Why spring Saban support Arabic?

By Maidhc Cathail

Test of a first-rate intelligence, f. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, "is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." When it comes to what has been called the "Arab spring", pass most Middle East analysts Fitzgerald test with flying colours.

Hardly anyone would dispute the claim, Haim Saban cares deeply about Israel. After all, Egyptian-born isrælsk-American media mogul admitted to the New York Times, "I'm a one issue guy, and my problem is Israel." A New Yorker profile drawn up last year:

"His greatest concern, he says, is to protect Israel, by strengthening United States-Israel relationship. At a conference described last autumn in Israel, Saban his formula. His three ways to be influential in American politics, he said, was: make donations to political parties, establishing think-tanks and manage media. "

Think tank, part of Sabans tripartite Israel-protection formula was launched in 2002 with a pledge of almost $ 13 million for the Brookings Institution to establish Saban Center for Middle East policy. In 2007 extended Saban Center operations with the launch of the Brookings Doha Center. Its Qatar-based project was inaugurated in February 2008 by Saban Center, Martin Indyk founding Director. A former research director at the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), Indyk had previously founded Institute Washington AIPAC-created for Middle East policy (WINEP).

All three experts on the Brookings Doha Center — its Director, Deputy Director and Director of research — is fellows in the Middle, while Saban calmly two of the three has close ties to Washington's "democracy promotion" enterprise. Center's Assistant Director, Ibrahim Sharqieh, succeeded former a long term USAID development project in Yemen, as well as a US State Department Middle East partnership initiative (MEPI) civic education project. According to a March 12 report in the Washington Post describes the U.S. support for the Arab Democrats, USAID grants "showed crucial for activists in a half-dozen Arab lands," funding, for example, training of groups such as the National Democratic Institute (NDI), International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House of up to 80 percent of the leaders of the Egyptian rebellion. MEPI, according to an April 18 Washington Post report, have funneled up to $ 6 million to Syrian opposition groups since 2006. As further Testament Haim Saban contribution to Middle East democracy from MEPI currently Tamara Wittes, former Director of the Saban Center Middle East democracy and development (MSG) project.

Shadi Hamid, Doha Center's Director of research, is aptly described as an expert on democratization in the Middle East. Prior to working for Saban Center, he was a Hewlett Fellow at Stanford University Center on democracy, development and rule of law (CDDRL). CDDRLS Director, Larry Diamond, is the founding co-editor of the National Endowment for democracy's Journal of democracy and a lifelong advocate of Arab democracy. Hamid was also Director of the research on the project on Middle East democracy (POMED), whose Board of advisors, reading like a who's who of establishment to promote democracy includes Diamond and NDI and IRI Chairmen. Hamid has also served as a program specialist on public diplomacy at the u.s. Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. James Glassman, the former Undersecretary for public diplomacy, which brought the Middle Eastern pro-democracy activists to New York for the first Alliance of youth movements (AYM) Summit in 2008, are considered public diplomacy as "direct or indirect involvement of foreign publics to support national security objectives" subjectthat "it is much easier to be influential, when others do opinions."

On its international Advisory Council boasting Brookings Doha Center such nobel prizes of the promotion of democracy by Madeleine Albright. The former US Secretary of State at the moment, NDI, leader of the democratic affiliate of the quasi-governmental National Endowment for democracy (NED). As Kenneth Temmerman candidly admitted in 2009, "the National Endowment for democracy has spent millions of dollars in the past decade to promote the ' color ' revolutions in places like Ukraine and Serbia, training political workers in modern communications and organisational techniques." During protests in Egypt, was Albright interviewed by Rachel Maddow on MSNBC, one of Movements.org, AYM'S online hub that supports pro-democracy activities in digital activists corporate sponsors. In the light of her lack of scruples about sanctions-induced death of 500,000 Iraqi children has Albright's condemnation of the Mubarak regime's brutality should be taken with a grain of salt. More important, recognized NDI Chairman, however, that her democracy-promoting organisation had "worked in Egypt for a long time."

From the beginning of the Arab incursions, Brookings Doha Center has kærning out comments with titles like "Saleh falls," "in Syria, Assad must complete phase" and "If the United States does not make the Qaddafi go, who will?" which leaves doubt as to their position. In a recent Washington Post report, which reads more an editorial in support of Arab spring, warns the Center's Director, Salman Shaikh, "If these Arab revolutions is a footnote, and if people become frustrated and see any light at the end of the tunnelenJeg do not knowwhere it could result in people thinking on the al-Qaeda. "

Even some Middle East observers seem to ask: If Arab spring supported so unreservedly by Haim Saban think tank, which was created to protect Israel, and then how could it possibly true isrælske interests?

-Maidhc Cathail is an investigative journalist and Middle East analyst. He contributed this article to PalestineChronicle.com.

 

Top Jewish Americans think about support for Obama (Reuters)

CHICAGO (Reuters) — some prominent Jewish Americans are rethinking their support for President Barack Obama 2012 re-election bid after he effectively called on Israel to give back territory it has occupied since 1967 to the Palestinians.

Setback after Obama Keynote on the Middle East have democratic party operatives scrambling to heard the Jewish community as the President prepares to seek another term in the White House.

Obama on Thursday called for any new Palestinian State to respect the borders as they were in 1967, prompting isrælske prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to tell him frankly that his vision of how to achieve Middle East peace was unrealistic.

"He has in effect sought to reduce the Isræls negotiation power and I condemn him for," told former New York mayor Ed Koch Reuters.

Koch said he could not campaign or vote for Obama if the Republicans appoint a calm candidate offers an alternative to the latest tough budgetary measures supported by the Republicans in Congress.

Koch donated $ 2300 Obama campaign in 2008, according to Filings with the Federal Election Commission.

"I trøde to then-Senator Obama would be as good as John McCain based on his statements at the time, and based on its support for Israel. It turns out was wrong, "he said.

Despite the stormy reaction to Obama remarks mentioned some commentators talk about the 1967 borders were nothing new.

"It has been the basic idea for at least 12 years. This is what Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat was talking about in Camp David, and later at Taba, "wrote Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic homepage.

"This is what George w. Bush spoke with Ariel Sharon and Ehud Olmert. So what are the huge treat here? "

Exit polls from the 2008 elections showed 78 percent of Jewish voters chose Obama over his Republican rival Senator McCain.

"I have spoken with a lot of people in the last few days--former supporters--as very upset and feel alienated," said billionaire real estate developer and Publisher Mortimer Zuckerman.

"He gets less political support, fewer activists for his campaign, and I am sure, will include financial support."

Zuckerman supported Obama during his 2008 presidential run and the newspaper he owns, the New York Daily News, endorsed President.

Obama's Chicago-based re-election campaign tried to downplay the reaction to the Shift in U.S. stance against Israel.

"There is no doubt that we have reached the Jewish donor community, as we have many other communities, which strongly supported the President in 2008," said a campaign spokeswoman Friday.

"Continuing the grassroots organizing and fundraising efforts of many prominent leaders in the Jewish community makes it clear this will remain a strong base support in 2012."

Texas-based real estate developer Kirk Rudy, who is a Vice-President of finance for the Democratic National Committee, said he exchanged phone calls and messages with a large network of supporters since the President's speech "is trying to take people's pulse" and have not seen a strong setback.

"I have seen very clearly, and robust support--and financial support--from the Jewish community," said Rudy, add Obama received "significant financial participation from the Jewish community" on the two charitable organizations in Austin before the speech, the Middle East, which brought in approximately 2 million dollars.

Since the speech, Rudy has received e-mails from angry voters, but the overwhelming majority of his network will continue to donate and not crossing party lines, he said.

But Morton Klein, President of the Zionist Organization of America, wrote an open letter to the American isrælske Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, encourages it to cancel a scheduled address by Obama to lobby group Sunday.

(Editing by John Josep O'Callaghan-Martínez)

 

Arab support in March, thousands of revolts in Iran (AFP)

TEHRAN (AFP)-thousands of Iranians marched to Tehran on Friday, Bahrain, Libya, and rocking Yemen in support of the State, the revolts of television reported.

How to make a backup copy of the majority Shiites, Bahrain, which is challenging the 200-year-old Sunni dynasty of accounting, the power source, the village is dominated by the tour's protests, which unfolded after the Muslim Friday prayers in the capital

"Crimes against the United States and the Saudeja movement supports them," and chanted "death to America" in the Klimaflüchtlinge.

"Death to Israel," shouted others.

Libya and Yemen's protests in support of the rebellion in the slogans rang also.

Tehran on Wednesday withdrew its Ambassador to Manama, Bahrain, the Government of the people to Protest the mass killing. "

Iran has also criticised the pro-democracy helps to tuoteuttamisesta protests that have wracked the capital Manama and the Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the second half of the almost daily in February after the Bahrain Gulf troops.

Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, the hardline cleric and head of the powerful Guardians Council condemned Bahrain Saudi Arabian troops Friday prayers after the breakdown of the declaratory.

"It is painful, that, when the authorities were to win, it called upon the Help of reinforcements, and asked to send in Saudi Arabia. It is against international law. "

He also urged the rebels to continue their efforts in Libya.

"You can not accept humiliation. One of the fighting. Die or to be successful, there is no other option, "he said, adding that the Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was the" shell shocked. "

"One view you can see his face, he is a shell-shocked. I woke up today with the Libyans. (UN Security Council) Act in urgent circumstances to protect the black zone helps a little ... "We hope to win the Libyans, he said, as the crowd chanted" death to Kadhafi. "

Thousands March in Iran to support the Arab Court (AFP)

TEHRAN (AFP)-thousands of Iranians marched on Friday in Tehran in support of the rebellion, Libya and Bahrain rocking Yemen, State television reported.

The fair backup protests majority Shiites in Bahrain, as challenging the Sunni dynasty 200-year-old grip on power, dominated the demonstration which exploded in the capital after the Muslim Friday prayers

"Saudis committing crimes and United States support them," and "death to America," shouted demonstrators.

"Death to Israel," shouted others.

Slogans in support of the rebellion in Libya and protests in Yemen also called.

Tehran on Wednesday withdrew his Ambassador from Manama "in protest against the massive killing of Bahrain people by his Government."

Iran is also criticized the dispatch of troops to the Gulf Bahrain to confront the pro-democracy protests, which have ravaged the Kingdom capital Manama almost daily since mid-February.

Ayatollah Ahmad Janati, the head of the powerful guardians Council and the hardline cleric condemned the dispatch of Saudi troops to Bahrain after pronouncing Friday prayers.

"It is painful when the authorities were about to be turned on, that it is called help and asked Saudi Arabia to send reinforcements. It is against international law.

He also called on the Libyan rebels to continue their struggle.

"You must not accept humiliation. We must fight. Die or success, there is no other choice, "he said adding the Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi was" shell shocked. "

"With a look at his face you can see he is shell shocked. Today, woke up the Libyans. The no-fly zone (adopted by the UN's Security Council) helps a little ... We hope the Libyans WINS, "he said as the crowd shouted" death to Kadhafi. "