The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy

Every American, who cares about this country, should read this book. The authors go out of their way throughout the book to ensure that the information provided is in no way an attack on judaism or Israel. Rather, they provide invaluable and factual information about how the tail wags the dog when it comes to the so called the US Mid-East policy. Brilliant demonstration of how influential this lobby is, and has been, on the direction of this country. a must read for anyone who wants to understand our position in the world, especially during these tumultuous times w what's going on w Iran and the entire region.

Once upon a time, there were 2 American entities that came together to specifically create a new, third entity called IL by the process of discourse. These two creator entities are named MW (MearsheimerWalt), and their offspring was born abroad in the UK – specifically at the London (Times) Review of Books in 2006. Quickly, this new IL offspring gathered strength through the gentle nurturing from its parent organism MW, who carefully and methodically rebutted invader organisms from killing off their newly-born entity. In fact, as more invaders attacked the newly-born IL offspring, creator-entity MW sprang into parenting mode, to help IL become even larger, healthier, and more robust through more highly-refined written and oral discourse. As a result, MW had to endure the crucible of more IL refinement and continued defense against the invaders, to enhance IL’s further growth and robust qualities. One year later in 2007, the IL entity became even bigger, healthier, and more robust; and so to celebrate this new phase, it had a name change and an even newer re-birth place for this tempered form of the entity: it grew from its first physical form of 32 pages (including rebuttals) born in London to its current form of an astonishing 496 pages by means of a new but international midwife, Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, at its New York office. IL has become so famous that it landed on the coveted #1 Best Seller list position in the New York Times. This position affirms IL’s veracity. IL’s full name now is: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. This comparison (using genetics [with a little alchemy sprinkled in], ancient world history, and Darwin’s ‘survival of the fittest’ to create a new entity) is exactly what happened to Professor John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) and Professor Steven Walt (Harvard University) in their odyssey of creating a book that no one would dare write before because of the affects of foreign-country interest groups in the US from the Israel Lobby, AIPAC. There is a related group that has also had its tentacles on US campus ME Studies departments from the early 2000s, trying to know what professors were teaching their students and trying to politically either back up or remove those professors whose ideas went against theirs. There has been no public, nonacademic discourse and correction to this activity because universities rely on funding, and money speaks volumes (over discourse). This public free-speech activity (all sides of it) needs to be discussed, especially according to how each comment relates all of our country’s established frameworks/ documents of power (including the Constitution). This affords all participants with a very lively and rich discourse experience in which all participants will learn much from each other. Some of the most educated and important people in the US have views on this topic and ALL of them are worth reading and listening to via all formats (books, articles, journals, videos, podcasts, etc.) All of these people’s views combined with those from Mearsheimer and Walt in this book are part of an important knowledge base that needs to be tapped, understood, and added to in later Mearsheimer-Walt book editions. In short, because there has been much change in this country since this book was first published in 2007, the book has stood the test of time, and these changes need to be included in a revised, later edition. Mearsheimer and Walt’s book: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is now recommended classroom reading in most poli sci, government studies, ME studies, diplomacy and diplomatic studies preparation programs in institutions of higher education, both in the US and those abroad. Why? Because it is the first book of its kind to look carefully at one foreign country (Israel) and how it affects the behavior and actions of another (the US/ US taxpayers, the group that subsidizes the foreign country) in terms of policy and aid. It also affects who is elected to US Congress and who stays elected. As with most topics, this book generates needed discourse about countries (those with money and those without it that need it as aid from another, wealthier country), policies, lobby groups, money/ funding, aid, political parties and issues, diplomacy, and how all of these influence and intermingle, to create a larger world-system of which both the US and Israel are a part. Mearsheimer and Walt have created this book to shed light on a topic that was ready to be illuminated. Once this book was published, like its UK germination stage phase, it (and the authors) went through the second crucible tempering in which the authors had to defend their ideas on US soil, successfully defending them against opposite forces. This book has passed muster again through this process. Simultaneously, there were videos made of university and diplomacy ‘Round Tables’ with Q/A sessions at the end that are found online for the general public as well as academia. In these, the authors successfully defended their theses, resulting in a further strengthening of their ideas. Also, the comments of all people whose opinions were directed at the two became known, with some of the public agreeing and some disagreeing. Through this process, participants could learn more things about what they believe in, why, and some will even re-edit/ amend their own initial ideas. Unfortunately, a culling of professional-academic personnel has occurred since the early 2000s, in which some professors and writers have been professionally ousted from their positions in academia and related areas (writing) for their stances against this foreign lobby group. This, alone, warrants the reading of this book and its future revised, edition. Because this book is so interesting, I have bought extra copies to give to friends to read and later discuss. Afterwards, we form groups and engage in critical thinking and dialog to further hone our knowledge about this topic. Included in this activity is that we all watch designated on-line videos, listen to podcasts, read articles and journals, etc., to enhance what we learn from reading this book. I thoroughly recommend this groundbreaking book for anyone who has an interest in our country and how it relates to foreign countries.

I think the reason this book is controversial is because it speaks the truth. It is sad how much power AIPAC and other pro Israeli lobby has on US Foreign Policy. All the authors have done is presented and spoke of the unjust US Foreign policies which are not in US interest but favor mostly Israel. Credit to the authors for taking the bold step in writing such book in detail. It is not only a informative book but great read as well. There are about 150 pages of references as well. Also youtube the authors and you will see that they speak the truth. This is how i make my book purchase by first seeing who the authors are since nowadays anybody can write the books so you have to be careful where you spend your money. Hats off to both the authors for having the courage to speak in US and its citizen's interest not being biased towards Israel. One thing which I was unaware of was that $3 billion dollars (this figure is more, see the videos and other references I have listed below) a year is given to Israel as AID and that is Tax Payers money. The thought which came to my mind is that all this time I have been working hard to pay to Israel? why? We are crying for recession, unemployment etc yet we are showering tax payers money to Israel, why? Whya aren't we solving our own problems first before helping others? Why Tax Payers money is spend so lavishly on wars which are not benefiting anyone? US have failed in both Iraq and Afghanistan miserably. Iraq war at least was initiated by Israeli lobby. The pro Israel spies lied by creating a false report against Iraq's WMD and when US attacked Iraq, they found nothing. Not only that, authors also presented the case of couple of congressmen who were spying on US's plan for Iran. Which was handed over to Israeli embassy. This news was kept hush hush by the media and only brought it up with few headlines here and there. No one covered it in detail. Another case that is presented is the Freedom of American Citizens, Rachel Corrie - US Citizen. Was an activist and was killed by Israeli bulldozer. Regardless of how she was killed, some American Citizens wanted to honor her by creating a play "My Name is Rachel Corrie", the artists had to face barrage of criticism and canceled shows here in US itself. The show was criticized for being Anti Semite/Anti Israel. Now the show have picked up but most of support came from UK thats where the show was premiered. Many pro Israel critics condemned the show but the point is why the US citizens not allowed to perform in their own country honoring their own citizen? There was nothing anti about the show. It was just a show to honor her efforts to bring peace to the troubled region. Why our government didn't say anything to the pro Israel lobby that they should respect American people honoring an American. After all Hollywood flush barrage of Holocaust movies every year, no one protest to that why US citizens are not allowed to express themselves and honor their own citizens? Are we living in US or Israel? Another case they presented was Jimmy Carter's. Jimmy Carter's excellent and must read book "Palestine Peace not Apartheid" also faced the barrage of criticism from the Pro Israel and Jewish lobby. There is nothing controversial about that book. He just presented his experience in the book. It is a enjoyable book to read and also a must read for everyone in the world to read. He does not go out and attack Israel, he also talks about failure of Arab countries in working out the peace with Israel. Even the authors of this book had to face the hostility when they went to print the book. It was published in UK. The questions is, why? Do we have any Freedom in our own country or are we living in Israel? Why can't no one speak about it? Why are those who dare to speak are called Anti Semite/Anti Israel? Why can't we be allowed to live peacefully? US have lost its reputation among countries due to unconditional support to Israel. Israel walk away every time without any charges. Recently US vetoed UN Human Rights report against Israel and Hezbollah saying that the report was biased. Does the US leaders think public is stupid? Such actions create more terrorism because we are not accepting that we are humans too and we can make mistakes as well. And real men/women accept their mistakes and correct themselves. It is better to win on principles then win on lies. Everyone should listen to Marriane Williamson lecture "Standing up to the Darkness". Anyone who wants peace in the world, must read this book and educate/recommend other fellow citizens as well. We cannot be sleeping like this when we have problems of our own (recession, unemployment etc) then why send so much aid to Israel, Pakistan etc? My brother and sisters, lets wake up and tell our leaders that we cannot be kept in dark like this. Israel is ally and they should be but no biased support anymore. Just like every other human being, jews also have right to exist and live peacefully on this earth. But they should not go all out and take away American citizens freedom. Just like US allow them to honor the victims of holocaust same way pro Israelis should also allow other US citizens to allow their freedom too. At the end authors also presented that US should start treating Israel as a country, no unconditional support. This book and Imperial Hubris (even Osama Bin Laden have quoted this book and referred for every American to read this book. Must Read) will help you understand the issue in MidEast and why Osama is against US Foreign Policy. Peace and lets wake up friends. MUST WATCH VIDEOS/Books: Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid Youtube videos every North American Citizen should watch: Confessions of an Economic Hit Man Greta Van Susteren James Traficant

'The Israel Lobby and US. Foreign Policy' is an important work in the field of international security. Both Walt and Mearsheimer are highly regarded international relations scholars of the "realist" school. For those who are unfamiliar with the realist school, the idea is rather simple: international affairs are regarded as high politics among nation "players", whereby decisions are made strategically and in order to promote the interests of the nation and its close allies. Narrow self- interest predominates. However, neorealists do allow for other non-strategic aspects to play a role in international affairs. The famous scholar E.H. Carr long ago posited that morality and idealism often find their way into inter-state discussions and diplomacy. More recent works in the international relations literature have discussed the role of domestic politics in promoting certain viewpoints; these works help explain why decisions are not always in the best interests of the nation-state. Walt and Mearsheimer's work is significant in that it introduces the important idea that even for such a controversial issue as U.S. support for Israel, strategic or national interest issues alone cannot singularly explain outcomes. It has long been argued that Israel, being the only truly friendly ally in the Mid-East, should receive greater economic, military, and even moral support. This was especially the case when U.S. support for Israel was vital to stemming back the Soviet influence and expansion in the Mid-East prior to the early 1990's. And, one might well argue that support for Israel is important today since Israel is not only surrounded by either bellicose or unfriendly Islamic nations, but that it assists the U.S. in its efforts to curtail Islamic extremism. Finally, the moral and religious argument that Jews share a close kinship with devout Christians, especially the so-called "Religious Right", helps explain why support has been largely unwavering, where other allies might have seen a drop-down in economic and military support after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Walt and Mearsheimer do not shy away from any of these legitimate arguments, and in fact do acknowledge that not only does Israel have a right to exist, but that it is in our best interests to support it. The argument made in the book is not at all anti-Israel or anti-Semitic, as some have charged in newspaper articles and a recent book by Abraham Foxman. To place a scholarly work like this in the same boat as 'The Protocols of the Elders of Zion', or to argue that because the book might be construed as anti-Semitic by extremists or neo-Nazis, that the book itself is anti-Semitic, is unjust. I do not regard this book as the definitive analysis of pro-Israeli lobbying in American politics. While it introduces well-researched statistical evidence, backed up by historical and anecdotal evidence, lobbying and domestic politics scholars are likely to give this book only lukewarm praise. Even Walt and Mearsheimer admit that they are a bit outside their realm of expertise: as realists, who focus largely on the international sphere, their analysis is largely domestic in nature. What is notably missing from this work is the connection between the highly-researched historical analysis (the "geopolitical" view) and the connection to domestic lobbying by pro-Israel groups. Beyond circumstantial evidence and some highly suggestive causal connections, the book does not firmly establish that it is pro-Israel lobbying that definitively explains such events as the Iraq War or Israel's highly self-damaging aerial bombing of Lebanon in 2006. Does the Israel "lobby"- as defined by monetary and political support for Israel and its causes by various domestic groups- have a lot of sway in Congress? Walt and Mearsheimer make a good case in favor of this proposition. Has America's lack of resolve in pushing forth a two-state solution, and Israel's continued refusal to halt settlements in disputed territory, particularly the West Bank, been counter-productive? Walt and Mearsheimer make a good case for this, but this view is by no means novel. In fact, there is a significant amount of scholarly work coming out of Israel proper (the so-called "liberal school") that views much of what is happening in Israel today as counter to its interests, whether that is because it fails to stem (and frequently encourages) Arab extremism, or because Israeli treatment of Palestinian refugees is viewed as inhumane and unjust. Thus, there are both moral and strategic ("realist") arguments to be made against Israel's policies. Walt and Mearsheimer's analysis of these issues is a strong point. But, again, the lobbying analysis offers, at best, circumstantial, suggestive evidence. In the end, it is unlikely that Walt and Mearsheimer will be "remembered" for 'The Israeli Lobby..' from inside the academic community. But outside of it, they are likely to be referenced by future work on the lobby issue. Perhaps the most relevant aspect of 'The Israeli Lobby..' will be that it introduces a topic that has been heretofore been largely avoided, but one that does deserve a more serious and scholarly treatment.

I read this entire book over two days, and have since ordered 20 additional copies which I've been giving to friends, family and clients. I should get the copies of the audio book tomorrow which I'll be sharing with all my pod-peeps. Mearsheimer and Walt hit it all: Manipulation of congress, fear tactics, invocation of guilt, dispensationalism, (The following book is the best I've read on undoing the Christian fanaticism scholorley and biblically: Rapture: The End-Times Error That Leaves the Bible Behind ). They expose the witch hunts against anyone exposing this goliath. (Books covering this include: The Power of Israel in the United States They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby This book covers all of the elements of THE LOBBY which has co-opted a faith as cover, uses history as an excuse (Example of how using history as an excuse to repeat history is found in this book: The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish Suffering, New Edition 2nd Edition ). Bottom line, this Lobby does very little that supports that faith or presents it in a positive light. The authors make the point quite clear that the Israel Lobby is way out of step with Jewish Americans and Israelis. It supports its own Likud-neocon aspirations and it doesn't take prisoners. This is a must read along with Ilan Pappe's The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine and Scott Ritter's Target Iran: The Truth About the White House's Plans for Regime Change In truth, THE LOBBY is panicking, an emotion abundantly articulated by Foxman's rather pitiful attempt to smear these authors on National Public Radio Sept 4th, (Fresh Air podcast of this is available for download and Teri Gross does an excellent job of calling Foxman, who obviously had not read the book, on his tactics). In essence the book shows that a very small group of people (in the 10's of thousands only) are using faith (Christianity and Judaism) and history (Holocaust, Mythology of Zionism, even the crusades and Stalin's Russia) to manipulate politics and take what they want. They can do this because most people don't know their history and operate on sound bites. THE LOBBY is their tool, threats are their means and the people who pay for this are Americans, Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Iranians, Iraqis, Syrians and anyone else who won't roll over and give them what they want on their terms and their terms alone. I did not find this a dry read or even a high brow scholarly read. It's plain, simple language, straight forward and logical...but fascinating as well. Read it. Side comment: There is a solution. This book didn't touch on this but this is something that would minimize the influence of all lobbies on American life: One thing Americans can do about this, and it isn't just this lobby that is a problem--the Israel Lobby is simply the worst offender. Our constitution never intended for the federal government to be the bloated aristocracy it has become. It was suppose to be weak and decentralized. Power was to reside with the states, even on issues of health, education and retirement. If we demand that our congressional and senatorial representatives only stay in DC two weeks a quarter and require they conduct their affairs where they are suppose to be, within their own districts/states and with their constituencies, every lobby would be forced to have at least 50 offices to corral our congress. This is a good thing. With telecommunications, our reps don't need to be schmoozing in DC. They need to be meeting with the people they represent, in their states, listening to us, not lobbies. This one simple solution would severely handicap the lobbying industry and reset our elected officials on a course toward supporting us, not special interests. It would make all Lobby groups less effective and our representatives might start representing the people who vote for them rather than the few who pay for them, for a change. Think about it. What this book illustrates is what happens when too much money gets into the hands of a small group of people with an agenda. Republics can't afford that, but we don't want to destroy lobbies completely either.

This is really a fascinating book that is sure to cause many heated debates. For one, the authors have already been labeled anti-Semites. According to the authors, anyone with views that go against the interests of the Jewish State Israel is immediately accused of being anti-Semite. Jimmy Carter was accused of being an anti-Semite for pointing out the brutality the Jewish Israelis bestow on the Palestinians in his book `Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid'. Don't be surprised to see comments on this site accusing reviewers, who are merely pointing out their views or simply reviewing this book, to be anti-Semite. As one reviewer correctly pointed out, opposing Bush doesn't make someone anti-American just as opposing Sharon, Netanyahu, Barak and Olmert doesn't make someone anti-Semite. The authors say, "Indeed, there are signs that the reflexive charge of anti-Semitism is beginning to lose its power to stifle debate." (p. 195). The authors further say, "Let us be clear: anti-Semitism is a despicable phenomenon with a long and tragic history, and all people should remain vigilant against its resurgence and condemn it when it arises...But it is essential that we distinguish between true anti-Semitism and legitimate criticism of Israeli policy..." (p. 196). Another accusation I often see is a comment that the reviewer did not read the book. Because the reviewer's point of view does not correspond with the reader's, do we conclude that the reviewer did not read the book? It is our right, at least from a democratic viewpoint, to express our views and beliefs without prejudice. Jews believe that because they have suffered so much during their history, especially recently during the Holocaust, which is one of the most horrific periods in modern history, that special treatment must be given to them. In that case special treatment should be given to all people of the earth. Are you honestly going to tell me that the black slaves suffered less than the Jews? Or that the innocent Japanese men, women and children who either died by atomic radiation or lived for years together with their off spring with radiation poising fared better than the Jews during the holocaust? What about the atrocities committed in the Gulag and the extermination of the North and South American indigenous Indians? Ever hear of the Zápara? When Henry Ford figured out how to mass-produce automobiles, the demand for inflatable tubes and tires soon found ambitious Europeans heading up every navigable Amazonian stream, claiming land with rubber trees and seizing indigenous slave laborers to tap them. In Ecuador, the Zápara men were chained to trees and made to work until they fell dead of exhaustion. Zápara women and girls, taken as breeders or sex slaves, were raped to death. After this rubber genocide only a few hundred Zápara were left alive, out of hundreds of thousands! Anyone lately is talking about the Zápara Holocaust? History is filled with atrocities committed against mankind. No one nation or race fared better than another--each had their share of atrocities. Today, it is the Palestinians' turn to taste the evil that man does, and by no other than a race who knows better than the rest of us in recent history what suffering is! John Donne sums it up nicely in the following poem: No man is an island, entire of itself every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls it tolls for thee. One would think that the Jewish people would be the kindest and most understanding people in the world. They have been through the most atrocious experience recently during World War II and the evil of Hitler during the Holocaust. Even before Hitler Jews were persecuted and discriminated against in Europe. Their history is also one of hardship since its beginnings some 5,000 years ago. Yet, according to the authors, the Jewish Israelis are very brutal towards their Palestinian neighbors. Not only has their land been taken in the 1940s, they are still confiscating Palestinian land and building settlements on them, and murdering women and children in the process. This is really sad and surprising, given the Jewish people would be the ones most understanding about human suffering, and what it is like being persecuted, being left without a nation, discriminated against, and murdered! This is the Palestinian Holocaust! The Jewish religion is a beautiful religion, and the root of the two other great religions--Christianity and Islam. It is a monotheistic religion, and Jews know well that upsetting God or going against his will--or in other words, sinning--has grave consequences on them, as their history in the last five thousand years has shown. Furthermore, both Islam and the Jews regard Prophet Abraham as their father. The Jews are descendants of one of Prophet Abraham's son, while the Moslems are descendant of another of Abraham's sons. Jews and Muslims are therefore cousins. This has been shown today by DNA testing. One can also go further back in history and claim that both Jews and Muslims are descendants of Adam and Eve, whom both believe to be the first humans. So why all this bloodshed between cousins, and between people kneeling everyday to the same God and following the teachings of the same prophets (Muslims believe in all of the Jewish prophets)? Is all this fighting for land? Is it worth burning in hell (Jews believe in hell) for the sake of calling a piece of land theirs? Isn't this a materialistic view, as opposed to a spiritual one? The authors point out that the majority of the people living in Palestine before 1940 were Muslim Arab Palestinians. After the war against them by the Jews and the formation of the Jewish State, Israel, Jews slowly started catching up with the Palestinian population. This is not because their birth rate gave them an advantage, quite the contrary, but because the present majority of the Jews living in the occupied territories are not native to this land, but came mainly from Russia and Europe. Modern Jews were therefore imported into Palestine. This is a conquest of a land they were not living on in the first place--sort of like the Europeans taking the land of the American Indians and today claiming it is theirs. In other words, the majority of the Jews living in what was formerly known as Palestine are not indigenous to this land. So the authors ask, `why is the United States supporting Israel?' The authors make clear from the beginning that should the sovereignty of Israel be threatened, the United States should come to its aid. But why is Israel receiving special treatment from the United States when it is behaving in ways contrary to American ethics and democratic values? As the authors, as well as Jimmy Carter, point out, the brutal treatment of the Palestinians by the Israeli army goes against all American values and ethics. Yet the United Stated blindly supports Israel, even when it is not to its national interest. In fact, no country in the world receives such a special treatment from the US. The authors say, "Since 1976, six Israeli leaders have addressed joint sessions of Congress, a higher total than for any other country. A trivial indicator, perhaps, but it is still striking given that these six leaders represented a country whose 2007 population was less than that of New York City... Yitzhak Rabin was right: America's generosity toward Israel is 'beyond compare in modern history'...the United States and Israel may well have the most extraordinary tie in international politics." (p. 48). The authors point out that it would be better for the US to distance itself from Israel, and to oppose Israel when it behaves in an immoral way, just like it does with other countries of the world. But as the authors point out, this is not an easy task given the Israel lobby on US land. US politicians are afraid of the Israel lobby. The Israel lobby can tip the balance on whether a certain senator or president is elected! And no US politician can criticize Israel in fear of being labeled an anti-Semite! Yet it is Israel that is a very racist country. The authors point out recent polls where the majority of the Israelis view the Palestinians as an unclean and inferior people. This is how whites viewed blacks during slavery. The authors also point out that the Palestinians live in a big jail and at the mercy of Israel for food, water, medicine, electricity, and fuel. No one can enter or leave Palestine without the permission of Israel. The Palestinians living in Israel, and thus holders of Israeli passports, are discriminated against. They are treated by the government as a second class people, with neglect, oppression and suspicion. This permanent second-class status contradicts the idea of a multi-ethnic society which Americans associate which freedom and democracy. The authors emphasize that Jews have a right to exist in a state of their own within internationally recognized borders but so do the Palestinians. However, according to the authors, Israel is a state determined to colonize all of Palestine, to deny Palestinians their rights, and to dominate the region, and thus to avoid peace. The authors point out that since the present policies of the state of Israel, many of which are condemned worldwide as illegal and immoral, do not conform to international law and UN resolutions, they should no longer be supported by the US, for this would be dangerous for the future of the country for it encourages hatred and terrorism directed toward the US. The authors say, "in fact a good case could be made that current U.S. policy conflicts with basic American values and if the United States were to choose sides on the basis of moral considerations alone, it would back the Palestinians, not Israel." Israel is one of the world's worst human rights violators. The authors point out that the media has convinced the American public that US and Israeli interests are identical and any opinion to the contrary is unacceptable, outrageous and intolerable. Criticism of the government of Israel has been tacitly but effectively prohibited in the U.S. However, the media in Israel has been more forthcoming. Interestingly, the authors point out that many in Israel oppose the brutal treatment of the Palestinians, and in fact oppose US support in defense of Israel's actions. In fact, Israeli newspapers often publish articles about the brutal treatment of the Palestinians. More articles in favor of the Palestinians and against the brutality of the Israeli army are published in Israel than in the US. Israel is the strongest nation in the Middle East, and one of the strongest nations in the world. It also is a nuclear nation. No country in the Middle East can win a fight against Israel, even if they all joined force together. With its nuclear arsenal, no country could possibly envision conquering it, let alone erase it from the pages of history, as the Iranian president has often foolishly said. Israel is safe, and can take care of itself, and does not need US support. According to the authors, the Iranians have been pushed to obtain nuclear weapons. What if Canada is suddenly conquered by China or Russia? Wouldn't the US try to undermine the new Russian or Chinese friendly government? The US invaded two countries neighbors to Iran--Afghanistan and Iraq. It also has bases in neighboring Arab countries, such as Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. It also placed Iran as a terrorist and rogue state, and threatens to hit it. Under such circumstances, isn't it normal for Iran to try to militarize itself? Wouldn't the US have done the same if it was under a similar situation? According to the authors, it is the Israel lobby that pushed the US to go to war against Iraq, and it is now pushing the US to go to war against Syria and Iran. Israel does not act in the best interest of the US, yet because US politicians need the Jewish vote to win elections, they blindly support Israel. By supporting Israel, the US is distancing itself from the rest of the world, mainly from Arab countries. Instead of being an asset to the US, Israel has become a liability. After World War II and during the cold war, Israel was an important military base for the US against the USSR. However, with the cold war over, Israel can't be used as a military base for fear of upsetting Arab countries. For this reason, during both US wars against Iraq in 1991 and 2003, Israel was not used by the Allied Forces as a military base. The authors ask, "What strategic importance is Israel now with the cold war over?" According to the authors, Israel is the number one nation with a spy network within US borders. It is a well known fact that Israel has sold stolen US military technology to China. Israel continues to spy on the US today. The authors conclude that while the US should insure Israel's existence, it should treat Israel no differently than it treats other allies. In other words, the US should forgo its so-called "special relationship" with the Jewish state. Words are indeed mightier than the sword. I agree with one reviewer who asked, "When will there be a Lobby for the American people?"

Written before it’s time. Very detailed accounting of the US-Israeli relationship that is mind-blowing to say the least. An informed population is the minimum requirement of any true republic.

Reading through the reviews, it struck me as to how polarized the reviews are. Most people are simply happy that someone took the courage to write this, and bring to light the dark underbelly of money and power politics in the U.S. Israeli power politics. Sad state of affairs when so many people decided to begin writing reviews without even having read the book. The mass hysteria and the desire to swing the votes. M&W are not anti-semite, nor are they anti-Israel. Characterizing them as either is a farce and idiotic. If anything, they are patriotic Americans who believe that the current relationship basis is not in American interest. That makes them Pro-U.S., not necessarily anti-semitic. The canard of holocaust and labeling of anti-semitic for anyone who opposes neo-con Israeli policies has been overused and abused. People need to be careful to use the label for anyone and everyone. It clubs dangerous leaders such as Ahmedanijad along with authors such as M&W. Clearly, no one will believe you then when you overuse the word. Now to the review of the book - what M&W have written is actually no different than what has been written previously. Their writing taken objectively, corroborates with "Friends in Deed: Inside the U.S.-Israel Alliance" by Yossi Melman, Dan Raviv. That book was indeed praised, and never labeled anti-semitic by anyone. They too describe the rise of the Israeli lobbies. Only difference is that the Melman and Raviv book tells the same things but with pride infused, rather than positioning it as a wakeup call. They too paint the picture of the rise of the lobbies ADL and AIPAC. Perhaps you ought to read that, and then go criticize it too for painting the picture of overly strong lobbies. In fact, they do a good job of detailing the account of George Bush (1st) mentioning how much these lobbies were exerting undue influence, and how AIPAC and ADL sought their revenge. Personally, I do not see how the M&W book differs from the Melman and Raviv book, except that M&W say that it is not good for U.S., and Melman and Raviv say these lobbies have been really good for Israel. I think anyone reading the M&W book should definitely also read the "Friends In Deed" book by Melman and Raviv. Judge for yourself, if they are telling you the same thing, albeit with different undertones. If you want to feel the power of the Israel Lobby, realize this -- Israel is the only country to have gotten away by massacring 34 Americans in cold blood, and injuring over 174. The U.S.S. Liberty incident where an electronic intelligence ship was brutally attacked by jets with tail numbers painted over, despite the fact that the ship was flying a U.S. Flag. Thereafter, the ship was torpedoed by Israeli Navy. Somehow the captain got the ship to a port (Israelis believed that the ship was certainly going to sink). The lobby ensured that the incident got buried, and it is the only instance in which Congressional Medal of Honor was awarded on a quiet dock by Undersecretary of Navy and not by the President, and not in public. Can you point out a better incident to show the power of the lobby? Any other country that has gotten away with such murder and continued to receive billions of $$$ of aid every single year?

The central argument of the book "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy" by J. J. Mearsheimer and S. M. Walt is that there exists a powerful pro-Israel political lobby in the United States, and that this lobby influences foreign policy in a manner detrimental to the United States, and occasionally also in a manner detrimental to Israel. Arguing this, the book also touches upon many aspects of the United States and Israeli politics and history in general, and so becomes in fact a rather complex and far-reaching work. The value of the book, therefore, rests not only on its ability to argue its central thesis, but also on the more general information it provides on United States and Israel. The book is split into two parts. The first part outlines the strong political and financial support which Israel receives from the United States, argues that the rationale for the support can be based neither on national security interests nor on moral grounds, and proposes instead that the "Israel lobby" - a catch-all term for pro-Israel political groups in the United States - is the main reason for the United States support for Israel. In the second part, examples are given of political affairs - the Iraq war, the second Lebanon war and affairs with Syria and Iran - where the authors argue that United States policy has been irrationally favoring Israeli interests in contrast to national interests, and concludes that the Israel lobby has an important part to play in this. Israel and its relationships with its neighbors is a touchy subject, but the authors take great care to clarify their opinions, to nuance their criticisms, and in particular often and explicitly distance themselves from any anti-semitic lines of thought. In general, while I have not checked many of their sources, the book appears well-researched, and the arguments of the authors are for the most part clearly stated and well thought-out. Personally, however, I did not find the main arguments for the power of the Israel lobby entirely convincing. The general modus operandi employed throughout the book is the following: 1. Consider an example of United States Middle East policy in support of Israel. 2. Argue that the policy has been detrimental to United States national interests. 3. Argue that the policy is not justifiable on moral grounds. 4. Give examples that the Israel lobby influenced the policy. 5. Conclude that the Israel lobby yields considerable influence. This method of argument is largely sound, but it is also necessary to realize both that the final conclusion must be qualified as a matter of degree and that there may be other explanations for the United States policy not considered (other lobbies, for example). I found that the authors argued well that the Israel lobby is powerful, and more powerful than most other lobbies. The authors clearly state that they do not believe that the lobby "controls foreign policy" or anything conspiratorical to that effect, nonetheless I did not find myself entirely convinced that the Israel lobby is quite as powerful as they seem to make it out to be. What I by far found most interesting about the book, however, is that during the development of its arguments, many details of United States and Israeli policies are investigated from both an economical, political and moral perspective. In these discussions, the subject is not how much influence the Israel lobby has, rather the subject is simply analysis of a historical political event, where questions are raised as to how various policies affected terrorism, regime changes, peace prospects et cetera. I found these analyses very informative and thought-provoking. Furthermore, while the authors most of the time find Israel culpable of some major or minor moral stumble, they in general appear to attempt to judge the cases on a fair basis. Also, in several cases throughout the book, when the conclusion is not clear-cut, they point this out. Nonetheless, it is ultimately the case the authors spend most of their arguments criticising Israel rather than defending it. In spite of that I found the arguments for the main thesis - the power of the Israeli lobby as claimed in the book - imperfect, I would clearly and warmly recommend it to anyone interested in the relationship between Israel, its neighbors and the United States. Although somewhat academic, it is very readable and very informative on many accounts. The authors give their opinions and arguments on a varied series of historical and current events, and the arguments in general appear well thought-out, impartial and thought-provoking.

Worth knowing.

El producto vino dañado.

Excelente produto.

While this book makes every effort to play an even hand and provide neutral commentary the authors commit a cardinal Sin in my view by attempting to exonnerate the Israel lobby of the crime of conspiracy. In their attempt to clarify the difference between conspiracy and lobbying they in fact incriminate the lobby by ignoring the fact that conspiracy does not per se have to be secretive. When the lobby puts its full force behind the invasion of Iraq, it misleads the general public concerning its aims to reprganise the middle east as part of a neoliberal empire building exercise, claiming rather that the removal of Saddam Hussein is necessary because of the threat of WMDs. Although this lobbying occurs in the open, the misleading and lying to the public it entails involves a considerable amount of coordination and activity beyond the view of the public. In addition one cannot simply ignore the extent of influence exercised outside public control by organisations like AIPAC. Those who claim the invasion of Iraq and many other interferences all over the world are evidence of conspiracy are therefore very much correct, even if they are not well informed of the precise mechanisms by which policy is determined. In addition the authors commit another naive error by referring to lobbying as a legitimate activity within democracies, and ignoring the many insidious ways that such activity actually undermines public control. In my view they do this to avoid accusations of antisemitism that might otherwise be leveled at them for accusingbthe lobby of questionable if not illegal activity, but the point is tgat lobbying corrupts democratic decisionmaking in ways that are profoundly unethical, and therefore highly problematic. A further cardinal error, in my view, is the authors failure to discuss neoliberalism as the main driving force behind US and Israeli policy. While correctly identifying neocons within the Israel lobby, and the joint US Israeli neocon scheme to literally redraw the geopolitical map of the mideast, the authors fail to explore the wider motive for this, this making it seem as if the Iraq, Syria and Iran regime change plans are entirely motivated by Israeli paranoia rather than a broader ‘conspiracy’ to disempower popular movements in the region from actualising democratic reform from within. These policies may indeed reflect fear amongst neocons of real democratic movements: create an external enemy, identify a scapegoat, go to war, divide and rule! In other words, this oversight is perhaps the most serious error of the book making the long litany of errors in mid east policy entirely inexplicable and thus depriving readers of the possibility to make up their own minds on whether these policies do in fact ‘amount to a conspiracy’ when considered a ‘hidden agenda’. This brings us back to the question whether the term conspiracy needs to be updated to reflect the realpolitikal world as it actually manifests itself in this day and age, which is to say that there is every justification for calling political processes that take place outside the view of the people and beyond public control ‘conspiracy’ regardless whether those involved are deliberately, wittingly, conspiring and collaborating toward any specific goal. The problem is that this leaves readers with precious little understanding of how US policy on the middle east fits with other interests and policies that have an equally important role at home. These are the issues from racism to corruption pollution and wages, healthcare etc. all of which determine voting pattherns and political consciousness and willingness to act. These problems are evident in the authors call in the final conclusions where they suggest the US can still legitimately play a role as nuclear watchdog in the ME! No it cannot! US policy in the region as elsewhere has lost all credibility precisely because it is entirely untethered from any democratic process at home. The US needs to remove all traces of its interference anywhere outside its own borders and fix its democracy problems at home! That might make it a credible partner for peace. All of which is thoroughly depressing. The authors reading suggests in fact that politics is entirely something that takes place outside the scope of publi control. But as Zygmunt Bauman argues real power ultimately rests with the people. It is ordinary people who foot the bill for US donations of money to Israel, who give their lives for the false hope and lie of democracy, and who lose the opportunity to have good schools and hospitals because the country’s respurces are being diverted. The authors recommendations are predictably useless: treat Israel as any other state’ may be good advice but it does not account for tge way in which US policy foreign and domestic is actually made. It ignores tge very real gap between people and power and within public consciousness, themselves the consequences of centuries of injustice and imposed ignorance. Although the authors hold that policy is ultimately a democratic product this by no means explains the extent of polarisation in public debate and policymaking that deprives us of real choice at the polling booth. US foreign policy is in other words a consequence of the lack of real democracy at home, a fact tge authors seem to ignore entirely. Thus when they argue that the lobby’s influence on policy has not made Israel safer they fail to recognise that Israeli leaders ppwer to pursue policies tgat are not in their own best interests represents another discrepancy between the interests of those in power and the common people.