By John Friend —
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the most powerful lobby in the world, wrapped up its 2014 Policy Conference on March 4, where Iran’s supposed pursuit of nuclear weapons, as well as the Ukrainian crisis and Russian response, were the central themes of the gathering.
AIPAC is notorious for its influence—some would say its lock—on American foreign policy, elections and Congress.
The promotional video for the 2014 AIPAC Policy Conference boasts that AIPAC representatives and pro-Israel partisans have held “special meetings” with all the members of Congress—100 senators and 435 congressmen. “This is democracy at work,” stated the video cheerfully.
“Where else can you see prime ministers, presidents, secretaries of states, leaders of Congress? The only place that you can see that is here at the AIPAC Policy Conference,” an AIPAC representative declared in the promotional video.
Prominent United States politicians from both political parties attended and spoke at the high-powered get together, including Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.). House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) were also there, as were Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attended and spoke at the conference.
Lew, an Orthodox American Jew with deep ties to Israel, used his speech to advocate “free market” reforms in Ukraine following the recent revolution, which includes a central role for the International Monetary Fund in “stabilizing” the Ukrainian economy by offering massive loans to the beleaguered nation. Lew went on to describe Israel’s security as “sacrosanct,” and tied America’s long-term security to that of Israel’s. He vowed the Obama administration would continue to enforce harsh economic sanctions on Iran to ensure maximum damage to the Iranian economy and nation.
During his 15-minute speech at the conference, McCain, an unabashed Zionist stooge and blind supporter of Israel, harshly criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating Russia’s actions in Ukraine are “unacceptable.” He offered U.S. support for the Ukrainian revolution, which was sponsored by elements of the U.S. government and European Union.
To standing ovations, McCain described the Obama administration’s foreign policy as “feckless,” adding that “no one believes in America’s strength anymore.” McCain made these ridiculous statements in spite of the fact that Obama has prosecuted and even expanded all of the wars the Bush administration initiated after the events of 9-11, has launched and expanded the use of drones in targeted assassinations all across the globe and has invaded and destroyed the once-sovereign nation of Libya, overthrowing and murdering its president, Muammar Qadaffi, in the process.
McCain would go on to describe everything wrong with American foreign policy and how right its “special relationship” with Israel is during the conclusion of his speech. However, his conception of legitimate, productive American foreign policy is the exact opposite of what the great men who founded America advocated.
John Friend is a writer who maintains a blog and hosts “The Realist Report.”
