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Jan-04-2013 16:43printcomments

Labeling Chuck Hagel as an Anti Semite is Absurd

Sun may shine on Chuck Hagel nomination for Defense Secretary, even as other Republicans turn on former senator for a first allegiance to his own country.

Chuck Hagel in Vietnam and today
Chuck Hagel in Vietnam and today

(SACRAMENTO, CA) - Former Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) is likely to be nominated Secretary of Defense by President Barack Obama, after all. According to reports from Huffington Post, Foreign Policy, The Daily Beast and NBC News, the chances for Hagel have gone way up. The nomination could come as early as Monday of Tuesday.

We have published several articles explaining the widespread support for President Obama's nomination of Hagel, yet it really did not seem possible. After all, this American who received two Purple Hearts during his service as a U.S. Army sergeant in the Vietnam War, is known for making a statement construed as not being 'Pro-Israel' and God knows that is a ship sinker in U.S. politics. Hagel's nomination would be a positive step in reversing that dominant trend.

Israel exists in its powerful, uninterrupted military form today because each time war crime accusations are filed in the UN, the United States uses its 'Super Veto Power' to defend Israel from charges. We're talking about events like the unprecedented attack on Gaza known as 'Cast Lead' during which Israel killed more than 1400, almost all civilians, including among them nearly 400 children.

Now that Palestine is officially on the road toward statehood, this process of blocking Israel from breeches of international human rights law will become much more difficult. The degree of inequity that Palestinians face is absolutely amazing.

Costly Ally

The nomination of Chuck Hagel for Secretary of Defense could be the dawning of a new day for integrity in American/Israeli policy which is badly needed, particularly when considering the several million dollar a day price tag that struggling U.S. taxpayers pay to support Israel.

Then there is the fact that the American taxpayer funnels so much money into Israel, the United States itself barely avoided going off the so-called 'fiscal cliff' in recent days. Investing hundreds of millions of dollars continually into Israel's war chest seems like the last thing Americans should be doing. Logical economic policy calls for hitting the brakes and letting Israel take care of its own fiscal needs.

It seems curious then, that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said on 30 Dec. there would be "very little Republican support" for the nomination of a Sec of Defense who could bring real needed change. Of course the Israelis have the right wing element of American media on their side.

According to FOX News:

    Senator Hagel has also drawn the attention and criticism of pro-Israel groups for having made comments regarding Israel and the Jewish lobby and has been labeled as an anti-Semite and anti-Israel.

    President Obama has come out recently defending Hagel, saying he did not see anything that would disqualify him as a potential nominee. A Hagel nomination could be a reality as early as Monday and many critics are prepared to put up a fight.

Anti-Semite?

You have to give FOX credit for stirring emotions without reason or justification beyond supporting ultra-right politics and parroting unfounded accusations. They don't state why he is labeled in such a damaging way.

Here is what the Huff Post has to say about it:

    Hagel had come under intense criticism from pro-Israel interest groups for past comments. Drawing particular fire was a quote from his 2008 book, wherein he said, "I'm not an Israeli senator. I'm a United States senator." He added, "I support Israel, but my first interest is I take an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States, not to a president, not to a party, not to Israel. If I go run for Senate in Israel, I’ll do that."

"I'm not an Israeli senator. I'm a United States senator" is what he said to earn scorn, whereas millions of Americans if not the vast majority, logically demand (of course) that an elected official have a first allegiance to his own country. I don't know of any elected Israeli politicians with a primary dedication to the United States.

There is no question about one thing, that an objection to Israeli policy in the United States earns both politicians and reporters the title of 'antisemitic' and it is sad, very sad, that any label should be used. The charge implies that the party is really just bent on harming Jewish people, what a crock. In America religion is secondary to everything else, though many would like to change that, but in Israel religion is everything; Israeli Zionist polity rules the day and discrimination screams loudly in Israel, where there are different laws and criminal punishments for Jews and non-Jews, and even 'Jewish only' roads which Christians and Muslims and Buddhists and Hindus are expressly banned from driving on.

Objecting to this raises a voice for the people who are made to suffer under Israel's apartheid political system. Interestingly, as Alan Hart cites in his report today, Ethnic Cleansing the Nice Way, the most outspoken member of Israel's extreme-right Likue party, Moshe Feiglin, whom Alan describes as, "one of the most deluded and racists of those who make up the extreme right of Israeli politics," is guaranteed his first seat in the Knesset after the upcoming election. This Israeli politician proposes what he literally called, "The perfect solution".

    "We can give every family in Judea and Samaria $500,000 (USD) to encourage them to emigrate... This is the perfect solution for us."

"Judea and Samaria", if you haven't heard, is the 'new' word used by right wing Israelis to describe the West Bank. It is an official effort to change the name of this historic place.

Hagel would be the first former enlisted soldier to head the Pentagon. He is in favor of sound and logical policy with Iran. Hagel voted against the Iraq Surge, which as I have reported many times, was purely disastrous in the end for Sunni militias coaxed to fight for the Americans who, little did they realize, would soon completely abandon them. I personally documented the end of the 'surge' in Iraq during the summer of 2008.

In conclusion, particularly with Moshe Feiglin ascending in Israeli politics, it is a good time for Chuck Hagel to assume the extremely important position of U.S. Secretary of Defense. His posting will be good for America and also for Israel, where a large percentage of the populace wants nothing to do with the continual occupation of Palestine and seeks peace like the majority of us.

________________________________________


Photo by Justin King

Tim King: Salem-News.com Editor and Writer

Tim King has more than twenty years of experience on the west coast as a television news producer, photojournalist, reporter and assignment editor. Tim is Salem-News.com's Executive News Editor. His background includes covering the war in Afghanistan in 2006 and 2007, and reporting from the Iraq war in 2008. Tim is a former U.S. Marine who follows stories of Marines and Marine Veterans; he's covered British Royal Marines and in Iraq, Tim embedded with the same unit he served with in the 1980's.

Tim holds awards for reporting, photography, writing and editing from traditional mainstream news agencies like The Associated Press and Electronic Media Association; he also holds awards from the National Coalition of Motorcyclists, the Oregon Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs; and was presented with a 'Good Neighbor Award' for his reporting, by the The Red Cross.

Tim's years as a Human Rights reporter have taken on many dimensions; he has rallied for a long list of cultures and populations and continues to every day, with a strong and direct concentration on the 2009 Genocide of Tamil Hindus and Christians in Sri Lanka. As a result of his long list of reports exposing war crimes against Tamil people, Tim was invited to be the keynote speaker at the FeTNA (Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America) Conference in Baltimore, in July 2012. This is the largest annual gathering of North American Tamils; Tim addressed more than 3000 people and was presented with a traditional Sri Lanka ‘blessed garland’ and a shawl as per the tradition and custom of Tamil Nadu

In a personal capacity, Tim has written 2,026 articles as of March 2012 for Salem-News.com since the new format designed by Matt Lintz was launched in December, 2005. Serving readers with news from all over the globe, Tim's life is literally encircled by the endless news flow published by Salem-News.com, where more than 100 writers contribute stories from 23+ countries and regions.

Tim specializes in writing about political and military developments worldwide; and maintains that the label 'terrorist' is ill placed in many cases; specifically with the LTTE Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, where it was used as an excuse to slaughter people by the tens of thousands; and in Gaza, where a trapped population lives at the mercy of Israel's destructive military war crime grinder. At the center of all of this, Tim pays extremely close attention to the safety and welfare of journalists worldwide. You can write to Tim at this address: tim@salem-news.com. Visit Tim's Facebook page (facebook.com/TimKing.Reporter)




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Jeff Dillard January 7, 2013 11:03 am (Pacific time)

HEGEL is going to defent IRAN and allow it to acquire a nuclear weapon. That is why Iranians and Arabs just adore him sooo much. Look at how the Iranians are calling him a man of peace.


Anonymous January 6, 2013 9:45 am (Pacific time)

tail wagging the dog> the jew in america


bobby January 6, 2013 9:44 am (Pacific time)

why are there so many people apologizing for Isreal. We are Americans, First for AmericaI feel that these guys are pawns of the Jews and Israelis and do not care about the US but rather care more about Israel instead of their own countryu. I can understand the bondy between us and t England, France, Gernmany Ukraine (Africa (so many of our people are from their, much more than the 1% of americans who are jews). tail wagging the dog because they got money and pwer!!!


Jeffrey January 5, 2013 11:19 am (Pacific time)

This article is absolute garbage. Tim's hatred and obvious bias towards Israel shows while he makes up complete lies about "Jewish only roads" and separate punishments. It's utter nonsense and only someone with an agenda would make up stories like that.

 Editor: Jeffrey, you are totally incorrect.  In fact we are finally doing the important job of writing a specific article about these roads.  Here's the thing, the roads are not even disputed.  I don't know if you have kept your head in the clouds or just where, but this information is factual and easily verified through the Jerusalem Post and many other sources.  As to your disputing whether Palestinians and Israeli Jews are subject to different laws and punishments, again it isn't even disputed, so your knowledge is low in this area.

As a born again Christian I was treated with utmost respect and courtesy as I toured the Jewish and Christian areas in Israel. I never saw the kind of separation Tim claims exists. I spent 2 years total in Israel and learned to read Hebrew.

 Editor: It exists and is widely documented.  Your little tourist and language learning trip kept you far from the action, not surprising, Israel wants you to be their mouthpiece.  

They are a wonderful people and our nations are bound together in solidarity. As far as "war crimes", I bet Tim doesn't criticize Hamas who uses children as human shields. Hagel might not be a hater of Israel but the author of this article certainly is.

Editor: You're a son of a bitch.  I'd like to hold your face next to the dead kids of Gaza and let you talk shit.  You are a hazard to human beings and a liar, perhaps you would use your children to make your life safer but that is a atupid lie about human shields, not even a good one at that. Hamas is a small elected government and I respect them a thousand times more than your apartheid bullsh*t.  You make the world a less honest place.

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Sean Flynn was a photojournalist in Vietnam, taken captive in 1970 in Cambodia and never seen again.