Posted on 03/18/2006 10:39:55 PM PST by SmithL
A new study, claiming that the pro-Israel lobby in America caused the United States to skew its Middle East policy in favor of Israel, is stirring controversy in the pro and anti-Israel communities in the US.
The 81-page report, written by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, argues that the pro-Israel lobby in the US managed to convince American lawmakers, officials and US public opinion to support Israel, even though this support runs counter to America's own national interests.
"The overall thrust of US policy in the region is due almost entirely to US domestic politics, and especially to the activities of the 'Israel Lobby,'" the paper writes, adding that while other lobbies have tried to affect US foreign policy, "no lobby has managed to divert US foreign policy as far from what the American national interest would otherwise suggest, while simultaneously convincing Americans that US and Israeli interests are essentially identical." The academic paper, whose authors are well-known scholars in the fields of political science and government, sets out to dispute almost every argument of the pro-Israel activists in the US.
It argues that supporting Israel is not in America's best interest and furthermore, that it complicates the US's international stand and its ability to fight terror. "Israel is in fact a liability in the war on terror and the broader effort to deal with rogue states," the authors write, claiming that "The United States has a terrorism problem in good part because it is so closely allied with Israel, not the other way around." The paper also argues that the US would not be worried about Iran, Iraq and Syria, if not for its close ties with Israel.
The Harvard paper also argues that Israel is not a worthy ally for the US, that it is not a true democracy and that it uses torture methods that are against American values.
The main claim of the authors is that the powerful pro-Israel lobby in the US is the reason for a biased US foreign policy in the region that favors Israel. They point to The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC)'s activity in Congress and in the executive branch and talk about how it allegedly "manipulates the media" and "polices academia" in order to make sure the US maintains a pro-Israel approach. The authors add that AIPAC also uses the claim of anti-Semitism, or "the great silencer" as they refer to it, to shut off any criticism of Israel.
The paper voices the claim that pro-Israeli officials in the Bush administration, namely Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith and David Wurmser, were behind the push for war in Iraq and that the pro-Israel lobby was a driving force in encouraging the administration to go to war against Saddam Hussein.
The research has sparked instant controversy in the US. It was distributed over the weekend through several Web sites and list serves known for their anti-Israel approach and drew harsh criticism from pro-Israel activists.
An official with a pro-Israel organization in Washington said that the authors' disagreement "is not with America's pro-Israel lobby, but with the American people, who overwhelmingly support our relationship with Israel, and with Democrats and Republicans in successive administrations and Congress, who so strongly and consistently support the special relationship between the United States and Israel."
thanks for posting this.
thanks for the link.
But you are okay with the fact that we subsidize in much greater amounts, in blood as well as treasure, the far richer than Israel, Europe?
Of course those numbers are concealed in the DEFENSE budget not as foreign aide.
http://www.issues.org/21.4/pena.html
Our subsidies of European defense are put to good use by the all encompassing European social welfare system.
I'd rather give Israel "3 to 5" billion each year than see us give one thin dime to any muslim country.
My pleasure. It's just a gut feeling, but I think I smell the scent of Saudi money.
That's true in English and Hebrew too. They spurt off every slander against Israel that they dig up and dress it up as a scholarly white paper. It's a sack of "kernels"!
I agree with your link that we would be able to cut back on defense spending by insisting Europe take full resposibility for their own defense and we should do just that, but our stationing of troops over there is more for our own strategic military interests than for Europe's benefit, so I wouldn't characterize it as a subsidy in the strict sense of the word. We do it to project our power and to keep our troops more rapidly deployable to protect our interests in that part of the world.
We shouldn't be giving a dime to any muslim country, but even when we do that, it is usually for the reason of getting them to 'play nice' with Israel. If we don't support the Mubarak regime in Egypt, most likely the muslim brotherhood would take power, and that's not in either one of our interests. Be that as it may, I still would be more than happy to cut off the aid, the only relationship I want with these crazy Arab countries is a business one. The geo-political chessgame we are attempting to play with these medieval crackpots isn't working.
"but our stationing of troops over there is more for our own strategic military interests than for Europe's benefit"
I don't agree. If the issue was apolitical rapid deployment we would station in Israel or elsewhere in the ME. Clearly that's where the action is and has been since the Cold War ended.
It is clear to me that having a tight and strong ally in that region, an ally that is not going to turn on us or get overthrown, is invaluable. The military ties and cooperation between Israel and US are much stronger than is publicized because of US fear of Arab reaction. That is a mistake too IMO. US contributes in that way to Arab attempts to delegitimize Israel.
Also we should push Japan to arm to counter the China threat.
Some military experts do not hold with the necessity of overseas bases for rapid deployment. Then there are those who posit that the most efficient and fastest would be more carriers.
Here is another link that is striking for having been written pre 9/11 but being prescient on the US/Europe split.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Europe/hl657.cfm
You're welcome. I was happy to do it.
Not to worry. According to Mearsheimer, China's not a threat to anyone outside its borders.
If the US ever became anti-Jewish enough that Jews would fear for their safety, consider that without US support Israel would fold within a short time thereafter.
In other words, if the US ever became unsafe, then noplace is safe, which is why AIPAC spends so much attention on the state of the US political scene
And the number of supporters of those groups on FR is?
Well, I see two problems right off...
Doubtful. Israel was doing very well before close ties with USA were established in 1967.
For example during Suez War of 1956 it was France and UK siding with Israel while USA was opposing it. BTW it was after 1956 when France decided to help Israel with nuclear technology.
"Harvard study: AIPAC makes US act against own interests"
My first thought -
Since when can Harvard studies identify US interests?
"Leaving aside the argument of whether or not our wholesale support of Israel is or is not in our best interest, is there any doubt that American Jews have influence in American politics in great disproportion to their numbers? I'm not saying that's good or bad; it simply seems indisputable to me."
Yup, better start banning us from certain careers and having anti-Jew quotas. Can's let us get uppity, now, can ya!
Encouraging people to think that it is antisemitism to mention these facts is a form of mind control.
"It's well past time they draw up permanent borders and quit pestering us for money."
Please explain whan you know about the genesis of US aid to Israel.
Also, why would you cut aid to Israel, but continue billions of miltary aid to Egypt?
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