Ali Abunimah writes:
The Terror-Free Oil Initiative claims on its website that it is “dedicated to encouraging Americans to buy gasoline that originated from countries that do not export or finance terrorism.” It states, “We educate the public by promoting those companies that acquire their crude oil supply from nations outside the Middle East and by exposing those companies that do not.”
Yet it does not specify anywhere which countries these are more precisely than the “Middle East,” nor how buying oil from them supports terrorism.
The initiative’s founders view all the people of the Middle East and their governments as supporters of terrorism. Emphasizing this, the website includes slogans that gas station owners are encouraged to display, such as “Our oil does not come from the Middle East, Your dollars do NOT finance terrorism.”
This type of populist hate-mongering only suggests to me that they are getting more desperate. Just look at this surprising and fine column that appeared in USA Today, in which a Christian minister who use to buy into the pro-Israel propaganda had his eyes opened to the truth:
I visited the West Bank City of Ramallah shortly after Israel began building its so-called security fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories. I had been invited by a group of prominent Israeli and Palestinian women (including several members of the Israeli legislature) who are part of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. Although I had ministered in the roughest parts of New Orleans, what I saw in Ramallah shocked me. It looked like Berlin after World War II. As I listened to the stories of the Palestinian women gathered at our hotel, the pro-Israel lens through which I had always viewed the Middle East grew clouded. There were stories of the houses and olive orchards that had been bulldozed to make room for the new wall and of the hundreds of checkpoints that kept law-abiding Palestinians from getting to their jobs or to and from school. I watched as a young Israeli soldier harassed an elderly man who was trying to get his donkey cart through one checkpoint. I wanted to throw up.
Read it all — it’s called The danger of a ‘chosen’ nation.
It’s not just a lobby thing, sadly. Even American lefties make arguments for alternative fuel technologies to “reduce our dependence on Middle Eastern oil” – and end up sounding awfully similar to rightwingers who go on about those evil shaykhs “holding us hostage” by daring to raise the price of Our Oil that Belongs to Us. It’s this weird combination of nativism and anti-capitalism, and they probably are quite well-meaning in their desire to not support the Saudis, but a little basic understanding of how the market works wouldn’t hurt.
I’d love to find the sponsorship ties or contact information that suggests a connection between this website and your Israel Lobby, but sadly, it sounds like the connection is confined within the synapses of your mind.
Israel Lobby? Where’s the evidence?
The silly thing is that it’s economic nonsense. If you buy oil only from, say, Norway then you are still driving up the total demand for oil, which in turn raises the price.
I think we can all agree that the Saudi government is bad and it’s a shame that it’s in charge of so much oil revenue. But this isn’t the way to change that.
From Cursor.org:
As Shell also reports record profits for 2006, the “Terror-free Oil Initiative” begins hawking gasoline purportedly purchased only from “countries that do not export or finance terrorism,” but its initial supplier acknowledges that “We cannot be sure where the conglomeration of the product comes from.”
http://www.cursor.org/currentmonthnationalarchive.php
They may not be part of the ” Isreal Lobby” per se, but there is a banner on the site that says “we stand with Israel.” (check it out, it constantly says one thing or another). I would like to know who the “we” is the site keeps refering to.
The campaign is doubtlessly silly but if you make the claim that the Israel lobby is behind this you should provide more evidence or some logic. And the logic should not be: in whose interest is it?
We hear that far too often from populist leaders and heads of state in the Middle East. The readership of this blog strives for sosomething with more journalistic integrity.
As a journalist, is there some professional responsiblity to present a little more evidence for your conjecture. Otherwise, you just do just what you accuse ‘the other side” of doing… at least MEMRI uses things that are in print.
Roca, if you don’t see the links, then read all of the Ali Abunimah article linked above. Here’s another excerpt:
“It takes only moments to discover that TFO spokesman Joe Kaufman is founder of a group called “Americans Against Hate,” whose main agenda appears to be support for the Israeli extremist right. Its main product appears to be a relentless stream of statements claiming that mainstream American Muslim organizations are terrorist fronts, and labeling anyone who dares to criticise Israel a “radical Islamist” or supporter of terrorism. The whole “Terror Free Oil Initiative” and website appear to be little more than a ploy to steer people towards Americans Against Hate, whose Coral Springs, Florida mailbox serves as the corporate address for both organizations.”
Then go to the “Americans Against(sic) Hate” website. You’ll see both the racism involved and the connections to the extremist Israeli right.
Dear Meee,
You still haven’t demonstrated any proof besides the fact that the guy’s last name is Kaufman.
THis is so typical. The guy’s name is Kaufman, therefore he must someohow be in cohoots or part of the PRO-ISRAEL CABAL which includes AIPAC, AJC, ZOA, and the neo-cons. Where is the proof you mentioned? Is the fact that he is Jewish proof that it is part of the pro-Jewish lobby. They wouldn’t bother their time with this. They have better things to do. You should learn a little about American politics. You should also re-examine how you evaluate sources.
تبرىء الكلمات �ي القلوب
ثم همس الرب Ù�ÙŠ قلوبنا…
الكلمات تصل Øيث لا يقدر السلاØ
سألنا Øكيم قريتنا، كيÙ� ينزل الدÙ�Ø¡
على الن�وس والشيطان
قد ألقى بسمومه الم�ضلة
خو�اً ويأساً وكراهية
على القلوب البريئة
كما الرماد من Ù…Øرقة السعادة
كي� تنام عيون الايمان
وسرير الأمل
تÙ�ترشه ملاءة القنوط الشاØب
وعيون الØنث الÙ�اسدة
تنتهك Øرمة الكلمات المقدسة
وتسعد باغتيال هدايا السماء
وسألنا :كي� يبتسم الخير
ويص�ع الكره ال�ضيلة من وجه الخجل
Ùˆ أتباعه يشوهون ويØرÙ�ون Ù�Ù‰ Ù†Ù�وس ضØاياهم
Øتى يصل الاعتقاد
بأن الإثم Ù�ضيلة والقتل عدالة والكره هو الØب
تØدث الØكيم
بصوته الخ�يض وقال
أن للشيطان أتباع
يغتسلون Ù�ÙŠ أنهار النبيذ Ù�ÙŠ Øادي*
وبعشق السخرية ال�ارغ
ÙŠØصدون Ù†Ù�وساً مغشوشة جنيت بمنجل الانتØار
مستØيل أن يكون الطريق إلى الÙ�ردوس مرصوÙ�اً
بجثث الأبرياء – عبر نهرÙ� من الدم
اعتنقوا مد الØÙ‚ وجزره الرائع Ù�ÙŠ قلوبكم
تقبّلوا الشك والعار أينما كانوا
لكي تدركوا أن الن�س تسعد بالعط� وليس بالانتقام
سطع صوته كالضوء وقال:
ابØثوا بشجاعة Ù�ÙŠ أعماق قلوبكم
بلا Ù†Ù�اق ولا خداع ولا إجØاÙ�
ÙˆØين تلمسوا الايمان هناك
ستنزل الكلمات الالهيه دواءً للقلوب
مثل مطر أبدي يجذبه البØر دائماً
Øتى يرتÙ�ع ليملأ Øرم النÙ�وس
بود� عميق هادىء ويغدو سلاماً
على شواطىء العزم الالهي.
[أرض الموتى �ي الأساطير الاغريقية*
أبريل 2006
Roca
Ahh, I thought your first post was an honest question,but I see from your response that it was not.
I pointed to the article that linked JOE KAUFMAN, the man behind the TerrorFreeOil website, to his other website, AmericansAgainstHate.org, which is a site replete with hatred and stereotyping of Muslims and which links to the likes of Daniel Pipes, Frontpage magazine, Jihadwatch. Americans for a Safe Israel, and the ZOA,among others, and you seem to be oblivious to all that and think that all I have shown you is that the website belongs to someone who’s “last name is Kaufman”, thus implying that all I was pointing out was that he had a “Jewish last name.” He’s a bigot and an apologist for Israel; its obvious from his website.
His Jewishness is not the issue, its his hatred . As you and I both well know, Jews are not all of one mind on any issue, and that includes Israel. Your attempt to imply that they are of one mind is anti-semitic, but I guess you think its OK for you to promote anti-semitic logic while you attempt to brush others with the accusation.
Nice try. Next time I’ll be aware that you are not posing serious questions, but only making sorry attempts at smearing others. Got it.