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Exclusive: Israeli documents show expansive government effort to shape US discourse around Gaza war (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 2 months ago by SomeX@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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[-] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 66 points 2 months ago

Chikli has since led a targeted push to counter critics of Israel. The Guardian has uncovered evidence showing how Israel has relaunched a controversial entity as part of a broader public relations campaign to target US college campuses and redefine antisemitism in US law.

Seconds after a smoke alarm subsided during the hearing, Chikli assured the lawmakers that there was new money in the budget for a pushback campaign, which was separate from more traditional public relations and paid advertising content produced by the government. It included 80 programs already under way for advocacy efforts “to be done in the ‘Concert’ way”, he said.

The “Concert” remark referred to a sprawling relaunch of a controversial Israeli government program initially known as Kela Shlomo, designed to carry out what Israel called “mass consciousness activities” targeted largely at the US and Europe. Concert, now known as Voices of Israel, previously worked with groups spearheading a campaign to pass so-called “anti-BDS” state laws that penalize Americans for engaging in boycotts or other non-violent protests of Israel.

In the middle of all the propaganda and lobbying, there's no rational reason to ignore that a foreign government is interfering with American politics for their own gain

It's fucked when Russia does it.

It's fucked when Israel does it.

And as long as we keep electing politicians who take the money, nothing will change.

Israel is just smart enough to buy off both parties.

[-] sunzu@kbin.run 38 points 2 months ago

Remember people, we pay for this.

They use our money against us...

[-] grue@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

~~As far as I can tell, this is about an Israeli government propaganda effort spending Israeli taxpayers' shekels against Americans. While it's true that your comment could be validly copy-pasted to threads about all sorts of things that the US government has done, this thread isn't about one of those situations.~~

Edit: sunzu makes a good point.

[-] sunzu@kbin.run 20 points 2 months ago

Cash is fungible and US funds Israel few billie per year minimum.

This is our own tax money being used against us.

[-] grue@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

Hmm, good point!

[-] Feliskatos@lemmy.world 17 points 2 months ago

“There’s a built-in assumption that there’s nothing at all weird about viewing the US as sort of an open field for Israel to operate in, that there are no limitations,” said Lara Friedman, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace.

Does the U.S. citizen get "No taxation without representation", or does Israel get "representation without taxation"?

[-] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago

Did the Guardian break into its own head editors office and find the documents?

[-] Aqarius@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

"They're not mine, I swear, I stole them from NYT!"

[-] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Getting real sick of all these different foreign governments abusing shitty campaign finance laws to fleece Americans out of tax money while shielding themselves from the consequences of their own actions. Everyone standing in the way of campaign finance reform is explicitly on the take, it's never been more obvious.

Anyone else also hesitant to comment on stories like this because you just know some zionist POS is gonna pop up out of the woodwork to say some dumb shit about hamas?

[+] JustZ@lemmy.world -17 points 2 months ago

Yes, because the West knows that this is a proxy war between America and Iran, and Israel's defensive posture as to Iran is the only thing stopping world war three. That's real. Anyone denying this simply doesn't know what they're talking about. Unfortunately, like 90% of America doesn't know what they're talking about.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 8 points 2 months ago

[+] JustZ@lemmy.world -13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Who tf is massacring kids? This is your fantasy, not reality. Kids die in wars. Nobody is targeting kids.

Hamas is putting kids in harm's way, and their disgusting culture of "proud martyrdom."

Hamas doesn't get to dictate how the war it started gets faught because the news makes you so sad.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago

Who tf is massacring kids?

The IDF is and you fucking know it. Stop with the lies, please.

This is your fantasy, not reality.

It isn't. Over 20,000 and counting.

Kids die in wars.

It's not a war. A war implies two opposing militaries. This is not that. It's a genocide of civilians being perpetrated by one of the most powerful militaries in the history of the world.

Nobody is targeting kids.

The fuck they aren't. Please stop lying already.

Hamas is putting kids in harm's way

The IDF is doing that. Everything you genocide apologists accuse Hamas of, IDF is doing or at least doing more than Hamas do it.

their disgusting culture of "proud martyrdom."

You have them confused with other terrorist groups. Hamas' main method isn't suicide bombings and hasn't been for DECADES.

Hamas doesn't get to dictate how the war it started gets ~~faught~~ fought

Again, not a war. Also not started by Hamas.

because the news makes you so sad.

Yeah, I'm actually not overjoyed about news of daily war crimes including ethnic cleansing; deliberate targeting of aid workers, health care workers, journalists, and yes, children, being committed against innocent civilians under false pretenses by "the most moral army". I'm wacky like that.

Israel doesn't get to dictate what is or isn't crimes against humanity just because your favorite fascist apartheid regime finally getting called out for committing countless atrocities makes you sad.

[+] JustZ@lemmy.world -6 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Nobody is targeting children on purpose except Hamas, when it grooms them And their parents to die as "Martyrs," and when it builds tunnels under their schools and homes.

The IDF calls itself the most moral Army in the world because it hasn't lit up the whole of Gaza in about five minutes and turned the entire place into a smoking pile of dust. Any other Army in the world would have done that 40 years ago after about the 20th suicide bombing.

The fact that they've been at war for this long, with this dense of a population, with 450 miles of tunnels in an area only 25 mi wide, against an enemy that violates international law by refusing to distinguish themselves in refusing to wear uniforms, by hiding their military assets inside schools and hospitals, and only 35,000 out of 2,500,000 people have been killed, is evidence that supports IDF's reasoning.

Kids die in war. Is this news to you? That's one reason why starting a war is so fucked up. That's one reason why prolonging a war is so fucked up. Gaza started this war and they could end it tomorrow, too. Gaza put Hamas in charge, Gaza keeps Hamas in charge.

Radical panislamism is an ideology with no future. There is not going to be a new Islamic Empire, and if ever there is it definitely will not be in Gaza. Bet.

It's your delusion, where you think you know what you're talking about and you think you know what I'm about, calling me a supporter of fascism. Absolutely ridiculous.

There is an actual far-right fascist regime involved in this war and it is Hamas. You like them so much? You go over there and start talking about liberal values like voting for leadership, due process of law, habeas corpus.

They will literally stone you to death for infidelity to God. Secret religious police fom Hamas will literally come to your house, drag you away, and kill you dead, Kafkaesque, And you're going to call Israel a fascist regime, where they have elections, courts of law, habeas corpus. This is why people think this type of shit you're saying is anti-semitic. I understand it's not. I understand you think you're looking for justice here. But you're short-sighted and barking up the wrong tree, it sounds like it's coming from a bad faith place when you're calling Israel an apartheid state because, what, it doesn't let people who don't live in their country vote in elections? South Africa didn't face universal condemnation from the world because they didn't let Namibians vote, it was because they didn't let their own majority black population vote. All Israeli people can vote in Israel. So you see when you call that apartheid, even though it does not resemble the most significant feature of South African apartheid, it sounds at best hysterical and ignorant, at worst racist.

[-] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

I started to respond, but after 5 gross distortions if reality, 4 outright lies, 2 cases of undue weight, 5 whataboutisms and 3 cases of rank hypocrisy in just the first three paragraphs, I finally had enough of refuting your absolute derangement.

Cluelessly cheerleading zealots like you are why genocides are allowed to happen. Have the day you deserve.

[-] JustZ@lemmy.world -4 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Yeah you were about to respond but then you didn't but you did really.

Only one clueless here is you.

this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2024

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