Grant Smith

Grant F. Smith is the author of the new book Divert! NUMEC, Zalman Shapiro and the diversion of U.S. weapons-grade uranium into the Israeli nuclear weapons program. He is director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C.

Will Al Jazeera Air The Lobby Before AIPAC Meets?

The Israel lobby has a lot of levers it can push and pull to curry favorable news coverage from media organizations. These range from denying access to the limited pool of top-tier pundits and Israeli government officials, to crippling economic boycotts. This power is visible in the battle to punish and shutter Al Jazeera, the … Continue reading “Will Al Jazeera Air The Lobby Before AIPAC Meets?”

Poll: Americans Oppose Cutting Aid to Countries That Condemn US Jerusalem Policy

The Trump administration threatened to end billions of dollars in US foreign aid to countries opposing recent US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. On December 21, despite US threats, 128 UN member states voted to uphold long-standing international consensus that the status of Jerusalem can only be settled through a peace deal … Continue reading “Poll: Americans Oppose Cutting Aid to Countries That Condemn US Jerusalem Policy”

Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital Harms the US

President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and intent to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is sure to harm the United States. A product of decades of pressure by Israel and its US lobby, the move is an incremental step toward pressuring the US to confer legitimacy on all … Continue reading “Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital Harms the US”

Poll: Americans Oppose the ‘Anti-Semitism Awareness Act’

The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on November 7 to discuss the "Anti-Semitism Awareness Act." Proponents of ASAA claim it is a law that would protect Jewish students from anti-Semitic harassment, which they claim is a major problem on campus. Opponents argue the bill would undermine free speech rights, and is a thinly-disguised gag … Continue reading “Poll: Americans Oppose the ‘Anti-Semitism Awareness Act’”

Congressmen Pressed Obama To Pardon Spy Lawrence Franklin

On December 14, 2016 two California congressmen, Republican Dana Rohrabacher and Democrat Juan Vargas, secretly pressed President Obama to pardon convicted spy Lawrence Franklin. Colonel Franklin, an employee at the Department of Defense, pled guilty to charges of espionage for passing classified information to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as well as directly … Continue reading “Congressmen Pressed Obama To Pardon Spy Lawrence Franklin”

Poll: Americans Would Cut Middle East War Spending

On November 3, professor John Mearsheimer made a short and stunning presentation at "U.S. Foreign Policy in the Trump Era: Can Realism and Restraint Prevail?" conference held at George Washington University in Washington, DC. In the unipolar world after the collapse of the Soviet Union, he claimed, realists urged nonintervention and staying out of conflicts … Continue reading “Poll: Americans Would Cut Middle East War Spending”

Will Trump Recognize Israeli Annexations?

Israel and its lobby want President Trump to formally recognize territories annexed by Israel, but that most of the world consider unlawfully occupied. Bestowing U.S. legitimacy on Israel’s annexation of Syria’s Golan Heights, seized by Israel during the 1967 Six-Day War, would solidify a "buffer zone" to keep Hezbollah and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard at … Continue reading “Will Trump Recognize Israeli Annexations?”

Israel’s Foreign Agents Don’t Register, Why Should Russia’s?

The Department of Justice has ordered Russia’s U.S.-based RT news network to begin registering as Russian foreign agents under the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law requires US-based agents of foreign principals to disclose financial information and activities in regular public filings overseen by a designated DOJ office. Over the years FARA has been … Continue reading “Israel’s Foreign Agents Don’t Register, Why Should Russia’s?”

Israel’s Foreign Agents Don’t Register, Should Russia’s?

The Department of Justice has ordered Russia’s U.S.-based RT news network to begin registering as Russian foreign agents under the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act. The law requires US-based agents of foreign principals to disclose financial information and activities in regular public filings overseen by a designated DOJ office. Over the years FARA has been … Continue reading “Israel’s Foreign Agents Don’t Register, Should Russia’s?”

62% of Americans Oppose Giving F-35 Jets to Israel

Israel has begun taking possession of allotments of F-35 stealth jets from the US. Although many reports describe the transfer as an Israeli "purchase" of the aircraft, under an unpopular ten-year $38 billion aid deal, Israel will receive fifty of the jets at no cost. Results from a public opinion poll of 1,000 American adults … Continue reading “62% of Americans Oppose Giving F-35 Jets to Israel”