Did Media Make Itself Irrelevant Boycotting “The Israel Lobby” Conference?

posted on: Apr 23, 2015

If you tuned in to C-Span on April 10, from 9-5, to watch the “The Israel Lobby: Is It Good for US? Is It Good For Israel?” you may have been shocked to discover reruns of old shows instead of a broadcast featuring that groundbreaking conference. You were also disappointed if you expected to “read all about it” in the Washington Post, The New York Times or any other national newspaper, despite a widespread marketing campaign and the event’s location—in the National Press Club in Washington, DC—the heart of the beast.

Conference organizers, the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy (IRmep) and theWashington Report on Middle East Affairs, invited corporate news media—and many signed up—to hear former Congressmen Paul Findley and Nick Rahall, Haaretz columnist Gideon Levy, former UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk, and other well-known experts. None of them—including the Wall Street Journal, CQ Roll Call, McClatchy—wrote about their interviews and conversations with speakers and attendees.

You may recall that in March corporate press blanketed America with speeches from the annual meeting of the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), not to mention Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech on Capitol Hill. You would think our “free press” would spare a few minutes or paragraphs to an alternative view—speakers from Israel and the United States seeking to shine a light on the Israel Lobby’s shady activities. As one of our speakers, M.J. Rosenberg, noted, “The Israel Lobby thrives in the dark and shrivels in the sunlight.” Speakers and audience members agreed there is no room for this darkness amid the spring cherry blossoms of Washington, DC.

Freedom of the press in the United States is protected by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution—except when it comes to a frank discussion of the harm to both the U.S. and Israel caused by the Israel Lobby. Did Israel “watchdogs” like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other Israel lobbyists outraged at last year’s event convince C-Span and other journalists to stay away? Was it “behind the scenes” censorship that created a news blackout?

Thank Goodness for the Internet

Thousands of viewers from around the world bypassed traditional press and watched the conference via a YouTube “Live Stream.” We’ve also heard from students whose professors urged them to watch the panel discussions.

Visit www.IsraelLobbyUS.org to watch one panel or the whole day. This is unedited archived video of the conference. Edited YouTube video, including slides and featured film clips, will be available in a few weeks.

You can also listen to an audio MP3 recording of each speaker and Q&A session athttp://IsraelLobbyUS.org/audio Transcripts of each presentation will be available next week. We’re also working on a DVD with bonus content of this “game-changing” event for general audiences and the education segment.

YouTube & MP3 Panel Links…

1. What Is the Israel Lobby and How Does It Work? (YouTube Video)

1. Grant Smith: How big is the Lobby and what does it do? An overview of the 501(c) universe.
2. Seth Morrison: From the Jewish National Fund to Jewish Voice for Peace and BDS.
3. Jeffrey Blankfort: The ADL: Covert action, censure, and courting law-enforcement.

2. Are Critical Voices Silenced? (YouTube Video)

1. Prof. Richard Falk: Weakening and discrediting the UN: The work of pro-Israel NGOs.
2. Dr. Alice Rothchild: Silencing voices that question Israeli actions.
3. Dr. Jack Shaheen: The use of cultural stereotypes to shape policy.

3. Is Freedom of Speech Encouraged on American Campuses? (YouTube Video)

1. Amani Al-Khatahtbeh: Daring to speak out on campus.
2. Dima Khalidi: Pressures on universities to discipline and punish students and faculty for speech activities.
3. Ahmad Saadaldin: Overcoming obstacles: SJP successes.

4. Is the Lobby Good for Israel? (YouTube Video)

1. Miko Peled: How the Lobby enables Israeli policy: Views of an Israeli in America.
2. Gideon Levy: Does unconditional support for Israel endanger Israeli voices?
3. Huwaida Arraf: The situation of Arab citizens of Israel: Views of an Arab citizen of Israel.

5. How Does the Lobby Influence Congress? (YouTube Video)

1. Former AIPAC employee M.J. Rosenberg: Is it all about the money?
2. Former Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV): My experience with the Israel Lobby; The use of dark money.
3. Former Rep. Paul Findley (R-IL): What I should have done, and what Congress can do today.

6. Is There an Iraq-Iran Continuum? (YouTube Video)

1. Gareth Porter: The push for war on Iran.
2. Reza Marashi: The Iran nuclear deal.
3. Paul Pillar: AIPAC/Netanyahu objectives and the American interest.