Mideast Media Sampler 06/10/2011

From an email from DG:

1) Who's holding back freedom?

Back in February, Thomas Friedman made waves by reporting:

Rather than even listening to what the democracy youth in Tahrir Square were saying and then trying to digest what it meant, this Israeli government took two approaches during the last three weeks: Frantically calling the White House and telling the president he must not abandon Pharaoh – to the point where the White House was thoroughly disgusted with its Israeli interlocutors – and using the opportunity to score propaganda points: “Look at us! Look at us! We told you so! We are the only stable country in the region, because we are the only democracy.’’ 

The message, that has since gotten some traction, is that Israel is against the uncertainty engendered by the "Arab Spring" and is uninterested in helping it; in fact Israel would much prefer Arabs to live in tyrannies. Finally this week this speculation met a rather abrupt end with a short sharply worded letter to the Wall Street Journal from Israeli Ambassador, Michael Oren.

Best of the Web Today's James Taranto, included an item yesterday that the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committed has disinvited pianist Malek Jandali from performing at its annual dinner. (h/t Lori Lowenthal Marcus) The original item, by Ben Smith in Politico reported:

Jandali himself declined to speculate why he wasn't allowed to perform "Watani Ana," and an official at the ADC, Nabil Mohamad, refused to explain its decision.

"Is is it the words? The scale of the music? Was the rhythm too slow? Did the melody maybe bother them?" Jandali asked POLITICO. "I really would love to hear their answer. It would have been a perfect song."

"It doesn''t mention the word 'Arab' or 'Syria' or anything," he said. "It''s a humanitarian song."

However other observers speculated that the song's implications might have troubled the Syrian government, which is in the midst of a bloody crackdown on its citizens, or its allies. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has defied international calls to end the crackdown and ordered security forces into the streets to quell unrest. He has also ratcheted up tensions with neighboring Israel, allowing Palestinian and Syrian protesters to approach the sealed Syrian-Israeli boarder. Twenty-three of those demonstrators were later killed by Israeli forces after they tried to rush the border.

Jennifer Rubin provides more background on the ADC's support of the Assad regime. Did I mention that an administration official will be attending the dinner?

I found this non-denial denial from the ADC:

There has been an attempt to deflect from the focus of the ADC National Convention by various media, with accusations leveled against ADC as being against pro-democracy speech. Renowned pianist Mr. Malek Jandali was invited to perform at the ADC Gala Banquet for his inspiring compositions. A celebrated artist, Mr. Jandali performed at ADC last year. The notion that ADC, the largest grassroots Arab American organization, which has consistently and painstakingly fought for the civil rights and liberties of Arab Americans throughout its history of thirty-one years, would disinvite an artist for promoting democracy is absurd. Mr. Jandali’s participation at the banquet was intended to be in his professional capacity as a musical performer. 

Aren't they saying that as a performer where he will stand out, we don't want to hear from Malek Jandali, but that as one voice of many he is welcome to speak his mind?

(Please note that James Zogby of the ADC has often issued joint statements with Debra Delee the CEO of Americans for Peace Now. One would assume that APN would be careful about the allies it chooses.)

Inviting the President of Gabon to the White House may not be the best way of demonstrating support for democratic reform. (via memeorandum)


2) Jews, Obama and 2012

William Daroff tweeted about Democrats launch major pro-Obama pushback among Jews

Democrats say two distortions have fueled their fury: The notions that Obama broke with U.S. policy to force Israel back to the pre-1967 lines and, as a result, that Jewish voters, a key base, is slipping away from the Democrats. A flurry of media stories in recent weeks have suggested that Obama is losing Jewish donor support, although  few past donors to the president are reported to be reconsidering their support.

Where the Jews stand on Obama matters not just because of the Jewish vote, which is significant in key swing states such as Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio, but also because of Jewish money. The 2012 presidential election will be the first since a Supreme Court ruling allowing unlimited corporate giving to candidates. The Obama campaign has said it will need more money than ever because big business tends to lean Republican.

Obama captured 78 percent of the Jewish vote in 2008, and estimates over the years have reckoned that Jewish donors provide between one-third and two-thirds of the party's money.

First of all, this is astounding: Jews who make up little more than 2% of the population give over 1/3 of the money (and as much as 2/3 of the money) donated to Democrats.

President Obama's defenders claim that he didn't break with previous administrations. It's not just the pro-Israel crowd who see it that way. The Palestinians see it assomething new. (h/t Legal Insurrection)

Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said that the Palestinians were ready to restart peace negotiations if based around the principles US President Barack Obama laid out in his State Department dress on the Middle East, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

According to the report, Erekat, who met Monday with Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and other senior White House officials, said that if Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu accepted Obama's platform of a return to pre-1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, then he would have a partner for negotiations. 

We see history repeat. President Obama called for a building freeze and it became a precondition for Abbas to talk with Netanyahu. President Obama cites the 1967 borders as a starting point for negotiations and that becomes the demand of the joint Fatah-Hamas government. (Didn't Erekat resign as chief negotiator a few months ago, when he was accused of being too accommodating to Israel?)

One would think that those who are so anxious for Israel to negotiate away territory would note that the Obama administration is doing a pretty bad job of encouraging negotiations.

While hope that Jews who are very liberal will turn against President Obama in great numbers because of his antagonism towards Israel may be a vain hope, America is still a pro-Israel country and the general population may be less forgiving.

One last note: Isn't it strange how many critics of Israel (or of Netanyahu) and those for whom Israel isn't a major issue are telling us that the President is really pro-Israel?


3) Turkey

One would think that a major even like Turkey's upcoming election would get more critical attention from the media or concern from the administration.

The other day the New York Times ran what seemed to be a campaign brochure for the AKP party: the voice of a new generation.

Michael Rubin provides the numbers that we need to be looking at.

Alas, the polls do not look good. Here are five. The AKP is the Islamist party, the CHP is the center-left secularist opposition, the MHP is the nationalist party, and the independents are mainly Kurds. It certainly looks like the AKP won't have much trouble getting re-elected. The question is whether the MHP will break the 10 percent threshold. The way the Turkish system works, every party must get above 10 percent to win seats in parliament. If they get less than 10 percent, their seats are re-allocated in a way that benefits the largest party. That's why back in 2002, the AKP was about to win 32 percent of the vote, but win an overwhelming majority in parliament. If the MHP doesn't make it, and if the CHP underperforms, there will be no stopping the AKP from cementing its transformation of Turkey.

Sonor Cagaptay has a more detailed breakdown.

Technorati Tag: Middle East.