By Hesham Tillawi, PhD currentissues.tv

Every day, I am assaulted by something in the topsy-turvey world of US politics that amazes me and makes me say to myself, 'Well I guess I have seen it all now', only for it to be outdone and replaced the very next day by something even more outrageous.

Politics can do that to people. Power and the opportunity to play on the 'big field' is like a drug that makes people do crazy things, things that defy reason, logic, and sometimes decency.

Take for example the most recent article by Arab American Institute James Zogby in his defense of President Elect Barak Obama;s decision to appoint Rahm Emmanuel as White House Chief of Staff. In his piece entitled "Rahm Emanuel and Arab Perceptions" he writes "The emails and calls to my office were both troubled and troubling because much of the reaction was based on misinformation". The "misinformation' in this case dealt with Rahm Emanuel, the "brilliant strategist" as Jim puts it and his many "proven" political skills which led to him being "tapped" by Obama. No more no less. That is, as Jim calls it, "First, the facts." I just wonder if Rahm's 'proven politics' is also what dragged Obama to AIPAC's conference this past summer to deliver that infamous shameful speech, as well as the meeting afterwards with the board of AIPAC where he was accompanied by Rahm Emanuel. I don't think Rahm being born to an Israeli parent who once ran guns for the Irgun Terrorist Organization, his faith as a devout Jew or his being a staunch supporter of Israel had "nothing" to do with his appointment as the conventional wisdom would like us to believe. Of course not, it is his 'brilliancy' that got him there. "Its that simple" says the spokesman for the Arab-American community Jim Zogby. Maybe Arabs lack thinking brains to be in positions of power.

Ok, Emanuel may not be an Israeli Citizen, even though Israeli law grants citizenship to Jews who are born for Israeli parents abroad. As a matter of fact the Israeli Law of Return" Grants Israeli citizenship to any Jew who wishes to have it. As a matter of fact many American Jews in high power positions are dual citizens. One such is Douglas Feith, who ran the Office of Special Plans at the Pentagon, and who concocted the 'Yellow Cake' theory giving George Bush the ammo he needed to invade an Arab country. Another one coming to mind is Michael Chertoff, our Director of Homeland Security whose father fought in the Bitar Brigade, a Jewish terrorist group during the Palestinian Holocaust which by the way, started way before the so-called 'Holocaust' of Europe and which continues to this very day. No doubt the reader is inclined to call me an 'anti-Semite' despite the fact that there is more 'semitism' in one of my eyelashes than there is in the whole of European Jewish community because I said the "so called" Oh well, I guess I am one of those 'self-hating' Semites.

Jim goes on to defend Rahm's service in the Israeli Army saying: "Emanuel volunteered for a few weeks, as a civilian, doing maintenance on Israeli vehicles." Is he a mechanic? So, not only is he "brilliant" when it comes to politics, he is 'Rahm the Mechanic' as well. Talk about a real Renaissance man. Not only is Rahm "brilliant" in banking and finance, "brilliant" in the way he stabs a steak knife into a hardwood table repeatedly when talking about 'enemies' who must be dealt with, but "brilliant" with cars too, especially the ones used by Israel's military. There is something so familiar between this and the whole "Joe the Plumber" business we heard so much about during the campaign.

Ok, let's get back to that then--What vehicles Jim? What is a civilian volunteer in the Israeli Army? Did you know that there are no 'civilians' in Israel? If someone volunteers to go help a country at a time of war, one can safely assume he will be involved in some kind of a defense position. Was he greasing up the Israeli Tanks before they took positions on the Northern border with Syria and Lebanon in 1991? Or did he just write some nice love notes on Tank Shells? I am not sure, but this "brilliant" American found it necessary to go and join the Israeli Army- ok in a civilian capacity, god don't be so uptight on technicalities- but yet, he did not join the American Army fighting two wars. It makes you wonder what country comes first in Rahm's mind. Is he one of those Israel's Firsters bunch?

As an aside (although one of supreme importance) what should be noted is that if Mr. Zogby--seeing his homeland of Lebanon being bombarded by Israel as it was in July 2006--decided to don his US Passport and go to Lebanon in order to volunteer in protecting another country, he would be arrested upon re-entry into the US and charged with a whole assortment of crimes related to terrorism. However, when it is a Zionist Jew doing so for Israel, he is offered the highest position in the president's cabinet and the rest of the world is not supposed to think anything of it.

Oh yes, this is the killer, I almost left it out. Jim wrote: "The truth is that Emanuel is an effective leader in Congress. He is a strong supporter of Israel. But then, how many members of Congress are not?" Its no big deal, he is just one of the many in Washington who are supporters of Israel. Well Jim you forgot one fundamental difference between "Rahm the Mechanic" and others, namely that the other members of congress prostitute themselves for power, influence and money, but they really don't get much enjoyment out of the deal. On the contrary--just like prostitutes they want the ordeal to be over with asap because deep down they feel so ashamed of themselves seeing Palestinian children dying from Israeli bullets fired by Israeli settlers as well as Israel's imposed starvation and hunger on innocent people and they can't do anything about it. "Rahm the Mechanic" however, Mr Jim Zogby, enjoys what he is doing for Israel. His father, his family, and his "mother country" are proud of what he has become. Israeli Newspapers said "one of us in the White House." He is doing it because he enjoys it. The Arabs are the sworn enemies of Rahm's father and his last name is a reminder of that. Emanuel actually is not the last name of the family they changed it when rahm's uncle, Emanuel was killed by Arabs before the establishment of Israel, and the family changed their last name to, Emaneul. Now do you understand why Palestinians, Arabs, Muslims, Christians, and all freedom-loving people around the World are disturbed by Rahm's appointment? Can you take your democratic hat off for a second and voice your concern about Rahm? Can you, Uncle Tom?

I saw you turning the world upside down for a comment that John McCain did not make-even though, we made a big issue out of it- I for one made the biggest stink about it, but I did not see you doing the same when Rahm's father actually, and factually insulted ALL Arabs, dead, alive and yet to be born. Thank God for Mary Oakar and the ADC who forced an apology out of Rahm for what his father had said about how his son will "surely influence Obama's decisions on Israel" while following it with the comment that "he wasn't Arab" and therefore will not be going to the White House to "mop floors". The funny thing in the whole episode is Rahm's apology, and especially when he said that the comment made by his dad did not "reflect the way he was raised and did not reflect his family values". I wonder who raised him?

It was his father who said it, the head of his family, the man who installed the values in Rahm, the very same man who ran guns to the Jewish terrorists to massacre the poor souls of Deir Yasin. Now Jim, do you blame the Arabs for their "perception" of Ram? Is it just a perception? "Can you hear me now!!!"

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Current issues with Hesham Tillawi can be viewed Live every Thursday at 8:00 PM Central Standard Time on Cox Cable system Channel 15 in Louisiana as well as Live on the Internet at www.currentissues.tv and can be contacted at Tillawi@currentissues.tv The show is also broadcast on Bridges TV via cable, satellite, and broadband and on Amazonas satellite World Wide. Current Issues the radio show airs live around the World on Broadband and shortwave 5.050 and many stations around the U.S. every Saturday 4-6 PM Central Time on www.republicbroadcasting.org