Brouillet Slams Eshoo's Reckless AIPAC Pandering

Press Release

President George Washington warned at his farewell address, "A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation…betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification…And it gives to ambitious, corrupted, or deluded citizens (who devote themselves to the favorite nation), facility to betray or sacrifice the interests of their own country, without odium, sometimes even with popularity."

According to her website, "Rep. [Anna] Eshoo believes the nation's security is her first responsibility… the U.S. must address…the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and the conflict between Israel and the Arab world." That is a misleading statement. Ms. Eshoo is far more interested in putting the projection of Israel's power ahead of both peace in the Middle East and U.S. national security. Green Party Congressional candidate Carol Brouillet says, "Our national policy of perpetual, unconditional support for Israel undermines the peace and stability of Israel, Palestine, the Middle East region, and the world. To be an effective and credible peace-broker between Israel and Palestine in the eyes of the international community, the American diplomatic community should pursue a cooperative, open, fair-minded peace process, not picking favorites by choosing winners and losers."

The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) held its 2012 policy conference in Washington, DC from March 2nd through March 6th. Israel's influence in America through AIPAC became especially apparent at the main event on March 5th, featuring speakers US President Barack Obama and Israeli President Shimon Peres, with two-thirds of the Members of Congress and many international leaders in attendance. There President Obama said, "Four years ago, I…said that, "Israel's security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable.' That belief has guided my actions as President. The fact is, my administration's commitment to Israel's security has been unprecedented." Ms. Brouillet finds, "The unabashed capitulation of the President and Congress to Israel's will is not simply insane foreign policy; it is a mockery of the US Constitution and opposed to the will of a majority of Americans. In permitting and encouraging foreign lobbies like AIPAC to gain such unquestioned influence over our government, Congress has ironically eroded both American and Israeli security."

President Obama additionally remarked, "A nuclear-armed Iran is…also counter to the national security interests of the United States… [I have used] all elements of American power to pressure Iran and prevent it from acquiring a nuclear weapon." Ms. Brouillet says, "Our aggression towards Iran is not rooted in a desire to extend basic human rights abroad, protect American interests, or even to prevent nuclear war. If we really intend to stop proliferation, then why did we share nuclear weapons technologies with Israel, Pakistan, the former USSR, and China? The campaign against Iran, perpetuated by President Obama and Congresswoman Eshoo, is simply a ruse to strengthen Israeli power and force Iran to capitulate to American hegemony.

The same day, Majority Leader Eric Cantor introduced The United States-Israel
Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012 (HR 4133) into the House. The bill declares, "It is the policy of the United States…to reaffirm the enduring commitment of the United States to the security of the State of Israel as a Jewish state," to extend NATO protection to Israel, and to write a blank check from the US taxpayer to Israel to cover their future military expenditures. 304 cosponsors signed, including Congresswoman Eshoo. The House passed the bill, HR 4133, 411-2 on May 9th. Congresswoman Eshoo abstained from the vote, then corrected the Congressional record later that day, informing the Speaker that, "my vote was not recorded. I would have voted "yea' on…HR 4133."

Ms. Brouillet says, "Congress has reached a new consensus on handcuffing American power to the Israeli leadership's reckless warmongering. In addition, Congress has blindly pursued the expansion of global American empire, left tens of millions of Americans jobless in abject poverty, defunded students and schools, bailed out Wall Street, refused to prosecute Wall Street in its perpetuation of mass fraud to sell un-payable subprime loans, protect tax loopholes for billionaires, and extended the national-security police state upon all dissenters or potential dissenters. This criminal behavior committed by a corrupt, rogue, lawless institution is thoroughly bipartisan. Although Congresswoman Eshoo has been complicit at every turn, we ordinary people can hold her accountable to her campaign promises, and leave her with no choice but to support a progressive agenda. We need to clean up our House."

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