Not only that, she'll "totally obliterate them"... 70 million people. What kind of lunatic would drag us all into World War 3 to defend a lawless, racist regime like Israel? Since taking office in 2000, Clinton has regularly supported military and financial aid packages to Israel. In a speech to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) she spouted the now-compulsory mantra: Hamas should not be recognised "until it renounces violence and terror and recognises Israel's right to exist."

The Senator for Illinois made his first visit to Israel in January 2006, where he visited the north and toured the fence. Barack Obama has said the United States must isolate Hamas. He also co-sponsored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2006 and called on the Palestinian leadership to "recognise Israel, to renounce violence, and to get serious about negotiating peace and security for the region". OK, why don't America and Israel get serious about implementing the dozens of UN resolutions on the subject? He doesn't say.

He called Carter's meeting with Hamas leaders "a bad idea", so what's his pledge to talk with US adversaries without preconditions worth? If elected, Obama will insist on fully funding military assistance to Israel. Does this mean paying them even more billions of US tax dollars so that they can fire even more high-tech munitions at Gaza, vaporize more women and kids and knock out more infrastructure that Britain and the EU paid for?

Looking at the score rating to work best for Israeli interest and their respective statements, will it change the foreign policy of America towards Israel and its apartheid regime?

What is this Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act they all so desperately wanted?  The idea is to heap misery on any Palestinian government in which Hamas has a hand, ignoring the fact that the resistance movement is democratically elected and shows no sign of running away. The Act demands everything from the Palestinians and nothing from Israel, which can do no wrong in Washington's eyes but, as everyone outside America knows, is the biggest terror organisation and law-breaker in the region.

They must re-commit to the Road Map and the two-state solution even though the 'irreversible facts on the ground' Israel is hurrying to establish and the impoverished, fragmented leftovers of land the Palestinians will be left with (less than 20% of what was originally theirs) are not a recipe for peace.

The plan is plainly to support Israel's lust for prime land and strategic resources and end all hope of Palestinian viability and self-determination.

Speaking of the Holy Land, are the three president candidates aware that Christian communities under Israeli occupation are being oppressed and crushed along with their Muslim neighbours?