'Israel Lobby' Author Addresses State Department- Coauthor of 'The Israel Lobby' tells State

Free Beacon ^ | 3/3/13 | Adam Kredo

[Nachum]

A controversial author and longtime critic of the U.S.-Israel alliance lectured at the State Department Friday on the eve of the AIPAC policy conference, Washington’s largest annual pro-Israel gathering.

Stephen Walt, coauthor of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy and professor of international affairs at Harvard University, was the featured speaker at the Secretary’s Open Forum on Friday afternoon. His topic: “Top reasons American foreign policy fails,” according to a copy of the event flyer posted in the hallways of Foggy Bottom.

It is unclear how high the U.S.-Israel relationship ranked on Walt’s list.

One State Department insider provided the announcement flyer to the Free Beacon and expressed concern that the Department would host such a divisive figure.

Walt’s speech, which took place as Secretary of State John Kerry traveled overseas on his first diplomatic tour, came days after the Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as secretary of Defense on a sharply divided vote of 58-41. Walt emerged as a strong supporter of Hagel’s nomination, defending the former Nebraska GOP senator’s remarks that the “Jewish lobby” “intimidates” elected officials on Capitol Hill.

[Nachum]

Full title: 'Israel Lobby' Author Addresses State Department- Coauthor of 'The Israel Lobby' tells State Department why 'American foreign policy fails'

Walt celebrated Hagel’s confirmation in an item posted on his Foreign Policy magazine blog two days before his State Department remarks...

[Nachum]

The list, Ping

Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list

http://www.nachumlist.com/

[SJackson]

expressed concern that the Department would host such a divisive figure

Bet Walt could be an undersecretary if he wanted.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Nachum. Here's a freakin' surprise, eh?

Stephen Walt, coauthor of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy and professor of international affairs at Harvard University, was the featured speaker at the Secretary’s Open Forum on Friday afternoon. His topic: “Top reasons American foreign policy fails,” ...came days after the Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as secretary of Defense on a sharply divided vote of 58-41. Walt emerged as a strong supporter of Hagel’s nomination [as did Rand Paul], defending the former Nebraska GOP senator’s remarks that the ''Jewish lobby" ''intimidates” elected officials on Capitol Hill.