John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt

Endnotes              back to page 180 Robert S. Greenberger and Karby Leggett, “President’s Dream: Changing Not Just Regime but a Region: A Pro-U.S., Democratic Area is a Goal that Has Israeli and Neo Conservative Roots,” Wall Street Journal, March 21, 2003. Also see George Packer, “Dreaming of Democracy,” New York Times Magazine, March 2, 2003. Although … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer & Stephen M. Walt page 2 previous next A DWINDLING MORAL CASE Apart from its alleged strategic value, Israel’s backers also argue that it deserves unqualified U.S. support because 1) it is weak and surrounded by enemies, 2) it is a democracy, which is a … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt page 3 next previous back to page 1 The explanation lies in the unmatched power of the Israel Lobby. Were it not for the Lobby’s ability to manipulate the American political system, the relationship between Israel and the United States would … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt page 4     next    previous     back to page 1 Manipulating the Media In addition to influencing government policy directly, the Lobby strives to shape public perceptions about Israel and the Middle East. It does not want an open debate on issues involving Israel, because … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt page 5     next    previous     back to page 1 THE TAIL WAGGING THE DOG If the Lobby’s impact were confined to U.S. economic aid to Israel, its influence might not be that worrisome. Foreign aid is valuable, but not as useful as having the … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy John J. Mearsheimer Department of Political Science University of Chicago Stephen M. Walt John F. Kennedy School of Government Harvard University March 2006 RWP06-011 The two authors of this Working Paper are solely responsible for the views expressed in it. As academic institutions, Harvard University and the University … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

THE ISRAEL LOBBY AND U.S. FOREIGN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt page 6 previous back to page 1 Dreams of Regional Transformation The Iraq war was not supposed to be a costly quagmire. Rather, it was intended as the first step in a larger plan to reorder the Middle East. This ambitious … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

Endnotes back to page 1 Indeed, the mere existence of the Lobby suggests that unconditional support for Israel is not in the American national interest. If it was, one would not need an organized special interest group to bring it about. But because Israel is a strategic and moral liability, it takes relentless political pressure … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

Endnotes              back to page main page one 24 Trevor N. Dupuy, Elusive Victory: The Arab-Israeli Wars, 1947-1974 (New York: Harper and Row, 1978), pp. 3-19, 121-125, 146-147, 212-214, 231-244, 333-340, 388-390, 597-605, 623-633; Simha Flapan, The Birth of Israel: Myths and Realities (New York: Pantheon Books, 1987), pp. 189-199; Rashid Khalidi, "The Palestinians and 1948: … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”

Endnotes back to page 60 Steven M. Cohen, The 2004 National Survey of American Jews, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel’s Department of Jewish-Zionist Education, February 24, 2005. The figure two years earlier was 28 percent. See Steven M. Cohen, The 2002 National Survey of American Jews, sponsored by the Jewish Agency for Israel’s … Continue reading “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”