The Israel Lobby And U.S. Foreign Policy

The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy

Product Description

The Israel Lobby, by John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M. Walt of Harvards John F. Kennedy School of Government, was one of the most controversial articles in recent memory. Originally published in the London Review of Books in March 2006, it provoked both howls of outrage and cheers of gratitude for challenging what had been a taboo issue in America: the impact of the Israel lobby on U.S. foreign policy. Now in a work of major importance, Mearsheimer and Walt deepen and expand their argument and confront recent developments in Lebanon and Iran. They describe the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel and argues that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds. This exceptional relationship is due largely to the political influence of a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction. Mearsheimer and Walt provocatively contend that the lobby has a far-reaching impact on Americas posture throughout the Middle Eastin Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, and toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflictand the policies it has encouraged are in neither Americas national interest nor Israels long-term interest. The lobbys influence also affects Americas relationship with important allies and increases dangers that all states face from global jihadist terror. Writing in The New York Review of Books, Michael Massing declared, Not since Foreign Affairs magazine published Samuel Huntingtons The Clash of Civilizations? in 1993 has an academic essay detonated with such force. The publication of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is certain to widen the debate and to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.

Rate Points :4.0
Binding :Paperback
Label :Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Manufacturer :Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup :Book
Studio :Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publisher :Farrar, Straus and Giroux
EAN :9780374531508
Price :$15.00USD
Lowest Price :$8.54USD
Customer ReviewsAre the Authors Anti-Semites? Maybe Not. But Anti-Semites LOVE this book.
Rating Point :1 Helpful Point :2
I just saw a video of Walt. In the course of 30:40 he denied that he was an anti-Semite so many times, I lost count. And perhaps he isnt an anti-Semite, but he is certainly defensive about it.

Maybe he isnt an anti-Semite. But anti-Semites LOVE this book.

Many, many reviewers comment that this book is shoddy scholarship. "Shoddy" is not a word generally associated with the Ivy League. But if the aim was to produce something very quickly, so as to be able to market it and attract invitations from the speakers circuit, then the book did its job well. He will be speaking mostly to "activists," who really dont want "scholarship," but rather need to have their own prejudices confirmed and articulated in pithy slogans. This book will serve well those who, in spite of their affiliation with universities, like to highly reduce complex situations into "good" and "evil." It will certainly please those who usually presume that anything Western is bad and that anything Third World is good. It will be adored by those who define Israel as "right wing," racist" "apartheid" "militaristic" and "right wing," but forgive any Arab infraction as "left wing," no matter how authoritarian, misogynist racist, anti-Semitic, or homophobic. "Political correctness" stops at our shores.

Ill tell you one thing: he cant pronounce a Hebrew word correctly.

Of course when he spoke to CAIR, I understand that he used the terms "Jewish lobby" more freely. I suppose he thought there were no Jews there or that it wasnt being recorded.

After he penned his initial essay in London, he lamented that he couldnt ever publish this in the USA. There would be too much fallout form "the lobby." Of course that was before he signed his lucrative book contract. Now he (nicely) supplements his professors salary spreading his "warnings" on college campuses from coast to coast.

But since he is "very scholarly" and "very fair" and since we are supposed to believe that he doesnt have an agenda, why doesnt he also write a book called "The Oil Lobby"? Then he can neurotically deny to everybody that he is not anti-Muslim, too.

everything as promised
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :2
great book. quite thorough and informative and based on factual information in contrast to most nonsense nowadays in the age of cable talking heads and their useless opinions. highly recommend it to anyone interested in the subject along with jimmy carters palestine peace not appartheid.

Striking!
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
Great book on the functioning and effectiveness of the Isrel loby and its dramatic effect on the US foreign policy. I could not find any "anti-semitist" statement in the book. Yet, the accusations to the authors after their article show how untolerating and silencing the loby is. The US public needs to be a lot more aware on the issues discussed in the book and this is a perfect book to get a good idea. To my opinion, improved public awareness is pretty much the only way to bring the power of loby to proportion.

I salute these courageous writers for their courage and their outstanding scholarship.
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :3
A book long overdue, "The Israeli Lobby" exposes how pro-Israel Americans work to influence US politics towards policies and decisions that favor Israel at the expense of the United States.

I could go on in detail about how this book is a veritable jewel that exposes the pro-Israel lobbyists in our country - but I dont want to spoil anything for anybody. Guaranteed to anger, shock, and bewilder you.

Read it with an open mind - this work may be one of the most important books about US politics and US foreign relations written in many years.

A Hard Truth
Rating Point :5 Helpful Point :1
Anyone who is not biased will find this book hard to negate. If one uses their common sense and has questioned why they do not understand US foreign policy, they will finally understand.

For decades Middle East policy has been shaped by The Israel Lobby(s). I do not find this hard to believe- I have watched an AIPAC conference on CNN. Our senators and Congressmen look like babies beggin for candy.

Mearsheimer and Walt are successful in proving that Israel is no longer a strategic asset to the United States but rather a strategic liability as they are a country who does not follow international law. Isreal has a nuclear weapons program for which they have not sigened The Non-Proliferation Treaty, have occupied the Palestine for more thatn forty years and continue to deny the palestinians basic human rights and political representation and then cry when Hamas sends rockets into their country. Despite these actions we still give them unconditional aid of 3 Billion dollars a year along with military and other aid that amounts to hundreds of millions more. Not to mention we have to pay all their neighbors billion to be friendly with them !

Now onto the real problem, lobiies like AIPAC WINEP have an extrememly organized public relations funtion in the US that halts the truth about Israels behavior and censors any dissent against Israeli/lobby actions.Officials cannot get elected if they do not pledge their allegiance to Israel. The lobby presents American and Israeli issues to be one in the same.M and W clearly explain how ludicrous this is, no two countries ever have the same issues. The lobby also uses the media to show that AMerica and Israel have "the same values". M and W also prove this is not true, Israel does not come close to Americas values- they are still a racist country !

Israel essentially wants the backing of US military and gov.to aid in wars in the Middle East and refuse to negotiate with any country in the Midle East, their only option is war.Consequently, it is our troops that will suffer going to war, not Israeli troops.

If you think your congressman or Senator is aginst this, wrong. If they do not vote in favor of Israeli legislation, the lobby will fund their opponents come election tim eto see to it to smear their image and have them voted out of office.

This is a great book that has finally started the debate on the role of the lobby on US foreign policy and how it is damaging security and global standing for Americans.

It would seem that our only alternative to the lobby is to start getting Americans involved in the political process as the lobby itself has boasted that "it has no opponents" and our elected officials have stated that if the AMerican people would voice their concerns (which they do not)then they would have a reason to vote aginst pro-Israel legislation.

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