Chuck Hagel, anti-Semite?

american enterprise institute ^ | 1/11/13 | Danielle Pletka

[Nachum]

It has been suggested that Chuck Hagel is an anti-Semite. It has also been suggested that it is an outrage and a smear to call Barack Obama’s nominee to be secretary of defense an anti-Semite. For my part, I don’t know. But these accusations and defenses have come from serious people.

First, the naysayers, because denying the charge is actually easier than leveling it. (“How dare you?” often suffices as a riposte.)

Here are the arguments:

1. Chuck Hagel is not an anti-Semite because some Jews — in Israel, in Nebraska, in the Senate — like him.

2. Chuck Hagel is not an anti-Semite because he believes in a strong US-Israel relationship and has said so.

3. Chuck Hagel is not an anti-Semite because that’s a smear used to tar those who: a) disagree with the Likud; b) disagree with current Israeli policy; c) have the guts to stand up to the Jews/Jewish lobby/Israel.

Let’s take these arguments on one by one:

“Jews like him!”: Just because you can persuade some Jews you do not hate them does not mean you can dodge the “anti-Semite” bullet. To assuage the sure-to-follow screams of Hagelites, we must add the corollary; just because some Jews despise you doesn’t automatically mean you are an anti-Semite, either. Bottom line: “Some Jews” won’t help. Jury still out.

Next: Chuck Hagel is not an anti-Semite because he believes in a strong US-Israel relationship. First, failing to believe in the relationship doesn’t make you an anti-Semite, unless your views are informed by a hatred of the Jews. On the other hand, it is manifest that despite protestations to the contrary, Chuck Hagel does not believe in the US-Israel special relationship. A review of his work makes clear that he is persuaded that the relationship has come at the

[onyx]

Dearest you.
You’ve really wandered off from your original question to me.
I do not base my opinion of foreign policy on the Holy Land.
I think the US should stand by Israel for many reasons. Number one, Israel is the only beacon of democracy in the whole of the Middle East. Israel is our closest ally. We get many high tech imports from Israel including medical.

[Tublecane]

I use others’ posts as jumping off points, often, and don’t imagine I’m attributing all these notions to you, personally. But those ideas are floating around, and the phrase “our Israel” taken all too literally for what should be our foreign policy by some.

[Tublecane]

My use of “your” may muddle things, I realize. I could have said “one” instead.

[onyx]

It’s OKay by me.
:)

[BlackVeil]

Unless there’s a scandal waiting to break and they need a Pub for the headlines. Can’t write that off completely.

I was reading a thread from some months ago - in Sept last year - and a poster was saying that they could not understand why Petraus was being so silent about the events in Libya. Reading that now, one has a different view.

There are often things waiting to come out.