10 Reasons Why Katharine Tobal Fails the Test of Journalistic Integrity

The other day while glossing over Facebook, distracted from my homework, I came across an article that I could not help but be taken aback by. The article in question, “10 Causes to list AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) as [a] Threat to the United States”  not only lacked the proper grammatical use of the word “a” following the word threat in the title (as well as countless other mistakes throughout the article), but further failed to take into account any level of journalistic integrity.

The article began with the often anti-Semitic argument, “AIPAC is clearly controlling the U.S. government as well as exercising VETO power at the United Nations”. It is a clear and easy step for those who identify AIPAC as the “Jewish Lobby” to articulate the viewpoint that Jews are controlling the United States. The author clearly fails to take the severity of this statement into account when she continues to discuss the 10 reasons she deems AIPAC to be so dangerous to the United States.

In the following I address the 10 points that Ms. Katharine Tobal falsely asserted would “directly threaten” the United States via AIPAC.

AIPAC puts Heavy Pressure on Congress to Bomb Iran:

AIPAC does not advocate for bombing Iran, rather it advocates for negotiating a reasonable final deal with Iran contingent on Iran ending its nuclear armament programs. Iran is a global threat and a sponsor of state terror via Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza strip, Iran is a leading terror regime, and Iran consistently violates the human rights of its citizens.

AIPAC Gives Legitimacy to the Anti-International Law Policies of Israel:

The author literally states that AIPAC is the sole reason for failed solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict, failing to take into account Palestinian incitement by their own leadership, nor does she take into account the realities on the ground created by all parties. The author further asserts that Israel instigated the violence, failing to take into account the continued rocket attacks from the international recognized terrorist organization, Hamas.

AIPAC asks for Unlimited Support for Israel Even if This Threatens the U.S. National Security:

The author argues that Israel and support for Israel as a nation has raised anti-American sentiment through the Middle East, failing to recognize the history of the United States policy in the region and the virulent anti-Western ideologies institutionalized in many of these nations. The author further blames AIPAC and the United States-Israel relationship for Al-Qaeda and globalized politicized Islamic terror.

AIPAC stands as a hinderance to the U.S. Government Support of Arab Movements That Intend to Overthrow Pro-Israel Political Regimes

This is barely worth addressing as the author blames Israel for the Syrian Civil War. Addressing the shear ridiculousness of that argument is not even worth my time.

AIPAC makes the U.S. be Considered as [a] Rejected Country at the UN:

Ms. Tobal argues that the entire anti-United States sentiment in the United Nations, failing to take into account a legacy of colonialism, and blaming Israel yet again. The double standard showing through Ms. Tobal’s work is almost comical.

AIPAC Attacks Politicians Who Do Not Promise Unlimited Support for Israel:

Ms. Tobal argues that AIPAC is the main if not sole reason for congressmen not being reelected in the case of two African-American Congressmen in Alabama and Georgia respectively, seeming to imply that AIPAC is racist and works against African-American congressmen…this again is barely worth addressing.

AIPAC Works to Hush All Criticism of Israel:

Ms. Tobal asserts that “every person who says no the Israeli government” is labeled as anti-Semitic or “self-hating Jews”. Failing to take into account every politician or human being that criticizes Israel using the same standard as for any other country, Tobal asserts a belief that is consistently verbalized in the Protocols of the Elder’s of Zion, a racist, anti-semitic diatribe that asserts the Jews control the world.

AIPAC Works to Report False News about the Israel/Palestine Conflict:

Rather than addressing any concerns with the Media and its blatant inaccuracies regarding the conflict and Israel as a whole, Ms. Tobal attacks AIPAC for providing educational opportunities for congressmen to see Israel with their own eyes to form their own beliefs.

AIPAC insists on sending Billions to Israel Instead of Investing in America:

The $3 billion in ‘aid’ that the author asserts AIPAC manipulates into being given to Israel is actually returned to the U.S. through business partnerships each year, thereby positively benefiting the United States’ own economy

AIPAC Takes The Money of (the) Poor in the U.S.:

Ms. Tobal literally said that the poor are choosing to send their money to israel, money that should be spent on food. While that is a ridiculous statement in and of itself, it is further a generalization that takes absolutely no fact into consideration.

Ms. Tobal articulated the viewpoints of those who express blatant anti-Semitism as defined by the United States State Department, while simultaneously failing to take into account the truthfulness or accuracy behind any of her statements. It is poor journalistic integrity and must be condemned. Perhaps Ms. Tobal simply didn’t read her own work to understand what exactly she seemed to argue or what she was trying to assert.