In antici...pation of the AIPAC conference in DC next week

It's 4 AM, I have a huge headache and my voice is hoarse from the Yankee-Oriole game tonight. (Yanks won a pitchers' duel after 15 long innings!) BUT I have an important Thought. Well, not really. First off, let me say that I've been trying hard not to make this a blog about Israel, a, because there are enough important bloggers who write about Israel in a more clever and eloquent way thn I ever could and b, I'm interested in a lot more than just Israel.

But that having been said, I was looking through the confirmed speakers for the AIPAC conference next week and marveling about how impressive the list is, when I decided to refresh myself on who spoke at the J Street conference earlier this year, in February. Comparing the list of AIPAC's confirmed speakers to J Street's confirmed speakers, I think, make huge statements about which pro-Israel group matters more in Washington DC. The highest American official J Street brought, for example, was Dennis Ross (who sent his resignation letter into Obama only a few weeks later; I would suspect that when he spoke at the conference, he already knew he was leaving), along with five or so other Congressional representatives, while it amazes me that AIPAC is bringing President Obama, Speaker of the House John Boehner, majority leaders of both the House and the Senate, and several more. (Another consideration, by the way, is quality over quantity- if J Street could have brought in a top governmental official, they could have lost the Congresspeople.)

This isn't a statement about why AIPAC is given more legitimacy by Obama and the American government, or if they're right to do that; that's a different conversation. But in terms of who's part of the legitimate political conversation? It's not even close.

If you're curious about people or papers to read about Israel news, by the way, let me help! Here's a very basic primer:
A. Read all of obvious ones- Jerusalem Post, Haaretz, YNet, New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal.
B. Read commentary by almost everyone at the New Republic (they'll all talk about Israel eventually, journalists can't help it, writing about Israel is an addiction), The Atlantic (especially Jeffrey Goldberg), Ben Smith at Politico, The Economist, and Andrew Sullivan.

Though you may disagree with plenty of the analyses, it doesn't seem too bold to acknowledge a clear link between reading/ knowledge expansion and critical thinking.

Der Tzeitung's doctored photo

There's been a lot of press recently about Der Tzeitung's decision to digitally erase secretary of state Hillary Clinton and director for counterterrorism Audrey Tomason from the now-iconic picture of Obama and the inner circle watching the live telecast of the raid inside Osama Bin Laden's compound. (See FailedMessiah, though he hat-tipped Critical Minyan.) And the criticism is all fair and true (Andrew Sullivan and Laura Rozen, among others, linked here) but I had two unrelated thoughts.

1. Why did this, davka, go viral? Sometimes what goes viral seems so arbitrary. Pictures like this run all the time in Charedi and Chasidic newspapers, including plenty where Clinton and other high-ranking officials are cut out. Why did this post suddenly go everywhere? Yes, I also read The Tipping Point, but still.

2. Second, and more important, is the depressing fact that that the doctored picture actually doesn't look that different. This is a room of twelve of the highest ranking government and military officials, watching the most important military operation of the war with terrorism, and only two of them are women? Jezebel jumped on the story, as they should, but why aren't they writing about this much more essential issue?

By the way, it must be said that when Ben Smith is linking to Vos Iz Neias, the world is a funny place.

UPDATE: Ben Smith found an awesome one!

bin Laden Killed

I haven't written in a while, but I just couldn't pass this one up. We can't possibly know what will happen tomorrow, next week, or next year, but for now, we celebrate, because there is a special significance in Osama Bin Laden's death. This man who orchestrated the deaths of thousands of Americans can never cause destruction or death again. A lot of people have been posting quotes on facebook but I think Mark Twain's resonates: "I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure."

I'm glad Obama didn't speak in front a live crowd while making the announcement tonight; there was an important solemnity and he was right to temper his words. That being said, today is a day for celebrating.