This is a well written article. Israel has time and again abused the good will of the United States and AIPAC feeds off it like a parasite for its own self interests. Obama is trying to open the doors of communication and diplomacy with Iran and other countries for the good of the world and the US. American and Israel do share common interests but they are not always the same.

Very well said.

It is time that Americans supported American interest. We cannot bear the burden of Israel. We cannot bear the burden of an uncivilized and barbaric country which does not even allow equal rights to all its citizens.

What good has Israel ever done for the USA ? They have spied on us, bombed USS Liberty, sucked our tax dollars, made it difficult for us to operate in the International domain.

USA interest lies in securing its energy sources and maintaining a positive image in the world so that our companies can conduct commerce without any hinderence. Israel is a baggage that needs to be dumped.

I'm touched that Mr. Ettefagh, an Iranian, is so concerned about uncovering and punishing treasonous Americans. His crocodile tears would be funny if the fact they were published in a once reputable magazine/newspaper weren't so sad.

I certainly hope that the United States changes course on its hypocritical foreign policy in the region of the Middle East. Its tacit support of the criminal Israeli regime is unacceptable, and it further destabilizes the region. It is not hard to understand that the American policies in this region run counter to its national interests. Israel has been an apartheid government for several decades. Its government has ruined many Palestian lives. The blowback of terrorist activity and proclamations against Israel in the region is only understandable. Yet the Israelis have somehow benefited from western guilt because of the holocaust. This is a different time. It is time the United States pulls out its military installations from the region, to allow the region to dictate its own resolutions for its problems. Israel, being part of that region, must come to terms that it needs to radically change its policies or face further disdain and further wars with its neighbors. If I was President, the free pass that Israel experiences from the United States would be over.

ordak100 :

"It is that mentality that keeps the IQ low, I guess, where you express your views in form of personal attacks for the fact that you are not able to be logical."

I take it in your book telling someone he has a low IQ does not count as a personal attack. A much clearer indication of a low IQ is the inability to stay focused on a single subject. Look at your posts: Economic crisis... UN... military budget... why didn't you throw in the swine flu and the Tsunami for good measure? I'm sure you could come up with a good conspiracy about that too.

The US does indeed have a large military budget. That's the way it is when the defense of all of Europe plus assorted other nations in Asia, is on our shoulders (your country too, I bet). Inconvenient truth.

The GA can hold a vote any time it wants, but somehow I doubt it will vote out the source of about one third of its budget (another inconvenient truth).

Personally, I think it's a shame. The UN is an impotent collection of braying jackasses, clucking chickens and drooling hyenas, fully controlled by the Muslim block. The sooner the US, Israel, and a few other Nato members and enlightened nations (not counting Turkey, of course, which is fast becoming another Jihadi backwaters) leave it and form their own organization, the better.

I would have loved to continue this dialog, except that your posts are becoming progressively more infantile and unfocused, so there's not much point. Be well.

MICHAELNJ

You also proved that you Americans live in a very small virtual world where you think it is all high school mentality even when/if you grow up. It is that mentality that keeps the IQ low, I guess, where you express your views in form of personal attacks for the fact that you are not able to be logical. I think that if a real (that means, open and fair) vote was held at UN General Assembly, the majority will vote to kick USA and Israel out, if only for the war mentality and the fact that USA spends more on military than the rest of the world COMBINED. If peace falls out of the sky and hits you on the head, you will not recognise it..... anyway you look at it, America and Israel sum up to a 4-5% minority of the world population.

ordak100 :

1. Well then it's simple enough. All you have to do is get the general assembly to vote on a resolution that says the US is an Israeli-occupied territory and see what result you get. Until then, you have not proven anything. Of course, given that that the UN is an Arab-occupied territory, it's not entirely impossible that such a harebrained scheme would pass, and it could then take its rightful place in the dustbin together with a heap of similar UN resolutions.

2A. Lost the war? The war has not yet begun. It could, of course, have ended in one day if the US was not bound by a commitment that your Al-Qaeda & Talib friends could not care less about, i.e. to distinguish between combatants and civilians. As it is, it will take much longer. 2B. What does that have to do with the topic of discussion?

I had not realized before you were not an American. Thank you for helping me prove my earlier point about all the people pretending to be American patriots while applauding a lackey of the ayatullahs trying to tell Americans what's good for them.

MICHAELNJ

1. If you don't know the difference, well....you don't know! Take away the veto of USA at UNSC or better yet take a vote at the UN General Assembly, which is the real forum, and you will know quickly.

2. Alternatively, if you Yanks are so right, how come you have lost a war to a ragtag unorganised bunch of hooligans called Al Qaeda and the Taliban? And also if your lot knows it all, how come your economy has tanked! LOL, LOL.....

Get a passport and go see the world, there is a lot out there for your kind to learn.

ordak100 :

I'd love to discuss reality if there were any reality to this article, but in fact, it's nothing more than old style Arab propaganda coated with the newest additive of Protocols-of-Zion-style antisemitism, as in your statement "It is clear that Washington is Israeli-occupied territory".

It's no wonder that it appeals to many people who are looking for a quick fix to the problems between America and the Muslim world, and see the Jews as a convenient scapegoat. All the same, a lot more Americans support the Israeli cause over the Palestinian one in poll after poll. As to your belief that "a great majority of the world agrees with the article", it may look like it within your echo chamber, but I very much doubt that you can support it with hard facts.

MICHAELNJ and I_GO_POGO

Seems like you prefer personal attacks rather than discussing reality. Somebody has to give a wakeup call to a country that has cluelessly lost or is losing two struggles in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It is clear that Washington is Israeli-occupied territory and it is also clear that a great majority of the world agrees with the article. But again you might be too "engaged" with the bankruptcy process in a country where you think suing each other is the only way to go....and the trees stop you from seeing the forest. Some of us prefer to have a vision slightly longer than the next 48 hours.

"And no one is better suited to explain American politics to Americans than an Iranian. Even better, a dumb Iranian."

Thanks, I couldn't have said it better.

Mr. Ettefagh's essay seems to be a reprint of a student manifesto shouted from the steps of the occupied American Embassy in Teheran thirty years ago. He adds nothing to the current discussion of how the peace process should go forward.

"Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" - Samuel Johnson.

Perhaps the only contribution of Walt & Mearsheimer's hysterical screed to the public discourse is that it has allowed every skinhead, racist, terror advocate, Arab supporter and conspiracy maniac to disguise himself as a patriot, wave the red-white-and-blue and pretend to speak on behalf of America and its interests.

Where does a spokesman for the doomsday cult now ruling Iran, like this Ettefagh person, get off telling Americans what their national interests are?

I was not up to speed about this bill of "hate speech" talking about Jewish people can be a crime, but wow....that is probably the best proof of the writer's point that American politicians are committing treason, if they pass laws against the first amendment of their own constitution because of a lobby.
Alternatively, the Israeli regime (and that does not automatically mean every Jew in the world) is at the end of its rope and is trying hard but stupid tactics...which in any case will only apply to Americans which are 4-5% of world population.... what about the rest in the world?

Yes, what he said.

As for the question of 'what would happen if, when, there is a breach with Israel?

WHAT, you mean what will happen when Americans decide to get the greedy, lying, spying money grubbing savages off the American teat.

We shall see sooner rather than later. This country is nearly in ruin. Enough! How dumb are we?

"American politicians' support for Israel against America’s national interest is borderline treason."

With this sort of poor understanding of American democracy, if not downright bigotry, passing for political wisdom among the educated and influential elites in the Islamic Middle East, it is no wonder that there is no peace with Israel. This kind of thinking is the oldest form of bigotry extant in Europe for millenia grafted on to the sensibilities of the Islamic world. Dr.Ettifaghs makes it very clear why Israel needs to be heavily armed and to maintain a strong alliance with the United States. No real peace is possible in the Middle East until people like Mr. Ettifagh begin to embrace the realities of democratic countries and disabuse themselves of the conspiratorial Medieval thinking that appears to pervade their region from the poorest to the wealthiest.

Mr. Ettefagh hits the nail on the head. Excellent !
Time to wake up and do what is best for America and not for apartheid israel.

In 1948 Israel was created among people who already hated Jews for ancient and irrational reasons. But rather than be a good neighbor, Israel has been anything but, violent and belligerent from the start. Like a hillbilly family moving into a middle-class neighborhood and the older son blowing up neighbors' mailboxes and poisoning their pets, Israel has been relentlessly aggressive and offensive. Maybe instead of bailing the lousy kid out of juvenile hall, it's time for some tough love.

Cut them off.

How does this statement, "More and more people are realizing that there is a big difference between being jewish and being israeli.",
lineup with this statement: "the jews in the american government have gotten a hate crimes bill before the american senate, that would make it illegal to be verbally critical of israel, jews or question the holocaust."?

Anyone who "questions the holocaust" is about as nutty as those who believe America faked the moon landing or that 9/11 was an "inside job".
In addition to that, hate crimes legislation does not apply to speech, despite what this poster or the envangelical movement might think.

I agree with those that say that the Israeli lobby in Washington, to our nations detriment, has driven a losing middle east policy far too long. We must turn a corner with respect to dealing with the Arab world without first checking with the Jews.

Mr. Ettefagh, I do not find your style of writing quiet professional. At times it is vulgar and insulting. For example, you repeatedly call the US "Uncle Sam" in a context in which it doesn't belong to. And it is disrespectful when you write "America has overcome racism behind it and has elected ...". Mr. Obama was elected on his own merits not on racial basis. It is confusing when you are trying to attract American sympathy and at the same time you are being so childish. But, overall I agree with the content of your article about the priorities of America's national interests.

I, for one, am tired of our tax dollars going to fund the Israeli war machine. Also tired of the influence AIPAC and other groups have on our own government. If AIPAC and Jews want to send their money to Israel, fine - but we should not be funding its endless and mindless wars.

Ali, I believe you are correct, but I don't think the treason is borderline. I and many other americans are waking up to the fact that our men and women in the military are dying in support of israeli policy and desire. More and more people are realizing that there is a big difference between being jewish and being israeli. They are seeing that israel is a country with policies and an agenda, that have nothing to do with being jewish. The jews in the american government have gotten a hate crimes bill before the american senate, that would make it illegal to be verbally critical of israel, jews or question the holocaust. This is a blatant, and desperate attempt to contain the truth about israel, by attempting to limit the free speech of americans. I can't think of much that would be stupider than trying to take away the right to gripe about something, from one of the worlds best armed populations. Especially after 200+ years of telling us that we have the RIGHT to speak our minds.

It would seem, by some of what we see coming out of Washington, that some of our elected "leaders" are waking up to the potential danger, but we won't know whether they have the courage to stand up to israel on behalf of the american people until the senate votes on the hate crime/free speech bill. If america cannot purge itself of israeli influence, I can see it coming down to shooting in the streets.

you know what I need as Iranian artist, go back home from this racism place north america I did mistake left and talk about human right , no one respect to human right , no one

AIPAC is preparing its offensive on President Obama...either US attacks Iran on behalf of the zionists or even the rest of his actual mandate will be a nightmare for him...forget about a second mandate if he does not comply...
Obama knows who has the real power in Washington...watch out...we know who rules US...where is the spirit of the Founding Fathers?

It takes two to have a conversation. So far, the Iranians have not publicly indicated a willingness to talk with the US on anything except the Afghanistan conference. The ball is in their court, and the entire world will soon see which is the intransigent party about being willing to negotiate. For once, that party will not be the US and what a refreshing change that will be.

Let us consider some basic “facts”!
1) The world can no longer tolerate or accept the Palestinian “situation” to be unresolved.
2) Israel has done absolutely nothing to create a supportive, non-hostile environment for its continued existence in Palestine; on the contrary, Israel has done almost everything conceivable to maintain a hostile environment, presumably to justify its continuing behaviors to annex more and more land that it so covets.
3) The stated purpose of Israel was to provide a haven for the persecuted Jews of World War II. Obviously, the Israeli people have a far different objective and in fact there are few Jews in Israel that would qualify to being any of those persecuted by the Nazis.
4) There is no justification for any of the occupied territories policies, legal or otherwise, or for the continued illegal occupation of Palestine land beyond the 1967 borders. Frankly, there is no legal basis for occupying lands beyond the borders established by the 1948 UN resolutions which are the only legal basis for the existence of Israel!
5) The support of Evangelical Christians because of their belief that the Jews needed to control Jerusalem before their desired Rapture and Armageddon could happen; is waning as that whole movement becomes less politically powerful and their goals shift to new causes.
6) America is economical challenged, militarily weary, disillusioned with foreign goals and the means being used to achieve them, tired of the endless “poor us” from Israel, and ready to just walk away from the whole mess.
7) Israel has had 2 years of military debacles:
a. The senseless, needless bombing and destruction of Lebanon
b. The senseless, needless, barbaric destruction and murder in Gaza
8) The growing American awareness of the tyranny of Israel over Gaza that prevents any economic improvements, and social development, and improvement in attitudes towards the Israeli peoples.
The bottom line: Israel needs to accept a nation that is contained within 1967 borders, that provides contiguous free, unfettered land access between Gaza and the rest of the new Palestinian state. The alternative is an imposed single secular nation of Palestine, demilitarized, with rights and privileges guaranteed equally for all citizens… enforced by a UN multi-national police force.

George Washington on Israel

"A passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils. Sympathy for the favorite nation, facilitating the illusion of an imaginary common interest in cases where no real common interest exists, and infusing into one the enmities of the other, betrays the former into a participation in the quarrels and wars of the latter without adequate inducement or justification." ~George Washington Farewell Address

"The nation which indulges toward another habitual hatred or habitual fondness is in some degree a slave. It is a slave to its animosity or to its affection, either of which is sufficient to lead it astray from its duty and its interests." ~ George Washington

"Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none." ~ Thomas Jefferson

This is so amazing that US with all those talented diplomacy against soviet union is such a underdog against a bunch of rich jews and they
dictate isreal interests and what ever they want to goverment of only superpower.

Its own national interests as defind by its own government, not by the Iranians or the Arabs.

Clear and logically explained. Thanks. Yes, it is about time for USA to look after its own national interests.

And no one is better suited to explain American politics to Americans than an Iranian. Even better, a dumb Iranian.

The traitorous cowards in the US Congress fear the Khazars of Israel and their lobby in the USA far more than they respect the American voters.
Just ask the families of the crew of the USS Liberty, and the Marines sucked back in to Beirut by Sabra and Shatilla.