Netanyahu's poodle, Mark Kirk

Senator Kirk - I recently saw a picture showing you shaking the hand of Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

As you know, America has traditionally stood for the rule of law. Israel has routinely flouted the law, specializes in extra-judicial targeted killings (over 850 so far) and, thanks to the United States veto in the UN, does as it pleases regardless of international law.

As you also know, America is now lowering itself to the same lawlessness - our President is now allowed to order the execution of Americans overseas. The woeful influence of Israeli lawlessness is now bringing this country down to the same level.

When you grin and shake hands with an outlaw you show your approval of a country that has killed Americans starting back in 1967 with the attack on the USS Liberty and continuing through the killing of American Rachel Corrie to last years execution of Turkish-American Furkan Dorgan aboard the Mavi Marmara. Not to mention the thousands of Palestinians who know no law but that of the Israeli "Defense" Forces and continue to suffer the theft of their land that is the history of Israel.

When you fondly associate with PM Netanyahu you make me ashamed to be from Illinois and revolted by the fact that you represent me in a body that should stand for the rule of law. I am disgusted by the picture of you and your pal, whose wishes clearly come first for you in your work in the Senate.

Tony Blair was called "Bush's poodle". You are in the same relationship to PM Netanyahu and are apparently proud of it.

Obama abases himself for Israel

I'm sorry to say that one of my senators in Congress is Mark Kirk, the man more heavily financed by the Israel lobby than any other Congressman when he was a representative from Illinois and still their poster-boy as a senator.

He considers himself a champion for Israel and has lately been spouting the kind of nonsense one could expect - that Israel is America's strongest ally, that it is the only democracy in the Middle East etc.

Things are changing in the world around him, however. Events have occurred that make him look even more foolish and out-of-touch than before.

The uprisings of Arabs in many countries in attempts to throw off their autocrats have upset the carefully arranged applecart that provided a tight lid preventing democracy for millions. With the ouster of Mubarak, Israel is worried that the U.S. payoff that provided Egyptian compliance with the oppression of the Palestinians may fail to work. At the same time, the U.S. was put in the awkward position of having to support the ouster of the man it had happily supported for three decades.

The release of the Wikileaks "Palestine Papers" provided proof, if any were needed, that the Palestinian Authority was quite willing to sell out the Palestinian people in negotiations with Israel. The Palestinian Authority, by the way, is paid with U.S. funds to (here's that same phrase again) keep a lid on Palestinian unrest by way of a U.S. trained police force (remember that Palestinians may not otherwise be armed and that Israeli settlers in the occupied territories are armed).

The revelations were also significant because they showed not only that the PA is a puppet but that Israel had no interest in the puppet giving away the Palestinian store. The reason is that Israel wants all of the Palestinian land and always has, making the charade of the so-called Peace Process clear to all...except Mark Kirk.

Finally, and most significant, the President of the United States, after desperately talking to Palestinian President (though his term has expired) Mahmoud Abbas on the phone for the better part of an hour, failed to persuade him to withdraw a request for a UN Security Council vote on a resolution condemning Israeli settlements.

Obama's desperation was understandable because the resolution was essentially a statement of what is official U.S. policy, put forward by the Palestinians in a clear attempt to force the U.S. to show its dedication to Israel rather than its own policy. It was the little boy shouting that the emperor (the "honest broker for peace") had no clothes (was actually in Israel's pocket).

It worked. The result was the incredible veto two weeks ago of U.S. policy by the U.S. at the United Nations. In effect, the U.S. slapped itself in the face publicly for Israel and defied the world by alone opposing (1-14) the rest of the Security Council. To make it even more absurd, the U.S. representative to the U.N., Susan Rice, then said the U.S. still does oppose the Israeli settlements but the solution to the problem lay in the (now thoroughly discredited) peace process!

So Mark Kirk's pronouncements about Israel are now clearly seen to be what they have always been - meaningless statements that serve only to cover for the power of the Israel lobby in America, that power now confirmed by the President kneeling before it in the U.N.

Mark Kirk - the senator from Israel?

Get a cup of coffee - this is long. I composed it on hearing of Mark Kirk(R) being elected to the U.S. Senate for Illinois. There are some local politicians and places referred to, but this message is a heartfelt address to every American.

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We have a new senator, Mark Kirk. If he is a typical senator, he is in office for life. Because of this, it is imperative that Evanstonians be aware of the great danger this presents to our country. Mr. Kirk was more heavily supported by the Israel lobby than any other candidate for either the House or the Senate. The lobby can now count on him to continue the humiliation of U.S. presidents that dare to take actions not acceptable to the Israeli government, George W. Bush and Barack Obama being only the most recent examples. In this capacity to disable the executive branch in one critical area, he joins Jan Schakowsky, an otherwise worthy U.S. Representative, who answers the call to sign letters or pass resolutions in favor of the policy of whatever Israeli administration is in power.

This capture of U.S. policy on Israel by Israel is the single greatest threat to the national security of our country because it ties us to a project of ethnic cleansing that has been underway for over 60 years and continues to this very day as the Knesset considers a bill that would allow towns in Israel to reject Israelis they don't like (that means the Palestinian Israeli minority) as residents.

Older readers will remember the disgrace of Cicero's treatment of African-Americans who wished to live there and the march of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in response to it. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of U.S. history knows the shame of the sweeping of Native-Americans (Indians) from their lands. Such is the nature of what is happening in Israel. It is neither in the interest of the U.S. or Israel for this to continue. It has absolutely nothing to do with "liberty and justice for all" that is the foundation of our country, nor the great moral precepts that underlie Judaism, and everything to do with the odious apartheid that isolated South Africa from the community of nations not so long ago. Israel is headed for a disaster that has nothing to do with warfare.

Palestinians who dare to peacefully demonstrate against the loss of their land are routinely imprisoned without recourse to anything but Israeli military law - where you are tried by the same soldiery that imprison you - it is the law of Guantanamo applied to millions who live in the occupied territories. Have we Americans no shame, who claim to value the freedom of speech, yet mindlessly pour billions of dollars and the latest weaponry to a country that flouts what we stand for, acts unilaterally against its neighbors and deploys American weaponry on civilians with hardly a slap on the wrist? Yes, the United Nations speaks out but the United States acts immediately to gag it.

Israel pushes on to ever more extreme right-wing positions, some are now using the word fascist to describe them, thumbing its nose at world opinion because it knows the United States will reliably cover for it due to the effectiveness of the Israel lobby.

This hypocrisy by America has resulted in our own country being reviled, hated even, as our power is seen on the side of relentless oppression covered with empty talk about peace and being an "honest broker". We loudly talk of the sanctity of private property, Republicans in particular, while Palestinians are dispossessed daily. No one is fooled but the American people.

What can you as in individual citizen do to change this?

First of all, wake up to the reality of modern Israel. Read the Israeli press. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz is free, in English, online 24/7. I promise you that you will not believe the things that the Knesset is doing, not to mention the actions of the settlers who daily take more land from the Palestinians, yet claim full Israeli citizenship with all its rights and privileges among the indigenous folks who are helpless to resist. Incredibly, an American Jew can go to Israel and within one week be an Israeli citizen, taking land from a Palestinian whose people have been there for centuries. Surely I lie? No, it is a fact.

Once you begin to understand the apartheid that is progressing under cover of American political power, you may then want to support the many courageous and active Israeli Jews opposing it. Jeff Halper, Yonatan Shapira, Gideon Levy, Amira Hass, Uri Avnery and many more. Google these names! Join the efforts of the Corries who, 7 years later, are still in Israel attempting to get justice for their daughter killed by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003. Join local activist groups. Jewish Voice for Peace and the Israeli Committee Against Housing Demolitions are only two of many. Start working with a Palestinian campus group. There are such at DePaul, NEIU and the U of C. Evanston's very own JRC rabbi Brant Rosen is a prominent figure in opposition to what Israel is doing. Google his name to see some of the many things he has written. Check out my own blog "Daylight between America and Israel" where, to the best of my ability, I cover all the topics mentioned and many more.

Above all, don't be deterred by those who will use the term anti-Semitic on anyone who opposes Israeli policies. Nothing could be further from the truth. Check out or buy the excellent book, "The Israel Lobby" by Mearsheimer and Walt. It will open your eyes and astound you at how pliant and readily worked is our Congress. AARP and the NRA don't hold a candle to the Israel lobby. Why? Because individuals, you and I, don't oppose it.

Once informed, get in touch with Jan Schakowsky and Mark Kirk and Richard Durban and let them know what you have found out and of your displeasure at having your national legislature in thrall to a foreign country. Don't fall for the worn out "right to protect itself" argument for a country that is armed to the teeth and oppressing the unarmed and helpless who live under its might.

Over 40 years of arming Israel with state of the art U.S. ordinance has not advanced a peaceful solution one foot, instead it has assured the relentless progress of ethnic cleansing and thousands of people have died. There is no time to waste.

Perhaps you voted for Mark Kirk without the slightest thought of Israel, but be aware of what takes place in your name - Israel and the U.S. are separate countries with separate interests. America, here at home, repudiated years ago, I'm very proud to say, the practices Israel actively pursues today. Kirk's election is an alarm bell. Will you hear it?