Absolutely true! Thank you, Peter, for putting those thoughts together. It really makes me nauseous hearing this same rational continuously shared by the so called experts. The defense of Israel becomes a blank check for devastation in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Peace will never be achieved this way. We need new thinking not better bombs.
I agree with the above person one hundred percent. There are people like Eliot Abram’s who were around in Bush 2 and are still having influence. No wonder we keep fighting the same fights. Look w hat Israel did in Syria after Assad was gone. They have taken territory and they have no right to do that. Thank you again for bringing this issue to light.
These points are so important, thank you Peter! That diplomats don’t even discuss the legality (or, more aptly, the illegality) of potential military actions when weighing in with recommendations should itself be disqualifying. How do we get stuck with these mediocrities, including in Democratic administrations? Could it be that we elect mediocre (or worse) presidents?
absolutley ! then there is Jake Sullivan and John Kirby ! You absolutely nailed it. Not only does our system seem to cough up little in the way of political talent but State Dept expertise was bad THEN!
At the very least no one with dual citizenship or served a foreign government should serve in the cabinet or advisory role. Yes, that means specifically Shapiro, that traitorous tool of Israel.
This is a vital issue. Thank you for raising these moral and ethical considerations. Presidential primary candidates should be closely questioned on their potential advisors.
Thank you so much for this. I am Lebanese and have been watching in horror Israel flattening hundreds of structures and wiping out most villages in South Lebanon so the over million displaced have nothing to return to. The costs on human lives are immeasurable and my heart is constantly crying seeing and feeling their misery and their deep losses.
This is the same Dan Shapiro who, as U.S. ambassador to Israel in 2011, gave a speech to the Jewish People Policy Institute, where he said, "the test of every policy the Administration develops in the Middle East is whether it is consistent with the goal of ensuring Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, democratic state. That is a commitment that runs as a common thread through our entire government, even while approaching the U.S.-Israel relationship and regional challenges from a variety of perspectives."
In Peter's monologue, he neglects to mention (though I'm certain he knows it) that Dan Shapiro, Mark Dubowitz, and Dan Senor are all Jewish. Given Ambassador Shapiro's public statements, it would be absurd to deny that he has dual loyalty to the U.S. and Israel, but fortunately for him, the question never comes up, because antisemitism (or, perhaps, the opposite). Dubowitz and Senor are even bigger Israel-as-Jewish-state partisans than Shapiro.
Terrific piece, Peter. Absolutely essential to bring in the moral cost of the attacks on Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, etc. Rarely discussed by pundits. And very important to begin "thinking the unthinkable"--a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. It's takes two to tango and right now only one is tango-ing (Israel) with nuclear weapons.
The UN General Assembly has regular Conferences on "the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction." The 6th and most recent one was held 5 months ago: https://docs.un.org/en/A/CONF.236/2025/3
From its report: "Members to the Conference identified as a key challenge the continued absence of Israel from the sessions. They noted with regret that the United States of America was the only invited observer State that had not yet attended."
Absolutely true! Thank you, Peter, for putting those thoughts together. It really makes me nauseous hearing this same rational continuously shared by the so called experts. The defense of Israel becomes a blank check for devastation in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Peace will never be achieved this way. We need new thinking not better bombs.
Thank you Peter I so admire your ability to analyze complex political situations with honesty, knowledge, courage, and substance💔🇺🇸.
I agree with the above person one hundred percent. There are people like Eliot Abram’s who were around in Bush 2 and are still having influence. No wonder we keep fighting the same fights. Look w hat Israel did in Syria after Assad was gone. They have taken territory and they have no right to do that. Thank you again for bringing this issue to light.
These points are so important, thank you Peter! That diplomats don’t even discuss the legality (or, more aptly, the illegality) of potential military actions when weighing in with recommendations should itself be disqualifying. How do we get stuck with these mediocrities, including in Democratic administrations? Could it be that we elect mediocre (or worse) presidents?
absolutley ! then there is Jake Sullivan and John Kirby ! You absolutely nailed it. Not only does our system seem to cough up little in the way of political talent but State Dept expertise was bad THEN!
Obama won the election, Clinton won the cabinet.
At the very least no one with dual citizenship or served a foreign government should serve in the cabinet or advisory role. Yes, that means specifically Shapiro, that traitorous tool of Israel.
Israel delenda est.
This is a vital issue. Thank you for raising these moral and ethical considerations. Presidential primary candidates should be closely questioned on their potential advisors.
https://medium.com/amor-mundi/when-crimes-cease-to-appear-as-crimes-hannah-arendts-warning-as-the-republic-turns-250
Completely agree! Blob'ism: I really don't know how we get past it
yes. and there is another fundamental questions we could ask.... are these two parties two sides of the same coin?
Most brilliant debate, from which I have learned so much, that I have ever heard.
Most brilliant debate, from which I have learned so much, that I have
Thank you so much for this. I am Lebanese and have been watching in horror Israel flattening hundreds of structures and wiping out most villages in South Lebanon so the over million displaced have nothing to return to. The costs on human lives are immeasurable and my heart is constantly crying seeing and feeling their misery and their deep losses.
This is the same Dan Shapiro who, as U.S. ambassador to Israel in 2011, gave a speech to the Jewish People Policy Institute, where he said, "the test of every policy the Administration develops in the Middle East is whether it is consistent with the goal of ensuring Israel’s future as a secure, Jewish, democratic state. That is a commitment that runs as a common thread through our entire government, even while approaching the U.S.-Israel relationship and regional challenges from a variety of perspectives."
https://web.archive.org/web/20111015031443/http://israel.usembassy.gov/amb062011.html
Is Shapiro being antisemitic here in what he says about his government's priorities?
In Peter's monologue, he neglects to mention (though I'm certain he knows it) that Dan Shapiro, Mark Dubowitz, and Dan Senor are all Jewish. Given Ambassador Shapiro's public statements, it would be absurd to deny that he has dual loyalty to the U.S. and Israel, but fortunately for him, the question never comes up, because antisemitism (or, perhaps, the opposite). Dubowitz and Senor are even bigger Israel-as-Jewish-state partisans than Shapiro.
Shapiro,Dubowitz and Senor should all be called out as traitorous tools of Israel.
Israel delenda est.
Terrific piece, Peter. Absolutely essential to bring in the moral cost of the attacks on Iran, Gaza, Lebanon, etc. Rarely discussed by pundits. And very important to begin "thinking the unthinkable"--a nuclear-free zone in the Middle East. It's takes two to tango and right now only one is tango-ing (Israel) with nuclear weapons.
The UN General Assembly has regular Conferences on "the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons of Mass Destruction." The 6th and most recent one was held 5 months ago: https://docs.un.org/en/A/CONF.236/2025/3
From its report: "Members to the Conference identified as a key challenge the continued absence of Israel from the sessions. They noted with regret that the United States of America was the only invited observer State that had not yet attended."
Perhaps if Israel lost our aid, it would attend and attend fast to this UN standing conference on a Middle East Nuclear Free Zone. And we with it.
This is so important. Thank you so much from bringing this up. Dan Shapiro should do much better. He should know that we are paying attention.