CONGRESSMAN ROSKAM'S OWN WORDS PUT HIS US ALLEGIANCE IN QUESITON
September 23, 2010
Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Dear Congressman Roskam,
Did you get an official membership card when you joined the Israel Lobby? How about a secret de-coder ring so you can receive instructions on what Israel Lobby positions you are to promote as Illinois 6th District Congressman.
OK, I know there is no official Israel Lobby so my reference to membership cards and secret de-coder rings is a tad facetious. But we all know there is a real Israel Lobby as chronicled exceedingly well in:
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, a book by John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Relations at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, published in late August 2007. A New York Times best seller, the book describes the lobby as a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations who actively work to steer U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction". The book "focuses primarily on the Lobby's influence on U.S. foreign policy and its negative effect on American interests". The authors also argue that "the lobby's impact has been unintentionally harmful to Israel as well".
As a University of Chicago alumnus, (AB Sociology ’67), I got a chance to meet Professor Mearsheimer at my 40th U of C reunion in 2007, and I thanked him for providing the valuable service of shedding light on the Israel Lobby and its use of American governmental officials and the media to support policies of Israel’s Likud government to the detriment of America’s real interests as a neutral peace broker in the Middle East.
That brings me to your apparent membership in the Lobby. When you returned from your recent trip to Israel you said this in your official statement:
“Earlier this year, the international community was stunned to see President Obama usher Prime Minister Netanyahu out the side door of the White House. This unprecedented diplomatic slight to our most trusted ally in the Middle East coupled with controversial statements regarding the need for Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty has created months of …turmoil in the international arena.”
Really, Congressman? Were you a fly on the wall in the Oval Office when the President and his staff were planning public embarrassment of the Israeli Prime Minister? Or, did you have access to bugged conversations confirming your outrageous certainty of Obama’s misbehavior? The disrespect, Sir, is what you said about your Commander In Chief; or is your real Commander In Chief the Israeli Prime Minister you are so determined to protect?
And what exactly is controversial about calling for Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty? Do you see the irony of complaining about “the danger of a nuclear armed Iran, however, grows exponentially each day they continue enriching uranium”; when Israel hides its 100 to 200 nuclear bombs through its refusal to join virtually the rest of the world community
in that exceedingly valuable nuclear nonproliferation club?
As long as you are aligned with the same folks who gave us the illegal, immoral and criminal Iraq war and now are ratcheting up the rhetoric, much of it as the behest of the Lobby, to strike first at Iran because they are “determined” to acquire a nuclear device, I will hold a mirror up to what I consider to be statements and policies detrimental to US interests.
If you are so enamored with promoting Israel’s interests over America’s, you could consider renouncing your citizenship, moving to Israel, becoming a citizen and seeking fame and fortune in the Likud Party. With your present positions you would fit right in.
Better yet, as my Congressman, I urge you to tear up that imaginary Israel Lobby membership card, send back that imaginary secret decoder ring, and rejoin the lobby you were born into – the America Lobby. And if you do I might just send you my 1949 Captain Midnight Secret Squadron membership card and secret decoder ring. I think you need them more than me.
Respectfully yours,
Walt Zlotow
IL 6th District Resident
Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Dear Congressman Roskam,
Did you get an official membership card when you joined the Israel Lobby? How about a secret de-coder ring so you can receive instructions on what Israel Lobby positions you are to promote as Illinois 6th District Congressman.
OK, I know there is no official Israel Lobby so my reference to membership cards and secret de-coder rings is a tad facetious. But we all know there is a real Israel Lobby as chronicled exceedingly well in:
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, a book by John Mearsheimer, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Stephen Walt, Professor of International Relations at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, published in late August 2007. A New York Times best seller, the book describes the lobby as a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations who actively work to steer U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction". The book "focuses primarily on the Lobby's influence on U.S. foreign policy and its negative effect on American interests". The authors also argue that "the lobby's impact has been unintentionally harmful to Israel as well".
As a University of Chicago alumnus, (AB Sociology ’67), I got a chance to meet Professor Mearsheimer at my 40th U of C reunion in 2007, and I thanked him for providing the valuable service of shedding light on the Israel Lobby and its use of American governmental officials and the media to support policies of Israel’s Likud government to the detriment of America’s real interests as a neutral peace broker in the Middle East.
That brings me to your apparent membership in the Lobby. When you returned from your recent trip to Israel you said this in your official statement:
“Earlier this year, the international community was stunned to see President Obama usher Prime Minister Netanyahu out the side door of the White House. This unprecedented diplomatic slight to our most trusted ally in the Middle East coupled with controversial statements regarding the need for Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty has created months of …turmoil in the international arena.”
Really, Congressman? Were you a fly on the wall in the Oval Office when the President and his staff were planning public embarrassment of the Israeli Prime Minister? Or, did you have access to bugged conversations confirming your outrageous certainty of Obama’s misbehavior? The disrespect, Sir, is what you said about your Commander In Chief; or is your real Commander In Chief the Israeli Prime Minister you are so determined to protect?
And what exactly is controversial about calling for Israel to join the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty? Do you see the irony of complaining about “the danger of a nuclear armed Iran, however, grows exponentially each day they continue enriching uranium”; when Israel hides its 100 to 200 nuclear bombs through its refusal to join virtually the rest of the world community
in that exceedingly valuable nuclear nonproliferation club?
As long as you are aligned with the same folks who gave us the illegal, immoral and criminal Iraq war and now are ratcheting up the rhetoric, much of it as the behest of the Lobby, to strike first at Iran because they are “determined” to acquire a nuclear device, I will hold a mirror up to what I consider to be statements and policies detrimental to US interests.
If you are so enamored with promoting Israel’s interests over America’s, you could consider renouncing your citizenship, moving to Israel, becoming a citizen and seeking fame and fortune in the Likud Party. With your present positions you would fit right in.
Better yet, as my Congressman, I urge you to tear up that imaginary Israel Lobby membership card, send back that imaginary secret decoder ring, and rejoin the lobby you were born into – the America Lobby. And if you do I might just send you my 1949 Captain Midnight Secret Squadron membership card and secret decoder ring. I think you need them more than me.
Respectfully yours,
Walt Zlotow
IL 6th District Resident
posted by Walt Zlotow at 5:33 PM
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