Chas Freeman - a former high-level envoy to China who translated at the Nixon-Mao meeting and a former Arabist who served as ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War - looked like he very may well have buffed efforts by American Zionists to deny him the post of Director of National Intelligence.

Freeman has committed himself to a lifetime of service to the United States, serving more than in China and Saudi Arabia but in numerous other nations. He is widely respected within the foreign policy establishment, but because he has uttered a few timid criticisms of Israel in the past pro-Israelis in the American media and the Israel lobby are trying to prevent his placement. The pro-Israel lobby has been very effective in making criticisms of Israel a cardinal sin in American politics by blocking the appointments - through pressure and sympathetic voices in the media - of any official who isn’t entirely in league with Israel. Most recently, the Israel lobby pressured the White House to retract the nomination of Anthony Zinni to be the ambassador to Iraq because Zinni is known to oppose the military option against and Iran.

With regards to Freeman, the thinking was that if their pressure on the Obama White House was going to work, Freeman would have been removed as a candidate before the Senate was informed of his nomination. The nomination does not require Senate confirmation, only notification. The Senate was informed, but the effort to dislodge Freeman has not ceased. It has in fact broadened to now encompass Nation Review - the most prominent conservative - and also neo-con - publication.

And The Weekly Standard reports that New York Senator Chuck Schumer - one of the most vocal pro-Israel voices in Congress - called White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel to voice his concerns over Freeman’s Middle East views.

And 10 Republican members of Congress have asked an independent investigator to investigate who funds Freeman’s Middle East think-tank. This investigation is proper, the American people should know how is funding Freeman.

But the point here is that all this may actually succeed in toppling Freeman, all because he criticized Israel. And then they protest when people speak about an Israel Lobby!