Good-bye, Neocons! ---Hope from the Jews of America
HIRAYAMA Kentaro / Former NHK commentator
December 26, 2008
President George Bush's last trip to Baghdad will long be remembered for the scene in which he dodged the shoes thrown at him by an Iraqi journalist. The final result of the "Grand Design" which aimed at toppling by force the Saddam Hussein regime allegedly "holding weapons of mass destruction" and "involved with the 9.11 incident" and establishing a pro-U.S., pro-Israeli (?) administration in Iraq, which would have great influence over Syria and Iran while spreading democracy in the entire Middle-Eastern area including these "rogue countries" is now well known. President Bush himself, at a press interview on his way to Iraq and Afghanistan, expressed regrets for having mentioned "wrong information" about WMD as the reason for opening hostilities against Iraq. When asked if there were no Al-Qaeda in Iraq before the intervention of the U.S. forces, he did not deny it, but defiantly bawled out: "So what?"
On the list of famous "neocons," or new conservatives around the Department of Defense who drew up the original Grand Design and sold Bush on the validity of unilateralism and pre-emptive strikes were Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, John Bolton, etc. They disappeared one after another from the stage around the time "exit strategies" from Iraq began to be discussed. There were such persons as Mr. Perle who was applauded at the Israeli Parliament as "a man who contributed most to the security of Israel," but later criticized himself and admitted that he was "misled by Iraqi Shiite defectors." It is still fresh in our mind that most of these neocons were, after all, Jewish.
American voters have elected as the next president Barack Obama, who has constantly opposed to the Iraqi War. In Obama's election campaign, many Jewish American intellectuals positively involved themselves. Among the ambassadorial-level human resources rumored as possible persons to take charge of American diplomacy for the Middle-East in the in-coming Obama administration are such Jewish Americans as Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, and Daniel Kurtzer who worked actively under President Clinton, in addition to David Axelrod, chief spokesman for Obama during the election campaign as well as Rahm Emmanuel named White House Chief of Staff as soon as Obama was elected President. Quite a few of them have assumed a critical attitude toward Israel. It is also reported that 77 percent of Jewish Americans have voted for Obama.
On the same day as the presidential election, a third of the Senate seats were also up for election and there are now 14 Jewish Senators, who constitute 14 percent of the 100-person Senate. When you realize that Jewish voters occupy only 2 percent of the constituency, the strength of their influence can well be understood. The role played by the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), the largest or second largest lobbying organization in Washington, D.C., cannot be underestimated, in light of the fact that Obama's Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech was made from the stage of this body's national convention. It seems that in the Jewish community of the United States, a silent but steady current of change is taking place. One such example is the formation of "J Street," a new Jewish lobby launched in April with the presidential election as backdrop. As if to counter the K Street, where major lobbying organizations stand in a row, they named themselves "J" Street, which does not exist in reality. Vying with other major Jewish lobby groups that tend to brand all criticisms against specific Israeli policies as "anti-Semitic," this new lobbyist organization, openly declaring itself "pro-Israel for the sake of peace," may serve as a foothold to calmly consider, discuss and save the freedom of criticism as to what is needed for the long-time peace and security of Israel. The uniqueness of the Israeli-U.S. relationship may be one of the main reasons for anti-American sentiments throughout the world that adds fuel to the flames of "anti-Semitism" – and not a few Jewish Americans must now be realizing this fear. It will be interesting to see how Obama will deal with this new current of thought.
During the election campaign, Obama, while reiterating unchanged support for Israel, announced that, "U.S. support for Israel does not necessarily mean support for Likud." In addition to the general principle that the U.S. does not blindly support any specific political party in Israel, it may be that he intentionally mentioned the name of Likud who is negative to conceding land. In Israel, general elections will take place on February 10, just three weeks after Obama takes office as president. At the moment, the right-wing opposition party Likud, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netaniyahu, is showing considerable strength in opinion polls against Kadima and the Labor Party, who have been playing a major part in negotiations for peace ("final status" talk) with the Palestinians. Haaretz, an influential Israeli paper, carried a severe headline entitled: "Obama in America, and Bush in Israel?" It was an innuendo on the basis of public polls. Possibilities are that the historic nightmare during three years in the 1990s when the Clinton administration faced none other than the Netaniyahu regime, may be revived. Leading to even more "tortuous" relations between the U.S. and Israel. Meanwhile, it is ardently hoped that the good sense of U.S. Jews will work constructively from the standpoint of world peace.
The Writer is a former NHK commentator.
On the list of famous "neocons," or new conservatives around the Department of Defense who drew up the original Grand Design and sold Bush on the validity of unilateralism and pre-emptive strikes were Paul Wolfowitz, Richard Perle, John Bolton, etc. They disappeared one after another from the stage around the time "exit strategies" from Iraq began to be discussed. There were such persons as Mr. Perle who was applauded at the Israeli Parliament as "a man who contributed most to the security of Israel," but later criticized himself and admitted that he was "misled by Iraqi Shiite defectors." It is still fresh in our mind that most of these neocons were, after all, Jewish.
American voters have elected as the next president Barack Obama, who has constantly opposed to the Iraqi War. In Obama's election campaign, many Jewish American intellectuals positively involved themselves. Among the ambassadorial-level human resources rumored as possible persons to take charge of American diplomacy for the Middle-East in the in-coming Obama administration are such Jewish Americans as Dennis Ross, Martin Indyk, and Daniel Kurtzer who worked actively under President Clinton, in addition to David Axelrod, chief spokesman for Obama during the election campaign as well as Rahm Emmanuel named White House Chief of Staff as soon as Obama was elected President. Quite a few of them have assumed a critical attitude toward Israel. It is also reported that 77 percent of Jewish Americans have voted for Obama.
On the same day as the presidential election, a third of the Senate seats were also up for election and there are now 14 Jewish Senators, who constitute 14 percent of the 100-person Senate. When you realize that Jewish voters occupy only 2 percent of the constituency, the strength of their influence can well be understood. The role played by the AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee), the largest or second largest lobbying organization in Washington, D.C., cannot be underestimated, in light of the fact that Obama's Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech was made from the stage of this body's national convention. It seems that in the Jewish community of the United States, a silent but steady current of change is taking place. One such example is the formation of "J Street," a new Jewish lobby launched in April with the presidential election as backdrop. As if to counter the K Street, where major lobbying organizations stand in a row, they named themselves "J" Street, which does not exist in reality. Vying with other major Jewish lobby groups that tend to brand all criticisms against specific Israeli policies as "anti-Semitic," this new lobbyist organization, openly declaring itself "pro-Israel for the sake of peace," may serve as a foothold to calmly consider, discuss and save the freedom of criticism as to what is needed for the long-time peace and security of Israel. The uniqueness of the Israeli-U.S. relationship may be one of the main reasons for anti-American sentiments throughout the world that adds fuel to the flames of "anti-Semitism" – and not a few Jewish Americans must now be realizing this fear. It will be interesting to see how Obama will deal with this new current of thought.
During the election campaign, Obama, while reiterating unchanged support for Israel, announced that, "U.S. support for Israel does not necessarily mean support for Likud." In addition to the general principle that the U.S. does not blindly support any specific political party in Israel, it may be that he intentionally mentioned the name of Likud who is negative to conceding land. In Israel, general elections will take place on February 10, just three weeks after Obama takes office as president. At the moment, the right-wing opposition party Likud, led by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netaniyahu, is showing considerable strength in opinion polls against Kadima and the Labor Party, who have been playing a major part in negotiations for peace ("final status" talk) with the Palestinians. Haaretz, an influential Israeli paper, carried a severe headline entitled: "Obama in America, and Bush in Israel?" It was an innuendo on the basis of public polls. Possibilities are that the historic nightmare during three years in the 1990s when the Clinton administration faced none other than the Netaniyahu regime, may be revived. Leading to even more "tortuous" relations between the U.S. and Israel. Meanwhile, it is ardently hoped that the good sense of U.S. Jews will work constructively from the standpoint of world peace.
The Writer is a former NHK commentator.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
さらばネオコン・・・在米ユダヤ人への期待
平山健太郎 / 元NHK解説委員
2008年 12月 26日
ブッシュ大統領のバグダッドへの最後の旅は、イラク人記者の投げつける靴から身をかわす映像で長く記憶されることになるだろう。「大量破壊兵器を抱え」「９・１１事件にも関与した」サダム・フセイン政権を武力で打倒し、イラクに親米、親イスラエル（？）の政権を樹立して、シリアやイランににらみをきかせ、それら「ならず者国家」を含む中東全域に民主主義体制を広げる・・・という「グランドデザイン」の結末は、ご承知のとおりだ。ブッシュ大統領自身、イラクとアフガニスタンへの道中のインタビューで、大量破壊兵器についての「誤った情報」を開戦の理由に掲げたことを遺憾であるとし、米軍の介入以前のイラクにアルカーイダはいなかったという質問者の指摘には否定もしないまま「それがどうした？」と開き直っている。
当初のグランドデザインをまとめ上げ、単独行動主義や先制攻撃の有効性をブッシュ大統領に売り込んだ国防省総省周辺の新保守主義者（ネオコン）の名士たち・・ウオルフォヴィッツ、パール、ボルトンといった人々は、イラクをめぐる「出口戦略」が議論されるころ、舞台から次々に姿を消した。「イスラエルの安全に最も貢献した人物」として、その国会で喝采を浴びたパール氏のように、その後「イラク・シーア派の亡命者情報に振り回された」と自己批判した人もいる。これらネオコンの大部分がユダヤ系だったことも記憶に新しい。
アメリカの有権者は、イラク戦争に終始反対してきたオバマ氏をアメリカ大統領に選んだ。その選挙活動には、多くのユダヤ系知識人が積極的に参加した。選挙期間中オバマ氏の主力スポークスマンをつとめたデービッド・アクセルロッド氏、当選後いちはやく首席補佐官に指名されたラード・エマニュエル氏をはじめ、オバマ次期政権で中東外交の実務を担うことが取りざたされている大使レベルの人材の中にも、デニス・ロス、マーティン・インディック、ダニエル・カーツアーなどクリントン政権下で活躍したユダヤ系の人々がひしめいている。イスラエルに手厳しい言動が目立った人も多い。ユダヤ系有権者の７７％がオバマ氏に投票したと伝えられる。
大統領選挙と同日一部の改選が行われた上院のユダヤ系の議員は１４人。定員１００人の１４％を占める。ユダヤ系有権者が２％強に過ぎないことを考えれば、その影響力の強さが窺える。ワシントンで一、ニを争うロビー団体ＡＩＰＡＣ（アメリカ・イスラエル公共問題委員会）も、オバマ氏の大統領候補指名受諾演説が、この団体の全国大会の壇上からであったことからもみられるように、その存在感は軽視できない。しかし、在米ユダヤ人社会の中で静かな潮流の変化が起きているようにも見える。その一例が大統領選挙戦を背景にこの4月発足した新しいユダヤ・ロビー「Ｊストリート」だ。ワシントンで大手のロビー団体が事務所を構えるＫストリートの向こうを張った形で、現実の街路としては存在しない「Ｊ」ストリートと名乗ったという。イスラエルの特定の政権に対する批判を「反ユダヤ主義」と決め付けたがる大手のユダヤ系団体に対抗し、「平和のための親イスラエル・ロビー」を看板にしたこの新しいロビーは、何がイスラエルの長期的な平和と安全につながるかを冷静に考え、議論し、批判の自由を守る足場になるかも知れない。アメリカとイスラエルの関係のあり方が世界的な反米感情の大きな源泉のひとつになり、「反ユダヤ主義」の火に油を注ぐ要素にもなっていることに、危機感を抱き始めているユダヤ系アメリカ人も増えているはずだ。オバマ氏が、そうした新しい流れをどう汲み取るかに注目したい。
選挙キャンペインの中でオバマ氏は、イスラエルに対する変わらぬ支持を繰り返しているが、その中で「イスラエルに対する支持は必ずしもリクードへの支持を意味しない」という発言があった。特定の政党を盲目的に支持する訳ではないという一般論に加え、土地をめぐる譲歩に後ろ向きなリクードの名を、意図して挙げたものと考えてよかろう。イスラエルでは、オバマ氏が大統領に就任してちょうど３週間後の２月１０日に総選挙が行われるが、パレスチナ側との最終地位交渉をこれまで続けてきたカディマや労働党に対しネタニヤフ元首相の率いる右翼野党リクードが、世論調査ではかなりの優勢を示している。イスラエルの有力紙「ハアレツ」は、「アメリカではオバマ、ここイスラエルではブッシュを選ぶのか？」という辛辣な論評を掲載した。世論調査を踏まえた当てこすりであろうが、９０年代３年間にわたってクリントン政権が直面した、他ならぬネタニヤフ政権との悪戦苦闘の歴史が再現する可能性も強い。米イスラエル間の「ねじれ現象」だ。在米ユダヤ人の良識がその中で、あるいはその前に、建設的な役割を果たしてくれることに、世界の平和を祈る立場から期待をつなぎたい。
（筆者は元ＮＨＫ解説委員。）
当初のグランドデザインをまとめ上げ、単独行動主義や先制攻撃の有効性をブッシュ大統領に売り込んだ国防省総省周辺の新保守主義者（ネオコン）の名士たち・・ウオルフォヴィッツ、パール、ボルトンといった人々は、イラクをめぐる「出口戦略」が議論されるころ、舞台から次々に姿を消した。「イスラエルの安全に最も貢献した人物」として、その国会で喝采を浴びたパール氏のように、その後「イラク・シーア派の亡命者情報に振り回された」と自己批判した人もいる。これらネオコンの大部分がユダヤ系だったことも記憶に新しい。
アメリカの有権者は、イラク戦争に終始反対してきたオバマ氏をアメリカ大統領に選んだ。その選挙活動には、多くのユダヤ系知識人が積極的に参加した。選挙期間中オバマ氏の主力スポークスマンをつとめたデービッド・アクセルロッド氏、当選後いちはやく首席補佐官に指名されたラード・エマニュエル氏をはじめ、オバマ次期政権で中東外交の実務を担うことが取りざたされている大使レベルの人材の中にも、デニス・ロス、マーティン・インディック、ダニエル・カーツアーなどクリントン政権下で活躍したユダヤ系の人々がひしめいている。イスラエルに手厳しい言動が目立った人も多い。ユダヤ系有権者の７７％がオバマ氏に投票したと伝えられる。
大統領選挙と同日一部の改選が行われた上院のユダヤ系の議員は１４人。定員１００人の１４％を占める。ユダヤ系有権者が２％強に過ぎないことを考えれば、その影響力の強さが窺える。ワシントンで一、ニを争うロビー団体ＡＩＰＡＣ（アメリカ・イスラエル公共問題委員会）も、オバマ氏の大統領候補指名受諾演説が、この団体の全国大会の壇上からであったことからもみられるように、その存在感は軽視できない。しかし、在米ユダヤ人社会の中で静かな潮流の変化が起きているようにも見える。その一例が大統領選挙戦を背景にこの4月発足した新しいユダヤ・ロビー「Ｊストリート」だ。ワシントンで大手のロビー団体が事務所を構えるＫストリートの向こうを張った形で、現実の街路としては存在しない「Ｊ」ストリートと名乗ったという。イスラエルの特定の政権に対する批判を「反ユダヤ主義」と決め付けたがる大手のユダヤ系団体に対抗し、「平和のための親イスラエル・ロビー」を看板にしたこの新しいロビーは、何がイスラエルの長期的な平和と安全につながるかを冷静に考え、議論し、批判の自由を守る足場になるかも知れない。アメリカとイスラエルの関係のあり方が世界的な反米感情の大きな源泉のひとつになり、「反ユダヤ主義」の火に油を注ぐ要素にもなっていることに、危機感を抱き始めているユダヤ系アメリカ人も増えているはずだ。オバマ氏が、そうした新しい流れをどう汲み取るかに注目したい。
選挙キャンペインの中でオバマ氏は、イスラエルに対する変わらぬ支持を繰り返しているが、その中で「イスラエルに対する支持は必ずしもリクードへの支持を意味しない」という発言があった。特定の政党を盲目的に支持する訳ではないという一般論に加え、土地をめぐる譲歩に後ろ向きなリクードの名を、意図して挙げたものと考えてよかろう。イスラエルでは、オバマ氏が大統領に就任してちょうど３週間後の２月１０日に総選挙が行われるが、パレスチナ側との最終地位交渉をこれまで続けてきたカディマや労働党に対しネタニヤフ元首相の率いる右翼野党リクードが、世論調査ではかなりの優勢を示している。イスラエルの有力紙「ハアレツ」は、「アメリカではオバマ、ここイスラエルではブッシュを選ぶのか？」という辛辣な論評を掲載した。世論調査を踏まえた当てこすりであろうが、９０年代３年間にわたってクリントン政権が直面した、他ならぬネタニヤフ政権との悪戦苦闘の歴史が再現する可能性も強い。米イスラエル間の「ねじれ現象」だ。在米ユダヤ人の良識がその中で、あるいはその前に、建設的な役割を果たしてくれることに、世界の平和を祈る立場から期待をつなぎたい。
（筆者は元ＮＨＫ解説委員。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟