Failed Intelligence Pick Blasts Israel Lobby

Charles Freeman, the Obama choice to chair the National Intelligence Council who was forced to withdraw his name, thinks he knows what did him in. Though critics point to a number of factors—his stance on human rights, his financial ties to Saudi Arabia and China—Freeman is convinced that the Israel lobby blocked him, reports Politico. “There is a powerful lobby determined to prevent any view other than its own from being aired,” he wrote in a departing statement.

Sen. Chuck Schumer lobbied against the nomination: “His statements against Israel were way over the top.” Others saw an overreaction. "This is another example of what I call the 'cosmic oy vey,'" said one Mideast expert. "It's an inability of many in the pro-Israeli community to understand the fundamental commitment of this government to Israel." (More Charles Freeman stories.)