5 ms·

I find it quite concerning just how much propaganda the US seems to get from Israel. Where I live there are big billboards around, I regularly see ads on YouTub

I find it quite concerning just how much propaganda the US seems to get from Israel. Where I live there are big billboards around, I regularly see ads on YouTube. I know propaganda is a thing, but it feels like we are getting more about a foreign government than our own. I feel like before what is going on now I was aware of some of the groups responsible for this being a thing, but was not fully aware just how much money there was in it those organizations until recently. Some of the practices are concerning, like I found out recently apparently the Boston police regularly go over to Israel for training? Regardless of what is going on right now, I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable?

neves 2y ago
Imagine if it were Russia or China
- croisillon 2y ago
  Well it can’t be China because China don’t kill their muslim popula… oooh…
cempaka 2y ago
The best part is when it comes from our own "newspaper of record" i.e. with the extraordinarily dubious "mass rape" article the NYT published. They finally dismissed the one Israel-connected reporter who had liked tweets calling for a brutal response against Gaza, but that of course has seen about one billionth the attention that her original claims continue to receive. You also get stuff like the POTUS repeating lies like "40 beheaded babies" and "a mother and child had kerosene poured on them" with none of the usual media freakout you usually see over "misinformation."
- gotoeleven 2y ago
  [flagged]
- nerdjon 2y ago
  I have struggled to even look at my News app anymore. Next to articles about the protests or other things, there are the articles about the hostages or something else that just feels like a propaganda piece aimed at one thing. And that is just the headlines.
  - LeoNatan25 2y ago
    [flagged]
  - segasaturn 2y ago
    The wiki article on Media Coverage of the Iraq War[0] is an enlightening read. Most of the same tactics for manufacturing consent that the mainstream media used during the Iraq War are still being used in today's conflicts. > An investigation by the New York Times discovered that top Pentagon officials met with news analysts where they gave the analysts 'special information' and then tried to convince them to speak favorably about the Iraq war. The discovery was based on 8000 pages of secret information that had been revealed to The New York Times through a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The article states that top Pentagon officials would invite news analysts to secret meetings, and urge the analysts to speak positively of the war. Often, the US would give "classified information," trips, and contracts to the news analysts. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_the_Iraq_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_the_Iraq_War
- mupuff1234 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - drpossum 2y ago
    "Getting stuff wrong" by not corroborating facts using reliable sources is not acceptable for a news organization.
    - mupuff1234 2y ago
      You're right, but just want to dispute the claim that NYTimes is somehow Israeli propaganda - I think it's clearly not.
      - Sporktacular 2y ago
        The claim has some merit: https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide-palestine-coverage/ https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide...
        mupuff1234 2y ago
        They were told to not used those words because they are disputed and not consider facts, pretty sure they can and still use those words in opinion pieces. Innocent until proven guilty etc.
        rcpt 2y ago
        > The analysis found that, as of November 24, the New York Times had described Israeli deaths as a “massacre” on 53 occasions and those of Palestinians just once. The ratio for the use of “slaughter” was 22 to 1, even as the documented number of Palestinians killed climbed to around 15,000. You could copy this paragraph verbatim into Manufacturing Consent and it would fit in perfectly.
      - drpossum 2y ago
        Spouting off someone's talking points without verification makes you propaganda. It's just a question on if it's due to an agenda or incompetence. It's one of those.
- nsguy 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - dragonwriter 2y ago
    > The real problem here isn't the POTUS repeating some rumour that was going around. It wasn't “a rumor going around”, it was Israeli state propaganda which both started and continued for a long timw to be pushed by Israeli state organs (official sources like the Foreign Ministry, not just proxies.)
    - nsguy 2y ago
      [flagged]
- megous 2y ago
  > You also get stuff like the POTUS repeating lies like "40 beheaded babies" and "a mother and child had kerosene poured on them" with none of the usual media freakout you usually see over "misinformation." Yeah. The politicians who repeated this also never apologized for inflaming tensions without any evidence or investigation whatsoever. But anything Israel is accused of, requires thorough investigation by Israel (or sometimes independently - without ever mentioning Israel will not allow independent investigators into Gaza), before we can even think about trusting the people they're killing currently, regardless of affiliation. Then you read https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social-security-data-reveals-true-picture-of-oct-7-deaths https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social... And you see that 20 children 15 and younger were killed in total, and out of them 10 by rockets, which starts to paint very different picture. So militants killed 20-36 children depending on how you wish to define a child, out of 1200 people in total. So that's 1.7-3% of killed victims. On the other hand, you get at least 16 000 killed children by Israel in just the last 8 months. 60 a day at least. https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/ https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/ And you can see 10-5 a day individually just scrolling through video posts on telegram https://t.me/eyeonpal/ https://t.me/eyeonpal/ And we're supposed to think that Hamas are child killing monsters and Israel is not and somehow uniquely righteous. Yeah, right. Just the math alone on this doesn't compute for me, at all.
- blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
  [flagged]
- mupuff1234 2y ago
  https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-detention-base.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/world/middleeast/israel-g... That is currently the NYT headline - How can you call it Israeli propaganda is beyond me.
  - cempaka 2y ago
    What if I told you modern forms of propaganda are more sophisticated than the mere blunt force repetition of a single obvious and consistent message? When is the NYT willing to stretch truth and credulity, and when is it not? What is the likely net effect of a world-weary, cynical (and false) both-sidesism as applied to the Israel/Palestine war?
    - mupuff1234 2y ago
      Ah yes, a public company is somehow conducting a super sophisticated and secretive propaganda campaign. I guess you're not a fan of Occam's razor? The simplest explanation here seems pretty straightforward, and no, it doesn't involve some NYT conspiratorial behavior.
nsguy 2y ago
[flagged]
Retric 2y ago
> I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable? Free speech sometimes applies to things you don’t like. There’s pro and anti propaganda for just about any foreign interest. Some of it’s just more subtle such as recommendations on TikTok. Ukraine had really obvious pro Ukraine requests for military aid and images of destruction, but quite a bit of pro Russia propaganda was more subtle aiming for people to stay out of it. With Israel you see some really blatant pro Israel propaganda, but both sides also have a lot of more subtle stuff.
- ESTheComposer 2y ago
  I believe the issue here is how much sway Israel has on the US and how rabid many US politicians are about Israel (to the point where many straight up accuse you of anti semitism if you just criticize the country or their policies) Also issues like where you are not allowed to refuse to work with Israel if you are an arms manufacturer in the US (but you can refuse to work with the US military). I know that part of that is due to Israel being part of the FMS list but they are also the largest recipient on it...
- justin66 2y ago
  > Free speech sometimes applies to things you don’t like. ...and in the United States we've defined down "free speech" to include "monetary donations."
  - fsckboy 2y ago
    somebody needs to pay for the billboard, or rent a hall to give a speech, or printing the flyers for your lost cat. How is money not essential to speech? Your proposal is that to support a cause, one should only be allowed to go outside and yell, because that's purer than the corrupting influence of money?
    - pnut 2y ago
      Once money gets involved, you inherently have a commercial interest. What's the ROI? I personally think people misunderstand to whom "freedom" is granted and defended in the US, it is demonstrably not freedom of the individual, but of the powerful.
ajross 2y ago
[flagged]
- nerdjon 2y ago
  I struggle with not calling this propaganda: https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/18skzb0/ah_behold_our_newest_billboards/ https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/18skzb0/ah_behold_o... https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/new-billboards-along-mass-highways-aim-fight-antisemitism/QB62PR4KNZEJBI5ZJRIR2WRGW4/ https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/new-billboards-along...
  - ajross 2y ago
    Then you have a somewhat unconventional personal definition for "propaganda". Almost always people use that word to imply something clandestine, misleading, or both. What you showed is a paid advertisement from a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, JewBelong, with public accounting on all donations, and a relatively clear mandate for how it spends its money. Again, you're simply saying that a (really only slightly edgy) billboard paid for by your fellow americans with their own money and aimed at changing your opinion via argumentation should be disallowed as "propaganda" simply because you disagree with it (and again: I disagree with it too!). Tough love: of the dueling philosophies at play here, yours is by far the most dangerous. Let people argue with you, for crying out loud.
    - nerdjon 2y ago
      I do not believe that is the case, you seem to have a more narrow view of propaganda. Just look at the Webster definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda What you describe is one form of propaganda but not the only one. Would you agree that Rosy the Riveter was Propaganda? Or this one https://www.archives.gov/files/exhibits/powers-of-persuasion/images/13229_2011_001_AC.jpg https://www.archives.gov/files/exhibits/powers-of-persuasion... Both very famous pieces of propaganda the US put out during War. Neither of them are misleading. They were put out to encourage people to take an action.
2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago
> I find it quite concerning just how much propaganda the US seems to get from Israel. How do you know how much we get from Israel relative to others?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
zardo 2y ago
> Regardless of what is going on right now, I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable? US politicians can direct funds to Israel and Israel can support them or attack their rivals.
- octopoc 2y ago
  More like, Israel can spend some of that money to keep the money flow coming, kind of like a parasite. The rest it can use for its own interests.
shrubble 2y ago
Wait until you read up on NUMEC and Rafael Eitan.
ein0p 2y ago
Do you find it concerning that no presidential candidate can even pass the primary without first kissing the ring of AIPAC? That Zionist lobby openly attacks insufficiently pro-Zionist candidates and then openly brags when they lose elections? With Zionist lobby trying to outlaw any criticism of Israel in direct violation of 1st amendment? Etc, etc. IDK about others, but I think this is insane.
- nerdjon 2y ago
  100% yes. TBH when I said "propaganda" I was grouping a lot of that under that when I should have been more specific. But that and similar things is what I was referring to with "I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable". I remember seeing the articles about them funding the campaign of someone opposing someone else who had been critical if Israel. I don't remember which state or what position, but it wasn't just a one off either.
  - leoh 2y ago
    What the actual fuck
  - dfxm12 2y ago
    AIPAC is one such group. Here's an article about their spending in 2022: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/11/american-israel-public-affairs-committee-backed-candidates-won-midterm-races-following-big-spending-by-groups-super-pac/ https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/11/american-israel-pub... and also a story from earlier this year: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/03/aipac-israel-spending-democratic-primaries-00144552 https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/03/aipac-israel-spendi... The MO is basically to try and defeat democrats in primaries who aren't giving carte blanche in terms of spending or support. If their candidate wins the primary, it doesn't matter much who wins the general election, since they have support of R's.
- leoh 2y ago
  [flagged]
ravenstine 2y ago
On the other side of town where I live, billboards appeared with slogans like "Be pro-Semitic." This happened almost immediately after the latest conflict involving Israel began. So I can't just be against anti-Semites, but I have to be pro Jewish ethnicity? Interesting. There was also one stating that anti-zionism is anti-Semitic; I guess my Jewish friends and family who are not Zionists didn't get the memo. I can't prove that these are somehow connected to funding from Israel, but it seemed like these billboards were ready to go at a moment's notice. As far as why we deem foreign propaganda as acceptable, I like to think that we play dumb about it in part so we can strategically point it out when it is in the favor of politicians and/or elites. Remember how Russian propaganda supposedly got Trump elected even though it was going on during prior years when the establishment insisted on the integrity of the elections? On the other hand, maybe we are just dumb.
- nerdjon 2y ago
  > I can't prove that these are somehow connected to funding from Israel, but it seemed like these billboards were ready to go at a moment's notice. Right, that is what we got in Boston. The timing is just too convenient. Whether or not it is from Israel themselves or funding here for Israel is kinda a moot point when both have the same purpose: Propaganda for a foreign government.
  - pvg 2y ago
    Whether or not it is from Israel themselves or funding here for Israel is kinda a moot point It's not at all a moot point and you're coming pretty close to a generic 'dual loyalties' trope.
    - jedimind 2y ago
      If there is overwhelming evidence for a claim, it's absurd to smear it as "trope". So when Nancy Pelosi says: "If the capital crumbles to the ground,one thing that will remain is our commitment to Israel"[0] that's because she has in fact dual loyalty, to dismiss that as "trope" is to dismiss & deny reality. Some of "our" politicians work overtime for israel's interests and neglect their actual job and obligations towards America. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53x_zrkJwDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53x_zrkJwDs
jimbob45 2y ago
like I found out recently apparently the Boston police regularly go over to Israel for training? That's really common for most countries on earth though[0]. Gaining exposure and experience from other countries is very valuable for police forces. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Law_Enforcement_Academy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Law_Enforcement_...
StriverGuy 2y ago
AIPAC is dwarfed in comparison to some other countries in terms of wielding influence. Just look at how much Qatar has spent trying to influence the top universities in the world.
- myth_drannon 2y ago
  [flagged]
deleted 2y ago
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deleted 2y ago
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spamizbad 2y ago
Weirdest thing about their propaganda is that it seems squarely aimed at older wealthier Americans and politicians. The amount of content produced targeted at anyone under the age of 40 is much smaller and less sophisticated. There's this narrative that Israel is "losing the propaganda war" but I think they're just targeting it towards major stakeholders. We're not the intended audience of the billboard - it's the editorial writer, the business leader, the member of congress (and their staff). The Israel / Palestine conflict is one of those low-valence issues with the general public where a politician rarely gets punished for voting one way or another with the notable exception of cash lobbying and super PACs for/against a given candidate.
downWidOutaFite 2y ago
It's crazy that AIPAC is not registered as a foreign agent. They funnel orders directly from Netanyahu to our politicians.
- rcpt 2y ago
  The trick is to have influence over the laws that define "foreign agent"
- arandomusername 2y ago
  There was one president that wanted to change that. But then something happened

neves 2y ago

Imagine if it were Russia or China

croisillon 2y ago
Well it can’t be China because China don’t kill their muslim popula… oooh…

cempaka 2y ago

The best part is when it comes from our own "newspaper of record" i.e. with the extraordinarily dubious "mass rape" article the NYT published. They finally dismissed the one Israel-connected reporter who had liked tweets calling for a brutal response against Gaza, but that of course has seen about one billionth the attention that her original claims continue to receive. You also get stuff like the POTUS repeating lies like "40 beheaded babies" and "a mother and child had kerosene poured on them" with none of the usual media freakout you usually see over "misinformation."

gotoeleven 2y ago
[flagged]
nerdjon 2y ago
I have struggled to even look at my News app anymore. Next to articles about the protests or other things, there are the articles about the hostages or something else that just feels like a propaganda piece aimed at one thing. And that is just the headlines.
- LeoNatan25 2y ago
  [flagged]
- segasaturn 2y ago
  The wiki article on Media Coverage of the Iraq War[0] is an enlightening read. Most of the same tactics for manufacturing consent that the mainstream media used during the Iraq War are still being used in today's conflicts. > An investigation by the New York Times discovered that top Pentagon officials met with news analysts where they gave the analysts 'special information' and then tried to convince them to speak favorably about the Iraq war. The discovery was based on 8000 pages of secret information that had been revealed to The New York Times through a lawsuit under the Freedom of Information Act. The article states that top Pentagon officials would invite news analysts to secret meetings, and urge the analysts to speak positively of the war. Often, the US would give "classified information," trips, and contracts to the news analysts. 0: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_the_Iraq_War https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_coverage_of_the_Iraq_War
mupuff1234 2y ago
[flagged]
- drpossum 2y ago
  "Getting stuff wrong" by not corroborating facts using reliable sources is not acceptable for a news organization.
  - mupuff1234 2y ago
    You're right, but just want to dispute the claim that NYTimes is somehow Israeli propaganda - I think it's clearly not.
    - Sporktacular 2y ago
      The claim has some merit: https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide-palestine-coverage/ https://theintercept.com/2024/04/15/nyt-israel-gaza-genocide...
      - mupuff1234 2y ago
        They were told to not used those words because they are disputed and not consider facts, pretty sure they can and still use those words in opinion pieces. Innocent until proven guilty etc.
      - rcpt 2y ago
        > The analysis found that, as of November 24, the New York Times had described Israeli deaths as a “massacre” on 53 occasions and those of Palestinians just once. The ratio for the use of “slaughter” was 22 to 1, even as the documented number of Palestinians killed climbed to around 15,000. You could copy this paragraph verbatim into Manufacturing Consent and it would fit in perfectly.
    - drpossum 2y ago
      Spouting off someone's talking points without verification makes you propaganda. It's just a question on if it's due to an agenda or incompetence. It's one of those.
nsguy 2y ago
[flagged]
- dragonwriter 2y ago
  > The real problem here isn't the POTUS repeating some rumour that was going around. It wasn't “a rumor going around”, it was Israeli state propaganda which both started and continued for a long timw to be pushed by Israeli state organs (official sources like the Foreign Ministry, not just proxies.)
  - nsguy 2y ago
    [flagged]
megous 2y ago
> You also get stuff like the POTUS repeating lies like "40 beheaded babies" and "a mother and child had kerosene poured on them" with none of the usual media freakout you usually see over "misinformation." Yeah. The politicians who repeated this also never apologized for inflaming tensions without any evidence or investigation whatsoever. But anything Israel is accused of, requires thorough investigation by Israel (or sometimes independently - without ever mentioning Israel will not allow independent investigators into Gaza), before we can even think about trusting the people they're killing currently, regardless of affiliation. Then you read https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social-security-data-reveals-true-picture-of-oct-7-deaths https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231215-israel-social... And you see that 20 children 15 and younger were killed in total, and out of them 10 by rockets, which starts to paint very different picture. So militants killed 20-36 children depending on how you wish to define a child, out of 1200 people in total. So that's 1.7-3% of killed victims. On the other hand, you get at least 16 000 killed children by Israel in just the last 8 months. 60 a day at least. https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/ https://time.com/6909636/gaza-death-toll/ And you can see 10-5 a day individually just scrolling through video posts on telegram https://t.me/eyeonpal/ https://t.me/eyeonpal/ And we're supposed to think that Hamas are child killing monsters and Israel is not and somehow uniquely righteous. Yeah, right. Just the math alone on this doesn't compute for me, at all.
blackeyeblitzar 2y ago
[flagged]
mupuff1234 2y ago
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-detention-base.html https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/06/world/middleeast/israel-g... That is currently the NYT headline - How can you call it Israeli propaganda is beyond me.
- cempaka 2y ago
  What if I told you modern forms of propaganda are more sophisticated than the mere blunt force repetition of a single obvious and consistent message? When is the NYT willing to stretch truth and credulity, and when is it not? What is the likely net effect of a world-weary, cynical (and false) both-sidesism as applied to the Israel/Palestine war?
  - mupuff1234 2y ago
    Ah yes, a public company is somehow conducting a super sophisticated and secretive propaganda campaign. I guess you're not a fan of Occam's razor? The simplest explanation here seems pretty straightforward, and no, it doesn't involve some NYT conspiratorial behavior.

nsguy 2y ago

[flagged]

Retric 2y ago

> I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable? Free speech sometimes applies to things you don’t like. There’s pro and anti propaganda for just about any foreign interest. Some of it’s just more subtle such as recommendations on TikTok. Ukraine had really obvious pro Ukraine requests for military aid and images of destruction, but quite a bit of pro Russia propaganda was more subtle aiming for people to stay out of it. With Israel you see some really blatant pro Israel propaganda, but both sides also have a lot of more subtle stuff.

ESTheComposer 2y ago
I believe the issue here is how much sway Israel has on the US and how rabid many US politicians are about Israel (to the point where many straight up accuse you of anti semitism if you just criticize the country or their policies) Also issues like where you are not allowed to refuse to work with Israel if you are an arms manufacturer in the US (but you can refuse to work with the US military). I know that part of that is due to Israel being part of the FMS list but they are also the largest recipient on it...
justin66 2y ago
> Free speech sometimes applies to things you don’t like. ...and in the United States we've defined down "free speech" to include "monetary donations."
- fsckboy 2y ago
  somebody needs to pay for the billboard, or rent a hall to give a speech, or printing the flyers for your lost cat. How is money not essential to speech? Your proposal is that to support a cause, one should only be allowed to go outside and yell, because that's purer than the corrupting influence of money?
  - pnut 2y ago
    Once money gets involved, you inherently have a commercial interest. What's the ROI? I personally think people misunderstand to whom "freedom" is granted and defended in the US, it is demonstrably not freedom of the individual, but of the powerful.

ajross 2y ago

[flagged]

nerdjon 2y ago
I struggle with not calling this propaganda: https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/18skzb0/ah_behold_our_newest_billboards/ https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/18skzb0/ah_behold_o... https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/new-billboards-along-mass-highways-aim-fight-antisemitism/QB62PR4KNZEJBI5ZJRIR2WRGW4/ https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/new-billboards-along...
- ajross 2y ago
  Then you have a somewhat unconventional personal definition for "propaganda". Almost always people use that word to imply something clandestine, misleading, or both. What you showed is a paid advertisement from a US-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, JewBelong, with public accounting on all donations, and a relatively clear mandate for how it spends its money. Again, you're simply saying that a (really only slightly edgy) billboard paid for by your fellow americans with their own money and aimed at changing your opinion via argumentation should be disallowed as "propaganda" simply because you disagree with it (and again: I disagree with it too!). Tough love: of the dueling philosophies at play here, yours is by far the most dangerous. Let people argue with you, for crying out loud.
  - nerdjon 2y ago
    I do not believe that is the case, you seem to have a more narrow view of propaganda. Just look at the Webster definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda What you describe is one form of propaganda but not the only one. Would you agree that Rosy the Riveter was Propaganda? Or this one https://www.archives.gov/files/exhibits/powers-of-persuasion/images/13229_2011_001_AC.jpg https://www.archives.gov/files/exhibits/powers-of-persuasion... Both very famous pieces of propaganda the US put out during War. Neither of them are misleading. They were put out to encourage people to take an action.

2OEH8eoCRo0 2y ago

> I find it quite concerning just how much propaganda the US seems to get from Israel. How do you know how much we get from Israel relative to others?

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]

zardo 2y ago

> Regardless of what is going on right now, I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable? US politicians can direct funds to Israel and Israel can support them or attack their rivals.

octopoc 2y ago
More like, Israel can spend some of that money to keep the money flow coming, kind of like a parasite. The rest it can use for its own interests.

shrubble 2y ago

Wait until you read up on NUMEC and Rafael Eitan.

ein0p 2y ago

Do you find it concerning that no presidential candidate can even pass the primary without first kissing the ring of AIPAC? That Zionist lobby openly attacks insufficiently pro-Zionist candidates and then openly brags when they lose elections? With Zionist lobby trying to outlaw any criticism of Israel in direct violation of 1st amendment? Etc, etc. IDK about others, but I think this is insane.

nerdjon 2y ago
100% yes. TBH when I said "propaganda" I was grouping a lot of that under that when I should have been more specific. But that and similar things is what I was referring to with "I don't understand how this much power over the US was ever deemed acceptable". I remember seeing the articles about them funding the campaign of someone opposing someone else who had been critical if Israel. I don't remember which state or what position, but it wasn't just a one off either.
- leoh 2y ago
  What the actual fuck
- dfxm12 2y ago
  AIPAC is one such group. Here's an article about their spending in 2022: https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/11/american-israel-public-affairs-committee-backed-candidates-won-midterm-races-following-big-spending-by-groups-super-pac/ https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2022/11/american-israel-pub... and also a story from earlier this year: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/03/aipac-israel-spending-democratic-primaries-00144552 https://www.politico.com/news/2024/03/03/aipac-israel-spendi... The MO is basically to try and defeat democrats in primaries who aren't giving carte blanche in terms of spending or support. If their candidate wins the primary, it doesn't matter much who wins the general election, since they have support of R's.
leoh 2y ago
[flagged]

ravenstine 2y ago

On the other side of town where I live, billboards appeared with slogans like "Be pro-Semitic." This happened almost immediately after the latest conflict involving Israel began. So I can't just be against anti-Semites, but I have to be pro Jewish ethnicity? Interesting. There was also one stating that anti-zionism is anti-Semitic; I guess my Jewish friends and family who are not Zionists didn't get the memo. I can't prove that these are somehow connected to funding from Israel, but it seemed like these billboards were ready to go at a moment's notice. As far as why we deem foreign propaganda as acceptable, I like to think that we play dumb about it in part so we can strategically point it out when it is in the favor of politicians and/or elites. Remember how Russian propaganda supposedly got Trump elected even though it was going on during prior years when the establishment insisted on the integrity of the elections? On the other hand, maybe we are just dumb.

nerdjon 2y ago
> I can't prove that these are somehow connected to funding from Israel, but it seemed like these billboards were ready to go at a moment's notice. Right, that is what we got in Boston. The timing is just too convenient. Whether or not it is from Israel themselves or funding here for Israel is kinda a moot point when both have the same purpose: Propaganda for a foreign government.
- pvg 2y ago
  Whether or not it is from Israel themselves or funding here for Israel is kinda a moot point It's not at all a moot point and you're coming pretty close to a generic 'dual loyalties' trope.
  - jedimind 2y ago
    If there is overwhelming evidence for a claim, it's absurd to smear it as "trope". So when Nancy Pelosi says: "If the capital crumbles to the ground,one thing that will remain is our commitment to Israel"[0] that's because she has in fact dual loyalty, to dismiss that as "trope" is to dismiss & deny reality. Some of "our" politicians work overtime for israel's interests and neglect their actual job and obligations towards America. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53x_zrkJwDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53x_zrkJwDs

jimbob45 2y ago

like I found out recently apparently the Boston police regularly go over to Israel for training? That's really common for most countries on earth though[0]. Gaining exposure and experience from other countries is very valuable for police forces. [0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Law_Enforcement_Academy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Law_Enforcement_...

StriverGuy 2y ago

AIPAC is dwarfed in comparison to some other countries in terms of wielding influence. Just look at how much Qatar has spent trying to influence the top universities in the world.

myth_drannon 2y ago
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spamizbad 2y ago

Weirdest thing about their propaganda is that it seems squarely aimed at older wealthier Americans and politicians. The amount of content produced targeted at anyone under the age of 40 is much smaller and less sophisticated. There's this narrative that Israel is "losing the propaganda war" but I think they're just targeting it towards major stakeholders. We're not the intended audience of the billboard - it's the editorial writer, the business leader, the member of congress (and their staff). The Israel / Palestine conflict is one of those low-valence issues with the general public where a politician rarely gets punished for voting one way or another with the notable exception of cash lobbying and super PACs for/against a given candidate.

downWidOutaFite 2y ago

It's crazy that AIPAC is not registered as a foreign agent. They funnel orders directly from Netanyahu to our politicians.

rcpt 2y ago
The trick is to have influence over the laws that define "foreign agent"
arandomusername 2y ago
There was one president that wanted to change that. But then something happened