UNITED STATES: Candidates critical of Israel purged

BY ROHAN PEARCE

The October 2 Cleveland Jewish News reported that several members of Congress, deemed to be "not a friend of Israel" or "anti-Israel", will not be reelected to Congress in November.

They include Democrat party members Earl Hilliard and Cynthia McKinney, who were dumped as candidates after a concerted campaign by Zionists, right-wingers and supporters of US foreign policy.

Hilliard and McKinney voted against a pro-Israel resolution in Congress in May. The resolution called for "solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas" and "commitment to Israel's right to self-defence and support for additional US assistance".

It demanded that "the Palestinian Authority fulfill its commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas" expressed "concern that [Palestinian Authority President Yasser] Arafat's actions are not those of a viable partner for peace".

An official from the pro-Zionist American Israel Public Affairs Committee told the Cleveland Jewish News that "support for Israel among candidates running for Congress has never been higher".

From Green Left Weekly, October 23, 2002.

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From GLW issue 513