The authors of the best-selling book, "The Israel Lobby" - Professors Mearsheimer and Walt - have written an op-ed piece in the LA Times dealing with the way the presidential candidates are, or are not, addressing the relationship of Israel to America - or perhaps that should be the other way around.
It seems the fear of upsetting to so-called Israel Lobby is so strong that no candidate is prepared to deviate from the old true and tried being at one with Israel on whatever. How the Americans see that helping them negotiate a settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians - and have any credibility in doing so being as one-sided as they obviously are - seems to have escaped the politicians from the Bush Administration downwards.
"Once again, as the presidential campaign season gets underway, the leading candidates are going to enormous lengths to demonstrate their devotion to the state of Israel and their steadfast commitment to its "special relationship" with the United States.
Each of the main contenders emphatically favors giving Israel extraordinary material and diplomatic support -- continuing the more than $3 billion in foreign aid each year to a country whose per capita income is now 29th in the world. They also believe that this aid should be given unconditionally. None of them criticizes Israel's conduct, even when its actions threaten U.S. interests, are at odds with American values or even when they are harmful to Israel itself. In short, the candidates believe that the U.S. should support Israel no matter what it does.
Such pandering is hardly surprising, because contenders for high office routinely court special interest groups, and Israel's staunchest supporters -- the Israel lobby, as we have termed it -- expect it. Politicians do not want to offend Jewish Americans or "Christian Zionists," two groups that are deeply engaged in the political process. Candidates fear, with some justification, that even well-intentioned criticism of Israel's policies may lead these groups to turn against them and back their opponents instead."
It seems the fear of upsetting to so-called Israel Lobby is so strong that no candidate is prepared to deviate from the old true and tried being at one with Israel on whatever. How the Americans see that helping them negotiate a settlement between the Israelis and Palestinians - and have any credibility in doing so being as one-sided as they obviously are - seems to have escaped the politicians from the Bush Administration downwards.
"Once again, as the presidential campaign season gets underway, the leading candidates are going to enormous lengths to demonstrate their devotion to the state of Israel and their steadfast commitment to its "special relationship" with the United States.
Each of the main contenders emphatically favors giving Israel extraordinary material and diplomatic support -- continuing the more than $3 billion in foreign aid each year to a country whose per capita income is now 29th in the world. They also believe that this aid should be given unconditionally. None of them criticizes Israel's conduct, even when its actions threaten U.S. interests, are at odds with American values or even when they are harmful to Israel itself. In short, the candidates believe that the U.S. should support Israel no matter what it does.
Such pandering is hardly surprising, because contenders for high office routinely court special interest groups, and Israel's staunchest supporters -- the Israel lobby, as we have termed it -- expect it. Politicians do not want to offend Jewish Americans or "Christian Zionists," two groups that are deeply engaged in the political process. Candidates fear, with some justification, that even well-intentioned criticism of Israel's policies may lead these groups to turn against them and back their opponents instead."
Comments