In a 28 June 2004 talk on the Muslim vote in the 2004 elections, Ralph Nader stated, ““It is time for the U.S. government to stand up and think for itself. What has been happening over the years is a predicable routine from the head of the Israeli government. The Israeli puppeteer travels to Washington. The Israeli puppeteer meets with the puppet in the White House, then moves down Pennsylvania Avenue and meets with the puppets in Congress, and then takes back billions of taxpayer dollars. It is time for the Washington puppet show to be replaced by the Washington peace show. In that, we will enhance the freedom and security of the Palestinian and Israeli people, peoples around the world, and the American people here and abroad.””
These remarks, delivered at the Rayburn House Office Building, elicited a letter from Abraham Foxman, National Director of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), which stated, ““[T]here is a line between thoughtful, reasoned, constructive disagreements and offensive hyperbole. Indeed, one may disagree with America's Middle East approach, but to assert that U.S. policy in such a complex and volatile region is the product of wholesale manipulation by a foreign government fails to take into account important U.S. interests that are involved. Moreover, the image of the Jewish state as a ““puppeteer”” controlling the powerful U.S. Congress feeds into many age-old stereotypes which have no place in legitimate public discourse.””
The following is Nader's reply to Mr. Foxman. It is available online at www.votenader.com.
University of California Press