LEV PARNAS, ISRAEL, EVANGICALS, DICTATORS

Jacob Heilbrunn, National Interest Editor, author of

America Last: The Right’s Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators.

American conservatives’ views of foreign autocrats

• Many conservatives voted for and supported the Iraq war. 
• Neo-cons opened the door to Trump and this movement. 
• Is it realistic to abandon Ukraine who is only asking for support.  How is this analogous to the Iraq war?
• To say that these people want to be on “Putin’s good side” gets “into conspiracy theories.”
• Trump has been consistent about a good relationship with Russia.
• Susan Glasser: 1990 interview with Playboy of Trump.  Trump criticizes Gorbachev, for not being strong enough.  Praises Chinese government actions in Tiananmen square.
• Pinochet set up a lobbying operation in Washington.  The government intervened in this. 
• Simvimbi set up operation that include Stone and Manafort. (Note: Look up).
• “He has sold this product once…”  referring to Trump and winning the 2024 election.  2016 he was vastly underestimated.  “I don’t think that’s going to happen again.”
• The right has an inherent love for autocrats.  China has always been an exception.  They make a distinction between Communist countries and Russia that is not Communist. 
• Glasser:  This is a really important book.

Another book: Tim Alberta author of “The Kingdom, the Power and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism.”

• Political views are explicit in these churches.  It is a litmus test for being part of certain churches.
• The church is called upon to make believers out of unbelievers.  These views have nothing to do with this.
• How can we evangelize if we hold out these political positions as barriers to evangelizing?
• Watch at BookTV.org (search Tim Alberta).

Another book:

“Shadow Diplomacy: Lev Parnas and his wile ride from Brooklyn to Trump’s inner circle.” By Lev Parnas.

• Book review: “His fascinating, eye-opening story offers an insider’s view of hos money and power actually work to keep the world running exactly the way some want it to.”  “…his adventures took him to Moscow to Wall Street to Hollywood To Miami to the White House and, eventually, to prison.”

“the Crisis of Zionism” by Peter Beinart.

• Jewish Currents Editor at Large.
• Biden administration has been asking Netanyahu not to go into Rafah and trying to get a ceasefire.  We are on the brink.  Biden has to use the leverage he has.
• We can change the calculus for Netanyahu. 
• Why doesn’t Netanyahu move?  It’s not so bad for Netanyahu, he can use this domestically.
• It’s not Schumer’s place to tell Israel to go to elections.  Or the place of the US.
• Palestinians say that going into Rafah will create more Hamas sympathizers.  (Note: And what does he propose Israel does?)
• The ideology of Hamas is “profoundly disturbing.”  (Note: ya think?)
• The problem is not going to be solved even if you (Israel) gets rid of Hamas. (Note:?)  Palestinians need an “ethical path to freedom.”
• “The more people you kill, the more desire for revenge there will be.”  (Note: He is saying this to Israel, but not Hamas?)
• This problem has been going on even before Hamas.  Before Hamas there was the PLO.  The problem got worse.
• Velshi is proposing the ubiquitous “two-state solution.” 
• We need “legitimate Palestinian leadership.”  Most of those people are in jail.  “You need to let some of those people out of jail.”  (Note: Like Sinwar?)  “Those are the people who have the credibility.”  Abbas has no credibility.
• “Most Palestinians are not Isalamists.”  “Hamas’ ideology is very problematic.”  (Note: I’m sorry, but “very problematic” counts as the understatement of the century.)