Faculty Research Working Papers Series

The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy

John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt

March 2006
RWP06-011


The views expressed in the KSG Faculty Research Working Paper Series are those of the author(s) and do not
necessarily reflect those of the John F. Kennedy School of Government or Harvard University. Copyright
belongs to the author(s). Papers may be downloaded for personal use only.

THEISRAELLOBBYANDU.S.FOREIGNPOLICY

JohnJ.Mearsheimer
DepartmentofPoliticalScience
UniversityofChicago

StephenM.Walt
JohnF.KennedySchoolofGovernment
HarvardUniversity

March2006

AneditedversionofthispaperwaspublishedintheLondonReviewofBooksVol.28,No.
6(March23,2006),andisavailableonlineatwww.lrb.co.uk

THEISRAELLOBBYANDU.S.FOREIGNPOLICY

U.S.foreignpolicyshapeseventsineverycorneroftheglobe.Nowhereisthis
truerthanintheMiddleEast,aregionofrecurringinstabilityandenormous
strategicimportance.Mostrecently,theBushAdministrationsattemptto
transformtheregionintoacommunityofdemocracieshashelpedproducea
resilientinsurgencyinIraq,asharpriseinworldoilprices,andterrorist
bombingsinMadrid,London,andAmman.Withsomuchatstakeforsomany,
allcountriesneedtounderstandtheforcesthatdriveU.S.MiddleEastpolicy.

TheU.S.nationalinterestshouldbetheprimaryobjectofAmericanforeign
policy.Forthepastseveraldecades,however,andespeciallysincetheSixDay
Warin1967,thecenterpieceofU.S.MiddleEastpolicyhasbeenitsrelationship
withIsrael.ThecombinationofunwaveringU.S.supportforIsraelandthe
relatedefforttospreaddemocracythroughouttheregionhasinflamedAraband
IslamicopinionandjeopardizedU.S.security.

ThissituationhasnoequalinAmericanpoliticalhistory.WhyhastheUnited
Statesbeenwillingtosetasideitsownsecurityinordertoadvancetheinterests
ofanotherstate?Onemightassumethatthebondbetweenthetwocountriesis
basedonsharedstrategicinterestsorcompellingmoralimperatives.Aswe
showbelow,however,neitherofthoseexplanationscanaccountforthe
remarkablelevelofmaterialanddiplomaticsupportthattheUnitedStates
providestoIsrael.

Instead,theoverallthrustofU.S.policyintheregionisduealmostentirelyto
U.S.domesticpolitics,andespeciallytotheactivitiesoftheIsraelLobby.Other
specialinterestgroupshavemanagedtoskewU.S.foreignpolicyindirections
theyfavored,butnolobbyhasmanagedtodivertU.S.foreignpolicyasfarfrom
whattheAmericannationalinterestwouldotherwisesuggest,while
simultaneouslyconvincingAmericansthatU.S.andIsraeliinterestsare
essentiallyidentical.
1

Inthepagesthatfollow,wedescribehowtheLobbyhasaccomplishedthisfeat,
andhowitsactivitieshaveshapedAmericasactionsinthiscriticalregion.
GiventhestrategicimportanceoftheMiddleEastanditspotentialimpacton
others,bothAmericansandnonAmericansneedtounderstandandaddressthe
LobbysinfluenceonU.S.policy.
1

Somereaderswillfindthisanalysisdisturbing,butthefactsrecountedhereare
notinseriousdisputeamongscholars.Indeed,ouraccountreliesheavilyonthe
workofIsraelischolarsandjournalists,whodeservegreatcreditforshedding
lightontheseissues.WealsorelyonevidenceprovidedbyrespectedIsraeliand
internationalhumanrightsorganizations.Similarly,ourclaimsaboutthe
LobbysimpactrelyontestimonyfromtheLobbysownmembers,aswellas
testimonyfrompoliticianswhohaveworkedwiththem.Readersmayrejectour
conclusions,ofcourse,buttheevidenceonwhichtheyrestisnotcontroversial.

THEGREATBENEFACTOR

SincetheOctoberWarin1973,WashingtonhasprovidedIsraelwithalevelof
supportdwarfingtheamountsprovidedtoanyotherstate.Ithasbeenthe
largestannualrecipientofdirectU.S.economicandmilitaryassistancesince1976
andthelargesttotalrecipientsinceWorldWarII.TotaldirectU.S.aidtoIsrael
amountstowellover$140billionin2003dollars.
2
Israelreceivesabout$3billion
indirectforeignassistanceeachyear,whichisroughlyonefifthofAmericas
foreignaidbudget.Inpercapitaterms,theUnitedStatesgiveseachIsraelia
directsubsidyworthabout$500peryear.
3
Thislargesseisespeciallystriking
whenonerealizesthatIsraelisnowawealthyindustrialstatewithapercapita
incomeroughlyequaltoSouthKoreaorSpain.
4

IsraelalsogetsotherspecialdealsfromWashington.
5
Otheraidrecipientsget
theirmoneyinquarterlyinstallments,butIsraelreceivesitsentireappropriation
atthebeginningofeachfiscalyearandthusearnsextrainterest.Mostrecipients
ofAmericanmilitaryassistancearerequiredtospendallofitintheUnited
States,butIsraelcanuseroughlytwentyfivepercentofitsaidallotmentto
subsidizeitsowndefenseindustry.Israelistheonlyrecipientthatdoesnothave
toaccountforhowtheaidisspent,anexemptionthatmakesitvirtually
impossibletopreventthemoneyfrombeingusedforpurposestheUnitedStates
opposes,likebuildingsettlementsintheWestBank.

Moreover,theUnitedStateshasprovidedIsraelwithnearly$3billiontodevelop
weaponssystemsliketheLaviaircraftthatthePentagondidnotwantorneed,
whilegivingIsraelaccesstotopdrawerU.S.weaponrylikeBlackhawk
helicoptersandF16jets.Finally,theUnitedStatesgivesIsraelaccessto
intelligencethatitdeniesitsNATOalliesandhasturnedablindeyetowards
Israelsacquisitionofnuclearweapons.
6

2
Inaddition,WashingtonprovidesIsraelwithconsistentdiplomaticsupport.
Since1982,theUnitedStateshasvetoed32UnitedNationsSecurityCouncil
resolutionsthatwerecriticalofIsrael,anumbergreaterthanthecombinedtotal
ofvetoescastbyalltheotherSecurityCouncilmembers.
7
ItalsoblocksArab
stateseffortstoputIsraelsnucleararsenalontheInternationalAtomicEnergy
Agencysagenda.
8

TheUnitedStatesalsocomestoIsraelsrescueinwartimeandtakesitsside
whennegotiatingpeace.TheNixonAdministrationresuppliedIsraelduringthe
OctoberWarandprotectedIsraelfromthethreatofSovietintervention.
Washingtonwasdeeplyinvolvedinthenegotiationsthatendedthatwaraswell
asthelengthystepbystepprocessthatfollowed,justasitplayedakeyrolein
thenegotiationsthatprecededandfollowedthe1993OsloAccords.
9
Therewere
occasionalfrictionsbetweenU.S.andIsraeliofficialsinbothcases,buttheUnited
StatescoordinateditspositionscloselywithIsraelandconsistentlybackedthe
Israeliapproachtothenegotiations.Indeed,oneAmericanparticipantatCamp
David(2000)latersaid,fartoooften,wefunctioned...asIsraelslawyer.
10

Asdiscussedbelow,WashingtonhasgivenIsraelwidelatitudeindealingwith
theoccupiedterritories(theWestBankandGazaStrip),evenwhenitsactions
wereatoddswithstatedU.S.policy.Moreover,theBushAdministrations
ambitiousstrategytotransformtheMiddleEastbeginningwiththeinvasionof
IraqisatleastpartlyintendedtoimproveIsraelsstrategicsituation.Apart
fromwartimealliances,itishardtothinkofanotherinstancewhereonecountry
hasprovidedanotherwithasimilarlevelofmaterialanddiplomaticsupportfor
suchanextendedperiod.AmericassupportforIsraelis,inshort,unique.

ThisextraordinarygenerositymightbeunderstandableifIsraelwereavital
strategicassetoriftherewereacompellingmoralcaseforsustainedU.S.
backing.Butneitherrationaleisconvincing.

ASTRATEGICLIABILITY

AccordingtotheAmericanIsraelPublicAffairsCommittees(AIPAC)website,
theUnitedStatesandIsraelhaveformedauniquepartnershiptomeetthe
growingstrategicthreatsintheMiddleEast....Thiscooperativeeffortprovides
significantbenefitsforboththeUnitedStatesandIsrael.
11
Thisclaimisan
articleoffaithamongIsraelssupportersandisroutinelyinvokedbyIsraeli
politiciansandproIsraelAmericans.

3
IsraelmayhavebeenastrategicassetduringtheColdWar.
12
Byservingas
AmericasproxyaftertheSixDayWar(1967),IsraelhelpedcontainSoviet
expansionintheregionandinflictedhumiliatingdefeatsonSovietclientslike
EgyptandSyria.IsraeloccasionallyhelpedprotectotherU.S.allies(likeJordans
KingHussein)anditsmilitaryprowessforcedMoscowtospendmorebacking
itslosingclients.IsraelalsogavetheUnitedStatesusefulintelligenceabout
Sovietcapabilities.

Israelsstrategicvalueduringthisperiodshouldnotbeoverstated,however.
13

BackingIsraelwasnotcheap,anditcomplicatedAmericasrelationswiththe
Arabworld.Forexample,theU.S.decisiontogiveIsrael$2.2billionin
emergencymilitaryaidduringtheOctoberWartriggeredanOPECoilembargo
thatinflictedconsiderabledamageonWesterneconomies.Moreover,Israels
militarycouldnotprotectU.S.interestsintheregion.Forexample,theUnited
StatescouldnotrelyonIsraelwhentheIranianRevolutionin1979raised
concernsaboutthesecurityofPersianGulfoilsupplies,andhadtocreateitsown
RapidDeploymentForceinstead.

EvenifIsraelwasastrategicassetduringtheColdWar,thefirstGulfWar(1990
91)revealedthatIsraelwasbecomingastrategicburden.TheUnitedStates
couldnotuseIsraelibasesduringthewarwithoutrupturingtheantiIraq
coalition,andithadtodivertresources(e.g.,Patriotmissilebatteries)tokeepTel
AvivfromdoinganythingthatmightfracturetheallianceagainstSaddam.
Historyrepeateditselfin2003:althoughIsraelwaseagerfortheUnitedStatesto
attackSaddam,PresidentBushcouldnotaskittohelpwithouttriggeringArab
opposition.SoIsraelstayedonthesidelinesagain.
14

Beginninginthe1990s,andespeciallyafter9/11,U.S.supportforIsraelhasbeen
justifiedbytheclaimthatbothstatesarethreatenedbyterroristgroups
originatingintheAraborMuslimworld,andbyasetofroguestatesthatback
thesegroupsandseekWMD.ThisrationaleimpliesthatWashingtonshould
giveIsraelafreehandindealingwiththePalestiniansandnotpressIsraelto
makeconcessionsuntilallPalestinianterroristsareimprisonedordead.Italso
impliesthattheUnitedStatesshouldgoaftercountriesliketheIslamicRepublic
ofIran,SaddamHusseinsIraq,andBasharalAssadsSyria.Israelisthusseen
asacrucialallyinthewaronterror,becauseitsenemiesareAmericasenemies.

Thisnewrationaleseemspersuasive,butIsraelisinfactaliabilityinthewaron
terrorandthebroaderefforttodealwithroguestates.

4
Tobeginwith,terrorismisatacticemployedbyawidearrayofpolitical
groups;itisnotasingleunifiedadversary.Theterroristorganizationsthat
threatenIsrael(e.g.,HamasorHezbollah)donotthreatentheUnitedStates,
exceptwhenitintervenesagainstthem(asinLebanonin1982).Moreover,
PalestinianterrorismisnotrandomviolencedirectedagainstIsraelorthe
West;itislargelyaresponsetoIsraelsprolongedcampaigntocolonizethe
WestBankandGazaStrip.

Moreimportantly,sayingthatIsraelandtheUnitedStatesareunitedbyashared
terroristthreathasthecausalrelationshipbackwards:rather,theUnitedStates
hasaterrorismproblemingoodpartbecauseitissocloselyalliedwithIsrael,
nottheotherwayaround.U.S.supportforIsraelisnottheonlysourceofanti
Americanterrorism,butitisanimportantone,anditmakeswinningthewaron
terrormoredifficult.
15
Thereisnoquestion,forexample,thatmanyalQaeda
leaders,includingbinLaden,aremotivatedbyIsraelspresenceinJerusalemand
theplightofthePalestinians.AccordingtotheU.S.9/11Commission,binLaden
explicitlysoughttopunishtheUnitedStatesforitspoliciesintheMiddleEast,
includingitssupportforIsrael,andheeventriedtotimetheattackstohighlight
thisissue.
16

Equallyimportant,unconditionalU.S.supportforIsraelmakesiteasierfor
extremistslikebinLadentorallypopularsupportandtoattractrecruits.Public
opinionpollsconfirmthatArabpopulationsaredeeplyhostiletoAmerican
supportforIsrael,andtheU.S.StateDepartmentsAdvisoryGrouponPublic
DiplomacyfortheArabandMuslimworldfoundthatcitizensinthese
countriesaregenuinelydistressedattheplightofthePalestiniansandattherole
theyperceivetheUnitedStatestobeplaying.
17

AsforsocalledroguestatesintheMiddleEast,theyarenotadirethreattovital
U.S.interests,apartfromtheU.S.commitmenttoIsraelitself.Althoughthe
UnitedStatesdoeshaveanumberofdisagreementswiththeseregimes,
WashingtonwouldnotbenearlyasworriedaboutIran,BathistIraq,orSyria
wereitnotsocloselytiedtoIsrael.Evenifthesestatesacquirenuclear
weaponswhichisobviouslynotdesirableitwouldnotbeastrategicdisaster
fortheUnitedStates.NeitherAmericanorIsraelcouldbeblackmailedbya
nucleararmedrogue,becausetheblackmailercouldnotcarryoutthethreat
withoutreceivingoverwhelmingretaliation.Thedangerofanuclearhandoff
toterroristsisequallyremote,becausearoguestatecouldnotbesurethe
transferwouldbeundetectedorthatitwouldnotbeblamedandpunished
afterwards.
5

Furthermore,theU.S.relationshipwithIsraelactuallymakesithardertodeal
withthesestates.Israelsnucleararsenalisonereasonwhysomeofits
neighborswantnuclearweapons,andthreateningthesestateswithregime
changemerelyincreasesthatdesire.YetIsraelisnotmuchofanassetwhenthe
UnitedStatescontemplatesusingforceagainsttheseregimes,becauseitcannot
participateinthefight.

Inshort,treatingIsraelasAmericasmostimportantallyinthecampaignagainst
terrorismandassortedMiddleEastdictatorshipsbothexaggeratesIsraelsability
tohelpontheseissuesandignoresthewaysthatIsraelspoliciesmakeU.S.
effortsmoredifficult.

UnquestionedsupportforIsraelalsoweakenstheU.S.positionoutsidethe
MiddleEast.ForeignelitesconsistentlyviewtheUnitedStatesastoosupportive
ofIsrael,andthinkitstoleranceofIsraelirepressionintheoccupiedterritoriesis
morallyobtuseandahandicapinthewaronterrorism.
18
InApril2004,for
example,52formerBritishdiplomatssentPrimeMinisterTonyBlairaletter
sayingthattheIsraelPalestineconflicthadpoisonedrelationsbetweentheWest
andtheArabandIslamicworlds,andwarningthatthepoliciesofBushand
PrimeMinisterArielSharonwereonesidedandillegal.
19

AfinalreasontoquestionIsraelsstrategicvalueisthatitdoesnotactlikealoyal
ally.IsraeliofficialsfrequentlyignoreU.S.requestsandrenegeonpromises
madetotopU.S.leaders(includingpastpledgestohaltsettlementconstruction
andtorefrainfromtargetedassassinationsofPalestinianleaders).
20
Moreover,
IsraelhasprovidedsensitiveU.S.militarytechnologytopotentialU.S.rivalslike
China,inwhattheU.S.StateDepartmentInspectorGeneralcalledasystematic
andgrowingpatternofunauthorizedtransfers.
21
AccordingtotheU.S.General
AccountingOffice,Israelalsoconductsthemostaggressiveespionage
operationsagainsttheU.S.ofanyally.
22
InadditiontothecaseofJonathan
Pollard,whogaveIsraellargequantitiesofclassifiedmaterialintheearly1980s
(whichIsraelreportedlypassedontotheSovietUniontogainmoreexitvisasfor
SovietJews),anewcontroversyeruptedin2004whenitwasrevealedthatakey
Pentagonofficial(LarryFranklin)hadpassedclassifiedinformationtoanIsraeli
diplomat,allegedlyaidedbytwoAIPACofficials.
23
Israelishardlytheonly
countrythatspiesontheUnitedStates,butitswillingnesstospyonitsprincipal
patroncastsfurtherdoubtonitsstrategicvalue.

6
ADWINDLINGMORALCASE

Apartfromitsallegedstrategicvalue,Israelsbackersalsoarguethatitdeserves
unqualifiedU.S.supportbecause1)itisweakandsurroundedbyenemies,2)it
isademocracy,whichisamorallypreferableformofgovernment;3)theJewish
peoplehavesufferedfrompastcrimesandthereforedeservespecialtreatment,
and4)Israelsconducthasbeenmorallysuperiortoitsadversariesbehavior.

Oncloseinspection,however,eachoftheseargumentsisunpersuasive.Thereis
astrongmoralcaseforsupportingIsraelsexistence,butthatisnotinjeopardy.
Viewedobjectively,Israelspastandpresentconductoffersnomoralbasisfor
privilegingitoverthePalestinians.

BackingtheUnderdog?

Israelisoftenportrayedasweakandbesieged,aJewishDavidsurroundedbya
hostileArabGoliath.ThisimagehasbeencarefullynurturedbyIsraelileaders
andsympatheticwriters,buttheoppositeimageisclosertothetruth.Contrary
topopularbelief,theZionistshadlarger,betterequipped,andbetterledforces
duringthe194749WarofIndependenceandtheIsraelDefenseForces(IDF)won
quickandeasyvictoriesagainstEgyptin1956andagainstEgypt,Jordan,and
Syriain1967beforelargescaleU.S.aidbeganflowingtoIsrael.
24
Thesevictories
offereloquentevidenceofIsraelipatriotism,organizationalability,andmilitary
prowess,buttheyalsorevealthatIsraelwasfarfromhelplesseveninitsearliest
years.

Today,IsraelisthestrongestmilitarypowerintheMiddleEast.Itsconventional
forcesarefarsuperiortoitsneighborsanditistheonlystateintheregionwith
nuclearweapons.EgyptandJordansignedpeacetreatieswithIsraelandSaudi
Arabiahasofferedtodosoaswell.SyriahaslostitsSovietpatron,Iraqhasbeen
decimatedbythreedisastrouswars,andIranishundredsofmilesaway.The
Palestiniansbarelyhaveeffectivepolice,letaloneamilitarythatcouldthreaten
Israel.Accordingtoa2005assessmentbyTelAvivUniversitysprestigious
JaffeeCenterforStrategicStudies,thestrategicbalancedecidedlyfavorsIsrael,
whichhascontinuedtowidenthequalitativegapbetweenitsownmilitary
capabilityanddeterrencepowersandthoseofitsneighbors.
25
Ifbackingthe
underdogwereacompellingrationale,theUnitedStateswouldbesupporting
Israelsopponents.

7
AidingaFellowDemocracy?

AmericanbackingisoftenjustifiedbytheclaimthatIsraelisafellowdemocracy
surroundedbyhostiledictatorships.Thisrationalesoundsconvincing,butit
cannotaccountforthecurrentlevelofU.S.support.Afterall,therearemany
democraciesaroundtheworld,butnonereceivesthelavishsupportthatIsrael
does.TheUnitedStateshasoverthrowndemocraticgovernmentsinthepastand
supporteddictatorswhenthiswasthoughttoadvanceU.S.interests,andithas
goodrelationswithanumberofdictatorshipstoday.Thus,beingdemocratic
neitherjustifiesnorexplainsAmericassupportforIsrael.

TheshareddemocracyrationaleisalsoweakenedbyaspectsofIsraeli
democracythatareatoddswithcoreAmericanvalues.TheUnitedStatesisa
liberaldemocracywherepeopleofanyrace,religion,orethnicityaresupposed
toenjoyequalrights.Bycontrast,IsraelwasexplicitlyfoundedasaJewishstate
andcitizenshipisbasedontheprincipleofbloodkinship.
26
Giventhis
conceptionofcitizenship,itisnotsurprisingthatIsraels1.3millionArabsare
treatedassecondclasscitizens,orthatarecentIsraeligovernmentcommission
foundthatIsraelbehavesinaneglectfulanddiscriminatorymannertowards
them.
27

Similarly,IsraeldoesnotpermitPalestinianswhomarryIsraelicitizensto
becomecitizensthemselves,anddoesnotgivethesespousestherighttolivein
Israel.TheIsraelihumanrightsorganizationBtselemcalledthisrestrictiona
racistlawthatdetermineswhocanlivehereaccordingtoracistcriteria.
28
Such
lawsmaybeunderstandablegivenIsraelsfoundingprinciples,buttheyarenot
consistentwithAmericasimageofdemocracy.

Israelsdemocraticstatusisalsounderminedbyitsrefusaltograntthe
Palestiniansaviablestateoftheirown.Israelcontrolsthelivesofabout3.8
millionPalestiniansinGazaandtheWestBank,whilecolonizinglandsonwhich
thePalestinianshavelongdwelt.Israelisformallydemocratic,butthemillions
ofPalestiniansthatitcontrolsaredeniedfullpoliticalrightsandtheshared
democracyrationaleiscorrespondinglyweakened.

CompensationforPastCrimes

AthirdmoraljustificationisthehistoryofJewishsufferingintheChristianWest,
especiallythetragicepisodeoftheHolocaust.BecauseJewswerepersecutedfor
8
centuriesandcanonlybesafeinaJewishhomeland,manybelievethatIsrael
deservesspecialtreatmentfromtheUnitedStates.

ThereisnoquestionthatJewssufferedgreatlyfromthedespicablelegacyofanti
Semitism,andthatIsraelscreationwasanappropriateresponsetoalongrecord
ofcrimes.Thishistory,asnoted,providesastrongmoralcaseforsupporting
Israelsexistence.ButthecreationofIsraelinvolvedadditionalcrimesagainsta
largelyinnocentthirdparty:thePalestinians.

Thehistoryoftheseeventsiswellunderstood.WhenpoliticalZionismbeganin
earnestinthelate19
th
century,therewereonlyabout15,000JewsinPalestine.
29

In1893,forexample,theArabscomprisedroughly95percentofthepopulation,
andthoughunderOttomancontrol,theyhadbeenincontinuouspossessionof
thisterritoryfor1300years.
30
EvenwhenIsraelwasfounded,Jewswereonly
about35percentofPalestinespopulationandowned7percentoftheland.
31

ThemainstreamZionistleadershipwasnotinterestedinestablishingabi
nationalstateoracceptingapermanentpartitionofPalestine.TheZionist
leadershipwassometimeswillingtoacceptpartitionasafirststep,butthiswasa
tacticalmaneuverandnottheirrealobjective.AsDavidBenGurionputitinthe
late1930s,Aftertheformationofalargearmyinthewakeoftheestablishment
ofthestate,weshallabolishpartitionandexpandtothewholeofPalestine.
32

Toachievethisgoal,theZionistshadtoexpellargenumbersofArabsfromthe
territorythatwouldeventuallybecomeIsrael.Therewassimplynootherwayto
accomplishtheirobjective.BenGurionsawtheproblemclearly,writingin1941
thatitisimpossibletoimaginegeneralevacuation[oftheArabpopulation]
withoutcompulsion,andbrutalcompulsion.
33
OrasIsraelihistorianBenny
Morrisputsit,theideaoftransferisasoldasmodernZionismandhas
accompanieditsevolutionandpraxisduringthepastcentury.
34

Thisopportunitycamein194748,whenJewishforcesdroveupto700,000
Palestiniansintoexile.
35
IsraeliofficialshavelongclaimedthattheArabsfled
becausetheirleaderstoldthemto,butcarefulscholarship(muchofitbyIsraeli
historianslikeMorris)havedemolishedthismyth.Infact,mostArableaders
urgedthePalestinianpopulationtostayhome,butfearofviolentdeathatthe
handsofZionistforcesledmostofthemtoflee.
36
Afterthewar,Israelbarredthe
returnofthePalestinianexiles.

9
ThefactthatthecreationofIsraelentailedamoralcrimeagainstthePalestinian
peoplewaswellunderstoodbyIsraelsleaders.AsBenGuriontoldNahum
Goldmann,presidentoftheWorldJewishCongress,IfIwereanArableaderI
wouldnevermaketermswithIsrael.Thatisnatural:wehavetakentheir
country....WecomefromIsrael,buttwothousandyearsago,andwhatisthat
tothem?TherehasbeenantiSemitism,theNazis,Hitler,Auschwitz,butwas
thattheirfault?Theyonlyseeonething:wehavecomehereandstolentheir
country.Whyshouldtheyacceptthat?
37

Sincethen,IsraelileadershaverepeatedlysoughttodenythePalestinians
nationalambitions.
38
PrimeMinisterGoldaMeirfamouslyremarkedthatthere
wasnosuchthingasaPalestinian,andevenPrimeMinisterYitzhakRabin,who
signedthe1993OsloAccords,nonethelessopposedcreatingafullfledged
Palestinianstate.
39
PressurefromextremistviolenceandthegrowingPalestinian
populationhasforcedsubsequentIsraelileaderstodisengagefromsomeofthe
occupiedterritoriesandtoexploreterritorialcompromise,butnoIsraeli
governmenthasbeenwillingtoofferthePalestiniansaviablestateoftheirown.
EvenPrimeMinisterEhudBarakspurportedlygenerousofferatCampDavidin
July2000wouldonlyhavegiventhePalestiniansadisarmedanddismembered
setofBantustansunderdefactoIsraelicontrol.
40

EuropescrimesagainsttheJewsprovideaclearmoraljustificationforIsraels
righttoexist.ButIsraelssurvivalisnotindoubtevenifsomeIslamic
extremistsmakeoutrageousandunrealisticreferencestowipingitoffthe
mapandthetragichistoryoftheJewishpeopledoesnotobligatetheUnited
StatestohelpIsraelnomatterwhatitdoestoday.

VirtuousIsraelisversusEvilArabs

ThefinalmoralargumentportraysIsraelasacountrythathassoughtpeaceat
everyturnandshowedgreatrestraintevenwhenprovoked.TheArabs,by
contrast,aresaidtohaveactedwithgreatwickedness.Thisnarrativewhichis
endlesslyrepeatedbyIsraelileadersandAmericanapologistssuchasAlan
Dershowitzisyetanothermyth.
41
Intermsofactualbehavior,Israelsconduct
isnotmorallydistinguishablefromtheactionsofitsopponents.

IsraelischolarshipshowsthattheearlyZionistswerefarfrombenevolent
towardsthePalestinianArabs.
42
TheArabinhabitantsdidresisttheZionists
encroachments,whichishardlysurprisinggiventhattheZionistsweretryingto
createtheirownstateonArablands.TheZionistsrespondedvigorously,and
10
neithersideownsthemoralhighgroundduringthisperiod.Thissame
scholarshipalsorevealsthatthecreationofIsraelin194748involvedexplicit
actsofethniccleansing,includingexecutions,massacres,andrapesbyJews.
43

Furthermore,IsraelssubsequentconducttowardsitsArabadversariesandits
Palestiniansubjectshasoftenbeenbrutal,belyinganyclaimtomorallysuperior
conduct.Between1949and1956,forexample,Israelisecurityforceskilled
between2,700and5000Arabinfiltrators,theoverwhelmingmajorityofthem
unarmed.
44
TheIDFconductednumerouscrossborderraidsagainstits
neighborsintheearly1950s,andthoughtheseactionswereportrayedas
defensiveresponses,theywereactuallypartofabroaderefforttoexpandIsraels
borders.IsraelsexpansionistambitionsalsoledittojoinBritainandFrancein
attackingEgyptin1956,andIsraelwithdrewfromthelandsithadconquered
onlyinthefaceofintenseU.S.pressure.
45

TheIDFalsomurderedhundredsofEgyptianprisonersofwarinboththe1956
and1967wars.
46
In1967,itexpelledbetween100,000and260,000Palestinians
fromthenewlyconqueredWestBank,anddrove80,000SyriansfromtheGolan
Heights.
47
Itwasalsocomplicitinthemassacreof700innocentPalestiniansat
theSabraandShatilarefugeecampsfollowingitsinvasionofLebanonin1982,
andanIsraeliinvestigatorycommissionfoundthenDefenceMinisterSharon
personallyresponsiblefortheseatrocities.
48

IsraelipersonnelhavetorturednumerousPalestinianprisoners,systematically
humiliatedandinconveniencedPalestiniancivilians,andusedforce
indiscriminatelyagainstthemonnumerousoccasions.DuringtheFirstIntifida
(19871991),forexample,theIDFdistributedtruncheonstoitstroopsand
encouragedthemtobreakthebonesofPalestinianprotestors.TheSwedish
SavetheChildrenorganizationestimatedthat23,600to29,900children
requiredmedicaltreatmentfortheirbeatinginjuriesinthefirsttwoyearsofthe
intifida,withnearlyonethirdsustainingbrokenbones.Nearlyonethirdofthe
beatenchildrenwereagedtenandunder.
49

IsraelsresponsetotheSecondIntifida(20002005)hasbeenevenmoreviolent,
leadingHaaretztodeclarethattheIDFisturningintoakillingmachine
whoseefficiencyisaweinspiring,yetshocking.
50
TheIDFfiredonemillion
bulletsinthefirstdaysoftheuprising,whichisfarfromameasuredresponse.
51

Sincethen,Israelhaskilled3.4PalestiniansforeveryIsraelilost,themajorityof
whomhavebeeninnocentbystanders;theratioofPalestiniantoIsraelichildren
killedisevenhigher(5.7to1).
52
Israeliforceshavealsokilledseveralforeign
11
peaceactivists,includinga23yearoldAmericanwomancrushedbyanIsraeli
bulldozerinMarch2003.
53

ThesefactsaboutIsraelsconducthavebeenamplydocumentedbynumerous
humanrightsorganizationsincludingprominentIsraeligroupsandarenot
disputedbyfairmindedobservers.AndthatiswhyfourformerofficialsofShin
Bet(theIsraelidomesticsecurityorganization)condemnedIsraelsconduct
duringtheSecondIntifadainNovember2003.Oneofthemdeclaredweare
behavingdisgracefully,andanothertermedIsraelsconductpatently
immoral.
54

ButisntIsraelentitledtodowhateverittakestoprotectitscitizens?Doesntthe
uniqueevilofterrorismjustifycontinuedU.S.support,evenifIsraeloften
respondsharshly?

Infact,thisargumentisnotacompellingmoraljustificationeither.Palestinians
haveusedterrorismagainsttheirIsraelioccupiers,andtheirwillingnesstoattack
innocentciviliansiswrong.Thisbehaviorisnotsurprising,however,because
thePalestiniansbelievetheyhavenootherwaytoforceIsraeliconcessions.As
formerPrimeMinisterBarakonceadmitted,hadhebeenbornaPalestinian,he
wouldhavejoinedaterroristorganization.
55

Finally,weshouldnotforgetthattheZionistsusedterrorismwhentheywerein
asimilarlyweakpositionandtryingtoobtaintheirownstate.Between1944and
1947,severalZionistorganizationsusedterroristbombingstodrivetheBritish
fromPalestine,andtookthelivesofmanyinnocentciviliansalongtheway.
56

IsraeliterroristsalsomurderedU.N.mediatorCountFolkeBernadottein1948,
becausetheyopposedhisproposaltointernationalizeJerusalem.
57
Norwerethe
perpetratorsoftheseactsisolatedextremists:theleadersofthemurderplotwere
eventuallygrantedamnestybytheIsraeligovernmentandoneofthemwas
electedtotheKnesset.Anotherterroristleader,whoapprovedthemurderbut
wasnottried,wasfuturePrimeMinisterYitzhakShamir.Indeed,Shamiropenly
arguedthatneitherJewishethicsnorJewishtraditioncandisqualifyterrorism
asameansofcombat.Rather,terrorismhadagreatparttoplayinourwar
againsttheoccupier[Britain].
58
IfthePalestiniansuseofterrorismismorally
reprehensibletoday,sowasIsraelsrelianceuponitinthepast,andthusone
cannotjustifyU.S.supportforIsraelonthegroundsthatitspastconductwas
morallysuperior.
59

12
Israelmaynothaveactedworsethanmanyothercountries,butitclearlyhasnot
actedanybetter.Andifneitherstrategicnormoralargumentscanaccountfor
AmericassupportforIsrael,howarewetoexplainit?

THEISRAELLOBBY

TheexplanationliesintheunmatchedpoweroftheIsraelLobby.Wereitnotfor
theLobbysabilitytomanipulatetheAmericanpoliticalsystem,therelationship
betweenIsraelandtheUnitedStateswouldbefarlessintimatethanitistoday.

WhatIsTheLobby?

WeusetheLobbyasaconvenientshorthandtermfortheloosecoalitionof
individualsandorganizationswhoactivelyworktoshapeU.S.foreignpolicyin
aproIsraeldirection.Ouruseofthistermisnotmeanttosuggestthatthe
Lobbyisaunifiedmovementwithacentralleadership,orthatindividuals
withinitdonotdisagreeoncertainissues

ThecoreoftheLobbyiscomprisedofAmericanJewswhomakeasignificant
effortintheirdailylivestobendU.S.foreignpolicysothatitadvancesIsraels
interests.Theiractivitiesgobeyondmerelyvotingforcandidateswhoarepro
Israeltoincludeletterwriting,financialcontributions,andsupportingproIsrael
organizations.ButnotallJewishAmericansarepartoftheLobby,because
Israelisnotasalientissueformanyofthem.Ina2004survey,forexample,
roughly36percentofJewishAmericanssaidtheywereeithernotveryornot
atallemotionallyattachedtoIsrael.
60

JewishAmericansalsodifferonspecificIsraelipolicies.Manyofthekey
organizationsintheLobby,likeAIPACandtheConferenceofPresidentsof
MajorJewishOrganizations(CPMJO),arerunbyhardlinerswhogenerally
supportedtheexpansionistpoliciesofIsraelsLikudParty,includingitshostility
totheOsloPeaceProcess.ThebulkofU.S.Jewry,ontheotherhand,ismore
favorablydisposedtomakingconcessionstothePalestinians,andafew
groupssuchasJewishVoiceforPeacestronglyadvocatesuchsteps.
61
Despite
thesedifferences,moderatesandhardlinersbothsupportsteadfastU.S.support
forIsrael.

Notsurprisingly,AmericanJewishleadersoftenconsultwithIsraeliofficials,so
thattheformercanmaximizetheirinfluenceintheUnitedStates.Asoneactivist
withamajorJewishorganizationwrote,itisroutineforustosay:Thisisour
13
policyonacertainissue,butwemustcheckwhattheIsraelisthink.Weasa
communitydoitallthetime.
62
Thereisalsoastrongnormagainstcriticizing
Israelipolicy,andJewishAmericanleadersrarelysupportputtingpressureon
Israel.Thus,EdgarBronfmanSr.,thepresidentoftheWorldJewishCongress,
wasaccusedofperfidywhenhewrotealettertoPresidentBushinmid2003
urgingBushtopressureIsraeltocurbconstructionofitscontroversialsecurity
fence.
63
Criticsdeclaredthat,Itwouldbeobsceneatanytimeforthepresident
oftheWorldJewishCongresstolobbythepresidentoftheUnitedStatestoresist
policiesbeingpromotedbythegovernmentofIsrael.

Similarly,whenIsraelPolicyForumpresidentSeymourReichadvisedSecretary
ofStateCondoleezzaRicetopressureIsraeltoreopenacriticalbordercrossingin
theGazaStripinNovember2005,criticsdenouncedhisactionasirresponsible
behavior,anddeclaredthat,ThereisabsolutelynoroomintheJewish
mainstreamforactivelycanvassingagainstthesecurityrelatedpolicies...of
Israel.
64
Recoilingfromtheseattacks,Reichproclaimedthatthewordpressure
isnotinmyvocabularywhenitcomestoIsrael.

JewishAmericanshaveformedanimpressivearrayoforganizationstoinfluence
Americanforeignpolicy,ofwhichAIPACisthemostpowerfulandwellknown.
In1997,FortunemagazineaskedmembersofCongressandtheirstaffstolistthe
mostpowerfullobbiesinWashington.
65
AIPACwasrankedsecondbehindthe
AmericanAssociationofRetiredPeople(AARP),butaheadofheavyweight
lobbiesliketheAFLCIOandtheNationalRifleAssociation.ANationalJournal
studyinMarch2005reachedasimilarconclusion,placingAIPACinsecond
place(tiedwithAARP)intheWashingtonsmusclerankings.
66

TheLobbyalsoincludesprominentChristianevangelicalslikeGaryBauer,Jerry
Falwell,RalphReed,andPatRobertson,aswellasDickArmeyandTomDeLay,
formermajorityleadersintheHouseofRepresentatives.TheybelieveIsraels
rebirthispartofBiblicalprophecy,supportitsexpansionistagenda,andthink
pressuringIsraeliscontrarytoGodswill.
67
Inaddition,theLobbys
membershipincludesneoconservativegentilessuchasJohnBolton,thelateWall
StreetJournaleditorRobertBartley,formerSecretaryofEducationWilliam
Bennett,formerU.N.AmbassadorJeanneKirkpatrick,andcolumnistGeorge
Will.
14

SourcesofPower

TheUnitedStateshasadividedgovernmentthatoffersmanywaystoinfluence
thepolicyprocess.Asaresult,interestgroupscanshapepolicyinmany
differentwaysbylobbyingelectedrepresentativesandmembersofthe
executivebranch,makingcampaigncontributions,votinginelections,molding
publicopinion,etc.

Furthermore,specialinterestgroupsenjoydisproportionatepowerwhenthey
arecommittedtoaparticularissueandthebulkofthepopulationisindifferent.
Policymakerswilltendtoaccommodatethosewhocareabouttheissuein
question,eveniftheirnumbersaresmall,confidentthattherestofthe
populationwillnotpenalizethem.

TheIsraelLobbyspowerflowsfromitsunmatchedabilitytoplaythisgameof
interestgrouppolitics.Initsbasicoperations,itisnodifferentfrominterest
groupsliketheFarmLobby,steelandtextileworkers,andotherethniclobbies.
WhatsetstheIsraelLobbyapartisitsextraordinaryeffectiveness.Butthereis
nothingimproperaboutAmericanJewsandtheirChristianalliesattemptingto
swayU.S.policytowardsIsrael.TheLobbysactivitiesarenotthesortof
conspiracydepictedinantiSemitictractsliketheProtocolsoftheEldersofZion.
Forthemostpart,theindividualsandgroupsthatcomprisetheLobbyaredoing
whatotherspecialinterestgroupsdo,justmuchbetter.Moreover,proArab
interestgroupsareweaktononexistent,whichmakestheLobbystaskeven
easier.
68

StrategiesforSuccess

TheLobbypursuestwobroadstrategiestopromoteU.S.supportforIsrael.First,
itwieldssignificantinfluenceinWashington,pressuringbothCongressandthe
ExecutivebranchtosupportIsraeldowntheline.Whateveranindividual
lawmakerorpolicymakersownviews,theLobbytriestomakesupportingIsrael
thesmartpoliticalchoice.

Second,theLobbystrivestoensurethatpublicdiscourseaboutIsraelportraysit
inapositivelight,byrepeatingmythsaboutIsraelanditsfoundingandby
publicizingIsraelssideinthepolicydebatesoftheday.Thegoalistoprevent
criticalcommentaryaboutIsraelfromgettingafairhearinginthepoliticalarena.
ControllingthedebateisessentialtoguaranteeingU.S.support,becausea
15
candiddiscussionofU.S.IsraelirelationsmightleadAmericanstofavora
differentpolicy.

InfluencingCongress

AkeypillaroftheLobbyseffectivenessisitsinfluenceintheU.S.Congress,
whereIsraelisvirtuallyimmunefromcriticism.Thisisinitselfaremarkable
situation,becauseCongressalmostnevershiesawayfromcontentiousissues.
Whethertheissueisabortion,affirmativeaction,healthcare,orwelfare,thereis
certaintobealivelydebateonCapitolHill.WhereIsraelisconcerned,however,
potentialcriticsfallsilentandthereishardlyanydebateatall.

OnereasonfortheLobbyssuccesswithCongressisthatsomekeymembersare
ChristianZionistslikeDickArmey,whosaidinSeptember2002thatMyNo.1
priorityinforeignpolicyistoprotectIsrael.
69
Onewouldthinkthatthenumber
1priorityforanycongressmanwouldbetoprotectAmerica,butthatisnot
whatArmeysaid.TherearealsoJewishsenatorsandcongressmenwhoworkto
makeU.S.foreignpolicysupportIsraelsinterests.

ProIsraelcongressionalstaffersareanothersourceoftheLobbyspower.As
MorrisAmitay,aformerheadofAIPAC,onceadmitted,Therearealotofguys
attheworkingleveluphere[onCapitolHill]whohappentobeJewish,who
arewillingtolookatcertainissuesintermsoftheirJewishness.Theseare
allguyswhoareinapositiontomakethedecisionintheseareasforthose
senators.Youcangetanawfullotdonejustatthestafflevel.
70

ItisAIPACitself,however,thatformsthecoreoftheLobbysinfluencein
Congress.AIPACssuccessisduetoitsabilitytorewardlegislatorsand
congressionalcandidateswhosupportitsagenda,andtopunishthosewho
challengeit.MoneyiscriticaltoU.S.elections(astherecentscandalover
lobbyistJackAbramoffsvariousshadydealingsremindsus),andAIPACmakes
surethatitsfriendsgetstrongfinancialsupportfromthemyriadproIsrael
politicalactioncommittees.ThoseseenashostiletoIsrael,ontheotherhand,
canbesurethatAIPACwilldirectcampaigncontributionstotheirpolitical
opponents.AIPACalsoorganizesletterwritingcampaignsandencourages
newspapereditorstoendorseproIsraelcandidates.

Thereisnodoubtaboutthepotencyofthesetactics.Totakebutoneexample,in
1984AIPAChelpeddefeatSenatorCharlesPercyfromIllinois,who,accordingto
oneprominentLobbyfigure,haddisplayedinsensitivityandevenhostilityto
16
ourconcerns.ThomasDine,theheadofAIPACatthetime,explainedwhat
happened:AlltheJewsinAmerica,fromcoasttocoast,gatheredtooustPercy.
AndtheAmericanpoliticiansthosewhoholdpublicpositionsnow,andthose
whoaspiregotthemessage.
71
AIPACprizesitsreputationasaformidable
adversary,ofcourse,becauseitdiscouragesanyonefromquestioningitsagenda.

AIPACsinfluenceonCapitolHillgoesevenfurther,however.Accordingto
DouglasBloomfield,aformerAIPACstaffmember,Itiscommonformembers
ofCongressandtheirstaffstoturntoAIPACfirstwhentheyneedinformation,
beforecallingtheLibraryofCongress,theCongressionalResearchService,
committeestafforadministrationexperts.
72
Moreimportantly,henotesthat
AIPACisoftencalledupontodraftspeeches,workonlegislation,adviseon
tactics,performresearch,collectcosponsorsandmarshalvotes.

ThebottomlineisthatAIPAC,whichisadefactoagentforaforeigngovernment,
hasastrangleholdontheU.S.Congress.
73
OpendebateaboutU.S.policy
towardsIsraeldoesnotoccurthere,eventhoughthatpolicyhasimportant
consequencesfortheentireworld.Thus,oneofthethreemainbranchesofthe
U.S.governmentisfirmlycommittedtosupportingIsrael.AsformerSenator
ErnestHollings(DSC)notedashewasleavingoffice,YoucanthaveanIsraeli
policyotherthanwhatAIPACgivesyouaroundhere.
74
Smallwonderthat
IsraeliPrimeMinisterArielSharononcetoldanAmericanaudience.When
peopleaskmehowtheycanhelpIsrael,ItellthemHelpAIPAC.
75

InfluencingtheExecutive

TheLobbyalsohassignificantleverageovertheExecutivebranch.Thatpower
derivesinpartfromtheinfluenceJewishvotershaveonpresidentialelections.
Despitetheirsmallnumbersinthepopulation(lessthan3percent),theymake
largecampaigndonationstocandidatesfrombothparties.TheWashingtonPost
onceestimatedthatDemocraticpresidentialcandidatesdependonJewish
supporterstosupplyasmuchas60percentofthemoney.
76
Furthermore,
Jewishvotershavehighturnoutratesandareconcentratedinkeystateslike
California,Florida,Illinois,NewYork,andPennsylvania.Becausetheymatterin
closeelections,Presidentialcandidatesgotogreatlengthsnottoantagonize
Jewishvoters.

KeyorganizationsintheLobbyalsodirectlytargettheadministrationinpower.
Forexample,proIsraelforcesmakesurethatcriticsoftheJewishstatedonotget
importantforeignpolicyappointments.JimmyCarterwantedtomakeGeorge
17
Ballhisfirstsecretaryofstate,butheknewthatBallwasperceivedascriticalof
IsraelandthattheLobbywouldopposetheappointment.
77
Thislitmustest
forcesanyaspiringpolicymakertobecomeanovertsupporterofIsrael,whichis
whypubliccriticsofIsraelipolicyhavebecomeanendangeredspeciesinthe
U.S.foreignpolicyestablishment.

Theseconstraintsstilloperatetoday.When2004presidentialcandidateHoward
DeancalledfortheUnitedStatestotakeamoreevenhandedroleintheArab
Israeliconflict,SenatorJosephLiebermanaccusedhimofsellingIsraeldownthe
riverandsaidhisstatementwasirresponsible.
78
Virtuallyallofthetop
DemocratsintheHousesignedahardhittinglettertoDeancriticizinghis
comments,andtheChicagoJewishStarreportedthatanonymousattackersare
cloggingtheemailinboxesofJewishleadersaroundthecountry,warning
withoutmuchevidencethatDeanwouldsomehowbebadforIsrael.
79

Thisworrywasabsurd,however,becauseDeanisinfactquitehawkishon
Israel.
80
HiscampaigncochairwasaformerAIPACpresident,andDeansaid
hisownviewsontheMiddleEastmorecloselyreflectedthoseofAIPACthanthe
moremoderateAmericansforPeaceNow.Deanhadmerelysuggestedthatto
bringthesidestogether,Washingtonshouldactasanhonestbroker.Thisis
hardlyaradicalidea,butitisanathematotheLobby,whichdoesnottoleratethe
ideaofevenhandednesswhenitcomestotheArabIsraeliconflict.

TheLobbysgoalsarealsoservedwhenproIsraelindividualsoccupyimportant
positionsintheexecutivebranch.DuringtheClintonAdministration,for
example,MiddleEastpolicywaslargelyshapedbyofficialswithclosetiesto
IsraelortoprominentproIsraelorganizationsincludingMartinIndyk,the
formerdeputydirectorofresearchatAIPACandcofounderoftheproIsrael
WashingtonInstituteforNearEastPolicy(WINEP);DennisRoss,whojoined
WINEPafterleavinggovernmentin2001;andAaronMiller,whohaslivedin
Israelandoftenvisitsthere.
81

ThesemenwereamongPresidentClintonsclosestadvisorsattheCampDavid
summitinJuly2000.AlthoughallthreesupportedtheOslopeaceprocessand
favoredcreationofaPalestinianstate,theydidsoonlywithinthelimitsofwhat
wouldbeacceptabletoIsrael.
82
Inparticular,theAmericandelegationtookits
cuesfromIsraeliPrimeMinisterEhudBarak,coordinatednegotiatingpositions
inadvance,anddidnotofferitsownindependentproposalsforsettlingthe
conflict.Notsurprisingly,Palestiniannegotiatorscomplainedthattheywere
18
negotiatingwithtwoIsraeliteamsonedisplayinganIsraeliflag,andonean
Americanflag.
83

ThesituationisevenmorepronouncedintheBushAdministration,whoseranks
includeferventlyproIsraelindividualslikeElliotAbrams,JohnBolton,Douglas
Feith,I.Lewis(Scooter)Libby,RichardPerle,PaulWolfowitz,andDavid
Wurmser.Asweshallsee,theseofficialsconsistentlypushedforpolicies
favoredbyIsraelandbackedbyorganizationsintheLobby.

ManipulatingtheMedia

Inadditiontoinfluencinggovernmentpolicydirectly,theLobbystrivestoshape
publicperceptionsaboutIsraelandtheMiddleEast.Itdoesnotwantanopen
debateonissuesinvolvingIsrael,becauseanopendebatemightcauseAmericans
toquestionthelevelofsupportthattheycurrentlyprovide.Accordingly,pro
Israelorganizationsworkhardtoinfluencethemedia,thinktanks,and
academia,becausetheseinstitutionsarecriticalinshapingpopularopinion.

TheLobbysperspectiveonIsraeliswidelyreflectedinthemainstreammediain
goodpartbecausemostAmericancommentatorsareproIsrael.Thedebate
amongMiddleEastpundits,journalistEricAltermanwrites,isdominatedby
peoplewhocannotimaginecriticizingIsrael.
84
Helists61columnistsand
commentatorswhocanbecountedupontosupportIsraelreflexivelyand
withoutqualification.Conversely,Altermanfoundjustfivepunditswho
consistentlycriticizeIsraelibehaviororendorseproArabpositions.
NewspapersoccasionallypublishguestopedschallengingIsraelipolicy,butthe
balanceofopinionclearlyfavorstheotherside.

ThisproIsraelbiasisreflectedintheeditorialsofmajornewspapers.Robert
Bartley,thelateeditoroftheWallStreetJournal,onceremarkedthat,Shamir,
Sharon,Bibiwhateverthoseguyswantisprettymuchfinebyme.
85
Not
surprisingly,theJournal,alongwithotherprominentnewspaperslikeTheChicago
SunTimesandTheWashingtonTimesregularlyruneditorialsthatarestrongly
proIsrael.MagazineslikeCommentary,theNewRepublic,andtheWeekly
StandardalsozealouslydefendIsraelateveryturn.

EditorialbiasisalsofoundinpapersliketheNewYorkTimes.TheTimes
occasionallycriticizesIsraelipoliciesandsometimesconcedesthatthe
Palestinianshavelegitimategrievances,butitisnotevenhanded.Inhis
memoirs,forexample,formerTimesexecutiveeditorMaxFrankelacknowledged
19
theimpacthisownproIsraelattitudehadonhiseditorialchoices.Inhiswords:
IwasmuchmoredeeplydevotedtoIsraelthanIdaredtoassert.Hegoeson:
FortifiedbymyknowledgeofIsraelandmyfriendshipsthere,Imyselfwrote
mostofourMiddleEastcommentaries.AsmoreArabthanJewishreaders
recognized,IwrotethemfromaproIsraelperspective.
86

ThemediasreportingofnewseventsinvolvingIsraelissomewhatmoreeven
handedthaneditorialcommentaryis,inpartbecausereportersstrivetobe
objective,butalsobecauseitisdifficulttocovereventsintheoccupiedterritories
withoutacknowledgingIsraelsactualbehavior.Todiscourageunfavorable
reportingonIsrael,theLobbyorganizesletterwritingcampaigns,
demonstrations,andboycottsagainstnewsoutletswhosecontentitconsiders
antiIsrael.OneCNNexecutivehassaidthathesometimesgets6,000email
messagesinasingledaycomplainingthatastoryisantiIsrael.
87
Similarly,the
proIsraelCommitteeforAccurateMiddleEastReportinginAmerica
(CAMERA)organizeddemonstrationsoutsideNationalPublicRadiostationsin
33citiesinMay2003,anditalsotriedtoconvincecontributorstowithhold
supportfromNPRuntilitsMiddleEastcoveragebecamemoresympatheticto
Israel.
88
BostonsNPRstation,WBUR,reportedlylostmorethan$1millionin
contributionsasaresultoftheseefforts.PressureonNPRhasalsocomefrom
IsraelsfriendsinCongress,whohaveaskedNPRforaninternalauditaswellas
moreoversightofitsMiddleEastcoverage.

ThesefactorshelpexplainwhytheAmericanmediacontainsfewcriticismsof
Israelipolicy,rarelyquestionsWashingtonsrelationshipwithIsrael,andonly
occasionallydiscussestheLobbysprofoundinfluenceonU.S.policy.

ThinkTanksThatThinkOneWay

ProIsraelforcespredominateinU.S.thinktanks,whichplayanimportantrole
inshapingpublicdebateaswellasactualpolicy.TheLobbycreateditsown
thinktankin1985,whenMartinIndykhelpedfoundWINEP.
89
Although
WINEPplaysdownitslinkstoIsraelandclaimsinsteadthatitprovidesa
balancedandrealisticperspectiveonMiddleEastissues,thisisnotthecase.
90

Infact,WINEPisfundedandrunbyindividualswhoaredeeplycommittedto
advancingIsraelsagenda.

TheLobbysinfluenceinthethinktankworldextendswellbeyondWINEP.
Overthepast25years,proIsraelforceshaveestablishedacommanding
presenceattheAmericanEnterpriseInstitute,theBrookingsInstitution,the
20
CenterforSecurityPolicy,theForeignPolicyResearchInstitute,theHeritage
Foundation,theHudsonInstitute,theInstituteforForeignPolicyAnalysis,and
theJewishInstituteforNationalSecurityAffairs(JINSA).Thesethinktanksare
decidedlyproIsrael,andincludefew,ifany,criticsofU.S.supportfortheJewish
state.

AgoodindicatoroftheLobbysinfluenceinthethinktankworldistheevolution
oftheBrookingsInstitution.Formanyyears,itsseniorexpertonMiddleEast
issueswasWilliamB.Quandt,adistinguishedacademicandformerNSCofficial
withawelldeservedreputationforevenhandednessregardingtheArabIsraeli
conflict.Today,however,Brookingssworkontheseissuesisconducted
throughitsSabanCenterforMiddleEastStudies,whichisfinancedbyHaim
Saban,awealthyIsraeliAmericanbusinessmanandardentZionist.
91
The
directoroftheSabanCenteristheubiquitousMartinIndyk.Thus,whatwas
onceanonpartisanpolicyinstituteonMiddleEastmattersisnowpartofthe
chorusoflargelyproIsraelthinktanks.

PolicingAcademia

TheLobbyhashadthemostdifficultystiflingdebateaboutIsraeloncollege
campuses,becauseacademicfreedomisacorevalueandbecausetenured
professorsarehardtothreatenorsilence.Evenso,therewasonlymildcriticism
ofIsraelinthe1990s,whentheOslopeaceprocesswasunderway.Criticismrose
afterthatprocesscollapsedandArielSharoncametopowerinearly2001,andit
becameespeciallyintensewhentheIDFreoccupiedtheWestBankinspring
2002andemployedmassiveforceagainsttheSecondIntifada.

TheLobbymovedaggressivelytotakebackthecampuses.Newgroups
sprangup,liketheCaravanforDemocracy,whichbroughtIsraelispeakersto
U.S.colleges.
92
EstablishedgroupsliketheJewishCouncilforPublicAffairsand
Hilleljumpedintothefray,andanewgrouptheIsraelonCampusCoalition
wasformedtocoordinatethemanygroupsthatnowsoughttomakeIsraelscase
oncampus.Finally,AIPACmorethantripleditsspendingforprogramsto
monitoruniversityactivitiesandtotrainyoungadvocatesforIsrael,inorderto
vastlyexpandthenumberofstudentsinvolvedoncampus...inthenational
proIsraeleffort.
93

TheLobbyalsomonitorswhatprofessorswriteandteach.InSeptember2002,
forexample,MartinKramerandDanielPipes,twopassionatelyproIsrael
neoconservatives,establishedawebsite(CampusWatch)thatposteddossierson
21
suspectacademicsandencouragedstudentstoreportcommentsorbehaviorthat
mightbeconsideredhostiletoIsrael.
94
Thistransparentattempttoblacklistand
intimidatescholarspromptedaharshreactionandPipesandKramerlater
removedthedossiers,butthewebsitestillinvitesstudentstoreportallegedanti
IsraelbehavioratU.S.colleges.

GroupsintheLobbyalsodirecttheirfireatparticularprofessorsandthe
universitiesthathirethem.ColumbiaUniversity,whichhadthelatePalestinian
scholarEdwardSaidonitsfaculty,hasbeenafrequenttargetofproIsraelforces.
JonathanCole,theformerColumbiaprovost,reportedthat,Onecanbesure
thatanypublicstatementinsupportofthePalestinianpeoplebythepreeminent
literarycriticEdwardSaidwillelicithundredsofemails,letters,andjournalistic
accountsthatcallonustodenounceSaidandtoeithersanctionorfirehim.
95

WhenColumbiarecruitedhistorianRashidKhalidifromtheUniversityof
Chicago,Colesaysthatthecomplaintsstartedflowinginfrompeoplewho
disagreedwiththecontentofhispoliticalviews.Princetonfacedthesame
problemafewyearslaterwhenitconsideredwooingKhalidiawayfrom
Columbia.
96

Aclassicillustrationoftheefforttopoliceacademiaoccurredinlate2004,when
theDavidProjectproducedapropagandafilmallegingthatfacultyin
ColumbiaUniversitysMiddleEaststudiesprogramwereantiSemiticandwere
intimidatingJewishstudentswhodefendedIsrael.
97
Columbiawasrakedover
thecoalsinproIsraelcircles,butafacultycommitteeassignedtoinvestigatethe
chargesfoundnoevidenceofantiSemitismandtheonlyincidentworthnoting
wasthepossibilitythatoneprofessorhadrespondedheatedlytoastudents
question.
98
Thecommitteealsodiscoveredthattheaccusedprofessorshadbeen
thetargetofanovertintimidationcampaign.

Perhapsthemostdisturbingaspectofthiscampaigntoeliminatecriticismof
IsraelfromcollegecampusesistheeffortbyJewishgroupstopushCongressto
establishmechanismsthatmonitorwhatprofessorssayaboutIsrael.
99
Schools
judgedtohaveanantiIsraelbiaswouldbedeniedFederalfunding.Thiseffort
togettheU.S.governmenttopolicecampuseshavenotyetsucceeded,butthe
attemptillustratestheimportanceproIsraelgroupsplaceoncontrollingdebate
ontheseissues.

Finally,anumberofJewishphilanthropistshaveestablishedIsraelstudies
programs(inadditiontotheroughly130JewishStudiesprogramsthatalready
exist)soastoincreasethenumberofIsraelfriendlyscholarsoncampus.
100
NYU
22
announcedtheestablishmentoftheTaubCenterforIsraelStudiesonMay1,
2003,andsimilarprogramshavebeenestablishedatotherschoolslikeBerkeley,
Brandeis,andEmory.Academicadministratorsemphasizethepedagogical
valueoftheseprograms,butthetruthisthattheyareintendedingoodpartto
promoteIsraelsimageoncampus.FredLaffer,theheadoftheTaub
Foundation,makesclearthathisfoundationfundedtheNYUcentertohelp
countertheArabic[sic]pointofviewthathethinksisprevalentinNYUs
MiddleEastprograms.
101

Insum,theLobbyhasgonetoconsiderablelengthstoinsulateIsraelfrom
criticismoncollegecampuses.Ithasnotbeenassuccessfulinacademiaasithas
beenonCapitolHill,butithasworkedhardtostiflecriticismofIsraelby
professorsandstudentsandthereismuchlessofitoncampusestoday.
102

TheGreatSilencer

NodiscussionofhowtheLobbyoperateswouldbecompletewithoutexamining
oneofitsmostpowerfulweapons:thechargeofantiSemitism.Anyonewho
criticizesIsraeliactionsorsaysthatproIsraelgroupshavesignificantinfluence
overU.S.MiddleEastpolicyaninfluencethatAIPACcelebratesstandsa
goodchanceofgettinglabeledanantiSemite.Infact,anyonewhosaysthat
thereisanIsraelLobbyrunstheriskofbeingchargedwithantiSemitism,even
thoughtheIsraelimediathemselvesrefertoAmericasJewishLobby.Ineffect,
theLobbyboastsofitsownpowerandthenattacksanyonewhocallsattentionto
it.Thistacticisveryeffective,becauseantiSemitismisloathsomeandno
responsiblepersonwantstobeaccusedofit.

EuropeanshavebeenmorewillingthanAmericanstocriticizeIsraelipolicyin
recentyears,whichsomeattributetoaresurgenceofantiSemitisminEurope.
Wearegettingtoapoint,theU.S.AmbassadortotheEuropeanUnionsaidin
early2004,whereitisasbadasitwasinthe1930s.
103
MeasuringantiSemitism
isacomplicatedmatter,buttheweightofevidencepointsintheopposite
direction.Forexample,inthespringof2004,whenaccusationsofEuropeananti
SemitismfilledtheairinAmerica,separatesurveysofEuropeanpublicopinion
conductedbytheAntiDefamationLeagueandthePewResearchCenterforthe
PeopleandthePressshowedthatitwasactuallydeclining.
104

ConsiderFrance,whichproIsraelforcesoftenportrayasthemostantiSemitic
stateinEurope.ApollofFrenchcitizensin2002foundthat:89percentcould
envisagelivingwithaJew;97percentbelievemakingantiSemiticgraffitiisa
23
seriouscrime;87percentthinkattacksonFrenchsynagoguesarescandalous;
and85percentofpracticingFrenchCatholicsrejectthechargethatJewshavetoo
muchinfluenceinbusinessandfinance.
105
Itisunsurprisingthattheheadofthe
FrenchJewishcommunitydeclaredinthesummerof2003thatFranceisnot
moreantiSemiticthanAmerica.
106
AccordingtoarecentarticleinHaaretz,the
FrenchpolicereportthatantiSemiticincidentsinFrancedeclinedbyalmost50
percentin2005;andthisdespitethefactthatFrancehasthelargestMuslim
populationofanycountryinEurope.
107

Finally,whenaFrenchJewwasbrutallymurderedlastmonthbyaMuslimgang,
tensofthousandsofFrenchdemonstratorspouredintothestreetstocondemn
antiSemitism.Moreover,PresidentJacquesChiracandPrimeMinister
DominiquedeVillepinbothattendedthevictimsmemorialserviceinapublic
showofsolidaritywithFrenchJewry.
108
Itisalsoworthnotingthatin2002more
JewsimmigratedtoGermanythanIsrael,makingitthefastestgrowingJewish
communityintheworld,accordingtoanarticleintheJewishnewspaper
Forward.
109
IfEuropewerereallyheadingbacktothe1930s,itishardtoimagine
thatJewswouldbemovingthereinlargenumbers.

Werecognize,however,thatEuropeisnotfreeofthescourgeofantiSemitism.
NoonewoulddenythattherearestillsomevirulentautochthonousantiSemites
inEurope(asthereareintheUnitedStates)buttheirnumbersaresmallandtheir
extremeviewsarerejectedbythevastmajorityofEuropeans.Norwouldone
denythatthereisantiSemitismamongEuropeanMuslims,someofitprovoked
byIsraelsbehaviortowardsthePalestiniansandsomeofitstraightforwardly
racist.
110
Thisproblemisworrisome,butitishardlyoutofcontrol.Muslims
constitutelessthanfivepercentofEuropestotalpopulation,andEuropean
governmentsareworkinghardtocombattheproblem.Why?Becausemost
Europeansrejectsuchhatefulviews.
111
Inshort,whenitcomestoantiSemitism,
EuropetodaybearshardlyanyresemblancetoEuropeinthe1930s.

ThisiswhyproIsraelforces,whenpressedtogobeyondassertion,claimthat
thereisanewantiSemitism,whichtheyequatewithcriticismofIsrael.
112
In
otherwordscriticizeIsraelipolicyandyouarebydefinitionanantiSemite.
WhenthesynodoftheChurchofEnglandrecentlyvotedtodivestfrom
CaterpillarInconthegroundsthatCaterpillarmanufacturesthebulldozersused
todemolishPalestinianhomes,theChiefRabbicomplainedthatitwouldhave
themostadverserepercussionson...JewishChristianrelationsinBritain,while
RabbiTonyBayfield,theheadoftheReformmovement,said:Thereisaclear
problemofantiZionistvergingonantiSemiticattitudesemerginginthegrass
24
roots,andeveninthemiddleranksoftheChurch.
113
However,theChurchwas
neitherguiltyofantiZionismnorantiSemitism;itwasmerelyprotestingIsraeli
policy.
114

CriticsarealsoaccusedofholdingIsraeltoanunfairstandardorquestioningits
righttoexist.Buttheseareboguschargestoo.WesterncriticsofIsraelhardly
everquestionitsrighttoexist.Instead,theyquestionitsbehaviortowardsthe
Palestinians,whichisalegitimatecriticism:Israelisquestionitthemselves.Noris
Israelbeingjudgedunfairly.Rather,IsraelitreatmentofthePalestinianselicits
criticismbecauseitiscontrarytowidelyacceptedhumanrightsnormsand
internationallaw,aswellastheprincipleofnationalselfdetermination.Anditis
hardlytheonlystatethathasfacedsharpcriticismonthesegrounds.

Insum,otherethniclobbiescanonlydreamofhavingthepoliticalmusclethat
proIsraelorganizationspossess.Thequestion,therefore,iswhateffectdoesthe
LobbyhaveonU.S.foreignpolicy?

THETAILWAGGINGTHEDOG

IftheLobbysimpactwereconfinedtoU.S.economicaidtoIsrael,itsinfluence
mightnotbethatworrisome.Foreignaidisvaluable,butnotasusefulashaving
theworldsonlysuperpowerbringitsvastcapabilitiestobearonIsraelsbehalf.
Accordingly,theLobbyhasalsosoughttoshapethecoreelementsofU.S.
MiddleEastpolicy.Inparticular,ithasworkedsuccessfullytoconvince
AmericanleaderstobackIsraelscontinuedrepressionofthePalestiniansandto
takeaimatIsraelsprimaryregionaladversaries:Iran,Iraq,andSyria.

DemonizingthePalestinians

Itisnowlargelyforgotten,butinthefallof2001,andespeciallyinthespringof
2002,theBushAdministrationtriedtoreduceantiAmericansentimentinthe
ArabworldandunderminesupportforterroristgroupslikealQaeda,byhalting
Israelsexpansionistpoliciesintheoccupiedterritoriesandadvocatingthe
creationofaPalestinianstate.

Bushhadenormouspotentialleverageathisdisposal.Hecouldhavethreatened
toreduceU.S.economicanddiplomaticsupportforIsrael,andtheAmerican
peoplewouldalmostcertainlyhavesupportedhim.AMay2003pollreported
thatover60percentofAmericanswerewillingtowithholdaidtoIsraelifit
resistedU.S.pressuretosettletheconflict,andthatnumberroseto70percent
25
amongpoliticallyactiveAmericans.
115
Indeed,73percentsaidthatUnited
Statesshouldnotfavoreitherside.

YettheBushAdministrationfailedtochangeIsraelspolicies,andWashington
endedupbackingIsraelshardlineapproachinstead.Overtime,the
AdministrationalsoadoptedIsraelsjustificationsforthisapproach,sothatU.S.
andIsraelirhetoricbecamesimilar.ByFebruary2003,aWashingtonPost
headlinesummarizedthesituation:BushandSharonNearlyIdenticalon
MideastPolicy.
116
ThemainreasonforthisswitchistheLobby.

ThestorybeginsinlateSeptember2001whenPresidentBushbeganpressuring
IsraeliPrimeMinisterSharontoshowrestraintintheoccupiedterritories.He
alsopressedSharontoallowIsraeliforeignministerShimonPerestomeetwith
PalestinianleaderYasserArafat,eventhoughBushwashighlycriticalofArafats
leadership.
117
BushalsosaidpubliclythathesupportedaPalestinianstate.
118

Alarmedbythesedevelopments,SharonaccusedBushoftryingtoappeasethe
Arabsatourexpense,warningthatIsraelwillnotbeCzechoslovakia.
119

BushwasreportedlyfuriousatSharonslikeninghimtoNevilleChamberlain,
andWhiteHousepresssecretaryAriFleischercalledSharonsremarks
unacceptable.
120
TheIsraeliprimeministerofferedaproformaapology,buthe
quicklyjoinedforceswiththeLobbytoconvincetheBushadministrationandthe
AmericanpeoplethattheUnitedStatesandIsraelfacedacommonthreatfrom
terrorism.
121
IsraeliofficialsandLobbyrepresentativesrepeatedlyemphasized
thattherewasnorealdifferencebetweenArafatandOsamabinLaden,and
insistedthattheUnitedStatesandIsraelshouldisolatethePalestinianselected
leaderandhavenothingtodowithhim.
122

TheLobbyalsowenttoworkinCongress.OnNovember16,89senatorssent
BushaletterpraisinghimforrefusingtomeetwithArafat,butalsodemanding
thattheUnitedStatesnotrestrainIsraelfromretaliatingagainstthePalestinians
andinsistingthattheadministrationstatepubliclythatitstoodsteadfastly
behindIsrael.AccordingtotheNewYorkTimes,theletterstemmedfroma
meetingtwoweeksagobetweenleadersoftheAmericanJewishcommunityand
keysenators,addingthatAIPACwasparticularlyactiveinprovidingadvice
ontheletter.
123

BylateNovember,relationsbetweenTelAvivandWashingtonhadimproved
considerably.ThiswasdueinparttotheLobbyseffortstobendU.S.policyin
Israelsdirection,butalsotoAmericasinitialvictoryinAfghanistan,which
26
reducedtheperceivedneedforArabsupportindealingwithalQaeda.Sharon
visitedtheWhiteHouseinearlyDecemberandhadafriendlymeetingwith
Bush.
124

ButtroubleeruptedagaininApril2002,aftertheIDFlaunchedOperation
DefensiveShieldandresumedcontrolofvirtuallyallofthemajorPalestinian
areasontheWestBank.
125
BushknewthatIsraelsactionwoulddamage
AmericasimageintheArabandIslamicworldandunderminethewaron
terrorism,sohedemandedonApril4thatSharonhalttheincursionsandbegin
withdrawal.Heunderscoredthismessagetwodayslater,sayingthismeant
withdrawalwithoutdelay.OnApril7,Bushsnationalsecurityadvisor,
CondoleezzaRice,toldreportersthat,withoutdelaymeanswithoutdelay.It
meansnow.ThatsamedaySecretaryofStateColinPowellsetoutforthe
MiddleEasttopressureallsidestostopfightingandstartnegotiating.
126

IsraelandtheLobbyswungintoaction.AkeytargetwasPowell,whobegan
feelingintenseheatfromproIsraelofficialsinVicePresidentCheneysofficeand
thePentagon,aswellasfromneoconservativepunditslikeRobertKaganand
WilliamKristol,whoaccusedhimofhavingvirtuallyobliteratedthedistinction
betweenterroristsandthosefightingterrorists.
127
AsecondtargetwasBush
himself,whowasbeingpressedbyJewishleadersandChristianevangelicals,the
latterakeycomponentofhispoliticalbase.TomDeLayandDickArmeywere
especiallyoutspokenabouttheneedtosupportIsrael,andDeLayandSenate
MinorityLeaderTrentLottvisitedtheWhiteHouseandpersonallywarnedBush
tobackoff.
128

ThefirstsignthatBushwascavingcameonApril11onlyoneweekafterhe
toldSharontowithdrawhisforceswhenAriFleischersaidthePresident
believesSharonisamanofpeace.
129
Bushrepeatedthisstatementpublicly
uponPowellsreturnfromhisabortivemission,andhetoldreportersthat
Sharonhadrespondedsatisfactorilytohiscallforafullandimmediate
withdrawal.
130
Sharonhaddonenosuchthing,butthePresidentoftheUnited
Stateswasnolongerwillingtomakeanissueofit.

Meanwhile,CongresswasalsomovingtobackSharon.OnMay2,itoverrode
theAdministrationsobjectionsandpassedtworesolutionsreaffirmingsupport
forIsrael.(TheSenatevotewas94to2;theHouseversionpassed35221).Both
resolutionsemphasizedthattheUnitedStatesstandsinsolidaritywithIsrael
andthatthetwocountriesare,toquotetheHouseresolution,nowengagedina
commonstruggleagainstterrorism.TheHouseversionalsocondemnedthe
27
ongoingsupportofterrorbyYasirArafat,whowasportrayedasacentral
elementoftheterrorismproblem.
131
Afewdayslater,abipartisancongressional
delegationonafactfindingmissioninIsraelpubliclyproclaimedthatSharon
shouldresistU.S.pressuretonegotiatewithArafat.
132
OnMay9,aHouse
appropriationssubcommitteemettoconsidergivingIsraelanextra$200million
tofightterrorism.SecretaryofStatePowellopposedthepackage,buttheLobby
backedit,justasithadhelpedauthorthetwocongressionalresolutions.
133

Powelllost.

Inshort,SharonandtheLobbytookonthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesand
triumphed.HemiShalev,ajournalistfortheIsraelnewspaperMaariv,reported
thatSharonsaidescouldnothidetheirsatisfactioninviewofPowellsfailure.
SharonsawthewhiteinPresidentBushseyes,theybragged,andthePresident
blinkedfirst.
134
ButitwastheproIsraelforcesintheUnitedStates,notSharon
orIsrael,thatplayedthekeyroleindefeatingBush.

Thesituationhaschangedlittlesincethen.TheBushAdministrationrefusedto
dealfurtherwithArafat,whoeventuallydiedinNovember2004.Ithas
subsequentlyembracedthenewPalestinianleader,MahmoudAbbas,buthas
donelittletohelphimgainaviablestate.Sharoncontinuedtodevelophisplans
forunilateraldisengagementfromthePalestinians,basedonwithdrawalfrom
GazacoupledwithcontinuedexpansionontheWestBank,whichentails
buildingthesocalledsecurityfence,seizingPalestinianownedland,and
expandingsettlementblocsandroadnetworks.Byrefusingtonegotiatewith
Abbas(whofavorsanegotiatedsettlement)andmakingitimpossibleforhimto
delivertangiblebenefitstothePalestinianpeople,Sharonsstrategycontributed
directlytoHamasrecentelectoralvictory.
135
WithHamasinpower,however,
Israelhasanotherexcusenottonegotiate.Theadministrationhassupported
Sharonsactions(andthoseofhissuccessor,EhudOlmert),andBushhaseven
endorsedunilateralIsraeliannexationsintheOccupiedTerritories,reversingthe
statedpolicyofeverypresidentsinceLyndonJohnson.
136

U.S.officialshaveofferedmildcriticismsofafewIsraeliactions,buthavedone
littletohelpcreateaviablePalestinianstate.Formernationalsecurityadvisor
BrentScowcroftevendeclaredinOctober2004thatSharonhasPresidentBush
wrappedaroundhislittlefinger.
137
IfBushtriestodistancetheUnitedStates
fromIsrael,orevencriticizesIsraeliactionsintheoccupiedterritories,heis
certaintofacethewrathoftheLobbyanditssupportersinCongress.
DemocraticPartypresidentialcandidatesunderstandthesefactsoflifetoo,
28
whichiswhyJohnKerrywenttogreatlengthstodisplayhisunalloyedsupport
forIsraelin2004andwhyHillaryClintonisdoingthesamethingtoday.
138

MaintainingU.S.supportforIsraelspoliciesagainstthePalestiniansisacore
goaloftheLobby,butitsambitionsdonotstopthere.ItalsowantsAmericato
helpIsraelremainthedominantregionalpower.Notsurprisingly,theIsraeli
governmentandproIsraelgroupsintheUnitedStatesworkedtogethertoshape
theBushAdministrationspolicytowardsIraq,Syria,andIran,aswellasits
grandschemeforreorderingtheMiddleEast.

IsraelandtheIraqWar

PressurefromIsraelandtheLobbywasnottheonlyfactorbehindtheU.S.
decisiontoattackIraqinMarch2003,butitwasacriticalelement.Some
Americansbelievethatthiswasawarforoil,butthereishardlyanydirect
evidencetosupportthisclaim.Instead,thewarwasmotivatedingoodpartbya
desiretomakeIsraelmoresecure.AccordingtoPhilipZelikow,amemberofthe
PresidentsForeignIntelligenceAdvisoryBoard(20012003),executivedirector
ofthe9/11Commission,andnowCounselortoSecretaryofStateCondoleezza
Rice,therealthreatfromIraqwasnotathreattotheUnitedStates.
139
The
unstatedthreatwasthethreatagainstIsrael,ZelikowtoldaUniversityof
VirginiaaudienceinSeptember2002,notingfurtherthattheAmerican
governmentdoesntwanttoleantoohardonitrhetorically,becauseitisnota
popularsell.

OnAugust16,2002,elevendaysbeforeVicePresidentCheneykickedoffthe
campaignforwarwithahardlinespeechtotheVeteransofForeignWars,the
WashingtonPostreportedthatIsraelisurgingU.S.officialsnottodelaya
militarystrikeagainstIraqsSaddamHussein.
140
Bythispoint,accordingto
Sharon,strategiccoordinationbetweenIsraelandtheU.S.hadreached
unprecedenteddimensions,andIsraeliintelligenceofficialshadgiven
WashingtonavarietyofalarmingreportsaboutIraqsWMDprograms.
141
As
oneretiredIsraeligenerallaterputit,Israeliintelligencewasafullpartnerto
thepicturepresentedbyAmericanandBritishintelligenceregardingIraqsnon
conventionalcapabilities.
142

IsraelileadersweredeeplydistressedwhenPresidentBushdecidedtoseekU.N.
SecurityCouncilauthorizationforwarinSeptember,andevenmoreworried
whenSaddamagreedtoletU.N.inspectorsbackintoIraq,becausethese
developmentsseemedtoreducethelikelihoodofwar.ForeignMinisterShimon
29
PerestoldreportersinSeptember2002thatthecampaignagainstSaddam
Husseinisamust.Inspectionsandinspectorsaregoodfordecentpeople,but
dishonestpeoplecanovercomeeasilyinspectionsandinspectors.
143

Atthesametime,formerPrimeMinisterEhudBarakwroteaNewYorkTimesop
edwarningthatthegreatestrisknowliesininaction.
144
Hispredecessor,
Benjamin

Netanyahu,publishedasimilarpieceintheWallStreetJournalentitled
TheCaseforTopplingSaddam.
145
Netanyahudeclared,Todaynothingless
thandismantlinghisregimewilldo,addingthatIbelieveIspeakforthe
overwhelmingmajorityofIsraelisinsupportingapreemptivestrikeagainst
Saddamsregime.OrasHaaretzreportedinFebruary2003:The[Israeli]
militaryandpoliticalleadershipyearnsforwarinIraq.
146

ButasNetanyahusuggests,thedesireforwarwasnotconfinedtoIsraels
leaders.ApartfromKuwait,whichSaddamconqueredin1990,Israelwasthe
onlycountryintheworldwhereboththepoliticiansandthepublic
enthusiasticallyfavoredwar.
147
AsjournalistGideonLevyobservedatthetime,
IsraelistheonlycountryintheWestwhoseleaderssupportthewar
unreservedlyandwherenoalternativeopinionisvoiced.
148
Infact,Israeliswere
sogunghoforwarthattheiralliesinAmericatoldthemtodampdowntheir
hawkishrhetoric,lestitlooklikethewarwasforIsrael.
149

TheLobbyandtheIraqWar

WithintheUnitedStates,themaindrivingforcebehindtheIraqwarwasasmall
bandofneoconservatives,manywithclosetiestoIsraelsLikudParty.
150
In
addition,keyleadersoftheLobbysmajororganizationslenttheirvoicestothe
campaignforwar.
151
AccordingtotheForward,AsPresidentBushattemptedto
sellthe...warinIraq,AmericasmostimportantJewishorganizationsralliedas
onetohisdefense.Instatementafterstatementcommunityleadersstressedthe
needtoridtheworldofSaddamHusseinandhisweaponsofmass
destruction.
152
TheeditorialgoesontosaythatconcernforIsraelssafety
rightfullyfactoredintothedeliberationsofthemainJewishgroups.

AlthoughneoconservativesandotherLobbyleaderswereeagertoinvadeIraq,
thebroaderAmericanJewishcommunitywasnot.
153
Infact,SamuelFreedman
reportedjustafterthewarstartedthatacompilationofnationwideopinion
pollsbythePewResearchCentershowsthatJewsarelesssupportiveoftheIraq
warthanthepopulationatlarge,52%to62%.
154
Thus,itwouldbewrongto
30
blamethewarinIraqonJewishinfluence.Rather,thewarwasdueinlarge
parttotheLobbysinfluence,especiallytheneoconservativeswithinit.
TheneoconservativeswerealreadydeterminedtotoppleSaddambeforeBush
becamePresident.
155
Theycausedastirinearly1998bypublishingtwoopen
letterstoPresidentClintoncallingforSaddamsremovalfrompower.
156
The
signatories,manyofwhomhadclosetiestoproIsraelgroupslikeJINSAor
WINEP,andwhoseranksincludedElliotAbrams,JohnBolton,DouglasFeith,
WilliamKristol,BernardLewis,DonaldRumsfeld,RichardPerleandPaul
Wolfowitz,hadlittletroubleconvincingtheClintonAdministrationtoadoptthe
generalgoalofoustingSaddam.
157
Buttheneoconservativeswereunabletosella
wartoachievethatobjective.

Norweretheyabletogeneratemuchenthusiasm
forinvadingIraqintheearlymonthsoftheBushAdministration.
158
As
importantastheneoconservativeswereformakingtheIraqwarhappen,they
neededhelptoachievetheiraim.

Thathelparrivedwith9/11.Specifically,theeventsofthatfatefuldayledBush
andCheneytoreversecourseandbecomestrongproponentsofapreventivewar
totoppleSaddam.NeoconservativesintheLobbymostnotablyScooterLibby,
PaulWolfowitz,andPrincetonhistorianBernardLewisplayedespecially
criticalrolesinpersuadingthePresidentandVicePresidenttofavorwar.

Fortheneoconservatives,9/11wasagoldenopportunitytomakethecasefor
warwithIraq.AtakeymeetingwithBushatCampDavidonSeptember15,
WolfowitzadvocatedattackingIraqbeforeAfghanistan,eventhoughtherewas
noevidencethatSaddamwasinvolvedintheattacksontheUnitedStatesand
binLadenwasknowntobeinAfghanistan.
159
Bushrejectedthisadviceand
chosetogoafterAfghanistaninstead,butwarwithIraqwasnowregardedasa
seriouspossibilityandthePresidenttaskedU.S.militaryplannersonNovember
21,2001withdevelopingconcreteplansforaninvasion.
160

Meanwhile,otherneoconservativeswereatworkwithinthecorridorsofpower.
Wedonothavethefullstoryyet,butscholarslikeLewisandFouadAjamiof
JohnHopkinsUniversityreportedlyplayedkeyrolesinconvincingVice
PresidentCheneytofavorthewar.
161
Cheneysviewswerealsoheavily
influencedbytheneoconservativesonhisstaff,especiallyEricEdelman,John
Hannah,andchiefofstaffLibby,oneofthemostpowerfulindividualsinthe
Administration.
162
TheVicePresidentsinfluencehelpedconvincePresident
Bushbyearly2002.WithBushandCheneyonboard,thedieforwarwascast.

31
Outsidetheadministration,neoconservativepunditslostnotimemakingthe
casethatinvadingIraqwasessentialtowinningthewaronterrorism.Their
effortswerepartlyaimedatkeepingpressureonBushandpartlyintendedto
overcomeoppositiontothewarinsideandoutsideofthegovernment.On
September20,agroupofprominentneoconservativesandtheiralliespublished
anotheropenletter,tellingthePresidentthatevenifevidencedoesnotlinkIraq
directlytothe[9/11]attack,anystrategyaimingattheeradicationofterrorism
anditssponsorsmustincludeadeterminedefforttoremoveSaddamHussein
frompowerinIraq.
163
TheletteralsoremindedBushthat,Israelhasbeenand
remainsAmericasstaunchestallyagainstinternationalterrorism.Inthe
October1issueoftheWeeklyStandard,RobertKaganandWilliamKristolcalled
forregimechangeinIraqimmediatelyaftertheTalibanwasdefeated.Thatsame
day,CharlesKrauthammerarguedintheWashingtonPostthatafterwewere
donewithAfghanistan,Syriashouldbenext,followedbyIranandIraq.The
waronterrorism,heargued,willconcludeinBaghdad,whenwefinishoff
themostdangerousterroristregimeintheworld.
164

Thesesalvoeswerethebeginningofanunrelentingpublicrelationscampaignto
winsupportforinvadingIraq.
165
Akeypartofthiscampaignwasthe
manipulationofintelligenceinformation,soastomakeSaddamlooklikean
imminentthreat.Forexample,LibbyvisitedtheCIAseveraltimestopressure
analyststofindevidencethatwouldmakethecaseforwar,andhehelped
prepareadetailedbriefingontheIraqthreatinearly2003thatwaspushedon
ColinPowell,thenpreparinghisinfamousbriefingtotheU.N.SecurityCouncil
ontheIraqithreat.
166
AccordingtoBobWoodward,Powellwasappalledat
whatheconsideredoverreachingandhyperbole.Libbywasdrawingonlythe
worstconclusionsfromfragmentsandsilkythreads.
167
AlthoughPowell
discardedLibbysmostoutrageousclaims,hisU.N.presentationwasstillriddled
witherrors,asPowellnowacknowledges.

Thecampaigntomanipulateintelligencealsoinvolvedtwoorganizationsthat
werecreatedafter9/11andreporteddirectlytoUndersecretaryofDefense
DouglasFeith.
168
ThePolicyCounterterrorismEvaluationGroupwastaskedto
findlinksbetweenalQaedaandIraqthattheintelligencecommunity
supposedlymissed.ItstwokeymemberswereWurmser,ahardcore
neoconservative,andMichaelMaloof,aLebaneseAmericanwhohadcloseties
withPerle.TheOfficeofSpecialPlanswastaskedwithfindingevidencethat
couldbeusedtosellwarwithIraq.ItwasheadedbyAbramShulsky,a
neoconservativewithlongstandingtiestoWolfowitz,anditsranksincluded
recruitsfromproIsraelthinktanks.
169
32

Likevirtuallyalltheneoconservatives,FeithisdeeplycommittedtoIsrael.He
alsohaslongstandingtiestotheLikudParty.Hewrotearticlesinthe1990s
supportingthesettlementsandarguingthatIsraelshouldretaintheoccupied
territories.
170
Moreimportantly,alongwithPerleandWurmser,hewrotethe
famousCleanBreakreportinJune1996fortheincomingIsraeliPrime
Minister,BenjaminNetanyahu.
171
Amongotherthings,itrecommendedthat
NetanyahufocusonremovingSaddamHusseinfrompowerinIraqan
importantIsraelistrategicobjectiveinitsownright.ItalsocalledforIsraelto
takestepstoreordertheentireMiddleEast.Netanyahudidnotimplementtheir
advice,butFeith,PerleandWurmserweresoonadvocatingthattheBush
Administrationpursuethosesamegoals.ThissituationpromptedHaaretz
columnistAkivaEldartowarnthatFeithandPerlearewalkingafineline
betweentheirloyaltytoAmericangovernmentsandIsraeliinterests.
172

WolfowitzisequallycommittedtoIsrael.TheForwardoncedescribedhimas
themosthawkishlyproIsraelvoiceintheAdministration,andselectedhimin
2002asthefirstamongfiftynotableswhohaveconsciouslypursuedJewish
activism.
173
Ataboutthesametime,JINSAgaveWolfowitzitsHenryM.
JacksonDistinguishedServiceAwardforpromotingastrongpartnership
betweenIsraelandtheUnitedStates,andtheJerusalemPost,describinghimas
devoutlyproIsrael,namedhimManoftheYearin2003.
174

Finally,abriefwordisinorderabouttheneoconservativesprewarsupportof
AhmedChalabi,theunscrupulousIraqiexilewhoheadedtheIraqiNational
Congress(INC).TheyembracedChalabibecausehehadworkedtoestablish
closetieswithJewishAmericangroupsandhadpledgedtofostergoodrelations
withIsraeloncehegainedpower.
175
ThiswaspreciselywhatproIsrael
proponentsofregimechangewantedtohear,sotheybackedChalabiinreturn.
JournalistMatthewBergerlaidouttheessenceofthebargainintheJewish
Journal:TheINCsawimprovedrelationsasawaytotapJewishinfluencein
WashingtonandJerusalemandtodrumupincreasedsupportforitscause.For
theirpart,theJewishgroupssawanopportunitytopavethewayforbetter
relationsbetweenIsraelandIraq,ifandwhentheINCisinvolvedinreplacing
SaddamHusseinsregime.
176

GiventheneoconservativesdevotiontoIsrael,theirobsessionwithIraq,and
theirinfluenceintheBushAdministration,itisnotsurprisingthatmany
AmericanssuspectedthatthewarwasdesignedtofurtherIsraeliinterests.For
example,BarryJacobsoftheAmericanJewishCommitteeacknowledgedin
33
March2005thatthebeliefthatIsraelandtheneoconservativesconspiredtoget
theUnitedStatesintoawarinIraqwaspervasiveintheU.S.intelligence
community.
177
Yetfewpeoplewouldsaysopublicly,andmostthatdid
includingSenatorErnestHollings(DSC)andRepresentativeJamesMoran(D
VA)werecondemnedforraisingtheissue.
178
MichaelKinsleyputthepoint
wellinlate2002,whenhewrotethatthelackofpublicdiscussionabouttherole
ofIsraelistheproverbialelephantintheroom:Everybodyseesit,noone
mentionsit.
179
Thereasonforthisreluctance,heobserved,wasfearofbeing
labeledanantiSemite.Evenso,thereislittledoubtthatIsraelandtheLobby
werekeyfactorsinshapingthedecisionforwar.WithouttheLobbysefforts,
theUnitedStateswouldhavebeenfarlesslikelytohavegonetowarinMarch
2003.

DreamsofRegionalTransformation

TheIraqwarwasnotsupposedtobeacostlyquagmire.Rather,itwasintended
asthefirststepinalargerplantoreordertheMiddleEast.Thisambitious
strategywasadramaticdeparturefrompreviousU.S.policy,andtheLobbyand
Israelwerecriticaldrivingforcesbehindthisshift.Thispointwasmadeclearly
aftertheIraqwarbeganinafrontpagestoryintheWallStreetJournal.The
headlinesaysitall:PresidentsDream:ChangingNotJustRegimebutaRegion:
AProU.S.,DemocraticAreaisaGoalthatHasIsraeliandNeoConservative
Roots.
180

ProIsraelforceshavelongbeeninterestedingettingtheU.S.militarymore
directlyinvolvedintheMiddleEast,soitcouldhelpprotectIsrael.
181
Butthey
hadlimitedsuccessonthisfrontduringtheColdWar,becauseAmericaactedas
anoffshorebalancerintheregion.MostU.S.forcesdesignatedfortheMiddle
East,liketheRapidDeploymentForce,werekeptoverthehorizonandoutof
harmsway.Washingtonmaintainedafavorablebalanceofpowerbyplaying
localpowersoffagainsteachother,whichiswhytheReaganAdministration
supportedSaddamagainstrevolutionaryIranduringtheIranIraqwar(198088).

ThispolicychangedafterthefirstGulfWar,whentheClintonAdministration
adoptedastrategyofdualcontainment.Itcalledforstationingsubstantial
U.S.forcesintheregiontocontainbothIranandIraq,insteadofusingoneto
checktheother.ThefatherofdualcontainmentwasnoneotherthanMartin
Indyk,whofirstarticulatedthestrategyinMay1993attheproIsraelthinktank
WINEPandthenimplementeditasDirectorforNearEastandSouthAsian
AffairsattheNationalSecurityCouncil.
182
34
Therewasconsiderabledissatisfactionwithdualcontainmentbythemid1990s,
becauseitmadetheUnitedStatesthemortalenemyoftwocountrieswhoalso
hatedeachother,anditforcedWashingtontobeartheburdenofcontainingboth
ofthem.
183
Notsurprisingly,theLobbyworkedactivelyinCongresstosavedual
containment.
184
PressedbyAIPACandotherproIsraelforces,Clinton
toughenedupthepolicyinthespringof1995byimposinganeconomicembargo
onIran.ButAIPACetalwantedmore.Theresultwasthe1996IranandLibya
SanctionsAct,whichimposedsanctionsonanyforeigncompaniesinvesting
morethan$40milliontodeveloppetroleumresourcesinIranorLibya.AsZeev
Schiff,themilitarycorrespondentforHaaretz,notedatthetime,Israelisbuta
tinyelementinthebigscheme,butoneshouldnotconcludethatitcannot
influencethosewithintheBeltway.
185
Bythelate1990s,however,theneoconservativeswerearguingthatdual
containmentwasnotenoughandthatregimechangeinIraqwasnowessential.
BytopplingSaddamandturningIraqintoavibrantdemocracy,theyargued,the
UnitedStateswouldtriggerafarreachingprocessofchangethroughoutthe
MiddleEast.Thislineofthinking,ofcourse,wasevidentintheCleanBreak
studytheneoconservativeswroteforNetanyahu.By2002,wheninvadingIraq
hadbecomeafrontburnerissue,regionaltransformationhadbecomeanarticle
offaithinneoconservativecircles.
186

CharlesKrauthammerdescribesthisgrandschemeasthebrainchildofNatan
Sharansky,theIsraelipoliticianwhosewritingshaveimpressedPresident
Bush.
187
ButSharanskywashardlyalonevoiceinIsrael.Infact,Israelisacross
thepoliticalspectrumbelievedthattopplingSaddamwouldaltertheMiddle
EasttoIsraelsadvantage.AlufBennreportedinHaaretz(February17,2003),
SeniorIDFofficersandthoseclosetoPrimeMinisterArielSharon,suchas
NationalSecurityAdvisorEphraimHalevy,paintarosypictureofthewonderful
futureIsraelcanexpectafterthewar.Theyenvisionadominoeffect,withthefall
ofSaddamHusseinfollowedbythatofIsraelsotherenemiesAlongwith
theseleaderswilldisappearterrorandweaponsofmassdestruction.
188

Inshort,Israelileaders,neoconservatives,andtheBushAdministrationallsaw
warwithIraqasthefirststepinanambitiouscampaigntoremaketheMiddle
East.Andinthefirstflushofvictory,theyturnedtheirsightsonIsraelsother
regionalopponents.

35
GunningforSyria

IsraelileadersdidnotpushtheBushAdministrationtoputitscrosshairson
SyriabeforeMarch2003,becausetheyweretoobusypushingforwaragainst
Iraq.ButonceBaghdadfellinmidApril,Sharonandhislieutenantsbegan
urgingWashingtontotargetDamascus.
189
OnApril16,forexample,Sharonand
ShaulMofaz,hisdefenseminister,gavehighprofileinterviewsindifferent
Israelinewspapers.Sharon,inYediothAhronoth,calledfortheUnitedStatesto
putveryheavypressureonSyria.
190
MofaztoldMaarivthat,Wehavealong
listofissuesthatwearethinkingofdemandingoftheSyriansanditis
appropriatethatitshouldbedonethroughtheAmericans.
191
Sharonsnational
securityadvisor,EphraimHalevy,toldaWINEPaudiencethatitwasnow
importantfortheUnitedStatestogetroughwithSyria,andtheWashingtonPost
reportedthatIsraelwasfuelingthecampaignagainstSyriabyfeedingthe
UnitedStatesintelligencereportsabouttheactionsofSyrianPresidentBashar
Assad.
192

ProminentmembersoftheLobbymadethesameargumentsafterBaghdad
fell.
193
WolfowitzdeclaredthattherehasgottoberegimechangeinSyria,and

RichardPerletoldajournalistthatWecoulddeliverashortmessage,atwo
wordedmessage[tootherhostileregimesintheMiddleEast]:Yourenext.
194

InearlyApril,WINEPreleasedabipartisanreportstatingthatSyriashouldnot
missthemessagethatcountriesthatpursueSaddamsreckless,irresponsibleand
defiantbehaviorcouldendupsharinghisfate.
195
OnApril15,YossiKlein
HaleviwroteapieceintheLosAngelesTimesentitledNext,TurntheScrewson
Syria,whilethenextdayZevChafetswroteanarticlefortheNewYorkDaily
NewsentitledTerrorFriendlySyriaNeedsaChange,Too.Nottobeoutdone,
LawrenceKaplanwroteintheNewRepubliconApril21thatSyrianleaderAssad
wasaseriousthreattoAmerica.
196

BackonCapitolHill,CongressmanEliotEngel(DNY)hadreintroducedthe
SyriaAccountabilityandLebaneseSovereigntyRestorationActonApril12.
197
It
threatenedsanctionsagainstSyriaifitdidnotwithdrawfromLebanon,giveup
itsWMD,andstopsupportingterrorism,anditalsocalledforSyriaandLebanon
totakeconcretestepstomakepeacewithIsrael.Thislegislationwasstrongly
endorsedbytheLobbyespeciallyAIPACandframed,accordingtothe
JewishTelegraphAgency,bysomeofIsraelsbestfriendsinCongress.
198
Ithad
beenonthebackburnerforsometime,largelybecausetheBushAdministration
hadlittleenthusiasmforit,buttheantiSyrianactpassedoverwhelmingly(3984
36
intheHouse;894intheSenate),andBushsigneditintolawonDecember12,
2003.
199

YettheBushAdministrationwasstilldividedaboutthewisdomoftargeting
Syriaatthistime.Althoughtheneoconservativeswereeagertopickafightwith
Damascus,theCIAandtheStateDepartmentwereopposed.Andevenafter
Bushsignedthenewlaw,heemphasizedthathewouldgoslowlyin
implementingit.
200

Bushsambivalenceisunderstandable.First,theSyriangovernmenthadbeen
providingtheUnitedStateswithimportantintelligenceaboutalQaedasince
9/11andhadalsowarnedWashingtonaboutaplannedterroristattackinthe
Gulf.
201
SyriahadalsogivenCIAinterrogatorsaccesstoMohammedZammar,
theallegedrecruiterofsomeofthe9/11hijackers.TargetingtheAssadregime
wouldjeopardizethesevaluableconnections,andthusunderminethelargerwar
onterrorism.

Second,SyriawasnotonbadtermswithWashingtonbeforetheIraqwar(e.g.,it
hadevenvotedforU.N.Resolution1441),anditwasnothreattotheUnited
States.PlayinghardballwithSyriawouldmaketheUnitedStateslooklikea
bullywithaninsatiableappetiteforbeatingupArabstates.Finally,putting
SyriaontheAmericanhitlistwouldgiveDamascusapowerfulincentiveto
causetroubleinIraq.EvenifonewantedtopressureSyria,itmadegoodsense
tofinishthejobinIraqfirst.

YetCongressinsistedonputtingthescrewstoDamascus,largelyinresponseto
pressurefromIsraelofficialsandproIsraelgroupslikeAIPAC.
202
Iftherewere
noLobby,therewouldhavebeennoSyriaAccountabilityActandU.S.policy
towardDamascuswouldhavebeenmoreinlinewiththeU.S.nationalinterest.

PuttingIranintheCrosshairs

Israelistendtodescribeeverythreatinthestarkestterms,butIraniswidelyseen
astheirmostdangerousenemybecauseitisthemostlikelyadversarytoacquire
nuclearweapons.VirtuallyallIsraelisregardanIslamiccountryintheMiddle
Eastwithnuclearweaponsasanexistentialthreat.AsIsraeliDefenseMinister
BinyaminBenEliezerremarkedonemonthbeforetheIraqwar:Iraqisa
problem.Butyoushouldunderstand,ifyouaskme,todayIranismore
dangerousthanIraq.
203

37
SharonbeganpubliclypushingtheUnitedStatestoconfrontIraninNovember
2002,inahighprofileinterviewinTheTimes(London).
204
DescribingIranasthe
centerofworldterror,andbentonacquiringnuclearweapons,hedeclared
thattheBushAdministrationshouldputthestrongarmonIranthedayafterit
conqueredIraq.InlateApril2003,HaaretzreportedthattheIsraeliambassador
inWashingtonwasnowcallingforregimechangeinIran.
205
Theoverthrowof
Saddam,henoted,wasnotenough.Inhiswords,Americahastofollow
through.WestillhavegreatthreatsofthatmagnitudecomingfromSyria,
comingfromIran.

Theneoconservativesalsolostnotimeinmakingthecaseforregimechangein
Tehran.
206
OnMay6,theAEIcosponsoredanalldayconferenceonIranwith
theproIsraelFoundationfortheDefenseofDemocraciesandtheHudson
Institute.
207
ThespeakerswereallstronglyproIsrael,andmanycalledforthe
UnitedStatestoreplacetheIranianregimewithademocracy.Asusual,there
wereabevyofarticlesbyprominentneoconservativesmakingthecaseforgoing
afterIran.Forexample,WilliamKristolwroteintheWeeklyStandardonMay12
that,TheliberationofIraqwasthefirstgreatbattleforthefutureoftheMiddle
East.Butthenextgreatbattlenot,wehope,amilitaryonewillbefor
Iran.
208

TheBushAdministrationhasrespondedtotheLobbyspressurebyworking
overtimetoshutdownIransnuclearprogram.ButWashingtonhashadlittle
success,andIranseemsdeterminedtogetanucleararsenal.Asaresult,the
LobbyhasintensifieditspressureontheU.S.government,usingallofthe
strategiesinitsplaybook.
209
Opedsandarticlesnowwarnofimminentdangers
fromanuclearIran,cautionagainstanyappeasementofaterroristregime,and
hintdarklyofpreventiveactionshoulddiplomacyfail.TheLobbyisalso
pushingCongresstoapprovetheIranFreedomSupportAct,whichwould
expandexistingsanctionsonIran.Israeliofficialsalsowarntheymaytake
preemptiveactionshouldIrancontinuedownthenuclearroad,hintspartly
intendedtokeepWashingtonfocusedonthisissue.

OnemightarguethatIsraelandtheLobbyhavenothadmuchinfluenceonU.S.
policytowardIran,becausetheUnitedStateshasitsownreasonstokeepIran
fromgoingnuclear.Thisispartlytrue,butIransnuclearambitionsdonotpose
anexistentialthreattotheUnitedStates.IfWashingtoncouldlivewithanuclear
SovietUnion,anuclearChina,orevenanuclearNorthKorea,thenitcanlive
withanuclearIran.AndthatiswhytheLobbymustkeepconstantpressureon
U.S.politicianstoconfrontTehran.IranandtheUnitedStateswouldhardlybe
38
alliesiftheLobbydidnotexist,butU.S.policywouldbemoretemperateand
preventivewarwouldnotbeaseriousoption.

Summary

ItisnotsurprisingthatIsraelanditsAmericansupporterswanttheUnitedStates
todealwithanyandallthreatstoIsraelssecurity.IftheireffortstoshapeU.S.
policysucceed,thenIsraelsenemiesgetweakenedoroverthrown,Israelgetsa
freehandwiththePalestinians,andtheUnitedStatesdoesmostofthefighting,
dying,rebuilding,andpaying.

ButeveniftheUnitedStatesfailstotransformtheMiddleEastandfindsitselfin
conflictwithanincreasinglyradicalizedArabandIslamicworld,Israelstillends
upprotectedbytheworldsonlysuperpower.
210
Thisisnotaperfectoutcome
fromtheLobbysperspective,butitisobviouslypreferabletoWashington
distancingitselffromIsrael,orusingitsleveragetoforceIsraeltomakepeace
withthePalestinians.

CONCLUSION

CantheLobbyspowerbecurtailed?Onewouldliketothinkso,giventheIraq
debacle,theobviousneedtorebuildAmericasimageintheArabandIslamic
world,andtherecentrevelationsaboutAIPACofficialspassingU.S.government
secretstoIsrael.OnemightalsothinkthatArafatsdeathandtheelectionofthe
moremoderateAbuMazenwouldcauseWashingtontopressvigorouslyand
evenhandedlyforapeaceagreement.Inshort,thereareamplegroundsforU.S.
leaderstodistancethemselvesfromtheLobbyandadoptaMiddleEastpolicy
moreconsistentwithbroaderU.S.interests.Inparticular,usingAmericanpower
toachieveajustpeacebetweenIsraelandthePalestinianswouldhelpadvance
thebroadergoalsoffightingextremismandpromotingdemocracyintheMiddle
East.

Butthatisnotgoingtohappenanytimesoon.AIPACanditsallies(including
ChristianZionists)havenoseriousopponentsinthelobbyingworld.Theyknow
ithasbecomemoredifficulttomakeIsraelscasetoday,andtheyareresponding
byexpandingtheiractivitiesandstaffs.
211
Moreover,Americanpoliticians
remainacutelysensitivetocampaigncontributionsandotherformsofpolitical
pressureandmajormediaoutletsarelikelytoremainsympathetictoIsraelno
matterwhatitdoes.

39
Thissituationisdeeplyworrisome,becausetheLobbysinfluencecausestrouble
onseveralfronts.Itincreasestheterroristdangerthatallstatesfaceincluding
AmericasEuropeanallies.BypreventingU.S.leadersfrompressuringIsraelto
makepeace,theLobbyhasalsomadeitimpossibletoendtheIsraeliPalestinian
conflict.Thissituationgivesextremistsapowerfulrecruitingtool,increasesthe
poolofpotentialterroristsandsympathizers,andcontributestoIslamic
radicalismaroundtheworld.

Furthermore,theLobbyscampaignforregimechangeinIranandSyriacould
leadtheUnitedStatestoattackthosecountries,withpotentiallydisastrous
effects.WedonotneedanotherIraq.Ataminimum,theLobbyshostility
towardthesecountriesmakesitespeciallydifficultforWashingtontoenlistthem
againstalQaedaandtheIraqiinsurgency,wheretheirhelpisbadlyneeded.

Thereisamoraldimensionhereaswell.ThankstotheLobby,theUnitedStates
hasbecomethedefactoenablerofIsraeliexpansionintheoccupiedterritories,
makingitcomplicitinthecrimesperpetratedagainstthePalestinians.This
situationundercutsWashingtonseffortstopromotedemocracyabroadand
makesitlookhypocriticalwhenitpressesotherstatestorespecthumanrights.
U.S.effortstolimitnuclearproliferationappearequallyhypocriticalgivenits
willingnesstoacceptIsraelsnucleararsenal,whichencouragesIranandothers
toseeksimilarcapabilities.

Moreover,theLobbyscampaigntosquelchdebateaboutIsraelisunhealthyfor
democracy.Silencingskepticsbyorganizingblacklistsandboycottsorby
suggestingthatcriticsareantiSemitesviolatestheprincipleofopendebate
uponwhichdemocracydepends.TheinabilityoftheU.S.Congresstoconducta
genuinedebateonthesevitalissuesparalyzestheentireprocessofdemocratic
deliberation.Israelsbackersshouldbefreetomaketheircaseandtochallenge
thosewhodisagreewiththem.Buteffortstostifledebatebyintimidationmust
beroundlycondemnedbythosewhobelieveinfreespeechandopendiscussion
ofimportantpublicissues.

Finally,theLobbysinfluencehasbeenbadforIsrael.Itsabilitytopersuade
WashingtontosupportanexpansionistagendahasdiscouragedIsraelfrom
seizingopportunitiesincludingapeacetreatywithSyriaandapromptandfull
implementationoftheOsloAccordsthatwouldhavesavedIsraelilivesand
shrunktheranksofPalestinianextremists.DenyingthePalestinianstheir
legitimatepoliticalrightscertainlyhasnotmadeIsraelmoresecure,andthelong
campaigntokillormarginalizeagenerationofPalestinianleadershas
40
empoweredextremistgroupslikeHamas,andreducedthenumberof
Palestinianleaderswhowouldbebothwillingtoacceptafairsettlementand
abletomakeitwork.ThiscourseraisestheawfulspecterofIsraeloneday
occupyingthepariahstatusoncereservedforapartheidstateslikeSouthAfrica.
Ironically,IsraelitselfwouldprobablybebetteroffiftheLobbywereless
powerfulandU.S.policyweremoreevenhanded.

Butthereisarayofhope.AlthoughtheLobbyremainsapowerfulforce,the
adverseeffectsofitsinfluenceareincreasinglydifficulttohide.Powerfulstates
canmaintainflawedpoliciesforquitesometime,butrealitycannotbeignored
forever.Whatisneeded,therefore,isacandiddiscussionoftheLobbys
influenceandamoreopendebateaboutU.S.interestsinthisvitalregion.Israels
wellbeingisoneofthoseinterests,butnotitscontinuedoccupationoftheWest
Bankoritsbroaderregionalagenda.Opendebatewillexposethelimitsofthe
strategicandmoralcaseforonesidedU.S.supportandcouldmovetheUnited
Statestoapositionmoreconsistentwithitsownnationalinterest,withthe
interestsoftheotherstatesintheregion,andwithIsraelslongterminterestsas
well.

41

ENDNOTES

1
Indeed,themereexistenceoftheLobbysuggeststhatunconditionalsupportforIsrael
isnotintheAmericannationalinterest.Ifitwas,onewouldnotneedanorganized
specialinterestgrouptobringitabout.ButbecauseIsraelisastrategicandmoral
liability,ittakesrelentlesspoliticalpressuretokeepU.S.supportintact.AsRichard
Gephardt,theformerHouseMinorityLeader,toldtheAmericanIsraelPublicAffairs
Committee(AIPAC),Without[your]constantsupport...andallyourfightingona
dailybasistostrengthenthatrelationship,itwouldnotbe.Thisquotewasdownloaded
fromtheAIPACwebsite[http://www.aipac.org/]onJanuary12,2004.AlsoseeMichael
Kinsley,JAccuse,SortOf,Slate,March12,2003.

2
AccordingtotheU.S.AgencyforInternationalDevelopments(USAID)Greenbook,
whichreportsoverseasloansandgrants,Israelhasreceived$140,142,800(inconstant
2003dollars)fromtheUnitedStatesthrough2003.DownloadedfromtheGreenbook
website[http://qesdb.cdie.org/gbk/]onNovember8,2005.

3
AccordingtotheGreenbook,Israelreceivedabout$3.7billionindirectaidfromthe
UnitedStatesin2003.IsraelspopulationaccordingtotheInternationalInstitutefor
StrategicStudies[IISS]andtheCIAis6,276,883.IISS,TheMilitaryBalance:20052006
(Oxfordshire:Routledge,2005),p.192;http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/.
Thataveragesoutto$589perIsraeli.Ifoneassumesthesamepopulationsizeand$3
billionintotalaid,theneachIsraelireceives$478.

4
Seehttp://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/;WorldBankAtlas(Washington,DC:
DevelopmentDataGroup,WorldBank,September2004),pp.6465.

5
ForadiscussionofthevariousspecialdealsthatIsraelreceives,seeClydeR.Mark,
Israel:U.S.ForeignAssistance,IssueBriefforCongress(Washington,DC:
CongressionalResearchService,April26,2005).

6
AvnerCohen,IsraelandtheBomb(NewYork:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1999);
SeymourM.Hersh,TheSamsonOption:IsraelsNuclearArsenalandAmericanForeign
Policy(NewYork:RandomHouse,1991).

7
ReportoftheOpenEndedWorkingGroupontheQuestionofEquitable
RepresentationonandIncreaseintheMembershipoftheSecurityCouncilandOther
MattersRelatedtotheSecurityCouncil,AnnexIII,U.N.GeneralAssemblyOfficial
Records,58
th
Session,SupplementNo.47,2004,pp.1314;DonaldNeff,AnUpdated
ListofVetoesCastbytheUnitedStatestoShieldIsraelfromCriticismbytheU.N.
SecurityCouncil,WashingtonReportonMiddleEastAffairs,May/June2005;Stephen
Zunes,U.S.DeclaresOpenSeasononUNWorkers,CommonDreams.org,January10,
42

2003.TherewerealsomanyresolutionsthatnevercametoavotebecauseSecurity
CouncilmembersknewthattheUnitedStateswouldvetothem.Giventhedifficultyof
criticizingspecificIsraeliactionsintheSecurityCouncil,criticismhasoftencomefrom
theU.N.GeneralAssembly,wherenostatehasaveto.Inthoseinstances,theUnited
Statesinvariablyfindsitselfontheshortendoflopsidedvotesontheorderofsay1334,
wherethedissentersincludeMicronesiaandtheMarshallIslandsaswellasIsraeland
theUnitedStates.Inresponse,theForwardreportedinNovember2003thattheBush
Administration,attheinstigationoftheAmericanJewishCommittee,wasembarking
onthemostcomprehensivecampaigninyearstoreducethenumberofantiIsrael
resolutionsroutinelypassedbytheUnitedNationsGeneralAssembly.MarcPerelman,
WashingtonSeekingtoReduceNumberofAntiIsraelVotesatU.N.,Forward,
November14,2003.

8
MarcPerelman,InternationalAgencyEyesIsraeliNukes,Forward,September5,2003.

9
WilliamB.Quandt,PeaceProcess:AmericanDiplomacyandtheArabIsraeliConflictsince
1967,3rded.(Washington,DC:BrookingsInstitutionPress,2005),chapters57,1012.

10
NathanGuttman,U.S.AccusedofProIsraelBiasat2000CampDavid,Haaretz,
April29,2005.AlsoseeAaronD.Miller,IsraelsLawyer,WashingtonPost,May23,
2005;LessonsofArabIsraeliNegotiating:FourNegotiatorsLookBackandAhead,
Transcriptofpaneldiscussion,MiddleEastInstitute,April25,2005.Forgeneral
discussionsofhowtheUnitedStatesconsistentlyfavorsIsraeloverthePalestinians,see
NoamChomsky,FatefulTriangle:TheUnitedStates,IsraelandthePalestinians(Cambridge,
MA:SouthEndPress,1999);KathleenChristison,PerceptionsofPalestine:TheirInfluence
onU.S.MiddleEastPolicy(Berkeley,CA:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2001);NaseerH.
Aruri,DishonestBroker:TheU.S.RoleinIsraelandPalestine(Cambridge,MA:SouthEnd
Press,2003).ItisalsoworthnotingthattheBritishfavoredtheZionistsoverthe
PalestiniansduringtheperiodoftheBritishMandate(19191948).SeeTomSegev,One
Palestine,Complete:JewsandArabsundertheBritishMandate(NewYork:HenryHolt,
2000).

11
DownloadedfromAIPACswebsite[http://aipac.org/documents/unitedefforts.html]
onJanuary12,2006.

12
See,forexample,WarrenBass,SupportAnyFriend:KennedysMiddleEastandthe
MakingoftheUSIsraelAlliance(NY:OxfordUniversityPress,2003);A.F.K.Organski,The
$36BillionBargain:StrategyandPoliticsinU.S.AssistancetoIsrael(NewYork:Columbia
UniversityPress,1990);StevenL.Spiegel,IsraelasaStrategicAsset,Commentary,June
1983,pp.5155;Idem,TheOtherArabIsraeliConflict:MakingAmericasMiddleEastPolicy,
fromTrumantoReagan(Chicago:UniversityofChicagoPress,1985).

43

13
ThispointwasnotlostonMosheDayan,who,rememberingatalkhehadwithHenry
KissingeratthetimeoftheOctober1973War,notedthatthoughIhappenedtoremark
thattheUnitedStateswastheonlycountrythatwasreadytostandbyus,mysilent
reflectionwasthattheUnitedStateswouldreallyrathersupporttheArabs.Moshe
Dayan,MosheDayan:StoryofMyLife(NY:WilliamMorrow,1976),pp.521513.Alsosee
ZachLevey,TheUnitedStatesSkyhawkSaletoIsrael,1966:StrategicExigenciesofan
ArmsDeal,DiplomaticHistory,Vol.28,No.2(April2004),pp.255276.

14
BernardLewiswrotein1992,WhatevervalueIsraelmighthavehadasastrategic
assetduringtheColdWar,thatvalueobviouslyendedwhentheColdWaritselfcameto
aclose.ThechangewasclearlymanifestedintheGulfWarlastyear,whenwhatthe
UnitedStatesmostdesiredfromIsraelwastokeepoutoftheconflicttobesilent,
inactiveand,asfaraspossible,invisible.Israelwasnotanasset,butanirrelevance
someevensaidanuisance.SomeofthethingsthattheIsraeligovernmentlatersaidand
didwereunlikelytochangethisperception.RethinkingtheMiddleEast,Foreign
Affairs,Vol.71,No.4,(Fall1992),pp.110111.

15
AccordingtoMiddleEastexpertShibleyTelhami,Nootherissueresonateswiththe
publicintheArabworld,andmanyotherpartsoftheMuslimworld,moredeeplythan
Palestine.NootherissueshapestheregionalperceptionsofAmericamore
fundamentallythantheissueofPalestine.TheStakes:AmericaandtheMiddleEast
(Boulder,CO:WestviewPress,2002),p.96.LakhdarBrahimi,theformerU.N.special
envoytoIraq,whotheBushAdministrationenlistedtohelpformaninterimIraqi
governmentinJune2004,saidthatIsraelipolicytowardthePalestiniansisthegreat
poisonintheregion,andthatintheregion,andbeyondpeoplerecognizedthe
injusticeofthispolicyandtheequallyunjustsupportoftheUnitedStatesforthis
policy.SeeWarrenHoge,U.N.MovestoDisassociateItselffromRemarksbyEnvoy
toIraq,NewYorkTimes,April23,2004;BrahimisIsraelCommentsDrawAnnan,Israel
Ire,Haaretz,April24,2004.AlsoseethecommentsofEgyptianPresidentHosni
MubarakinMubarak:ArabHatredofAmericaGrowing,WashingtonPost,April20,
2004.Finally,seeAmiEden,9/11CommissionFindsAngeratIsraelFuelingIslamic
TerrorismWave,Forward,July30,2004.

16
NationalCommissiononTerroristAttacksagainsttheUnitedStates,Outlineofthe
9/11Plot,StaffStatementNo.16,June16,2004.AlsoseeNathanGuttman,AlQaida
PlannedAttacksduringPMsVisittoWhiteHouse,Haaretz,June17,2004;andMarc
Perelman,BinLadenAimedtoLinkPlottoIsrael,Forward,June25,2004.ProIsrael
supportersoftenarguethatbinLadenonlybecameinterestedintheIsraelPalestinian
conflictafter9/11,andonlybecausehethoughtthatitwasgoodforrecruitingpurposes.
Thus,thereisvirtuallynoconnectionbetweenwhathappenedon9/11andU.S.support
forIsrael.SeeAndreaLevin,DontScapegoatIsrael,BostonGlobe,October6,2001;
NormanPodhoretz,IsraelIsnttheIssue,WallStreetJournal,September20,2001.Note
44

thatbothofthesepieceswerepublishedrightaftertheTwinTowersfell.However,we
nowhaveasubstantialnumberofbinLadenswritingsandtalksfromthe1980sand
1990s,anditisclearthathecareddeeplyaboutmattersrelatingtoJerusalemandthe
Palestinianslongbefore9/11.See,forexample,JihadagainstJewsandCrusaders,
WorldIslamicFrontStatement,February23,1998;TranscriptofOsamabinLadens
March20,1997interviewwithPeterArnettofCNN(firstbroadcastonMay10,1997).
AlsoNewOsamabinLadenVideoContainsAntiIsraelandAntiAmerican
Statements,downloadedfromtheAntiDefamationLeague(ADL)website
[http://www.adl.org/terrorism_america/bin_l_print.asp]onMarch8,2004.

17
ChangingMinds,WinningPeace:ANewStrategicDirectionforU.S.PublicDiplomacyinthe
ArabandMuslimWorld,ReportoftheAdvisoryGrouponPublicDiplomacyfortheArab
andMuslimWorld,SubmittedtotheCommitteeonAppropriations,U.S.Houseof
Representatives,October1,2003,p.18.AlsoseeThePewGlobalAttitudesProject,Views
ofaChangingWorld2003:WarWithIraqFurtherDividesGlobalPublics(Washington,DC:
ThePewResearchCenterforthePeopleandthePress,June3,2003);ReportoftheDefense
ScienceBoardTaskForceonStrategicCommunication(Washington,DC:Officeofthe
UndersecretaryofDefenseforAcquisition,Technology,andLogistics,September2004);
ShibleyTelhami,ArabPublicOpinion:ASurveyinSixCountries,SanJoseMercury,
March16,2003;JohnZogby,TheTenNationImpressionsofAmericaPoll(Utica,NY:Zogby
International,April11,2002);Idem,ImpressionsofAmerica2004:HowArabsViewAmerica,
HowArabsLearnaboutAmerica(SixNationSurvey),(Utica,NY:ZogbyInternational,
2004).

18
SeeThePewGlobalAttitudesProject,AmericaAdmired,YetItsNewVulnerabilitySeen
AsGoodThing,SayOpinionLeaders(Washington,DC:ThePewResearchCenterforthe
PeopleandthePress,December19,2001);PewGlobalAttitudesProject,Viewsofa
ChangingWorld2003,p.5.

19
Foracopyoftheletter,seeDoomedtoFailureintheMiddleEast,TheGuardian,
April27,2004.AlsoseeNicholasBlanford,USMovesInflameArabModerates,The
ChristianScienceMonitor,April26,2004;RupertCornwell,AlliesWarnBushthat
StabilityinIraqDemandsArabIsraeliDeal,TheIndependent,June10,2004;Glenn
KesslerandRobinWright,ArabsandEuropeansQuestionGreaterMiddleEastPlan,
WashingtonPost,February22,2004;PaulRichter,U.S.HasFreshHopeforMideast,Los
AngelesTimes,November7,2004;RobinWrightandGlennKessler,U.S.Goalsfor
MiddleEastFalter,WashingtonPost,April21,2004.EvensomeIsraelisunderstandthat
thecontinuationofthisconflict,includingtheIsraelioccupation,willmostcertainly
leadtonewwavesofterror;internationalterrorism,whichtheAmericansfearsomuch,
willspread.ZeevSchiff,FittingintoAmericasStrategy,Haaretz,August1,2003.It
isalsoworthnotingthatsome50retiredAmericandiplomatswrotealetterinMay2004
toPresidentBushsimilartotheletterthattheBritishdiplomatssenttoTonyBlair.A
45

copyoftheAmericanletterwaspublishedinTheNewYorkReviewofBooks,November
18,2004.

20
Consider,forexample,thecontroversythateruptedin2005overIsraelsdecisionto
expanditssettlementsintheWestBank.SeeAlufBenn,WeCantExpectExplicitU.S.
OkaytoBuildinSettlements,Haaretz,March28,2005;AkivaEldar,Bush:End
ExpansionofSettlements,Haaretz,May27,2005;BushWarnsIsraeloverWestBank,
BBCNewsOnline,April11,2005;DonaldMacintyre,SharonVowstoDefyBushover
ExpansionofIsraeliSettlements,Independent,April22,2005;SharonBrushesOff
WarningfromBush,MSNBC.com,April12,2005;AmyTeibel,U.S.toIsrael:Stop
ExpandingSettlements,WashingtonPost,June26,2005;ZeevSchiff,U.S.:Israel
ShirkingItsPromisesonSettlementBoundaries,Haaretz,March15,2005.Regarding
targetedassassinationsPrimeMinisterSharonpromisedSecretaryofStateColinPowell
inMay2003thatIsraelwouldrefrainfromkillingPalestinianleadersunlesstherewasa
tickingbomb(animminentattack).ZeevSchiff,Focus/AmericansFearAbuMazen
IsFurtherWeakened,Haaretz,June12,2003.Butonemonthlater,afterBushmadea
highprofilevisittotheMiddleEastandtheprospectsfornegotiationsbetweenthe
warringpartieslookedpromising,Sharonlaunchedsevenassassinationmissionsinfive
days,noneinvolvingatickingbomb.BradleyBurston,Background:HasSharons
HamasHitlistConvertedBush?Haaretz,June17,2003.AlsoseeUriAvnery,Avoiding
aRoadMaptotheAbyss,ArabNews(online),August26,2003;GlennKessler,White
HouseBacksLatestIsraeliAttacks,WashingtonPost,June13,2003;LauraKing,Sharon
LaudsHebronKilling,LosAngelesTimes,June23,2003;GideonLevy,WhoViolated
theHudna?Tikkun(online),August17,2003.InMarch2004,theIDFkilledHamas
spiritualleaderSheikYassin,eventhoughhewasnotanimminentthreat,andeven
thoughhisdeathdamagedAmericaspositionintheMiddleEast.GeorgieAnneGeyer,
ArielSharonComplicatesU.S.Mission,ChicagoTribune,March26,2004;H.D.S.
Greenway,AssassinationFalloutBodesIllforUS,BostonGlobe,March26,2004;Tony
Karon,HowIsraelsHamasKillingAffectstheU.S.,Time,March23,2004;DavidR.
Sands,IsraelsKillingofYassinPutsUSinLineofFire,WashingtonTimes,March23,
2004.AsJimHoaglandsaidinthewakeofYassinskilling,Withthepossibleexception
ofCharlesdeGaulle,nofriendlyforeignleaderhascomplicatedmodernAmerican
diplomacymoreconsistentlyorgravelythanArielSharon.HepursuesIsraelsinterests
withawarriorstenacityanddirectnessthattakesawaythebreath,andtheoptions,of
everyoneelse.SeeConsequencesforSharonandtheU.S.,ChicagoTribune,March
26,2004.

21
QuotedinDuncanL.Clarke,IsraelsUnauthorizedArmsTransfers,ForeignPolicy,
No.99(Summer1995),p.94.Thisarticleprovidesanexcellentdiscussionofthe
problem.Therewasabittercontroversyin20042005betweentheUnitedStatesand
IsraeloverIsraeliarmssalestoChina.SeeAlufBennandAmnonBarzilai,Pentagon
OfficialWantsYaronFired,Haaretz,December16,2004;AlufBenn,U.S.KeepsIsrael
46

OutofNewFighterJetDevelopmentProgram,Haaretz,October12,2005;NinaGilbert,
YaronWontGiveInfoonArmsSalestoChina,JerusalemPost,December30,2004;
Israeli,U.S.TalksonWeaponsDealswithChinaEndwithoutResult,Haaretz,June29,
2005;MarcPerelman,SpatOverSalesofWeaponsChillingTiesbetweenJerusalemand
Beijing,Forward,December23,2004;MarcPerelman,ChinaCrisisStrainingU.S.Israel
Ties,Forward,August5,2005;MarcPerelman,IsraelMiffedoverLingeringChina
Flap,Forward,October7,2005;ZeevSchiff,U.S.IsraelCrisisDeepensoverDefense
ExportstoChina,Haaretz,July27,2005.

22
QuotedinDuncanL.Clarke,IsraelsEconomicEspionageintheUnitedStates,
JournalofPalestineStudies,Vol.27,No.4(Summer1998),p.21.AlsoseeBobDroginand
GregMiller,IsraelHasLongSpiedonU.S.SayOfficials,LosAngelesTimes,September
3,2004;FBISaysIsraelaMajorPlayerinIndustrialEspionage,JewishBulletin,January
16,1998;ClydeR.Mark,IsraeliUnitedStatesRelations,IssueBriefforCongress
(Washington,DC:CongressionalResearchService,November9,2004),pp.1415;Joshua
Mitnick,U.S.AccusesOfficialsofSpying,WashingtonTimes,December16,2004.

23
OnthePollardaffair,seeHersh,SamsonOption,pp.285305;Idem,TheTraitor:Why
PollardShouldNeverBeReleased,NewYorker,Vol.74,issue42(January18,1999),pp.
2633.ThereareahugenumberofarticlesontheinternetdealingwiththeFranklin
Affair.Foragoodoverviewofthecase,seeJeffreyGoldberg,RealInsiders:AProIsrael
LobbyandanF.B.I.Sting,NewYorker,Vol.81,issue19(July4,2005),pp.3440.

24
TrevorN.Dupuy,ElusiveVictory:TheArabIsraeliWars,19471974(NewYork:Harper
andRow,1978),pp.319,121125,146147,212214,231244,333340,388390,597605,
623633;SimhaFlapan,TheBirthofIsrael:MythsandRealities(NewYork:Pantheon
Books,1987),pp.189199;RashidKhalidi,ThePalestiniansand1948:TheUnderlying
CausesofFailure,inEugeneL.RoganandAviShlaim,eds.,TheWarforPalestine:
RewritingtheHistoryof1948(NY:CambridgeUniversityPress,2001),pp.1236;Haim
Levenberg,MilitaryPreparationsoftheArabCommunityinPalestine,19451948(London:
FrankCass,1993);BennyMorris,TheBirthofthePalestinianRefugeeProblemRevisited
(NewYork:CambridgeUniversityPress,2004),chapters1,3.Idem,RighteousVictims:A
HistoryoftheZionistArabConflict,18811999(NewYork:AlfredKnopf,1999),pp.187
189,191196,217223,235236,241242,286291,311313,393395;MartinVanCreveld,
TheSwordandtheOlive:ACriticalHistoryoftheIsraeliDefenseForces(NY:PublicAffairs,
1998),pp.7782,137138,179182.

25
AmosHarel,IsraelMaintainsItsStrategicAdvantage,SaysJaffeeCenter,Haaretz,
November23,2005.Alsosee,UriBarJoseph,TheParadoxofIsraeliPower,Survival,
Vol.46,No.4(Winter200405),pp.137156;MartinVanCreveld,Opportunity
Beckons,JerusalemPost,May15,2003.

47

26
ForthreeinstructivepiecesonthismatterfromtheIsraelipress,seeAmiramBarkat,
MajorityofIsraelisAreOpposedtoIntermarriage,SurveyFinds,Haaretz,September
15,2003;NickyBlackburn,BetteraJew,Haaretz,April21,2004;LilyGalili,Hitting
BelowtheBelt,Haaretz,August8,2004.

27
SeeTheOfficialSummationoftheOrCommissionReport,publishedinHaaretz,
September2,2003.ForevidenceofhowhostilemanyIsraelisweretothereports
findingsandrecommendations,seeNoAvoidingtheCommissionRecommendations,
Haaretz,September4,2003;MollyMoore,IsraeliReportIsWelcomed,Dismissed,
WashingtonPost,September3,2003.AlsoseeBernardAvishai,SavingIsraelfromItself:
ASecularFuturefortheJewishState,HarpersMagazine,January2005.Itisalsoworth
notingthattheIsraelDemocracyInstitutereportedinMay2003that:53percentofIsraeli
JewsareagainstfullequalityfortheArabs;77percentofIsraeliJewsbelievethat
thereshouldbeaJewishmajorityoncrucialpoliticaldecisions;only31percent
supporthavingArabpoliticalpartiesinthegovernment;57percentthinkthatthe
Arabsshouldbeencouragedtoemigrate.SeeTheDemocracyIndex:MajorFindings
2003.ImaginetheoutcrythatwouldoccurifamajorityofwhiteAmericansdeclared
thatblacks,Hispanics,andAsiansshouldbeencouragedtoleavetheUnitedStates.
Formorerecentsurveys,whichshowlittlechangeinIsraeliattitudes,seeYulie
Khromchenko,Survey:MostJewishIsraelisSupportTransferofArabs,Haaretz,June
22,2004;YoavStern,Poll:MostIsraeliJewsSayIsraeliArabsShouldEmigrate,
Haaretz,April4,2005.

28
QuotedinJustinHuggler,IsraelImposesRacistMarriageLaw,Guardian,August1,
2003.AlsoseeJamesBennet,IsraelBlocksPalestiniansfromMarryingintoResidency,
NewYorkTimes,July31,2003;RacistLegislation,Haaretzeditorial,July,19,2004;
RacistLegislation,Haaretzeditorial,January18,2005.EventheAntiDefamation
League(ADL)criticizedthelegislation,albeitmildly.NathanGuttman,YairEttinger,
SharonSadeh,ADLCriticizesLawDenyingCitizenshiptoPalestinians,Haaretz,
August5,2003.

29
ThefirstwaveofEuropeanJewstocometoPalestineisknownastheFirstAliyah,and
itcoverstheyearsfrom1882to1903.Therewereslightlymorethan15,000Jewsin
Palestinein1882.JustinMcCarthy,ThePopulationofPalestine:PopulationHistoryand
StatisticsoftheLateOttomanPeriodandtheMandate(NY:ColumbiaUniversityPress,
1990),p.11,whichhasexcellentdatafortheyearsfrom1850to1915.AlsoseeMark
Tessler,AHistoryoftheIsraeliPalestinianConflict(Bloomington,IN:IndianaUniversity
Press,1994),p.124.

30
ThetotalpopulationofPalestinein1893wasroughly530,000,ofwhomabout19,000
wereJewish(3.6percent).Arabscomprisedthevastmajorityoftheremaining
population.McCarthy,PopulationofPalestine,p.11.
48

31
Flapan,BirthofIsrael,p.44;Morris,RighteousVictims,p.186.

32
Flapan,BirthofIsrael,p22.Similarly,BenGuriontoldhisson,Iamcertainwewillbe
abletosettleinalltheotherpartsofthecountry,whetherthroughagreementand
mutualagreementwithourArabneighborsorinanotherway.Hewentontosay,
ErectaJewishStateatonce,evenifitisnotinthewholeoftheland.Therestwillcome
inthecourseoftime.Itmustcome.AviShlaim,TheIronWall:IsraelandtheArabWorld
(NY:Norton,2000),p.21.AlsoseeFlapan,BirthofIsrael,pp.1353;NurMasalah,
ExpulsionofthePalestinians:TheConceptofTransferinZionistPoliticalThought,18821948
(Washington,DC:InstituteforPalestineStudies,1992),chapter2;Morris,Righteous
Victims,pp.138139;AviShlaim,ThePoliticsofPartition:KingAbdullah,theZionists,and
Palestine,19211951(NY:OxfordUniversityPress,1999).

33
Masalah,ExpulsionofthePalestinians,p.128.AlsoseeMorris,RighteousVictims,pp.
140,142,168169.

34
BennyMorris,ANewExodusfortheMiddleEast?Guardian,October3,2002.On
thepervasivenessoftransferthinkingamongZionistsbeforeIsraelwasestablishedin
1948,seeMasalha,ExpulsionofthePalestinians;Morris,RevisitingthePalestinian
Exodusof1948,inRoganandShlaim,WarforPalestine,pp.3948;Morris,Birth
Revisited,chapter2;AriShavit,SurvivaloftheFittest,Haaretz,January9,2004.

35
Morris,BirthRevisited,providesadetailedaccountofthisevent.AlsoseeMeron
Benvenisti,SacredLandscape:TheBuriedHistoryoftheHolyLandsince1948,trans.Maxine
KaufmanLacusta(Berkeley,CA:UniversityofCaliforniaPress,2000),chapters34.The
onlyremainingdebateofrealsignificanceregardingtheexpulsionofthePalestinians
fromtheirhomelandiswhetheritwasbornofwar,asMorrisargues,orbydesign,as
NormanFinkelsteinarguesinImageandRealityoftheIsraelPalestineConflict(London:
Verso,1995),chapter3.

36
ErskineChilders,TheOtherExodus,Spectator,May12,1961;Flapan,BirthofIsrael,
pp.81118;WalidKhalidi,WhyDidthePalestiniansLeaveRevisited,Journalof
PalestineStudies,Vol.34,No.2(Winter2005),pp.4254;Idem,TheFallofHaifa,
MiddleEastForum,Vol.35,No.10(December,1959),pp.2232;Morris,BirthRevisited.

37
NahumGoldmann,TheJewishParadox,trans.SteveCox(NY:GrossetandDunlap,
1978),p.99.ZeevJabotinsky,thefoundingfatheroftheIsraeliright,madeessentially
thesamepointwhenhewrote,Colonizationisselfexplanatoryandwhatitimpliesis
fullyunderstoodbyeverysensibleJewandArab.Therecanonlybeonepurposein
colonization.ForthecountrysArabsthatpurposeisessentiallyunacceptable.Thisisa
naturalreactionandnothingwillchangeit.QuotedinIanLustick,ToBuildandTo
49

BeBuiltBy:IsraelandtheHiddenLogicoftheIronWall,IsraelStudies,Vol.1,No.1
(Spring1996),p.200.

38
SeeGeoffreyAronson,Israel,Palestinians,andtheIntifada:CreatingFactsontheWest
Bank(London:KeganPaulInternational,1990);AmnonBarzilai,ABriefHistoryofthe
MissedOpportunity,Haaretz,June5,2002;Idem,SomeSawtheRefugeesastheKey
toPeace,Haaretz,June11,2002;MosheBehar,ThePeaceProcessandIsraeliDomestic
Politicsinthe1990s,SocialismandDemocracy,CurrentIssueNumber32,Vol.16,No.2
(SummerFall2002),pp.3447;AdamHaniehandCatherineCook,ARoadMaptothe
OsloCuldeSac,MiddleEastReportOnline,May15,2003;IsraelsInterestsTake
Primacy:AnInterviewwithDoreGold,inbitterlemons.org,WhatConstitutesaViable
PalestinianState?March15,2004,Edition10;NurMasalha,ImperialIsraelandthe
Palestinians:ThePoliticsofExpansion(London:PlutoPress,2000);SaraRoy,Erasingthe
OpticsofGaza,TheDailyStarOnLine,February14,2004;36Years,andStill
Counting,Haaretz,September26,2003.

39
RahidKhalidi,PalestinianIdentity:TheConstructionofModernNationalConsciousness
(NY:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1997),p.147.Meiralsosaid,Itwasnotasthough
therewasaPalestinianpeopleinPalestineconsideringitselfasaPalestinianpeopleand
wecameandthrewthemoutandtooktheircountryawayfromthem.Theydidnot
exist.Masalha,ImperialIsrael,p.47.Rabinsaidin1995,twoyearsaftersigningtheOslo
accords,IseekpeacefulcoexistencebetweenIsraelasaJewishstate,notalloverthe
landofIsrael,ormostofit;itscapital,theunitedJerusalem;itssecurityborderwith
Jordanrebuilt;nexttoit,aPalestinianentity,lessthanastate,thatrunsthelifeof
Palestinians.Thisismygoal,nottoreturntothepreSixDayWarlinesbuttocreate
twoentities,aseparationbetweenIsraelandthePalestinianswhoresideintheWest
BankandtheGazaStrip.HaniehandCook,RoadMap.AlsoseeAkivaEldar,On
theSamePage,TenYearsOn,Haaretz,November5,2005;DavidGrossman,The
NightOurHopeforPeaceDied,Guardian,November4,2005;MichaelJansen,A
PracticethatPreventstheEmergenceofaPalestinianState,JordanTimes,November10,
2005.Itisworthnotingthatinthespringof1998,IsraelanditsAmericansupporters
sharplycriticizedFirstLadyHillaryClintonforsayingthat,Itwouldbeinthelong
terminterestsofpeaceintheMiddleEastfortheretobeastateofPalestine,a
functioningmodernstatethatisonthesamefootingasotherstates.TomRhodesand
ChristopherWalker,CongressTellsIsraeltoRejectClintonsPulloutPlan,NewYork
Times,May8,1998;JamesBennet,AidesDisavowMrs.ClintononMideast,NewYork
Times,May8,1998.
40
CharlesEnderlein,ShatteredDreams:TheFailureofthePeaceProcessintheMiddleEast,
19952002,trans.SusanFairfield(NY:OtherPress,2003),pp.201,207208;Jeremy
Pressman,VisionsinCollision:WhatHappenedatCampDavidandTaba?International
Security,Vol.28,No.2(Fall2003),p.17;DeborahSontag,QuestforMideastPeace:
50

HowandWhyItFailed,NewYorkTimes,July26,2001;ClaytonE.Swisher,TheTruth
aboutCampDavid:TheUntoldStoryabouttheCollapseofthePeaceProcess(NY:Nation
Books,2004),pp.284,318,325.BarakhimselfsaidafterCampDavidthatthe
Palestinianswerepromisedacontinuouspieceofsovereignterritoryexceptforarazor
thinIsraeliwedgerunningfromJerusalemthroughfromMaaleAdumimtotheJordan
River,whicheffectivelywouldhavebeenunderIsraelscontrol.BennyMorris,Camp
DavidandAfter:AnExchange(1.AnInterviewwithEhudBarak),NewYorkReviewof
Books,Vol.49,No.10(June13,2002),p.44.AlsoseethemapIsraelinegotiators
presentedtothePalestiniansatCampDavid,acopyofwhichcanbefoundinRoane
Carey,ed.,TheNewIntifada:ResistingIsraelsApartheid(London:Verso,2001),p.36.
41
SeeAlanDershowitz,TheCaseforIsrael(Hoboken,NJ:JohnWiley&Sons,2003).Fora
tellingcritiqueofDershowitzsbook,seeNormanG.Finkelstein,BeyondChutzpah:On
theMisuseofAntiSemitismandtheAbuseofHistory(Berkeley:UniversityofCalifornia
Press,2005).AlsoseeDershowitzv.Desch,AmericanConservative,January16,2005.

42
Morris,RighteousVictims,chapters25.

43
Morris,BirthRevisited.ItshouldbenotedthatmanyIsraelidocumentsconcerningthe
eventsof1948remainclassified;Morrisexpectsthatwithrespecttobothexpulsions
andatrocities,wecanexpectadditionalrevelationsastheyearspassandmoreIsraeli
recordsbecomeavailable.Morris,RevisitingthePalestinianExodus,inRoganand
Shlaim,WarforPalestine,p.49.Infact,hemaintainsthatthereportedcasesofrapehe
knowsaboutarejustthetipoftheiceberg.SeeShavit,SurvivaloftheFittest.

44
BennyMorris,IsraelsBorderWars,19491956(NewYork:OxfordUniversityPress,
1997),p.432.Alsoseeibid.,pp.126153,178184.Forevidenceofsimilarbehaviorafter
the1967War,seeUriAvnery,CryingWolf?CounterPunch,March15,2003;Ami
Kronfeld,AvneryonEthnicCleansingandaPersonalNote,inJewishVoiceforPeace,
JewishPeaceNews,March17,2003;KatherineM.Metres,AsEvidenceMounts,Tollof
IsraeliPrisonerofWarMassacresGrows,WashingtonReportonMiddleEastAffairs,
February/March1996,pp.17,104105.

45
DuringhisnegotiationswiththeBritishandFrenchgovernmentsoverthelaunching
ofthe1956war,BenGurionproposedagrandplanforreorderingtheregionthatwould
havedividedJordanbetweenIsraelandIraq,transferredallofLebanonsouthofthe
LitaniRivertoIsrael,andgivenIsraelportionsoftheSinaiaswell.OnIsraelspolicies
inthe1950s,seeMorris,IsraelsBorderWars;Morris,RighteousVictims,chapter6,
especiallypp.289290;Shlaim,IronWall,chapters34,especiallypp.184185;Kennett
Love,Suez:theTwiceFoughtWar(NewYork:McGrawHill,1969),pp.589638;Michael
Brecher,DecisionsinIsraelsForeignPolicy(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1975),pp.
282283.
51

46
GabbyBron,EgyptianPOWsOrderedtoDigGraves,ThenShotbyIsraeliArmy,
YediothAhronoth,August17,1995;RonalFisher,MassMurderinthe1956SinaiWar,
Maariv,August8,1995[CopiesofthesetwopiecescanbefoundinJournalofPalestine
Studies,Vol.25,No.3(Spring1996),pp.148155];GalalBana,Egypt:WeWillTurnto
theInternationalWarCrimesTribunalintheHagueifIsraelWillNotCompensate
MurderedPrisonersofWar,Haaretz,July24,2002;Zehavat,Friedman,Personal
Reminiscence:RememberingAmiKronfeld,inJewishVoiceforPeace,JewishPeace
News,September25,2005;Metres,AsEvidenceMounts.

47
Avnery,CryingWolf;RobertBlecher,LivingontheEdge:TheThreatofTransfer
inIsraelandPalestine,MERIP,MiddleEastReport225,Winter2002;Baruch
Kimmerling,Politicide:ArielSharonsWaragainstthePalestinians(London:Verso,2003),p.
28.AlsoseeChomsky,FatefulTriangle,p.97;Morris,RighteousVictims,pp.328329;
TanyaReinhart,Israel/Palestine:HowtoEndtheWarof1948(NY:SevenStoriesPress,
2002),p.8.Morrisreports(p.329)that120,000Palestiniansappliedtoreturntotheir
homesrightafterthe1967War,butIsraelallowedonlyabout17,000tocomeback.
AmnestyInternationalestimatedinmid2003thatintheyearssinceIsraelhadacquired
theWestBankandtheGazaStrip,ithaddestroyedmorethan10,000Palestinianhomes
inthoseareas.DannyRubinstein,Roads,FencesandOutpostsMaintainControlinthe
Territories,Haaretz,August12,2003.

48
ReportoftheCommissionofInquiryintotheEventsattheRefugeeCampsin
Beirut,February7,1983.ThereportiscommonlycalledTheKahanCommission
Reportafteritschairman,YitzhakKahan.

49
SwedishSavetheChildren,TheStatusofPalestinianChildrenduringtheUprisingin
theOccupiedTerritories,ExcerptedSummaryMaterial,Jerusalem,1990,inJournalof
PalestineStudies,Vol.19,No.4(Summer1990),pp.136146.AlsoseeJoshuaBrilliant,
OfficerTellsCourtVillagersWereBound,GaggedandBeaten.NotGuiltyPleaat
BreakBonesTrial,JerusalemPost,March30,1990;JoshuaBrilliant,RabinOrdered
Beatings,MeirTellsMilitaryCourt,JerusalemPost,June22,1990;JacksonDiehl,
RightsGroupAccusesIsraelofViolenceAgainstChildreninPalestinianUprising,
WashingtonPost,May17,1990;JamesA.Graff,CripplingaPeople:PalestinianChildren
andIsraeliStateViolence,Alif,No.13(1993),pp.4663;RonaldR.Stockton,Intifada
Deaths,JournalofPalestineStudies,Vol.19,No.4(Summer1990),pp.8695.Ehud
Barak,theIDFsDeputyChiefofStaffduringtheFirstIntifada,saidatthetime,Wedo
notwantchildrentobeshotunderanycircumstances.Whenyouseeachildyou
dontshoot.Nevertheless,theSwedishSavetheChildrenreportestimatedthat6,500to
8,000childrenwerewoundedbygunfireduringthefirsttwoyearsoftheIntifada.
Researchersinvestigated66ofthe106recordedcasesofchildgunshotdeaths.They
concludedthat:almostallofthemwerehitbydirectednotrandomorricochet
52

gunfire;nearlytwentypercentsufferedmultiplegunshotwounds;twelvepercentwere
shotfrombehind;fifteenpercentofthechildrenweretenyearsofageoryounger;most
childrenwerenotparticipatinginastonethrowingdemonstrationwhenshotdead;
andnearlyonefifthofthechildrenwereshotdeadwhileathomeorwithintenmeters
oftheirhomes.

50
UnbridledForce,Haaretzeditorial,March16,2003.Forotherevidence,seeJonathan
Cook,ImpunityonBothSidesoftheGreenLine,MERIP,MiddleEastReportOnline,
November23,2005;WhenEverythingIsPermissible,Haaretzeditorial,June6,2005;
ItCanHappenHere,Haaretzeditorial,November22,2004;ChrisMcGreal,Snipers
withChildreninTheirSights,Guardian,June28,2005;Idem,IsraelShockedbyImage
ofSoldiersForcingViolinisttoPlayatRoadblock,Guardian,November29,2004;Greg
Myre,FormerIsraeliSoldiersTellofHarassmentofPalestinians,NewYorkTimes,June
24,2004;ReuvenPedatzur,TheMessagetotheSoldiersWasClear,Haaretz,December
13,2004;ConalUrquhart,IsraeliSoldiersTellofIndiscriminateKillingsbyArmyandA
CultureofImpunity,Guardian,September6,2005.

51
SeeSwisher,TruthaboutCampDavid,p.387.

52
AccordingtoBtselem,betweenSeptember29,2000,andDecember31,2005,3,386
PalestinianswerekilledbytheIsraelis,ofwhom676werechildren.Ofthose3,386
deaths,1,185werebystanders,1,008werekilledwhilefightingtheIsraelis,andthe
circumstancesof563deathsareunknown.Duringthesameperiod,992Israeliswere
killedbythePalestinians,118ofwhomwerechildren.Ofthose992deaths,683were
civiliansand309belongedtoIsraelisecurityforces.Btselempressrelease,January4,
2006.

53
NathanGuttman,ItsaTerribleThing,LivingwiththeKnowledgethatYouCrushed
OurDaughter,Haaretz,April30,2004;AdamShapiro,RememberingRachel
Shapiro,Nation,March18,2004;TsaharRotem,BritishPeaceActivistShotbyIDF
TroopsinGazaStrip,Haaretz,April11,2003.

54
MollyMoore,ExSecurityChiefsTurnonSharon,WashingtonPost,November15,
2003;ExShinBetHeadsWarnofCatastrophewithoutPeaceDeal,Haaretz,
November15,2003.ThesecommentswerebasedonaninterviewintheIsraeli
newspaperYediothAhronothonNovember14,2003.Foracopyofthatinterview,see
WeAreSeriouslyConcernedabouttheFateoftheStateofIsrael,TheAlternative
InformationCenter,December1,2003.

55
BillMaxwell,U.S.ShouldReconsiderAidtoIsrael,St.PetersburgTimes,December
16,2001.

53

56
SeeJ.BowyerBell,TerrorOutofZion:TheFightforIsraeliIndependence(New
Brunswick,NJ:TransactionPublishers,1996);JosephHeller,TheSternGang:Ideology,
PoliticsandTerror,19401949(London:FrankCass,1995);BruceHoffmann,TheFailureof
BritishMilitaryStrategywithinPalestine,19391947(Israel:BarIlanUniversity,1983);
Morris,RighteousVictims,pp.173180;Segev,OnePalestine,pp.468486.Accordingto
HaimLevenberg,210ofthe429casualtiesfromJewishterrorisminPalestineduring
1946werecivilians.Theother219werepoliceandsoldiers.Levenberg,Military
Preparations,p.72.Furthermore,itwasJewishterroristsfromtheinfamousIrgunwhoin
late1937introducedthepracticeofplacingbombsinbusesandlargecrowds.Benny
Morrisspeculatesthat,TheArabsmaywellhavelearnedthevalueofterrorist
bombingsfromtheJews.RighteousVictims,pp.147,201.AlsoseeLenniBrenner,The
IronWall:ZionistRevisionismfromJabotinskytoShamir(London:ZedBooks,1984),p.100;
YehoshuaPorath,ThePalestinianArabNationalMovement:fromRiotstoRebellion,Vol.II,
19291939(London:FrankCass,1977),p.238.Finally,Morrisnotesthatduringthe1948
warthemainJewishterroristgroupsknowinglyplantedbombsinbusstopswiththe
aimofkillingnoncombatants,includingwomenandchildren.BirthRevisited,p.80.

57
Bell,TerrorOutofZion,pp.336340.

58
QuotedinChomsky,FatefulTriangle,pp.485486.IsraeliPrimeMinisterLeviEshkol
usedtocallMenachemBegintheterrorist.Barzilai,BriefHistory.OnShamir,see
AvishaiMargalit,TheViolentLifeofYitzhakShamir,NewYorkReviewofBooks,May
14,1992,pp.1824.

59
Moreover,Israelsclaimtoamorallysuperiorstatusisunderminedbysomeofits
otherpolicies.IsraeloncecultivatedclosetieswithapartheideraSouthAfricaand
aidedthewhiteminoritygovernmentsnuclearweaponsprogram.PeterLiberman,
IsraelandtheSouthAfricanBomb,TheNonproliferationReview,Vol.11,No.2(Summer
2004),pp.4680.In1954,IsraeliintelligenceforcesbombedaU.S.diplomaticfacilityin
CairoinabungledattempttosowdiscordbetweenEgyptandtheUnitedStates.Shlaim,
IronWall,pp.110113.

60
StevenM.Cohen,The2004NationalSurveyofAmericanJews,sponsoredbytheJewish
AgencyforIsraelsDepartmentofJewishZionistEducation,February24,2005.The
figuretwoyearsearlierwas28percent.SeeStevenM.Cohen,The2002NationalSurveyof
AmericanJews,sponsoredbytheJewishAgencyforIsraelsDepartmentofJewishZionist
Education,conductedinNovemberDecember2002.AlsoseeAmiranBarkat,Young
AmericanJewsAreMoreAmbivalentTowardIsrael,StudyShows,Haaretz,March7,
2005;StevenM.Cohen,Poll:AttachmentofU.S.JewstoIsraelFallsinPast2Years,
Forward,March4,2005;M.J.Rosenberg,LettingIsraelSellItself,IsraelPolicyForum
IssueBrief#218,March18,2005.

54

61
J.J.Goldberg,OldFriend,ShatteredDreams,Forward,December24,2004;Esther
Kaplan,TheJewishDivideonIsrael,Nation,July12,2004;MichaelMassing,
ConservativeJewishGroupsHaveClout,LosAngelesTimes,March10,2002;Eric
Yoffie,ReformtheConference,Forward,August2,2002.

62
OriNir,FBIProbe:MoreQuestionsThanAnswers.Forward,May13,2005.

63
InigoGilmore,U.S.JewishLeaderHitoverLetter,LondonSundayTelegraph,August
12,2003;IsiLiebler,WhenSeymourMetCondi,JerusalemPost,November24,2005.
AlsoseeSarahBronson,OrthodoxLeader:U.S.JewsHaveNoRighttoCriticizeIsrael,
Haaretz,August2,2004.

64
Liebler,WhenSeymourMetCondi;OriNir,O.U.ChiefDecriesAmericanPressure
onIsrael,Forward,December2,2005;Idem,RiceTripRaisesConcernoverU.S.
PressureonIsrael,Forward,November18,2005;SeymourD.Reich,Listento
America,JerusalemPost,November13,2005.

65
JeffreyH.Birnbaum,WashingtonsPower25,Fortune,December8,1997.AIPAC
wasrankednumber4inasimilarstudyconductedin2001.SeeJeffreyH.Birnbaumand
RussellNewell,FatandHappyinD.C.,Fortune,May28,2001.

66
RichardE.CohenandPeterBell,CongressionalInsidersPoll,NationalJournal.March
5,2005;JamesD.Besser,MostMuscle?ItsNRA,ThenAIPACandAARP,Chicago
JewishStar,March1124,2005.

67
SeeMaxBlumenthal,BornAgainsforSharon,salon.com,October30,2004;DarrellL.
Bock,SomeChristiansSeeaRoadMaptoEndTimes,LosAngelesTimes,June18,
2003;NathanGuttman,WipingOutTerror,BriningOnRedemption,Haaretz,April
29,2002;TomHamburgerandJimVandeHei,ChosenPeople:HowIsraelBecamea
FavoriteCauseofChristianRight,WallStreetJournal,May23,2002;PaulNussbaum,
IsraelFindsanAllyinAmericanEvangelicals,PhiladelphiaInquirer,November17,
2005.DanielPipesmaintainsthat,otherthantheIsraelDefenseForces,Americas
ChristianZionistsmaybetheJewishstatesultimatestrategicasset.[Christian
Zionism:]IsraelsBestWeapon?NewYorkPost,July15,2003.

68
TheweaknessofthePalestinianLobbyintheUnitedStatesiscapturedinthe
headlinesofthesetwoarticles:NoraBoustany,PalestiniansLoneHandin
Washington,WashingtonPost,April,19,2002;GeorgeGedda,PLOLosesD.C.Office
BecauseofUnpaidRent,ChicagoTribune,April12,2002.Ontheweakimpactofthe
ArabLobby,seeAliA.Mazrui,BetweentheCrescentandtheStarSpangledBanner:
AmericanMuslimsandU.S.ForeignPolicy,InternationalAffairs,Vol.72,No.3(July
1996),pp.493506;NabeelA.Khoury,TheArabLobby:ProblemsandProspects,
55

MiddleEastJournal,Vol.41,No.3(Summer1987),pp.379396;AndreaBarron,Jewish
andArabDiasporasintheUnitedStatesandTheirImpactonU.S.MiddleEastPolicy,
inYehudaLukacsandAbdallaM.Battah,eds.,TheArabIsraeliConflict:TwoDecadesof
Change(London:Westview,1988),pp.238259.

69
JakeTapper,QuestionsforDickArmey:Retiring,NotShy,NewYorkTimesMagazine,
September1,2002.Also,TomDeLayhascalledhimselfanIsraeliatheart.SeeJames
Bennet,DeLaySaysPalestiniansBearBurdenforAchievingPeace,NewYorkTimes,
July30,2003.

70
QuotedinMitchellBard,IsraeliLobbyPower,Midstream,Vol.33,No.1(January
1987),pp.68.

71
QuotedinEdwardTivnan,TheLobby:JewishPoliticalPowerandAmericanForeignPolicy
(NY:SimonandSchuster,1987),p.191.J.J.Goldberg,theeditoroftheForward,saidin
2002,ThereisthisimageinCongressthatyoudontcrossthesepeopleortheytakeyou
down.QuotedinJohnDiamondandBriannaB.Piec,ProIsraelGroupsIntensify
PoliticalFrontinU.S.,ChicagoTribune,April16,2002.

72
QuotedinCamilleMansour,BeyondAlliance:IsraelinU.S.ForeignPolicy,trans.James
A.Cohen(NY:ColumbiaUniversityPress,1994),p.242.

73
AlthoughAIPAChasbeenabletouseitspoliticalmuscletoavoidhavingtoregisteras
aforeignagentforanothergovernment,itisespeciallyconcernedaboutthatproblem
todaybecauseoftheLarryFranklinspyscandal,andthusitisgoingtoconsiderable
lengthstoemphasizeitsAmericanside.SeeOriNir,LeadersFearProbeWillForce
ProIsraelLobbytoFileasForeignAgentCouldFuelDualLoyaltyTalk,Forward,
December31,2004;Idem,LeadersStressAmericanSideofAIPAC,Forward,May27,
2005.

74
Sen.HollingsFloorStatementSettingtheRecordStraightonHisMideastNewspaper
Column,May20,2004,acopyofwhichcanbefoundontheformerSenatorswebsite.

75
PublishedinanAIPACadvertisementintheChicagoJewishStar,August29
September11,2003.SharonisnotaloneinhisappraisalofAIPACspower.Senate
MinorityLeaderHarryReidsaysthatIcantthinkofapolicyorganizationinthe
countryaswellorganizedorrespected[asAIPAC]andformerHouseSpeakerNewt
Gingrichcalleditthemosteffectivegeneralinterestgroup...acrosstheentireplanet.
FormerPresidentBillClintondescribedAIPACasstunninglyeffectiveandbetter
thananyoneelselobbyinginthistown.QuotationsdownloadedfromtheAIPAC
websiteonJanuary14,2005[www.aipac.org/documents/whoweare.html#say].

56

76
ThomasB.EdsallandAlanCooperman,GOPUsesRemarkstoCourtJews,
WashingtonPost,March13,2003.AlsoseeJamesD.Besser,JewsPrimaryRole
Expanding,JewishWeek,January23,2004;AlexanderBolton,JewishDefectionsIrk
Democrats,TheHill,March30,2004;E.J.Kessler,AncientWoesResurfacingasDean
EyesTopDemPost,Forward,January28,2005.HamiltonJordanwroteamemorandum
toPresidentJimmyCarterinJune1977,inwhichhesaid:Outof125membersofthe
DemocraticNationalFinanceCouncil,over70areJewish;In1976,over60%ofthelarge
donorstotheDemocraticPartywereJewish;Over60%ofthemoniesraisedbyNixonin
1972wasfromJewishcontributors;Over75%ofthemoniesraisedinHumphreys1968
campaignwasfromJewishcontributors;Over90%ofthemoniesraisedbyScoop
JacksonintheDemocraticprimarieswasfromJewishcontributors;Inspiteofthefact
thatyouwerealongshotandcamefromanareaofthecountrywherethereisasmaller
Jewishcommunity,approximately35%ofourprimaryfundswerefromJewish
supporters.Whereverthereismajorpoliticalfundraisinginthiscountry,youwillfind
AmericanJewsplayingasignificantrole.HamiltonJordan,ConfidentialFile,Box34,
FileForeignPolicy/DomesticPoliticsMemo,HJMemo,6/77,declassifiedJune12,
1990.

77
DouglasBrinkley,OutoftheLoop,TheNewYorkTimes,December29,2002.
LawrenceKaplanreportsthatafterBruceRiedel,theMiddleEastexpertontheNational
SecurityCouncil,lefthisjobattheendof2001,thePentagonhelduptheappointment
ofRiedelsdesignatedsuccessor,MiddleEastexpertAlinaRomanowski,whom
PentagonofficialssuspectofbeinginsufficientlysupportiveoftheJewishstate.
TorpedoBoat:HowBushTurnedonArafat,NewRepublic,February18,2003.The
positionwaseventuallyfilledbyElliotAbrams,aferventsupporterofIsrael.Indeed,
forthegovernmentofIsrael,NathanGuttmanwrote,itisagiftfromheaven.See
FromClemencytoaSeniorPost,Haaretz,December16,2002.

78
E.J.Kessler,LiebermanandDeanSparOverIsrael,Forward,September9,2003;
StephenZunes,AttacksonDeanExposeDemocratsShifttotheRight,Tikkun,
November/December2003.

79
Zunes,AttacksonDean;JamesD.Besser,DeansJewishProblem,ChicagoJewish
Star,December19,2003January8,2004.

80
E.J.Kessler,DeanPlanstoVisitIsrael,PoliticalBaggageinTow,Forward,July8,
2005;Zunes,AttacksonDean.

81
LauraBlumenfeld,ThreePeaceSuits;ForThesePassionateAmericanDiplomats,a
MiddleEastSettlementistheGoalofaLifetime,WashingtonPost,February24,1997.

57

82
Samuel(Sandy)Berger,PresidentClintonsNationalSecurityAdvisor,reportsthat
atonepointduringthenegotiationsatCampDavid(July2000),DennisRossmadethe
remarkablecommentthat,IfBarakoffersanythingmore,Illbeagainstthis
agreement.UneditedtranscriptofCommentsbySandyBergerattheLaunchofHow
IsraelisandPalestiniansNegotiate(USIPPress,2005),U.S.InstituteofPeace,Washington,
DC,June7,2005.

83
QuotedinBlumenfeld,ThreePeaceSuits.

84
EricAlterman,IntractableFoes,WarringNarratives,MSNBC.com,March28,2002.

85
QuotedinBretStephens,EyeontheMediabyBretStephens:BartleysJournal,
JerusalemPost,November21,2002.

86
MaxFrankel,TheTimesofMyLifeAndMyLifewiththeTimes(NY:RandomHouse,
1999),pp.401403.

87
FelicityBarringer,SomeU.S.BackersofIsraelBoycottDailiesOverMideastCoverage
ThatTheyDeplore,NewYorkTimes,May23,2002.

88
Barringer,SomeU.S.Backers;GabyWenig,NPRIsraelCoverageSparksProtests,
TheJewishJournalofGreaterLosAngeles,May9,2003;GilaWertheimer,NPRDismisses
ProtestRallies,ChicagoJewishStar,May30June12,2003.AlsoseeJamesD.Besser,
NPRRadioWarsPuttingJewishGroupsinaBind,JewishWeek,May20,2005;Samuel
Freedman,FromBalancetoCensorship:BushsCynicalPlanforNPR,Forward,May
27,2005;NathanGuttman,EnoughAlreadyfromThoseProIsraelNudniks,Haaretz,
February1,2005;E.J.Kessler,HotSeatExpectedforNewChairofCorporationfor
PublicBroadcasting,Forward,October28,2005.

89
JoelBeinin,Money,MediaandPolicyConsensus:TheWashingtonInstituteforNear
EastPolicy,MiddleEastReport,JanuaryFebruary1993,pp.1015;MarkH.Milstein,
WashingtonInstituteforNearEastPolicy:AnAIPACImageProblem,Washington
ReportonMiddleEastAffairs,July1991.

90
QuotedinMilstein,WashingtonInstitute.

91
BrookingsAnnouncesNewSabanCenterforMiddleEastPolicy,Brookings
InstitutionPressRelease,May9,2002;AndrewRossSorkin,SchleppingtoMoguldom,
NewYorkTimes,September5,2004.

92
JamesD.Besser,TurningupHeatinCampusWars,JewishWeek,July25,2003;
RonaldS.LauderandJaySchottenstein,BacktoSchoolforIsraelAdvocacy,Forward,
58

November14,2003;RachelPomerance,IsraelForcesWinningCampusBattle,Say
StudentsAttendingAIPACMeeting,JTA,December31,2002.Jewishgroupsarealso
targetinghighschools.SeeMaxGross,IsraelAdvocacyCoalitionTargetingHigh
Schools,Forward,January23,2004;NewProIsraelCampaignTargetsHighSchool
Students,JTA,June2,2004.

93
Besser,TurningupHeat.In2002and2003,AIPACbrought240collegestudentsto
Washington,DCforintensiveadvocacytraining,sendingthembacktoschooltowin
overcampusleaderstoIsraelscause.Besser,TurningupHeat;Pomerance,Israel
ForcesWinning.Inthespringof2005,ithosted100studentgovernmentpresidents(80
ofwhomwerenotJewish)atitsannualconference.NathanielPopper,ProIsrael
Groups:CampusesImproving,Forward,June24,2005.

94
MichaelDobbs,MiddleEastStudiesunderScrutinyinU.S.,WashingtonPost,
January13,2004;MicheleGoldberg,OsamaUniversity?Salon.com,November6,2003;
KristineMcNeil,TheWaronAcademicFreedom,Nation,November11,2002;Zachary
Lockman,BehindtheBattleoverUSMiddleEastPolicy,MiddleEastReportOnline,
January2004.

95
JonathanR.Cole,ThePatriotActonCampus:DefendingtheUniversityPost9/11,
BostonReview,Summer2003.

96
ChanakyaSethi,KhalidiCandidacyforNewChairDrawsFire,DailyPrincetonian,
April22,2005;Idem,DebateGrowsoverKhalidiCandidacy,DailyPrincetonian,April
28,2005.

97
RobertGaines,TheBattleatColumbiaUniversity,WashingtonReportonMiddleEast
Affairs,April2005,pp.5657;CarolineGlick,OurWorld:TheColumbiaDisaster,
JerusalemPost,April4,2005;JosephMassad,WitchHuntatColumbia:Targetingthe
University,CounterPunch,June3,2005;NathanielPopper,ColumbiaStudentsSay
FirestormBlursCampusReality,Forward,February11,2005;ScottSherman,The
MideastComestoColumbia,Nation,April4,2005;ChananWeissman,Columbia
Unbecoming,JerusalemPost,February6,2005.

98
ColumbiaUniversityAdHocGrievanceCommittee,FinalReport,NewYork,28
March2005(excerpts),inJournalofPalestineStudies,Vol.34,No.4(Summer2005),pp.
90100.

99
Goldberg,OsamaUniversity?;RonKampeas,CampusOversightPassesSenateas
ReviewEffortScoresaVictory,JTA,November22,2005;StanleyKurtz,Reformingthe
Campus:CongressTargetsTitleVI,NationalReviewOnline,October14,2003;McNeil,
WaronAcademicFreedom;OriNir,GroupsBackBilltoMonitorUniversities,
59

Forward,March12,2004;SaraRoy,ShortCuts,LondonReviewofBooks,April1,2004;
AndersStrindberg,TheNewCommissars,AmericanConservative,February2,2004.

100
Thenumber130comesfromMitchellG.Bard,TenuredorTenuous:Definingthe
RoleofFacultyinSupportingIsraelonCampus,ReportpublishedbyTheIsraelon
CampusCoalitionandTheAmericanIsraeliCooperativeEnterprise,May2004,p.11.
AlsoseeNachaCattan,NYUCenter:NewAdditiontoGrowingAcademicField,
Forward,May2,2003;SamuelG.Freedman,SeparatingthePoliticalMythsfromthe
FactsinIsraelStudies,NewYorkTimes,February16,2005;JenniferJacobson,The
PoliticsofIsraelStudies,ChronicleofHigherEducation,June24,2005,pp.1012;Michael
C.Kotzin,TheJewishCommunityandtheIvoryTower:AnUrgentNeedforIsrael
Studies,Forward,January30,2004;NathanielPopper,IsraelStudiesGainonCampus
asDisputesGrow,Forward,March25,2005.

101
QuotedinCattan,NYUCenter.

102
JonathanKessler,ProIsraelActivismMakesComebackonCampus,Forward,
December26,2003;Popper,CampusesImproving;BarrySilvermanandRandall
Kaplan,ProIsraelCollegeActivistsQuietlySuccessfulonCampus,JTA,May9,2005;
ChananTigay,AsStudentsReturntoCampus,ActivistsPrepareaNewApproach,
JTA,September1,2005.Nevertheless,therearelimitstotheLobbyseffectivenesson
campuses.SeeJoeEskenazi,Book:CollegeCampusesQuiet,butAntiIsraelFeelingIs
Growing,JTA,November29,2005;GaryRosenblatt,U.S.GradStudentsSeenHostile
toIsrael,JewishWeek,June17,2005.

103
QuotedinTonyJudt,GoodbyetoAllThat?Nation,January3,2005.

104
AntiDefamationLeague(ADL),AttitudestowardJews,IsraelandthePalestinian
IsraeliConflictinTenEuropeanCountries,April2004;ThePewGlobalAttitudes
Project,AYearAfterIraqWar:MistrustofAmericainEuropeEvenHigher,MuslimAnger
Persists(Washington,DC:ThePewResearchCenterforthePeopleandthePress,March
16,2004),pp.45,26.OntheADLsurvey,seeADLSurveyFindsSomeDecreasein
AntiSemiticAttitudesinTenEuropeanCountries,ADLPressRelease,April26,2004;
ShlomoShamir,PollShowsDecreaseinAntiSemiticViewsinEurope,Haaretz,April
27,2004.ThesefindingshadvirtuallynoeffectonproIsraelpundits,whocontinuedto
arguethatantiSemitismwasrampantinEurope.See,forexample,DanielJ.Goldhagen,
EuropesToothlessReplytoAntiSemitism:ConferenceFailstoBuildToolstoFighta
RisingSicknessLosAngelesTimes,April30,2004;CharlesKrauthammer,TheReal
MideastPoison,WashingtonPost,April30,2004.

105
MartinPeretz,theeditorinchiefoftheNewRepublic,says,Theheadquartersofanti
SemiticEuropetoday,justasduringtheThirdRepublic,isParis.CambridgeDiarist:
60

Regrets,NewRepublic,April22,2002,p.50.ThedatainthisparagrapharefromAnti
SemitisminEurope:IsItReallyRising?Economist,May4,2002.

106
QuotedinMarcPerelman,CommunityHead:FranceNoMoreAntisemiticThan
U.S.,Forward,August1,2003.AlsoseeFrancoisBujondelEstang,ASlanderon
France,WashingtonPost,June22,2002;FrenchPresidentAccusesIsraelofConducting
AntiFrenchCampaign,Haaretz,May12,2002.

107
FrenchPolice:AntiSemitisminFranceSharplyDecreasedin2005,Haaretz,January
19,2006.

108
FrenchProtestforMurderedJew,BBCNewsOnline,February26,2006;Michel
Zlotowski,LargeMemorialHeldforParisianJew,JerusalemPost,February23,2006.

109
AviBeker,TheEternallyOpenGate,Haaretz,January11,2005;JosefJoffe,A
Boom,ifNotARenaissance,inModernDayGermany,Forward,July25,2003;
NathanielPopper,ImmigrantPolicyEyedasGermanCommunitySwells,Forward,
July25,2003;EliahuSalpeter,JewsfromtheCISPreferGermanytotheJewishState,
Haaretz,May28,2005.Also,theTimesofLondonreportedinthespringof2005,that,
Anestimated100,000JewshavereturnedtoRussiainthepastfewyears,sparkinga
dramaticrenaissanceofJewishlifeinacountrywithalonghistoryofantiSemitism.
JeremyPage,OnceDesperatetoLeave,NowJewsAreReturningtoRussia,Landof
Opportunity,Times,April28,2005.AlsoseeLevKrichevsky,Poll:RussiansDont
DislikeJews,andMoreAreagainstAntiSemitism,JTA,February2,2006.

110
ThechairmanoftheEducationDepartmentoftheJewishAgencyrecentlysaidthat
presentdayviolentantiSemitismoriginatesfromtwoseparatesources:radical
IslamistsintheMiddleEastandWesternEuropeaswellastheneoNaziyouthelement
inEasternEuropeandLatinAmerica.JonathanSchneider,AntiSemitismStillaWorld
Problem,JerusalemPost,January26,2006.

111
IntheADLsApril2004survey,AttitudestowardJews,IsraelandthePalestinian
IsraeliConflictinTenEuropeanCountries,thefollowingquestionwasasked:Inyour
opinion,isitveryimportant,somewhatimportant,somewhatunimportantornot
importantatallforourgovernmenttotakearoleincombatingantiSemitisminour
country?ThepercentagesforthosewhostronglyagreeorsomewhatagreewereItaly
(92),Britain(83),Netherlands(83),France(82),Germany(81),Belgium(81),Denmark
(79),Austria(76),Switzerland(74),Spain(73).Seep.19.

112
PhyllisChesler,TheNewAntiSemitism:TheCurrentCrisisandWhatWeMustDoabout
It(SanFrancisco:JosseyBass,2003);HillelHalkin,TheReturnofAntiSemitism:ToBe
againstIsraelIstoBeagainsttheJews,WallStreetJournal,February5,2002;Barry
61

KosminandPaulIganski,JudeophobiaNotYourParentsAntiSemitism,Haaretz,
June3,2003;AmnonRubinstein,FightingtheNewAntiSemitism,Haaretz,December
2,2003;GabrielSchoenfeld,TheReturnofAntiSemitism(SanFrancisco:EncounterBooks,
2003);NatanSharansky,AntiSemitismisourProblem,Haaretz,August10,2003;Yair
Sheleg.AWorldCleansedoftheJewishState,Haaretz.April18,2002;YairSheleg,
Enemies,aPostNationalStory,Haaretz,March8,2003.Forcriticismofthis
perspective,seeAkivaEldar,AntiSemitismCanBeSelfServing,Haaretz,May3,
2002;BrianKlug,TheMythoftheNewAntiSemitism,Nation,February2,2004;Ralph
Nader,CriticizingIsraelisNotAntiSemitism,CounterPunch,October16/17,2004;
HenriPicciottoandMitchellPlitnick,eds.,ReframingAntiSemitism:AlternativeJewish
Perspectives(Oakland,CA:JewishVoiceforPeace,2004);andespeciallyFinkelstein,
BeyondChutzpah,chapters13.

113
HelenNugent,ChiefRabbiFlaysChurchoverVoteonIsraelAssets,TimesOnline,
February17,2006.AlsoseeBillBowder,SacksSeeksTalksafterSynodVoteon
Disinvestment,ChurchTimes,February24,2006;BulldozerMotionBasedon
Ignorance,inibid;RuthGledhill,ChurchUrgedtoReconsiderInvestmentswith
Israel,TimesOnline,May28,2005;IreneLancaster,AnglicansHaveBetrayedthe
Jews,DownloadedfromMorielMinistries(UK)website,February20,2006;U.K.Chief
RabbiAttacksAnglicansoverIsraelDivestmentVote,Haaretz,February17,2006.

114
ThattheChurchofEnglandwasmerelycriticizingIsraelipolicyandnotengagingin
antiSemitismisclearlyreflectedintheFebruary10,2006letterthattheArchbishopof
Canterbury(Dr.RowanWilliams)senttoEnglandsChiefRabbi(JonathanSacks)
explainingtheChurchsdecisionondivestment.Foracopyoftheletter,see
Archbishop:SynodCallWasExpressionofConcern,February10,2006,Downloaded
fromChurchofEnglandwebsite,February20,2006.

115
StevenKull(PrincipalInvestigator),AmericansontheMiddleEastRoadMap(Program
onInternationalPolicyAttitudes,UniversityofMaryland,May30,2003),pp.911,1819.
AlsoseeStevenKulletal.,AmericansontheIsraeliPalestinianConflict(Programon
InternationalPolicyAttitudes,UniversityofMaryland,May6,2002).A2005Anti
DefamationLeaguepublicopinionsurveyfoundthat78percentofAmericansbelieve
thattheirgovernmentshouldfavorneitherIsraelnorthePalestinians.American
AttitudestowardIsraelandtheMiddleEast,SurveyconductedonMarch1825,2005,
andJune1923,2005,bytheMarttilaCommunicationsGroupfortheAntiDefamation
League.

116
RobertG.Kaiser,BushandSharonNearlyIdenticalonMideastPolicy,Washington
Post,February9,2003.

62

117
LeeHockstaderandDanielWilliams,IsraelSaysItWontPayPriceofCoalition,
WashingtonPost,September18,2001;JonathanKarp,SharonCancelsPeaceTalksin
RebufftoU.S.Concerns,WallStreetJournal,September24,2001;ThomasOliphant,A
DelicateBalance,BostonGlobe,September18,2001:IsraelsOpportunity,LosAngeles
Timeseditorial,September18,2001.

118
KurtEichenwald,U.S.JewsSplitonWashingtonsShiftonPalestinianState,New
YorkTimes,October5,2001.Atthesametime,PrimeMinisterTonyBlairmadeBritains
strongestendorsementyetofPalestinianstatehood.MichaelDobbs,BlairBacks
CreationofPalestinianState,WashingtonPost,October16,2001.

119
JamesBennet,SharonInvokesMunichinWarningU.S.onAppeasement,New
YorkTimes,October5,2001;JanePerlezandandKatharineQ.Seelye.U.S.Stongly
RebukesSharonforCriticismofBush,CallingitUnacceptable.NewYorkTimes
October6,2001;ShlomoShamir,U.S.Jews:SharonisWorriedbyTerrorism
Distinction,Haaretz,September18,2001;AlanSipressandLeeHockstader,Sharon
SpeechRilesU.S.,WashingtonPost,October6,2001.ForevidencethatotherIsraelis
sharedSharonsfears,seeIsraelHarel,LessonsfromtheNextWar,Haaretz,October
6,2001.

120
JackDonnelly,NationSettoPushSharononAgreement,BostonGlobe,October10,
2001;HockstaderandSipress,SharonSpeechRilesU.S.;PerlezandSeelye.U.S.
StronglyRebukesSharon.

121
LeeHockstader,SharonApologeticoverRowwithU.S.,WashingtonPost,October7,
2001;SergeSchmemann,RaisingMunich,SharonRevealsIsraeliQualms,NewYork
Times,October6,2001.

122
AlufBenn,Analysis:ClutchingatStraws,Haaretz,September18,2001;Excerpts
fromTalkbySharon,NewYorkTimes,December4,2001;WilliamSafire,Israelor
Arafat,NewYorkTimes,December3,2001.

123
ElaineSciolino,SenatorsUrgeBushNottoHamperIsrael,NewYorkTimes,
November17,2001.

124
DanaMilbank,BushSpokesmanGentleonIsraeliAssault,WashingtonPost,
December3,2001;Safire,IsraelorArafat;DavidSanger,U.S.WalksaTightropeon
TerrorisminIsrael,NewYorkTimes,December4,2001.

125
KeithB.RichburgandMollyMoore,IsraelRejectsDemandstoWithdrawTroops,
WashingtonPost,April11,2002.AllquotesinthisparagrapharefromFareedZakaria,
ColinPowellsHumiliation:BushShouldClearlySupportHisSecretaryofState
63

OtherwiseHeShouldGetaNewOne,Newsweek,April29,2002.AlsoseeMikeAllen
andJohnLancaster,DefiantSharonLosingSupportinWhiteHouse,WashingtonPost,
April11,2002,whichdescribestheBushAdministrationsangerwithSharon.

126
ItisworthnotingthattheAmericanpeopleweregenerallysupportiveofBushs
effortstoputpressureonIsraelinthespringof2002.ATime/CNNpolltakenonApril
1011foundthat60percentofAmericansfeltthatU.S.aidtoIsraelshouldbecutoffor
reducedifSharonrefusedtowithdrawfromthePalestinianareashehadrecently
occupied.Poll:AmericansSupportCuttingAidtoIsrael,ReutersNewsRelease,April
12,2002;AFPNewsRelease,April13,2002.AlsoseeIsraelandthePalestinians(Program
onInternationalPolicyAttitudes,UniversityofMaryland,lastupdatedonAugust15,
2002).Moreover,75percentofthosesurveyedthoughtthatPowellshouldmeetwith
ArafatwhenhevisitedIsrael.RegardingSharon,only35percentfoundhim
trustworthy,while35percentthoughthewasawarmonger,20percentsawhimasa
terrorist,and25percentconsideredhimanenemyoftheUnitedStates.

127
WilliamKristolandRobertKagan,SeniorWhiteHouseAides:SpeakUp!Weekly
Standard,April11,2002.ForagraphicdescriptionoftheheatthattheLobbyputon
PowellwhenhewasintheMiddleEast,seeBobWoodward,BushatWar(NewYork:
SimonandSchuster,2002),pp.323326.AlsoseeJohnSimpson,IsraeliLeaderHas
MorePowerinWashingtonthanPowell,SundayTelegraph(London),April14,2002,
whichdescribesajointpressconferencePowellandSharonconductedbynotingthat:
theSecretaryofStateslanguage,bodyandverbal,certainlywerenotthatofthe
paymastercomingtocallaclienttoaccount.Farfromit.Mr.Powellseemedingratiating,
deferential;nodoubtherealizeshowmuchsupportMr.SharonhasbackinWashington
andhowmuchinfluencehisfriendshavetherewiththePresident.Itisalsoworth
notingthatformerIsraeliPrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahu,whowasmakingIsraels
caseintheUnitedStatesatthetime,saidevenbeforePowellarrivedinIsraelthathis
tripwontamounttoanything.ElaineSciolino,NetanyahuSaysPowellMission
WontAmounttoAnythingandUrgesArafatsExile,NewYorkTimes,April11,2002.

128
JamesD.Besser,NoTennesseeWaltz,JewishWeek,December27,2002.Alsosee
MikeAllenandJulietEilperin,WhiteHouseandDeLayatOdds,WashingtonPost
April26,2002;JudithEilperinandHelenDewar,LawmakersEndorseIsraels
Offensive,WashingtonPost,May3,2002.Bushwasfeelingintensepressurenotjust
fromlawmakers,butfromJewishleadersandChristianEvangelicals.SeeMikeAllen
andJohnLancaster,DefiantSharonLosingSupportinWhiteHouse,WashingtonPost,
April11,2002;DanBalz,BushStatementonMideastReflectsTensioninGOP,
WashingtonPost,April7,2003;ElisabethBumiller,BushSendsAidetoSpeakatRallyto
QuellaGrowingFuror,NewYorkTimes,April16,2002;BradleyBurston,Background:
CanBushAffordtoPressSharonforPeace?Haaretz,May6,2002;AkivaEldar,Bush
andIsrael,1991and2002,Haaretz,May6,2002;AlisonMitchell,U.S.PoliticalLeaders
64

SeekUnityonMideast,forNow,WashingtonPost,April12,2002;WilliamSafire,On
BeinganAlly,NewYorkTimes,April11,2002;AlanSipress,PolicyDivideThwarts
PowellinMideastEffort,WashingtonPost,April26,2002;andAlanSipressandKaren
DeYoung,U.S.PressesAheadwithPeaceEfforts,WashingtonPost,May9,2002.

129
RandallMikkelsen,WhiteHouseCallsSharonManofPeace,Reuters,April11,
2002;BillSammon,WhiteHouseSoftensTonewithIsrael,WashingtonTimes,April12,
2002.

130
PeterSlevinandMikeAllen,Bush:SharonAManofPeace,WashingtonPost,April
19,2002;DavidSanger,PresidentPraisesEffortbyPowellintheMiddleEast,New
YorkTimes,April19,2002.Foratranscriptofthepressconference,seePresidentBush,
SecretaryPowellDiscussMiddleEast,WhiteHouse,OfficeofthePressSecretary,April
18,2002.

131
EilperinandDewar,LawmakersEndorseIsraelsOffensive;JulietEilperinand
MikeAllen,HillLeadersPlanVotesonProIsraelRelations,WashingtonPost,May2,
2002;AlisonMitchell,HouseandSenateSupportIsraelinStrongResolutions,New
YorkTimes,May3,2002.Forcopiesofthetworesolutions,see2ResolutionsExpressing
SolidaritywithIsrael,NewYorkTimes,May3,2002.AlsoseeMatthewE.Berger,Bills
inCongressBoostIsrael,TreatArafatasTerrorist,JewishBulletin,April26,2002.

132
AriehOSullivan,VisitingCongressmenAdviseIsraeltoResistAdministration
PressuretoDealwithArafat,JerusalemPostMay6,2002.

133
EliLake,IsraeliLobbyWins$200MillionFight,UnitedPressInternational,May11,
2002.

134
QuotedinJeffersonMorley,WhosinCharge?WashingtonPost,April26,2002.As
AkivaEldarnotedjustbeforeSharonsteamrolledBush,Sharonhasalotofexperience
stickingittotheAmericans.Ultimately,whetheritwasPalestinianterror,Arafats
mistakes,ordomesticpolitics,theAmericansweresenttothepeanutgallery.Seehis
WordsAreNotEnough,Haaretz,April8,2002.NorwasBushshumiliationloston
commentatorsaroundtheworld.Spainsleadingdaily,ElPais,expressedtheviewsof
manyoutsideobserverswhenitcommented,Ifacountrysweightismeasuredbyits
degreeofinfluenceonevents,thesuperpowerisnottheUSAbutIsrael.Quotedin
Morley,WhosinCharge?

135
BradleyBurston,HamasRUs,Haaretz,January18,2006;AkivaEldar,Kadimato
ANewMiddleEast,Haaretz,December19,2005;Idem,WhoNeedsAbuMazen?
Haaretz,November7,2005;RanHaCohen,HamasandIsrael:RivalTwins,
AntiWar.com,February6,2006;M.J.Rosenberg,NoPartnerAsAlways,IPFFriday,
65

IssueNo.260,February3,2006;DannyRubenstein,AllWeDidWasSwitchtheNon
Partner,Haaretz,February5,2006;DisarrayAmongthePalestinians,NewYorkTimes
editorial,January17,2006.

136
RegardingtheviewsofpreviousPresidents,seeClydeR.Mark,IsraeliUnitedStates
Relations,IssueBriefforCongress(Washington,DC:CongressionalResearchService,
August29,2002),p.7.OnApril14,2004,Bushbrokewithhispredecessorsand
proclaimedthatIsraelwouldnothavetoreturnalloftheterritoriesthatitoccupiedin
1967,andthatPalestinianrefugeeswouldnotbeallowedtoreturntotheirformerhomes
inIsrael,butwouldhavetosettleinanewPalestinianstate.SeeStatementbythe
PresidentRegardingIsraelArabPeaceProcess,April14,2004;andPresidentBushs
LettertoPrimeMinisterSharon,April14,2004.

137
USScowcroftCriticizesBushAdminsForeignPolicy,FinancialTimes,October13,
2004.AlsoseeGlennKessler,ScowcroftisCriticalofBush,WashingtonPost,October
16,2004.

138
OnKerry,seeGadiDechter,Analysis:PresidentKerryonIsrael,UnitedPress
Internationalpressrelease,July9,2004;NathanGuttman,KerryPositionPaperOutlines
SupportforIsrael,Haaretz,July2,2004:NathanGuttman,KerryJumpsonSharon
BandwagoninFavoringGazaDisengagementPlan,Haaretz,April25,2004.On
Clinton,seeAdamDickter,Hillary:IHadALottoProve,JewishWeek,November18,
2005;KristenLombardi,HillaryCallsIsraelaBeaconofDemocracy,VillageVoice,
December11,2005;SoniaVerma,ClintonStressedU.S.IsraelCoalition,Newsday,
November15,2005;RachelZabarkesFriedman,SenatorIsrael,NationalReviewOnline,
May25,2005.

139
EmadMekay,IraqWasInvadedtoProtectIsraelUSOfficial,AsiaTimesOnline,
March31,2004.ZelikowalsoservedwithRiceontheNationalSecurityCouncilwhen
GeorgeH.W.BushwasPresident,andcoauthoredabookwithheronGerman
reunification.HewasalsooneoftheprincipalauthorsofthesecondBush
Administrations2002NationalSecurityStrategy,whichisthemostcomprehensive
officialpresentationofthesocalledBushDoctrine.

140
JasonKeyser,IsraelUrgesU.S.toAttack,WashingtonPost,August16,2002.Alsosee
AlufBenn,PMUrgingU.S.NottoDelayStrikeagainstIraq,Haaretz,August16,2002;
Idem,PMAide:DelayinU.S.AttackLetsIraqSpeedUpArmsProgram,Haaretz,
August16,2002;ReuvenPedhatzur,IsraelsInterestintheWaronSaddam,Haaretz,
August4,2002;ZeevSchiff,IntotheRough,Haaretz,August16,2002.

141
GideonAlon,SharontoPanel:IraqisOurBiggestDanger,Haaretz,August13,
2002.AtaWhiteHousepressconferencewithPresidentBushonOctober16,2002,
66

Sharonsaid:Iwouldliketothankyou,Mr.President,forthefriendshipand
cooperation.AndasfarasIremember,aswelookbacktowardsmanyyearsnow,I
thinkthatweneverhadsuchrelationswithanyPresidentoftheUnitedStatesaswe
havewithyou,andweneverhadsuchcooperationineverythingaswehavewiththe
currentadministration.Foratranscriptofthepressconference,seePresidentBush
WelcomesPrimeMinisterSharontoWhiteHouse;QuestionandAnswerSessionwith
thePress,U.S.DepartmentofState,October16,2002.AlsoseeKaiser,Bushand
SharonNearlyIdenticalonMideastPolicy.

142
ShlomoBrom,AnIntelligenceFailure,StrategicAssessment(JaffeeCenterfor
StrategicStudies,TelAvivUniversity),Vol.6,No.3(November2003),p.9.Alsosee
IntelligenceAssessment:SelectionsfromtheMedia,19982003,inibid.,pp.1719;
GideonAlon,ReportSlamsAssessmentofDangersPosedbyLibya,Iraq,Haaretz,
March28,2004;DanBaron,IsraeliReportBlastsIntelligenceforExaggeratingtheIraqi
Threat,JTA,March28,2004;GregMyre,IsraeliReportFaultsIntelligenceonIraq,
NewYorkTimes,March28,2004;JamesRisen,StateofWar:TheSecretHistoryoftheCIA
andtheBushAdministration(NewYork:Simon&Schuster,2006),pp.7273.

143
MarcPerelman,IraqiMovePutsIsraelinLonelyU.S.Corner,Forward,September
20,2002.Thisarticlebegins,SaddamHusseinssurpriseacceptanceofunconditional
UnitedNationsweaponsinspectionsputIsraelonthehotseatthisweek,forcingitinto
theopenastheonlynationactivelysupportingtheBushadministrationsgoalofIraqi
regimechange.PeresbecamesofrustratedwiththeUNprocessinthefollowing
monthsthatinmidFebruary2003helashedoutattheFrenchbyquestioningFrances
statusasapermanentmemberoftheSecurityCouncil.PeresQuestionsFrance
PermanentStatusonSecurityCouncil,Haaretz,February20,2003.Onavisitto
MoscowinlateSeptember2002,SharonmadeitcleartoRussianPresidentPutin,who
wasleadingthechargefornewinspections,thatthetimewhentheseinspectorscould
havebeeneffectivehaspassed.HerbKeinon,SharontoPutin:TooLateforIraqArms
Inspection,JerusalemPost,October1,2002.

144
EhudBarak,TakingApartIraqsNuclearThreat,NewYorkTimes,September4,
2002.

145
BenjaminNetanyahu,TheCaseforTopplingSaddam,WallStreetJournal,
September20,2002.TheJerusalemPostwasparticularlyhawkishonIraq,frequently
runningeditorialsandopedspromotingthewar,andhardlyeverrunningpieces
againstit.RepresentativeeditorialsincludeNextStopBaghdad,JerusalemPost,
November15,2001;DontWaitforSaddam,JerusalemPost,August18,2002;Making
theCaseforWar,JerusalemPost,September9,2002.Forsomerepresentativeopeds,
seeRonDermer,TheMarchtoBaghdad,JerusalemPost,December21,2001;Efraim
67

Inbar,OustingSaddam,InstillingStability,JerusalemPost,October8,2002;GeraldM.
Steinberg,ImaginingtheLiberationofIraq,JerusalemPost,November18,2001.

146
AlufBenn,Background:EnthusiasticIDFAwaitsWarinIraq,Haaretz,February17,
2002.AlsoseeJamesBennet,IsraelSaysWaronIraqWouldBenefittheRegion,New
YorkTimes,February27,2003;ChemiShalev,JerusalemFretsAsU.S.BattlesIraqWar
Delays,Forward,March7,2003.

147
Indeed,aFebruary2003pollreportedthat77.5percentofIsraeliJewswantedthe
UnitedStatestoattackIraq.EphraimYaarandTamarHermann,PeaceIndex:Most
IsraelisSupporttheAttackonIraq,Haaretz,March6,2003.RegardingKuwait,a
publicopinionpollreleasedinMarch2003foundthat89.6percentofKuwaitisfavored
theimpendingwaragainstIraq.JamesMorrison,KuwaitisSupportWar,Washington
Times,March18,2003.

148
GideonLevy,ADeafeningSilence,Haaretz,October6,2002.

149
SeeDanIzenberg,ForeignMinistryWarnsIsraeliWarTalkFuelsUSAnti
Semitism,JerusalemPost,March10,2003,whichmakesclearthattheForeignMinistry
hasreceivedreportsfromtheUStellingIsraelistocooltheirjetsbecausetheUS
mediaisportrayingIsraelastryingtogoadtheadministrationintowar.Thereisalso
evidencethatIsraelitselfwasconcernedaboutbeingseenasdrivingAmericanpolicy
towardIraq.SeeBenn,PMUrgingU.S.NottoDelayStrike;Perelman,IraqMove
PutsIsraelinLonelyU.S.Corner.Finally,inlateSeptember2002,agroupofpolitical
consultantsknownastheIsraelProjecttoldproIsraelleadersintheUnitedStatesto
keepquietwhiletheBushadministrationpursesapossiblewarwithIraq.Dana
Milbank,GroupUrgesProIsraelLeadersSilenceonIraq,WashingtonPost,November
27,2002.

150
Theinfluenceoftheneoconservativesandtheiralliesisclearlyreflectedinthe
followingarticles:SeeJoelBeinin,ProIsraelHawksandtheSecondGulfWar,Middle
EastReportOnline,April6,2003;ElisabethBumillerandEricSchmitt,OntheJobandat
Home,InfluentialHawks30YearFriendshipEvolves,NewYorkTimes,September11,
2002;KathleenandWilliamChristison,ARosebyAnotherName:TheBush
AdministrationsDualLoyalties,CounterPunch,December13,2002;RobertDreyfuss,
ThePentagonMuzzlestheCIA,TheAmericanProspect,December16,2002;Michael
ElliottandJamesCarney,FirstStop,Iraq,Time,March31,2003;SeymourHersh,The
IraqHawks,NewYorker,Vol.77,issue41(December2431,2001),pp.5863;Glenn
Kessler,U.S.DecisiononIraqHasPuzzlingPast,WashingtonPost,January12,2003;
JoshuaM.Marshall,BombSaddam?WashingtonMonthly,June2002;DanaMilbank,
WhiteHousePushforIraqiStrikeIsonHold,WashingtonPost,August18,2002;Susan
68

Page,ShowdownwithSaddam:TheDecisiontoAct,USAToday,September11,2002;
SamTanenhaus,BushsBrainTrust,VanityFair,July2003.Notethatallthesearticles
arefrombeforethewarstarted.

151
SeeMortimerB.Zuckerman,NoTimeforEquivocation,U.S.News&WorldReport,
August26/September2,2002;Idem,ClearandCompellingProof,U.S.News&World
Report,February10,2003;Idem,TheHighPriceofWaiting,U.S.News&WorldReport,
March10,2003.

152
AnUnseemlySilence,Forward,May7,2004.AlsoseeGaryRosenblatt,Hussein
Asylum,JewishWeek,August23,2002;Idem,TheCaseforWaragainstSaddam,
JewishWeek,December13,2002.

153
JustbeforetheU.S.militaryinvadedIraq,CongressmanJamesP.Moran(DVa)
createdastirwhenhesaid,IfitwerenotforthestrongsupportoftheJewish
communityforthiswarwithIraq,wewouldnotbedoingthis.SpencerS.Hsu,Moran
SaidJewsArePushingWar,WashingtonPost,March11,2003.However,Moran
misspoke,becausetherewasnotwidespreadsupportforthewarintheJewish
community.Heshouldhavesaid,Ifitwerenotforthestrongsupportofthe
neoconservativesandtheleadershipoftheIsraelLobbyforthiswarwithIraq,wewould
notbedoingthis.

154
SamuelG.Freedman,DontBlameJewsforThisWar,USAToday,April2,2003.
AlsoseeOriNir,PollFindsJewishPoliticalGap,Forward,February4,2005.

155
Itisnoexaggerationtosaythatinthewakeof9/11,theneoconservativeswerenot
justdetermined,butwereobsessedwithremovingSaddamfrompower.Asonesenior
AdministrationfigureputitinJanuary,2003,Idobelievecertainpeoplehavegrown
theologicalaboutthis.Itsalmostareligionthatitwillbetheendofoursocietyifwe
donttakeactionnow.Kessler,U.S.DecisiononIraqHasPuzzlingPast.Kessleralso
describesColinPowellreturningfromWhiteHousemeetingsonIraq,rollinghiseyes
andsaying,Jeez,whatafixationaboutIraq.BobWoodwardreportsinPlanofAttack
(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,2004),p.410,thatKennethAdelmansaidhehad
worriedtodeathastimewentonandsupportseemedtowanethattherewouldbeno
war.Alsoseeibid.,pp.164165.

156
Thefirstletter(January26,1998)waswrittenundertheauspicesoftheProjectforthe
NewAmericanCenturyandcanbefoundonitswebsite.Thesecondletter(February
19,1998)waswrittenundertheauspicesoftheCommitteeforPeaceandSecurityinthe
GulfandcanbefoundontheIraqWatchwebsite.AlsoseetheMay29,1998letterto
SpeakeroftheHouseNewtGingrichandSenateMajorityLeaderTrentLottwritten
69

undertheauspicesoftheProjectfortheNewAmericanCenturyandfoundonits
website.Theneoconservatives,itshouldbeemphasized,advocatedinvadingIraqto
toppleSaddam.SeeTheEndofContainment,WeeklyStandard,December1,1997,pp.
1314;ZalmayM.KhalizadandPaulWolfowitz,OverthrowHim,inibid.,pp.1415;
FrederickW.Kagan,NotbyAirAlone,inibid.,pp.1516.

157
SeeClintonscommentsafterhesignedtheIraqLiberationActof1998.Statement
bythePresident,WhiteHousePressOffice,October31,1998.

158
Onemightthinkfromthepublicityandthecontroversysurroundingtwobooks
publishedin2004RichardClarkesAgainstAllEnemies:InsideAmericasWaronTerror
(NewYork:FreePress,2004)andRonSuskind,ThePriceofLoyalty:GeorgeW.Bush,the
WhiteHouse,andtheEducationofPaulONeill(NewYork:SimonandSchuster,2004)
thatBushandCheneywerebentoninvadingIraqwhentheyassumedofficeinlate
January2001.However,thisinterpretationiswrong.Theyweredeeplyinterestedin
topplingSaddam,justasBillClintonandAlGorehadbeen.Butthereisnoevidencein
thepublicrecordshowingthatBushandCheneywereseriouslycontemplatingwar
againstIraqbefore9/11.Infact,BushmadeitcleartoBobWoodwardthathewasnot
thinkingaboutgoingtowaragainstSaddambefore9/11.SeePlanofAttack,p.12.Also
seeNicholasLehmann,TheIraqFactor,NewYorker,Vol.76,issue43(January22,
2001),pp.3448;EricSchmittandStevenLeeMeyers,BushAdministrationWarnsIraq
onWeaponsPrograms,NewYorkTimes,January23,2001.AndCheneyhaddefended
thedecisionnottogotoBaghdadthroughoutthe1990sandduringthe2000campaign.
SeeTimothyNoah,DickCheney,Dove,Slate,October16,2002;CalmafterDesert
Storm,AnInterviewwithDickCheney,PolicyReview,No.65(Summer1993).Inshort,
eventhoughtheneoconservativesheldimportantpositionsintheBushAdministration,
theywereunabletogeneratemuchenthusiasmforattackingIraqbefore9/11.Thus,the
NewYorkTimesreportedinMarch2001thatsomeRepublicanswerecomplainingthat
RumsfeldandWolfowitzarefailingtoliveuptotheirpreelectionadvocacyof
steppingupeffortstooverthrowPresidentHussein.Atthesametime,aWashington
Timeseditorialasked,HaveHawksBecomeDoves?SeeJanePerlez,CapitolHawks
SeekTougherLineonIraq,NewYorkTimes,March7,2001;HaveHawksBecome
Doves?WashingtonTimes,March8,2001.

159
Woodward,PlanofAttack,pp.2526.WolfowitzwassoinsistentonconqueringIraq
thatfivedayslaterCheneyhadtotellhimtostopagitatingfortargetingSaddam.
Page,ShowdownwithSaddam.AccordingtooneRepublicanlawmaker,hewaslike
aparrotbringing[Iraq]upallthetime.ItwasgettingonthePresidentsnerves.Elliot
andCarney,FirstStop,Iraq.WoodwarddescribesWolfowitzaslikeadrumthat
wouldnotstop.PlanofAttack,p.22.

160
Woodward,PlanofAttack,pp.144.
70

161
RegardingtheneoconservativesinfluenceonCheney,seeElliottandCarney,First
Stop,Iraq;Page,ShowdownwithSaddam;MichaelHirsh,BernardLewis
Revisited,WashingtonMonthly,November2004,pp.1319;FrederickKempe,Lewiss
LiberationDoctrineforMideastFacesNewTests,WallStreetJournal,December13,
2005;CarlaAnneRobbinsandJeanneCummings,HowBushDecidedthatHussein
MustBeOustedfromAtopIraq,WallStreetJournal,June14,2002.OnCheneyscritical
roleinthedecisionmakingprocess,seeGlennKesslerandPeterSlevin,Cheneyis
FulcrumofForeignPolicy,WashingtonPost,October13,2002;BarbaraSlavinandSusan
Page,CheneyRewritesRolesinForeignPolicy,USAToday,July29,2002.

162
TheNewYorkTimesreportedshortlyafter9/11that,Somesenioradministration
officials,ledbyPaulD.WolfowitzandI.LewisLibbyarepressingfortheearliest
andbroadestmilitarycampaignagainstnotonlytheOsamabinLadennetworkin
Afghanistan,butalsoagainstothersuspectedterroristbasesinIraqandinLebanons
Bekkaregion.PatrickE.TylerandElaineSciolino,BushAdvisersSplitonScopeof
Retaliation,NewYorkTimes,September20,2001.AlsoseeWilliamSafire,PhonyWar
II,NewYorkTimes,November28,2002.WoodwardsuccinctlydescribesLibbys
influenceinPlanofAttack(pp.4849):Libbyhadthreeformaltitles.Hewaschiefof
stafftoVicePresidentCheney;hewasalsonationalsecurityadvisertothevice
president;andhewasfinallyanassistanttoPresidentBush.Itwasatrifectaofpositions
probablyneverheldbeforebyasingleperson.Scooterwasapowercenteruntohimself
.LibbywasoneofonlytwopeoplewhowerenotprincipalstoattendtheNational
SecurityCouncilmeetingswiththepresidentandtheseparateprincipalsmeetings
chairedbyRice.Alsoseeibid.,pp5051,288292,300301,409410;Bumillerand
Schmitt,OntheJobandatHome;KarenKwiatkowski,TheNewPentagonPapers,
Salon.com,March10,2004;PatrickE.TylerandElaineSciolino,BushAdvisersSpliton
ScopeofRetaliation,NewYorkTimes,September20,2001.OnLibbysrelationshipto
Israel,anarticleintheForwardreportsthatIsraeliofficialslikedLibby.Theydescribed
himasanimportantcontactwhowasaccessible,genuinelyinterestedinIsraelrelated
issuesandverysympathetictotheircause.OriNir,LibbyPlayedLeadingRoleon
ForeignPolicyDecisions,Forward,November4,2005.

163
ThisletterwaspublishedintheWeeklyStandard,October1,2001.
164
RobertKaganandWilliamKristol,TheRightWar,WeeklyStandard,October1,2001;
CharlesKrauthammer,OurFirstMove:TakeOuttheTaliban,WashingtonPost,
October1,2001.AlsoseeWarAims,WallStreetJournal,September20,2001.

165
EvenbeforethedusthadsettledattheWorldTradeCenter,proIsraelforceswere
makingthecasethatSaddamwasresponsiblefor9/11.SeeMichaelBarone,Warby
Ultimatum,U.S.NewsandWorldReport,October1,2001;BillGertz,IraqSuspectedof
SponsoringTerroristAttacks,WashingtonTimes,September21,2001;DrainthePond
71

ofTerror,JerusalemPosteditorial,September25,2001;WilliamSafire,TheUltimate
Enemy,NewYorkTimes,September24,2001.

166
SeeJamesBamford,APretexttoWar(NewYork:Doubleday,2004);chaps.1314;
Woodward,PlanofAttack,pp.288292,297306.Alsoseeibid.,pp.72,163,300301.

167
Woodward,PlanofAttack,p.290.

168
SeeBamford,PretexttoWar,pp.287291,307331;DavidS.Cloud,Prewar
IntelligenceInquiryZeroesInOnPentagon,WallStreetJournal,March11,2004;
SeymourM.Hersh,SelectiveIntelligence,NewYorker,Vol.79,issue11(May12,2003),
pp.4450;Kwiatkowski,NewPentagonPapers;JimLobe,PentagonOfficeHometo
NeoConNetwork,InterPressServiceNewsAgency,August7,2003;GregMiller,Spy
UnitSkirtedCIAonIraq,LosAngelesTimes,March10,2004;PaulR.Pillar,Intelligence,
Policy,andtheWarinIraq,ForeignAffairs,Vol.85,No.2(MarchApril2006),pp.1527;
JamesRisen,HowPairsFindingonTerrorLedtoClashonShapingIntelligence,New
YorkTimes,April28,2004;EricSchmittandThomShanker,ThreatsandResponses:A
C.I.A.Rival;PentagonSetsUpIntelligenceUnit.NewYorkTimesOctober24,2002.

169
TheOfficeofSpecialPlansreliedheavilyoninformationfromAhmedChalabiand
otherIraqiexilesandithadcloselinkswithvariousIsraelisources.Indeed,theGuardian
reportsthatitforgedclosetiestoaparallel,adhocintelligenceoperationinsideAriel
SharonsofficeinIsraelspecificallytobypassMossadandprovidetheBush
administrationwithmorealarmistreportsonSaddamsIraqthanMossadwasprepared
toauthorize.JulianBorger,TheSpiesWhoPushedforWar,Guardian,July17,2003.

170
See,forexample,DouglasJ.Feith,TheInnerLogicofIsraelsNegotiations:
WithdrawalProcess,NotPeaceProcess,MiddleEastQuarterly,March1996.Foruseful
discussionsofFeithsviews,seeJeffreyGoldberg,ALittleLearning:WhatDouglas
FeithKnewandWhenHeKnewIt,NewYorker,Vol.81,issue12(May9,2005),pp.36
41;JimLobe,LosingFeith,oristheBushTeamSheddingItsSharperEdges?TheDaily
Star,January31,2005;JamesJ.Zogby,ADangerousAppointment:ProfileofDouglas
Feith,UndersecretaryofDefenseunderBush,MiddleEastInformationCenter,April
18,2001;IsraeliSettlements:Legitimate,DemocraticallyMandated,VitaltoIsraels
Securityand,Therefore,inU.S.Interest,TheCenterforSecurityPolicy,TransitionBrief
No.96T130,December17,1996.Notethatthetitleofthelatterpiece,whichwas
publishedbyanorganizationintheLobby,saysthatwhatisinIsraelsinterestis
thereforeinAmericasnationalinterest.InLosingFeith,Lobewrites:In2003,when
Feith,whowasstandinginforRumsfeldataninteragencyPrincipalsMeetingonthe
MiddleEast,concludedhisremarksonbehalfofthePentagon,accordingtothe
Washingtoninsidernewsletter,TheNelsonReport,[NationalSecurityAdvisor
72

Condoleezza]Ricesaid,ThanksDoug,butwhenwewanttheIsraelipositionwell
invitetheambassador.

171
TheCleanBreakstudywaspreparedforTheInstituteforAdvancedStrategicand
PoliticalStudiesinJerusalemandpublishedinJune1996.Acopycanbefoundonthe
Instituteswebsite.

172
AkivaEldar,PerlesofWisdomfortheFeithful,Haaretz,October1,2002.

173
RallyUnitesAnguishedFactionsunderFlagofStandwithIsrael,Forward,April
19,2002;Forward50,Forward,November15,2002.

174
JohnMcCaslin,IsraeliTrainedCops,WashingtonTimes,November5,2002;Bret
Stephens,ManoftheYear,JerusalemPost(RoshHashanaSupplement),September26,
2003;JanineZacharia,InvasiveTreatment,inibid.OtherusefulpiecesonWolfowitz
includeMichaelDobbs,ForWolfowitz,AVisionMayBeRealized,WashingtonPost,
April7,2003;JamesFallows,TheUnilateralist,AtlanticMonthly,March2002,pp.26
29;BillKeller,TheSunshineWarrior,NewYorkTimesMagazine,September22,2002;
PaulWolfowitz,Velociraptor,Economist,February915,2002.

175
AccordingtoFeithsformerlawpartner,L.MarcZell,Chalabialsopromisedtore
buildthepipelinethatonceranfromHaifainIsraeltoMosulinIraq.SeeJohnDizard,
HowAhmedChalabiConnedtheNeocons,Salon.com,May4,2004.InmidJune2003,
BenjaminNetanyahuannouncedthat,ItwontbelongbeforeyouwillseeIraqioil
flowingtoHaifa.Reuters,NetanyahuSaysIraqIsraelOilLineNotPipeDream,
Haaretz,June20,2003.Ofcourse,thisdidnothappenanditisunlikelytohappeninthe
foreseeablefuture.

176
MatthewE.Berger,NewChancestoBuildIsraelIraqTies,JewishJournal,April28,
2003.AlsoseeBamford,PretexttoWar,p.293;EdBlanche,SecuringIraqiOilforIsrael:
ThePlotThickens,Lebanonwire.com,April25,2003.NathanGuttmanreportsthatthe
AmericanJewishcommunityandtheIraqioppositionhadforyearstakenpainsto
concealthelinksbetweenthem.MutualWariness:AIPACandtheIraqiOpposition,
Haaretz,April8,2003.

177
Nir,FBIProbe.Ontheeveofthewar,BillKeller,whoisnowtheexecutiveeditorof
theNewYorkTimes,wrote:TheideathatthiswarisaboutIsraelispersistentandmore
widelyheldthanyouthink.Keller,IsItGoodfortheJews?NewYorkTimes,March8,
2003.

178
Inanopedwritteninmid2004,HollingsaskedwhytheBushAdministration
invadedIraqwhenitwasnotadirectthreattotheUnitedStates.Theanswer,which
73

hesayseveryoneknows,isbecausewewanttosecureourfriendIsrael.Senator
ErnestF.Hollings,BushsFailedMideastPolicyIsCreatingMoreTerrorism,
CharlestonPostandCourier,May6,2004;Sen.HollingsFloorStatement.Not
surprisingly,HollingswascalledanantiSemite,achargehefuriouslyrejected.Matthew
E.Berger,NotSoGentleRhetoricfromtheGentlemanfromSouthCarolina,JTA,May
23,2004;Sen.HollingsFloorStatement;SenatorLautenbergsFloorStatementin
SupportofSenatorHollings,June3,2004,acopyofwhichcanbefoundonHollings
website.OnMoran,seenote151.AhandfulofotherpublicfigureslikePatrick
Buchanan,MaureenDowd,GeorgieAnneGeyer,GaryHart,ChrisMatthews,and
GeneralAnthonyZinni,haveeithersaidorstronglyhintedthatproIsraelforcesinthe
UnitedStatesweretheprinciplemoversbehindtheIraqwar.SeeAlufBenn,Scapegoat
forIsrael,Haaretz,May13,2004;MatthewBerger,WillSomeJewsBackingforWarin
IraqHaveRepercussionsforAll?JTA,June10,2004;PatrickJ.Buchanan,Whose
War?AmericanConservative,March24,2003;AmiEden,IsraelsRole:TheElephant
TheyreTalkingAbout,Forward,February28,2003;TheGroundShifts,Forward,May
28,2004;NathanGuttman,ProminentU.S.Jews,IsraelBlamedforStartofIraqWar,
Haaretz,May31,2004;LawrenceF.Kaplan,ToxicTalkonWar,WashingtonPost,
February18,2003;E.J.Kessler,GaryHartSaysDualLoyaltyBarbWasNotAimedat
Jews,Forward,February21,2003;OriNirandAmiEden,ExMideastEnvoyZinni
ChargesNeoconsPushedIraqWartoBenefitIsrael,Forward,May28,2004.

179
MichaelKinsley,WhatBushIsntSayingaboutIraq,Slate,October24,2002.Also
seeidem,JAccuse.

180
RobertS.GreenbergerandKarbyLeggett,PresidentsDream:ChangingNotJust
RegimebutaRegion:AProU.S.,DemocraticAreaisaGoalthatHasIsraeliandNeo
ConservativeRoots,WallStreetJournal,March21,2003.AlsoseeGeorgePacker,
DreamingofDemocracy,NewYorkTimesMagazine,March2,2003.Althoughnotall
neoconservativesareJewish,mostofthefounderswereandvirtuallyallwerestrong
supportersofIsrael.AccordingtoGalBeckermanintheForward,Ifthereisan
intellectualmovementinAmericatowhoseinventionJewscanlaysoleclaim,
neoconservatismisit.SeeTheNeoconservativePersuasion,Forward,January6,2006.

181
See,forexample,RebuildingAmericasDefenses:Strategy,ForcesandResourcesforaNew
Century,AReportfortheNewAmericanCentury,September2000,p.14.

182
MartinIndyk,TheClintonAdministrationsApproachtotheMiddleEast,Speech
toSorefSymposium,WashingtonInstituteforNearEastPolicy,May18,1993.Alsosee
AnthonyLake,ConfrontingBacklashStates,ForeignAffairs,Vol.73.No.2
(March/April1994),pp.4553.

74

183
BarbaraConry,AmericasMisguidedPolicyofDualContainmentinthePersian
Gulf,ForeignPolicyBriefingNo.33,CATOInstitute,November10,1994;GregoryF.
GauseIII,TheIllogicofDualContainment,ForeignAffairs,Vol.73.No.2(March/April
1994),pp.5666;ZbigniewBrzezinskiandBrentScowcroft,DifferentiatedContainment:
U.S.PolicyTowardIranandIraq,ReportofanIndependentStudyGrouponGulfStability
andSecurity,CouncilonForeignRelations,NewYork,1997.

184
BrzezinskiandScowcroft,DifferentiatedContainment,p.6.

185
BrzezinskiandScowcroft,DifferentiatedContainment,p.130.

186
Forexample,theJerusalemPostnotedinaneditorial(September9,2002)that
accordingtoMiddleEastexpertBernardLewis,apostSaddamIraqisonethatwould
bemorelikelytomakepeacewithIsrael,defangArabradicalism,andperhapseven
catalyzerevolutionaryforcesinpresentdayIran.Similarly,MichaelLedeenwroteon
August6,2002intheNationalReviewOnline(ScowcroftStrikesOut)that,Ifeverthere
wasaregionthatrichlydeservedbeingcauldronized,itistheMiddleEasttoday.Ifwe
wagethewareffectively,wewillbringdowntheterrorregimesinIraq,Iran,andSyria,
andeitherbringdowntheSaudimonarchyorforceittoabandonitsglobalassembly
linetoindoctrinateyoungterrorists.OnAugust19,JoshuaMuravchikarguedinthe
NewYorkTimes(DemocracysQuietVictory)that,Changetowarddemocratic
regimesinTehranandBaghdadwouldunleashatsunamiacrosstheIslamicworld.
AlsoseeMarinaOttawayetal.,DemocraticMirageintheMiddleEast,PolicyBrief#20
(Washington,D.C:CarnegieEndowmentforInternationalPeace,October2002).

187
CharlesKrauthammer,PeacethroughDemocracy,WashingtonPost,June28,2002.

188
Benn,Background.Also,theNewYorkTimesreportedthatHalevygaveaspeechin
MunichinFebruary2003inwhichhesaid,Theshockwavesemergingfrompost
SaddamBaghdadcouldhavewiderangingeffectsinTehran,Damascus,andin
Ramallah.TheTimesarticlewentontosaythatIsraelishopingthatonceSaddam
Husseinisdispensedwith,thedominoeswillstarttotumble.Accordingtothishope
moderatesandreformersthroughouttheregionwouldbeencouragedtoputnew
pressureontheirowngovernments,notexceptingthePalestinianAuthorityofYasir
Arafat.Bennet,IsraelSaysWaronIraqWouldBenefittheRegion.Thissametheme
isreflectedinaForwardarticlefromearlyMarch2003,whichsaidthatIsraelstop
political,militaryandeconomicechelonshavecometoregardtheloomingwarasa
virtualdeusexmachinathatwillturnthepoliticalandeconomictablesandextricateIsrael
fromitscurrentmorass.Shalev,JerusalemFrets.Finally,thislineofthinkingwas
apparentinformerPrimeMinisterEhudBarakspreviouslydiscussedSeptember4,
2002,opedintheNewYorkTimes.BarakmaintainedthatputtinganendtoSaddam
HusseinsregimewillchangethegeopoliticallandscapeoftheArabworld.Heclaimed
75

thatAnArabworldwithoutSaddamHusseinwouldenablemanyfromthisgeneration
[leadersabouttocomeintopower]toembracethegradualdemocraticopeningthat
someofthePersianGulfstatesandJordanhavebeguntoenjoy.Barakalsomaintained
thattopplingSaddamwouldcreateanopeningforforwardmovementontheIsraeli
Palestinianconflict.

189
SeeSeymourM.Hersh,TheSyrianBet,NewYorker,Vol.79,issue20(July28,2003),
pp.3236;MollyMoore,SharonAsksU.S.toPressureSyriaonMilitants,Washington
Post,April17,2003;OriNir,JerusalemUrgesBush:NextTargetHezbollah,Forward,
April11,2003;Idem,SharonAideMakestheCaseforU.S.ActionagainstSyria,
Forward,April18,2003;MarcPerelman,BehindWarningstoDamascus:Reassessment
ofYoungerAssad,Forward,April18,2004;DanielSobelmanandNathanGuttman,
PMUrgesU.S.toKeepHeatonSyria,CallsAssadDangerous,Haaretz,April15,
2003.

190
Moore,SharonAsksU.S.

191
Nir,SharonAide.AlsoseeKarenDeYoung,U.S.ToughensWarningstoSyriaon
Iraq,OtherIssues,WashingtonPost,April15,2003.

192
Nir,SharonAide.AlsoseePerelman,BehindWarnings.Intheireffortsto
demonizeSyriaandbaittheUnitedStatesintoattackingit,Israelishavesaidthat
DamascuswasharboringhighlevelIraqisfromSaddamsregime,andevenworse,
hidingIraqsWMD.Perelman,BehindWarnings;LaurieCopans,IsraeliMilitary
BossClaimsIraqHadChemicalWeapons,AssociatedPressnewsrelease,April26,2004;
IraStoll,SaddamsWMDMovedtoSyria,AnIsraeliSays,NewYorkSun,December
15,2005;Idem,IraqsWMDSecretedinSyria,SadaSays,NewYorkSun,January26,
2006.InAugust2003,whenasuicidetruckbomberblewupUNheadquartersin
Baghdad,IsraelsambassadortotheUNcausedadiplomaticspatbysuggestingthat
Syriahadprovidedthetruck,therebyimplyingthatSyriawaspartlyresponsible.
MichaelCasey,IsraeliAmbassadorBelievesTruckUsedinU.N.BombingCamefrom
Syria,AssociatedPressnewsrelease,August21,2003;IsraeliEnvoyLinksSyriatoUN
Blast,StirsFlap,Reutersnewsrelease,August21,2003.ItmarRabinowich,theformer
IsraeliambassadortotheUnitedStates,toldSeymourHershthathewondered
whether,giventhequalityoftheirsources,theSyrianshadhadadvanceinformation
abouttheSeptember11
th
plotandfailedtowarntheUnitedStates.Hersh,The
SyrianBet.Therewaslittleevidencetosupportthesecharges,butIsraelswillingness
tomakethemshowshoweagertheyweretogettheUnitedStatesembroiledwithyet
anotherArabregime.

76

193
SyriahadbeenintheLobbysgunsightswellbefore9/11.Infact,Syria,notIraq,was
themaintargetintheCleanBreakstudythatFeith,Perle,andWurmserwrotefor
Netanyahuin1996.AndDanielPipesandZiadAbdelnour,theheadoftheU.S.
CommitteeforaFreeLebanon(USCFL),hadcoauthoreda2000reportcallingforthe
UnitedStatestousemilitarythreatstoforceSyriatoremoveitstroopsfromLebanon,
getridofanyWMDitmighthave,andstopsupportingterrorism.(EndingSyrias
OccupationofLebanon:TheU.S.Role,ReportoftheMiddleEastStudyGroup,Middle
EastForum,May2000.)TheUCSFLisaclosecousinoftheLobby,anditincludes
numerousneoconservatives(Abrams,Feith,Ledeen,Perle,andWurmser)amongits
officialcoresupporters.JordanGreen,NeoconsDreamofLebanon,ZNet,July23,
2003;DavidR.Sands,HawksRecycleArgumentsforIraqWaragainstSyria,
WashingtonTimes,April16,2003.ExceptforLedeen,theyallsignedthe2000report,as
didproIsraelCongressmanEliotEngel(DNY),anothercoresupporterofUCSFL.

194
NathanGuttman,SomeSeniorU.S.FiguresSaySyriaHasCrossedtheRedLine,
Haaretz,Aril14,2004;MichaelFlynn,TheWarHawks:TheRightFlexesMusclewith
NewU.S.Agenda,ChicagoTribune,April13,2003.InadditiontoPerleandWolfowitz,
JohnBoltonpushedhardfrominsidetheAdministrationforregimechangeinSyria.He
hadtoldIsraelileadersamonthbeforetheIraqwarthattheBushAdministrationwould
dealwithSyria,aswellasIranandNorthKorea,rightafterSaddamfellfrompower.
Flynn,TheRightFlexesMuscle.Inpursuitofthatgoal,Boltonreportedlypreparedto
tellCongressinmidJulythatSyriasWMDprogramshadreachedthepointwherethey
wereaseriousthreattostabilityintheMiddleEastandhadtobedealtwithsooner
ratherthanlater.However,theCIAandothergovernmentagenciesobjected,claiming
thatBoltonsanalysisgreatlyinflatedtheSyrianthreat.Consequently,the
AdministrationdidnotallowBoltontogivehistestimonyonSyriaatthattime.Douglas
Jehl,NewWarningWasPutOffonWeaponsSyriaPlans,NewYorkTimes,July18,
2003;MarcPerelman,StateDepartmentHawkunderFireinIntelligenceFlapover
Syria,Forward,July25,2003;WarrenP.StrobelandJonathanS.Landay,Intelligence
DataonSyriaNowDisputed,PhiladelphiaInquirer,July17,2003.YetBoltonwasnot
putoffforlong.HeappearedbeforeCongressinSeptember2003anddescribedSyriaas
agrowingthreattoU.S.interestsintheMiddleEast.NathanGuttman,US:Syria
SupportingTerror,DevelopingWeaponsofMassDestruction,Haaretz,September16
2003.

195
QuotedinRobinWright,U.S.InsistsSyriaAlterItsCourse,LosAngelesTimes,April
14,2003.AlsoseeMartinIndyksandDennisRossstoughmindedrhetoricaboutSyria
inHersh,TheSyrianBet.

196
LawrenceF.Kaplan,WhiteLie,NewRepublic,April21&28,2003.AlsoseeWilliam
KristolandLawrenceF.Kaplan,TheWaroverIraq:SaddamsTyrannyadAmericasMission
(NewYork:EncounterBooks,2003).
77

197
DeYoung,U.S.ToughensStance.TherewasastoryinHaaretz(NYCongressman
SaysWillPushBilltoPressureSyria)onAugust19,2003,whichreportedthatEngel
hadjustmetwithSharoninhisJerusalemOfficefor90minutesandtheIsraelileader
hadendorsedEngelseffortstopushtheSyriaAccountabilityAct.Regardingthe
specificsofthatlegislation,seeZviBarel,DecipheringtheSyrians,Haaretz,July9,
2003;TheReturnoftheSyriaAccountabilityAct,NewsMax.com,April19,2003;Claude
Salhani,TheSyriaAccountabilityAct:TakingtheWrongRoadtoDamascus,Policy
Analysis,No.512,CATOInstitute,March18,2004.Notsurprisingly,RichardPerlecalled
onCongresstopasstheSyriaAccountabilityActshortlyafterEngelreintroducedthe
legislation.Sands,HawksRecycleArguments.

198
RonKampeas,Bush,OnceReluctantonSanctions,PreparestoTakeaToughLine
withSyria,JTA,March16,2004.

199
Salhani,TheSyriaAccountabilityAct,p.5.

200
JulianBorger,BushVetoesSyriaWarPlan,Guardian,April15,2003;Kampeas,
Bush,OnceReluctant.

201
SeeHersh,TheSyrianBet.OtherpiecesdiscussingtheadvantagesfortheUnited
statesofcooperatingwithSyriaincludeSpencerAckerman,RoughTrade,New
Repulic,January13,2003;SusanTaylorMartin,ExpertsDisagreeonDangersofSyria,
St.PetersburgTimes,November3,2002;Salhani,TheSyriaAccountabilityAct;Stephen
Zunes,BushHasClearRunatSyria,AsiaTimesOnline,March2,2005.

202
TwoarticlesthatappearedintheForwardafterBaghdadfelldescribethedriving
forcesbehindthenewU.S.policytowardSyria.InapieceinmidApril,theauthor
noted:AsuddenflurryofU.S.warningstoSyriainrecentdaysindicatesthat
WashingtonhasundertakenwhatIsraelanditssupportersherehavebeenurgingfor
months:acomprehensivereassessmentofSyrianrulerBasharAssad.Perelman,
BehindWarnings.AfewmonthslaterinmidJuly,anotherauthornoted:Duringthe
pastseveralmonths,topIsraeliofficialshavewarnedtheirAmericancounterpartsand
audiencesaboutAssadsunreliability.Americanofficialshaveechoedthestanceand
pressreportshavespeculatedaboutpossibleAmericanmilitaryinterventioninSyria.
MarcPerelman,SyriaMakesOvertureoverNegotiations,Forward,July11,2003.

203
QuotedinAlanSipress,IsraelEmphasizesIranianThreat,WashingtonPost,
February7,2002.Thisarticle,whichwaswrittenasSharonwasarrivinginWashington,
makesclearthatTelAvivwasredoublingitseffortstowarntheBushadministration
thatIranposesagreaterthreatthantheIraqiregimeofSaddamHussein.Alsosee
SeymourHersh,TheIranGame,NewYorker,Vol.77,issue38(December3,2001),pp.
78

4249;PeterHirschberg,Background/PeresRaisesIranianThreat,Haaretz,February5,
2002;DavidHirst,IsraelThrustsIraninLineofUSFire,Guardian,February2,2002;
IsraelOnceAgainSeesIranasACauseforConcern,Haaretz,May7,2001.

204
StephenFarrell,RobertThomson,andDanielleHaas,AttackIrantheDayIraqWar
Ends,DemandsIsrael,TheTimes(London),September5,2002;StephenFarrelland
RobertThomson,TheTimesInterviewwithArielSharon,inibid.

205
AmbassadortoU.S.CallsforRegimeChangeinIran,Syria,Haaretz,April28,
2003.TendayslatertheNewYorkTimesreportedthattheWashingtonwasgrowing
increasinglyconcernedaboutIransnuclearambitions,andthatthereisalotof
hammeringfromtheIsraelisforustotakethispositionseriously.StevenR.Weisman,
NewU.S.ConcernsonIransPursuitofNuclearArms,NewYorkTimes,May8,2003.
ShimonPeresthenpublishedanopedintheWallStreetJournalonJune25entitled,We
MustUnitetoPreventanAyatollahNuke.HisdescriptionoftheIranianthreat
soundedjustlikehisearlierdescriptionofthethreatfromSaddam,evenincludinga
ritualreferencetothelessonsofappeasementinthe1930s.Iran,heemphasized,must
betoldinnouncertaintermsthattheUnitedStatesandIsraelwillnottolerateitgoing
nuclear.

206
InlateMay2003,InterPressServicereportedthat,Theneoconseffortstonowfocus
USattentiononregimechangeinIranhasbecomemuchmoreintensesinceearlyMay
andalreadyhasbornesubstantialfruit.JimLobe,U.S.NeoConsMoveQuicklyon
Iran,InterPressService,May28,2003.InearlyJune,theForwardreportedthat,
Neoconservativesinsideandoutsidetheadministrationhavebeenurginganactive
efforttopromoteregimechangeinTehran.Reportsofpossiblecovertactionshave
surfacedinrecentweeks.MarcPerelman,PentagonTeamonIranComesunderFire,
Forward,June6,2003.Alsoseeidem,WhiteHouseIsAimingtoRaiseIranianNukesat
U.N.SecurityCouncil,Forward,May9,2003;Idem,NewFrontSetsSightsonToppling
IranRegime,Forward,May16,2003.Finally,theLobbyhasestablishedcloserelations
withRezaPahlavi,thesonofthelateShahofIran.Heisevenreportedtohavehad
meetingswithNetanyahuandSharon.ThisrelationshipissimilartotheLobbys
relationshipwithAhmedChalabi.Specifically,proIsraelforcespromotePahlavi,andin
return,hemakesclearthatifhecomestopowerinIran,itwillhavegoodrelationswith
Israel.ConnieBruck,Exiles:HowIransExpatriatesAreGamingtheNuclearThreat,
NewYorker,Vol.82,issue2(March6,2006),pp.4863;Perelman,NewFront.

207
Theflyeradvertisingtheconference,whichwasentitledTheFutureofIran:
Mullahcracy,DemocracyandtheWaronTerror,canbefoundatanumberofsiteson
theweb.AlsoseeGreen,NeoconsDreamofLebanon;Lobe,U.S.NeoConsMove
Quickly.

79

208
WilliamKristol,TheEndoftheBeginning,WeeklyStandard,February12,2003.
OtherswritingarticlesatthetimeincludeDanielPipesandPatrickClawson,whowrote
apieceonMay20fortheJerusalemPostentitledTurnupthePressureonIran.They
calledfortheBushAdministrationtosupporttheMujahedeeneKhalq,aterrorist
organizationbasedinIraqthatwasbentonoverthrowingtheayatollahsrunningIran.
LawrenceKaplanarguedintheNewRepublic(Iranamok)onJune9thattheUSneeded
togettougherwithIranoveritsnuclearprograms,whichhefearedwerefurtheralong
thanmostAmericanpolicymakersrecognized.MichaelLedeen,oneoftheleading
hawksonIran,wroteintheNationalReviewOnline(TheOthers)onApril4:Thereis
nomoretimefordiplomaticsolutions.Wewillhavetodealwiththeterrormasters,
hereandnow.Iran,atleast,offersusthepossibilityofamemorablevictory,becausethe
Iranianpeopleopenlyloaththeregime,andwillenthusiasticallycombatit,ifonlythe
UnitedStatessupportsthemintheirjuststruggle.

209
ForevidenceoftheLobbysintensifiedeffortstogettheBushAdministrationtodeal
withtheIraniannuclearproblem,seeStewartAin,IsraelUrgingU.S.toStopIran
Nukes,JewishWeek,October7,2005;EfraimInbar,TheImperativestoUseForce
againstIranianNuclearization,BESACenter[BarIlanUniversity,Israel]Perspectives,
Number12,December1,2005;MartinS.Indyk,IransBlusterIsntABluff,LosAngeles
Times,November1,2005;RonKampeas,WithTimeShortonIranNukes,AIPAC
CriticizesBushApproach,JTA,December2,2005;CharlesKrauthammer,InIran,
ArmingforArmageddon,WashingtonPost,December16,2005;DafnaLinzer,Pro
IsraelGroupCriticizesWhiteHousePolicyonIran,WashingtonPost,December25,
2005;OriNir,NewSanctionBillLosesMomentumasAdministrationPresses
Diplomacy,Forward,June10,2005;Idem,JewishGroupsPushforIranSanctions,
Forward,September23,2005;Idem,IsraeliAidesWarnU.S.NottoDropBallonIran,
Forward,December9,2005;MichaelRubinetal.,WarFooting:10StepsAmericaMust
TaketoPrevailintheWarfortheFreeWorld,AmericanEnterpriseInstitute,
November30,2005;RowanScarborough,IsraelPushesU.S.onIranNukeSolution,
WashingtonTimes,February21,2005.

210
Someneoconservativesevenwelcomethisoutcome.Forexample,RobertKaganand
WilliamKristolwroteintheaftermathof9/11that,Afghanistanwillprovebutan
openingbattle.thiswarwillnotendinAfghanistan.Itisgoingtospreadandengulf
anumberofcountriesinconflictsofvaryingintensity.Itcouldwellrequiretheuseof
Americanmilitarypowerinmultipleplacessimultaneously.Itisgoingtoresemblethe
clashofcivilizationsthateveryonehashopedtoavoid.TheGatheringStorm,Weekly
Standard,October29,2002.AlsoseeEliotA.Cohen,WorldWarIV,WallStreetJournal,
November20,2001;PhilMcCombs,TheFireThisTime,WashingtonPost,April13,
2003;NormanPodhoretz,HowtoWinWorldWarIV,Commentary,February2002;
Idem,WorldWarIV:HowItStarted,WhatItMeans,andWhyWeHavetoWin,
80

Commentary,September2004;BrianWhitaker,PlayingSkittleswithSaddam,Guardian,
September3,2002.

211
RonKampeas,AfterRestructuring,AIPACPlanstoFocusonWiderRangeof
Issues,JTA,September26,2005.
81