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Muscular Nonrationality: Amitai Etzioni and War with Iran

By Marsha B. Cohen

Once described as the “Everything Expert” by Time magazine, Amitai Etzioni, the renowned social scientist and public intellectual based at George Washington University, has in recent years turned his attention to U.S. foreign affairs, offering at times contradictory views on how to handle perceived threats from North Korean, Russia, and elsewhere. Etzioni’s latest concern is Iran, which he claims will be impervious to nuclear deterrence, and thus must be bombed. Mixing his controversial views on “nonrational” state behavior, Israeli security, and “muscular morality,” Etzioni’s discourse has found favor among Israel’s right-wing. But does it make any sense? Read full article.

SPECIAL PROFILE SECTION: The Emergency Committee for Israel

Launched in July 2010 by a familiar passel of neoconservatives and militarist “pro-Israel” activists, the Emergency Committee for Israel (ECI) has the potential to push the state of the debate over U.S.-Israel relations far to the right. It’s opening salvo: a TV ad accusing Rep. Joe Sestak (D-PA) of supporting terrorists. Here’s a closer look at the ECI team:

Emergency Committee for Israel

The latest neocon pressure group aimed at pushing the Likud Party line in U.S. Middle East policy, ECI claims to “provide citizens with the facts they need to be sure that their public officials are supporting a strong US-Israel relationship.”

Rachel Abrams

Rachel Abrams, the scion of a tight-knit neoconservative clan and outspoken supporter of militarist “pro-Israel” policies, recently drew attention when she became a director of the new inside-the-beltway advocacy group called the Emergency Committee for Israel.

Gary Bauer

The Christian Zionist leader and former presidential candidate has been busy founding militarist pressure groups that attack President Obama and other Democrats for allegedly being soft on terrorism and not sufficiently supportive of Israel.

William Kristol

Perhaps inspired by his success using pressure groups to help push the country to war in Iraq, Kristol has been involved in the establishment of a passel of new neocon groups in the past year, including Keep America Safe, the Emergency Committee for Israel, and the Foreign Policy Initiative.

Noah Pollak

Apparently a rising star in the neocon firmament, Pollak serves as ECI’s executive director and has written for Commentary magazine and reportedly served as an adviser to the Israeli Defense Forces.

Michael Goldfarb

The former Weekly Standard editor recently added to his lengthy resume of support for militarist “pro-Israel” groups when he became “advisor” to the Emergency Committee for Israel.

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Last week’s diplomatic dance between Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama did little more than to give the Israeli government more time to avoid making the hard decisions needed to achieve peace with the Palestinians.

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