海角大神

President Obama鈥檚 potential nomination of Chuck Hagel, a former two-term Republican senator from Nebraska, to be his next secretary of Defense is now being dubbed 鈥渇lailing鈥� before it was even confirmed.

Much of the discussion, and the principal source of Mr. Hagel's vulnerability, revolves around remarks he made, some dating back several years, on US policy toward Israel, Iran, and Hamas. Some critics are wondering aloud whether he is sufficiently supportive of Israel, while others are even going so far as to suggest he is anti-Semitic, a charge that Hagel鈥檚 defenders, and even some of his detractors, have branded as outrageous.

At issue in particular is Hagel鈥檚 use, in a 2006 interview, of the descriptor 鈥淛ewish lobby鈥� to refer to the pro-Israel lobby in Washington, which includes US 海角大神s, too, and which Hagel accused of 鈥渋ntimidating a lot of people.鈥�

These comments, along with Hagel鈥檚 support of dialogue with Iran and Hamas, both sworn enemies of Israel, prompted an unnamed Republican Senate aid, quoted in the conservative Weekly Standard, to promise of the potential nominee, 鈥淪end us Hagel and we will make sure every American knows he is an anti-Semite.鈥�

On Wednesday these charges were met by a published letter from four former US national security advisers, who wrote to 鈥渟trongly object, as a matter of substance and as a matter of principle, to the attacks on the character鈥� of Hagel, noting that such treatment will 鈥渙nly discourage future prospective nominees from public service when our country badly needs quality leadership in government.鈥�

Those sentiments aside, Hagel鈥檚 former colleagues in the Senate are not exactly rushing to his defense. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, who in 2008, as the Republican presidential nominee, said there might be a place for Hagel in his own administration, recently expressed reservations about Hagel鈥檚 candidacy for the Defense post, calling his remarks about the Israel lobby 鈥渋nappropriate.鈥�

"There's no such thing as a Jewish lobby," McCain said when asked about Hagel鈥檚 comments. "There's an Armenian lobby, there's not a Jewish lobby. There's an Israeli lobby. It's called AIPAC, very influential."

In Hagel鈥檚 defense, meanwhile, some Jewish supporters 聽have begun to step forward to call the anti-Semitic label not just unfair, but slanderous.

鈥淗e鈥檚 one of the most experienced and knowledgeable people in American policy today when it comes to national security matters, and I think the president would be very well-served by a veteran with a deep grasp of both the potential and the limitations of military power,鈥� says Jeremy Ben-Ami, President of J Street, a pro-Israel liberal Jewish lobby group.

鈥淭he notion that Chuck Hagel is anti-Israel is ludicrous. The notion that he is anti-Semitic is slanderous. He may have used one poor choice of words, but that doesn鈥檛 make someone subject to these labels,鈥� Mr. Ben-Ami adds.聽

鈥淗e has a several decade career of votes and writings and statements that as a whole demonstrate the commitment that he has to Israel.鈥�

That commitment is not, Hagel himself has noted, unconditional. "I'm a United States senator. I support Israel,鈥� he said in the 2006 interview. 鈥淏ut my first interest is I take an oath of office to the Constitution of the United States. Not to a president. Not a party. Not to Israel. If I go run for Senate in Israel, I'll do that." 聽

Hagel has also called for more efforts to be made to advance the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, a move that also irked some critics. Until that happens, he said six years ago, 鈥渕indless destruction and slaughter will continue in Lebanon, Israel, and across the Middle East.鈥澛�

This is a view some US military officials have expressed as well, including retired Gen. David Petraeus, the former CIA director 鈥� a stance for which they, too, have come under fire.

In March, 2010, while he was the head of US Central Command, which was running the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Petraeus told the Senate Armed Services Committee that 鈥渢he enduring hostilities between Israel and some of its neighbors present distinct challenges to our ability to advance our interests鈥� in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas where US forces operate.聽

Israeli-Palestinian tensions 鈥渇oments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of US favoritism for Israel,鈥� Petraeus added. 鈥淎rab anger over the Palestinian question limits the strength and depth of US partnerships with governments and peoples in the AOR [area of operations].鈥�

For this reason, Petraeus had reportedly lobbied to make Israel part of his area of responsibility at US Central Command, rather than under the auspices of US European Command, where it had been and where it remains today, as the move was not approved.聽

At the time Abraham Foxman, the national director of the Anti-Defamation League, issued a statement calling Petraeus鈥� testimony 鈥渄angerous鈥� by 鈥渂laming extremist activities on the absence of peace and the perceived US favoritism for Israel.鈥澛�

Hagel has also advocated dialogue with Iran, which the US and Israel suspect of developing nuclear weapons, and with Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist faction that governs the Gaza Strip and is sworn to Israel鈥檚 destruction, and made it clear that he believes the Pentagon budget is bloated. He has also been sharply critical of America鈥檚 wars of the past decade.

A number of former top US military officials, including James Jones, former national security adviser and the former top officer in the Marine Corps, have come to Hagel鈥檚 defense.聽

Hagel鈥檚 push for dialogue is a product of his infantry experience 鈥� he was a decorated enlisted soldier in Vietnam who served alongside his brother 鈥� 鈥渁nd that helped him to be in a sense a reluctant warrior,鈥� says retired Lt. General David Barno, who commanded the war in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2005 and served with Hagel on panels about the future of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The firefights Hagel survived instilled in him a caution that comes with having seen 鈥渁 lot of young men pay the ultimate price,鈥� Mr. Barno says. 鈥淗e sees that military forces have to be kept available, but also that we need to be talking to all of our adversaries. That鈥檚 not a sign of surrender and weakness 鈥� that鈥檚 just living in a world where you look at all of the options.鈥�

Hagel鈥檚 stance on Israel has been subject to 鈥渄istortion,鈥� Barno adds. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been a very strong supporter of Israel in legislation over the years 鈥� I think he鈥檚 probably getting some unfair critiques out there.鈥�