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What are these two lobbyists guilty of? The likely answer: lobbying on behalf of Israel. This alone is deemed criminal by the politically correct establishment. Israel allegedly enticed the United States to invade Iraq and victimizes the Palestinians. Bashing Israel is now the norm for ìrealistî Republicans—and those who possess the veto power over the selection of Democratic Partyís presidential nominee.

Nobody is safe in a petty legalistic milieu. Any half-baked charge will do. It is fairly easy to charge someone with violating the Espionage Act. Try imagining a traffic cop ticketing someone for going 55 and 1/10 miles per hour hour in a 55 mile zone.

I’m still trying to figure out who brought the charges. From what I can see it’s the Justice Dept, which seems to be run by people who favor the current administration and its policies… why would they go after lobbyists that appear to be on their side? I’m not even sure how someone giving a lobbyist ‘oral’ information makes the lobbyist guilty of anything other than talking to someone who can’t keep their mouth shut.

I suppose the real issue is this Franklin fellow. Obviously he leaked some information, obviously he’s been tried and convicted (15 years). However, the DOJ is planning to reduce his sentence for testimony. Either the testimony has something damning about these fellows that we don’t know anything about, or something very bizare appears to be unfolding.

ìFrom what I can see it’s the Justice Dept, which seems to be run by people who favor the current administration and its policies…î

I doubt very much that this administration has complete control over the Justice Department. Please remember that George W. Bush is an elected president—and not a dictator. I still think that this is a nit-picky prosecution. So far, I see no reason to change my mind. Traffic cops, for instance, have been known to brag that they can ticket anyone. it is almost impossible for a driver not to break some sort of law. Is the indictment substantial? This is the very first question that must be answered.

“I don’t see a gathering storm” against the Jewish community, says David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington. “Most people seem to be focusing on individuals rather than a conspiracy.”

Reform Jews are similar to Unitarian-Universalists. These folks are usually crazed left-wingers! They often agree with the slanders against Israel. Reform Jews are part of the problem. Waking up to reality would compel them to sever relationships of long standing.

Reform Jews are part of the problem

And who’s accusing who of anti-Semitism?

“… included the circumstances surrounding the recent seizure by the Israeli government of the Karine A‚Äîa boat loaded with Iranian-made rockets, anti-tank grenades and C-4 explosives that Israeli officials charged was destined for the Palestinian Authority headed by Yasir Arafat. ”

What are we to make of this ? That perhaps the Israelis were not supposed to get wind of the Karine A and apprehend the ship?

” These officials say they’re eager to see the legal process run its course, but are concerned about the lack of transparency in the case. ”

Like the Pollard case?

ìAnd who’s accusing who of anti-Semitism?î

Am I wrong to point out that Reform Jews are usually politically left-wing? Such individuals are subconsciously motivated to pretend that their non-Jewish allies have not turned into enemies. And yes, it is also quite fair to add that numerous Reform Jews are ìself hatingî and despise the state of Israel. Do you ever visit http://www.keshertalk.com/ ? I well remember a contributor of this blog complaining about the crazy left-wing views of numerous Reform Jew rabbis, especially the younger ones.

David Thomson

It seems to me that many on the Left cannot stand the pressure induced by the implicit antisemitism (dual loyalty accusation, and such, – funny but in the PC atmosphere nowhere is a Muslim accused of that even when the Jew’s accuser is confronted with explicit statements to the effect the Islam reigns supreme) in the US and the explicit discrimination in Britain and the rest of Europe, so much so that they jetison the concept of right and wrong and replace it with a relativistic balancing act.

Surfing the blogs brings to light interesting behaviour such as this:
“Reconciliation Needed in SA Jewish Community”
http://supernatural.blogs.com/weblog/2006/04/reconciliation_.html

” They have begun to see the Beth Din as the Jewish equivalent to the ayatollahs of Iran.
This irrational fear has unfortunately been stoked by a small group of ëprogressiveí Jewish intellectuals who are determined to paint the Orthodox Rabbinate as religious fundamentalists. ”

One must consider the political atmosphere of blatant antisemitism in the SA media because of its anti-Israel stance, as a factor.
The more conservative ones see strength in numbers while the left cringe and cower under the deluge and seek ‘appeasement’ by attacking those rocking the boat.

..the two lobbyists, in receiving and disseminating classified information, are doing what journalists, academics and experts at think tanks do every day.

I don’t think that academics and experts at think tanks really disseminate classified information everyday. To the extent that journalists do this, in violation of the law, it is an argument to crack down on them rather than to turn a blind eye to other instances of illegal activity.

I suppose there is no Arab lobby or espionage conducted by Arab nations. Or Chinese spies or Russian spies or British spies.
Either the above are all amazingly benign, ineffective or more likely quietly settled. Even the Vatican has an intelligence service. It’s only wrong when done by Jews. With everyone else it’s just the business of state, nothing personal.
We of course are perfect gentleman and never spy on anyone. I don’t have a problem dealing with spying, it’s the hypocrisy and double standards that bother me.

From the first link:

“The trial comes amid a furor sparked last month by an article by two American academics that argues pro-Israel interest groups have undercut the U.S.’s standing in the Middle East by promoting a policy line too close to Tel Aviv’s. They argue that the U.S. is too aligned with Israel in its position on the Palestinian question, weapons proliferation in the Middle East, and diplomatic ties with a number of Arab states.”

Too aligned with Israel, they argue. Simply pathetic. What, should the U.S. take a more balanced view, i.e. should the U.S. adopt an ambivalent stance on Israel’s right to exist? After all, that does seem to be the main sticking point between the paleos and the Israelis.

Godzilla,

” Too aligned with Israel, they argue. Simply pathetic. What, should the U.S. take a more balanced view, i.e. should the U.S. adopt an ambivalent stance on Israel’s right to exist? After all, that does seem to be the main sticking point between the paleos and the Israelis.”

A more balanced stance on Israels right of existence. Hats off, that perhaps is the most concise and eloquent reduction of the anti-Zionist and pro-Arab viewpoint I have ever heard.