@@ American study: Israeli lobby is a source of serious concern for the United States' national security @@
Arash
March 17, 2006
Study: U.S. Mideast policy motivated by pro-Israel lobby
By Shmuel Rosner
rosner[AT]haaretz.co.il
letters[AT]haaretz.co.il
feedback[AT]haaretz.co.il
Washington -- The U.S. Middle East policy is not in America's national interest and
is motivated primarily by the country's pro-Israel lobby, according to a study
published yesterday by researchers from Harvard University and the University of
Chicago.
Observers in Washington said yesterday that the study was liable to stir up a tempest
and spur renewed debate about the function of the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee (AIPAC) lobby.
"No lobby has managed to divert U.S. foreign policy as far from what the American
national interest would otherwise suggest, while simultaneously convincing Americans
that U.S. and Israeli interests are essentially identical", write the authors of the
study.
"Washington would not be nearly as worried about Iran, or Syria were it not so
closely tied to Israel".
"The core of the Lobby is comprised of American Jews who make a significant
effort in their daily lives to bend U.S. foreign policy so that it advances Israel’s
interests".
"American Jewish leaders often consult with Israeli officials, so that the
former can maximize their influence in the United States", write the authors.
"The Israel Lobby"
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v28/n06/mear01_.html
"The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy"
http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/Research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/RWP06-011/$File/rwp_06_011_walt.pdf
[PDF -1.4MB]
John J. Mearsheimer (http://political-science.uchicago.edu/faculty/mearsheimer.html)
from the University of Chicago's political science department and Stephen M. Walt
(http://ksghome.harvard.edu/~swalt/) from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of
Government do not present new facts. They rely mainly on an analysis of Israeli and
American newspaper reports and studies, along with the findings of the Israeli human
rights group B'Tselem.
The study also documents accusations that American supporters of Israel pushed the
United States into war with Iraq.
It lists senior Bush administration officials who supported the war and are also
known to support Israel, such as Paul Wolfowitz
(http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1390), Douglas Feith
(http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1146) and David Wurmser
(http://rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/1392).
The authors say the influence of the pro-Israel lobby is a source of serious concern
and write that it has even caused damage to Israel by preventing it from reaching a
compromise with its neighbors.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/695227.html