“Emanuel, the son of an Israeli terrorist, Benjamin M. Emanuel who was a member of the Irgun, an underground terror organization in Palestine under the British rule, is someone who volunteered with the Israeli (not the US) army in 1991. It is not clear to what extent Emanuel will influence foreign policy as Obama’s chief of staff and thus keep the ‘special relationship’ that gave Israel a blank check for endless wars.” —Mazin Qumsiyeh, Ph.D