Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

"Deliberate Deceptions" is the second Paul Findley book I have read. The first, of course, was "They Dare to Speak Out." Findley, a former congressman from Illinois, is a crusader for truth in the relationship between Israel and the United States. In "They Dare to Speak Out," Findley discusses the sinister influence of the pro-Israel lobby on American government. In this book, Findley broadens his criticism well beyond the borders of lobbying. The importance of Findley's books take on additional dimensions of meaning since the terrorist attacks of last summer. "Deliberate Deceptions" exposes serious concerns about Israeli-U.S. relations. Findley argues, convincingly, that Israel is an aggressive, hostile state that will stop at nothing to further its own ends at the expense of others. Israel suctions billions of dollars out of U.S. coffers, with special deals on loans and military hardware that no other country in the world gets. Israel also has the bomb and refuses to allow international inspections of its facilities in the Negev desert. Findley reveals Israel's spy networks in the United States, its cozy relationship with the South African government (during the Apartheid era), and its tendency to resell American military technologies for self-enrichment. The amount of statements and evidence Findley marshals is both amazing and disgusting. Where is the United States government when all of this is happening? It's in large part our government that reinforces this bad behavior. Politicians, according to Findley, are scared of Israel's lobby and influence. The result is that the U.S. turns a blind eye to these shenanigans. The Palestinians are the primary victims of Israel's aggression. Since the founding of Israel, the Palestinians have endured non-stop forced deportations, land seizures, violence, torture, and murder. Occasionally, the Palestinian people tire of Israel and events like the Intifada occur. Findley shows how Israel responds to these incidents by instituting policies that encourage soldiers to break bones and attack children and senior citizens. Palestinians that are considered citizens of Israel are treated as second-class citizens, as Israel considers itself a purely Jewish nation. The United Nations runs itself ragged denouncing Israel for its actions towards the Palestine people, and Findley provides a list of UN edicts towards Israel that is staggering to behold. Findley argues that great strides could be made in the Palestinian-Israeli problem if Israel would quit building settlements in occupied territory and withdraw to its UN mandated borders. Israel refuses to do this, and the whole world has to deal with the fallout, with endless peace plans and negotiations that go nowhere. One of my criticisms with the book concerns Findley's account of the Intifada. Findley lists how many Palestinians were detained, murdered, and injured. I think he should have included figures on how many Jews were killed in the uprising. This would bolster his arguments better, in my opinion, as those numbers are probably lower than the Palestinian numbers. Still, this book is shocking in its implications and should be read by all Americans. I recommend reading this book before reading "They Dare to Speak Out."