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Last update - 11:31 24/08/2007
Walt-Mearsheimer and the war over the Israel Lobby, round two
The Walt-Mearsheimer book on the Israel Lobby, to be published next week, is as distorted and skewed as the article they published last year on this topic. This time, though, their twisted argument will be met with a preemptive strike

Preemptive strike

Even if the United States had "five CIA's" it would not be able to get the high-quality information it received from Israel. That's what General George Keegan, a retired U.S. Air Force intelligence chief, said in 1986. "The ability of the U.S. Air Force in particular, and the army in general, to defend whatever position it has in NATO owes more to the Israeli intelligence input than it does to any single source of intelligence," he said.

This is a winning quote, dropped into the battle that will shortly break out once more over the nature of the strategic relationship between Israel and the United States. That comment and many similar ones appear in a new position paper published by Dore Gold, the former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations and political adviser to then Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who now heads the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs.

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Gold recently hired the services of American public relations firm Shirley and Bannister to market his wares in Washington. He will be visiting the United States next week to talk about his paper. Think of it as a preemptive strike ahead of the publication of the controversial book "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy," by two political science professors, Stephen M. Walt and John J. Mearsheimer.

And Gold will not be alone. September 4th will see the American release of a book by Anti-Defamation League national director Abe Foxman called "The Deadliest Lies: The Israel Lobby and the Myth of Jewish Control." In his book, Foxman warns of the possible consequences of such theories of Jewish influence which he calls "old anti-Semitic canard" in respectable disguise. Foxman succeeded in getting former U.S. secretary of state George Shultz to write an introduction to the book:

"The United States supports Israel, not because of favoritism based on political pressure or influence, but because both political parties and virtually all our national leaders agree with the American people's view that supporting Israel is politically sound and morally just," Shultz wrote. "Scholars at great universities should be ashamed to promulgate it."

Walt and Mearsheimer - who are said to have received more than $700,000 as an advance for their book from respected publishing company Farrar, Straus & Giroux - do indeed work at highly esteemed universities. Mearsheimer teaches at the University of Chicago and Walt is at Harvard, proving once again that an academic seal of approval is no guarantee of wisdom.

Scandalous article

The two authors have been here before. Their Israel lobby argument won a lot of exposure last year, when they published what they called a "study" in the London Review of Books.

Walt and Mearsheimer's basic argument is simple: The U.S. lobby that supports Israel - a Jewish lobby as well as an evangelical Christian one - is very powerful and is charting a foreign policy for the United States that is favorable to Israel, but is not in America's interests.

Former administration officials, experts and columnists have poked numerous holes in this dubious article, but all the same, the identity of the authors, who come from the heart of the academic establishment, has left readers of the article in shock. Much has been written about the authors' motives. U.S. State Department counselor Eliot Cohen didn't hesitate to say that the article was anti-Semitic, pure and simple. Others were more forgiving, saying that Walt and Mearsheimer were venting their frustration at having no one heed them.

There were some who hoped that the book would redress some of the distortions, but the chapters I have read indicate that this didn't happen.

Silenced Professors

It's hard to predict how well "The Israel Lobby" will do. Gabriel Schoenfeld, a senior editor at the conservative Jewish magazine Commentary, said "there is reason to think that the Walt-Mearsheimer phenomenon has already peaked," since the book doesn't go much beyond the original article, which has already made its mark. But others are less optimistic. The professors have managed to get a new wave of articles about being silenced, as they put it.

The Forward, a Jewish American liberal newspaper that cannot be accused of excessive support for the organized Jewish establishment, is publishing an editorial today that succinctly describes the tactics of the two on their way to cashing in on the book.

"The trick follows a typical pattern," writes The Forward. "Step one: Publish your views in as provocative a manner as possible? Step two: Dare the Jewish community to lash out at you, then whine about being victimized by bullies. Step three: Implore fair-minded liberals to line up behind you, forcing them to choose between endorsing your vision - however skewed - or becoming part of the censorship juggernaut."

Public opinion

Walt and Mearsheimer's view has not yet trickled down to public opinion. Opinion polls show the Israeli position to be as stable as ever, and the administration and Congress are no less friendly than before. Only a week has passed since a new, generous, 10-year aid agreement was signed.

Former U.S. president Ronald Reagan, as Gold notes in his position paper, was the first to refer to Israel as a "strategic asset." Reagan was a popular president whose legacy even Democrats are happy to rely on occasionally, in recognition of the value of his stock in the
political market. In addition, the introduction to Foxman's book that was written by Shultz, Reagan's secretary of state, is particularly important. That's because if there is anything that is worth doing better than it was done in the previous round of the war over the good name and position of the Israel lobby, this is it: It is appropriate that the Jews themselves are not the only ones to fight the battle.

This blog is the shortened version (1000 words) of my weekend print edition column which you can read it in full (2200 words) here.

More on this topic:

Dore Gold: Understanding the U.S.-Israel Alliance: An Israeli Response to the Walt-Mearsheimer Claim
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt: The Israel Lobby
Forward editorial: The wrong guys
NYT: Backlash Over Book on Policy for Israel

Previous Rosner's Domain blogs on this topic:

March 2006: Exclusive!!! The secret weapon of the pro-Israeli lobby
April 2006: The Walt-Mearsheimer study and the Haaretz factor
June 2006: The unappreciated love of Walt and Mearsheimer
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Beefed up
'A recipe for the tastiest roasted meat you've ever had in your life.'
Hope for a new year
The year's cyclical structure is intended to prevent us from getting into a rut.
  1.   Wooden stakes aren`t what they used to be 09:32  |  Clickfool 24/08/07
  2.   Rosner`s cites 10:53  |  Roderick Bibatus 24/08/07
  3.   95% of Israeli intelligence is hasbara and lies 11:57  |  American living here 24/08/07
  4.   Clickfool versus Benny Morris on Mearsheimer and Walt 12:15  |  See It Now 24/08/07
  5.   Rossner is so unbelievable easy to see through 12:19  |  Mark B. 24/08/07
  6.   For "See It Now" # 4 12:32  |  Clickfool 24/08/07
  7.   Israel "intelligence" is not madly credible, as 12:37  |  Julien 24/08/07
  8.   Israeli intelligence is a tool for Israel only 12:42  |  Natallie Durson 24/08/07
  9.   Clickfool 13:32  |  See It Now 24/08/07
  10.   Why is are the conservative lobbies so scared? 14:06  |  Mr. T 24/08/07
  11.   Rosner` who are these readers? 14:11  |  Olivia 24/08/07
  12.   ISRAEL LOBBY IN US = COMMUNIST PARTY IN CHINA 14:18  |  indrajaya 24/08/07
  13.   benny morris 14:19  |  yoram 24/08/07
  14.   Eliot Cohen on W-M 14:21  |  Debby 24/08/07
  15.   Study Decrying "Israel Lobby" Marred by Numerous Errors 14:26  |  Miriam 24/08/07
  16.   Seymour Hersh on Israel-Iraq 14:28  |  miriam 24/08/07
  17.   Haaretz cited almost ninety times in their footnotes 14:32  |  Have no shame? 24/08/07
  18.   Frances secrect service are the best by Julian 14:34  |  joe 24/08/07
  19.   Benny Morris in TNR 14:34  |  Miriam 24/08/07
  20.   The Trush and Proud of It 14:35  |  Larry 24/08/07
  21.   American Thinker on W-M 14:36  |  Miriam 24/08/07
  22.   David Gergen on W-M 14:39  |  Miriam 24/08/07
  23.   For Olivia # 9 14:39  |  Clickfool 24/08/07
  24.   Wrtiers that developed a podium 14:40  |  Larry 24/08/07
  25.   American living here 14:43  |  Larry 24/08/07
  26.   The Stupidest Person 14:48  |  Larry 24/08/07
  27.   Mark of Amsterdam 14:53  |  Larry 24/08/07
  28.   Mark of Amsterdam Part 2 14:57  |  Larry 24/08/07
  29.   Rosner 14:57  |  Reuben 24/08/07
  30.   Don`t miss this - from Rosner 14:59  |  Terry 24/08/07
  31.   the lobby is dead 15:03  |  anti-Rosner 24/08/07
  32.   More morris 15:21  |  miriam 24/08/07
  33.   A reality check for all 15:22  |  Abner Shnuzel 24/08/07
  34.   And more 15:22  |  miriam 24/08/07
  35.   and one last quote 15:24  |  miriam 24/08/07
  36.   Clickfool and his double standards (second attempt, of course) 15:27  |  Nik Miller 24/08/07
  37.   Jewish control of Congress, Banking and all Media 15:35  |  The Equalizer 24/08/07
  38.   Response to Larry from Toronto 1 15:36  |  Mark B. 24/08/07
  39.   Response to larry from Toronto 2 15:40  |  Mark b. 24/08/07
  40.   a reality check for shnuzel 15:46  |  Jerry 24/08/07
  41.   #14 but they don`t cite Rosner 15:50  |  Howie 24/08/07
  42.   AIPAC - stay strong 15:53  |  Noam 24/08/07
  43.   Poor deluded miriam 15:55  |  Not Miriam 24/08/07
  44.   Kennedy to Golda 15:55  |  Gil 24/08/07
  45.   AIPAC-Likud & republican Neocons, not American jewws & Israel 15:56  |  steve 24/08/07
  46.   ?consistently and directly? 15:56  |  Gil 24/08/07
  47.   Israel has always insisted on defending itself 15:57  |  Gil 24/08/07
  48.   al-Qaeda was born in 1989 15:59  |  Gil 24/08/07
  49.   Council on American-Islamic Relations 16:00  |  Gil 24/08/07
  50.   Why Iraq? 16:03  |  Victor 24/08/07
  51.   # Steve 16:07  |  Susan 24/08/07
  52.   Rosner in Haaretz? 16:10  |  Corry 24/08/07
  53.   take a look 16:16  |  George 24/08/07
  54.   fact vs. myth 16:17  |  Yoram 24/08/07
  55.   Iran - not Iraq 16:18  |  Ben 24/08/07
  56.   yona loriner 16:21  |  yona loriner 24/08/07
  57.   #6 Clickfool 16:26  |  See It Now 24/08/07
  58.   this is a good one 16:41  |  morrisfan 24/08/07
  59.   #57 and others 16:45  |  morrisfun 24/08/07
  60.   Israel lobby is real and it tactics unhealthy for America 16:58  |  Olek 24/08/07
  61.   yes or no 17:05  |  morristan 24/08/07
  62.   Page 10 17:06  |  Vivian 24/08/07
  63.   chicago ban 17:08  |  philipe 24/08/07
  64.   foreign agent 17:16  |  W.H 24/08/07
  65.   AIPAC controls Congress 17:17  |  W.H 24/08/07
  66.   All Lobbies Too Powerful 17:18  |  Jane 24/08/07
  67.   U.S.-subsidized-Apartheid state 17:19  |  W.H 24/08/07
  68.   Hasbara machine 17:23  |  Guardian 24/08/07
  69.   Muravchik on freespeech 17:24  |  sam levin 24/08/07
  70.   #6 clikky and the cyclops view of the world 17:41  |  victor hardman 24/08/07
  71.   Mark B 17:44  |  Larry 24/08/07
  72.   let them be!!! 18:45  |  freespeech 24/08/07
  73.   aid to israel 18:47  |  yuri benner 24/08/07
  74.   What are you afraid of? 18:50  |  W 24/08/07
  75.   say no more 18:51  |  aipacbasher 24/08/07
  76.   #larry 18:53  |  american 24/08/07
  77.   Walt and Mearsheimer are basically correct 19:25  |  Tosefta 24/08/07
  78.   larry from toronto 19:28  |  wh 24/08/07
  79.   Have I got it right, Larry # 71 19:37  |  Clickfool 24/08/07
  80.   re: Miriam US asistance to israel 19:52  |  ting 24/08/07
  81.   Strategic asset 19:55  |  Jozef 24/08/07
  82.   Jewish counter-attack! 20:04  |  ben 24/08/07
  83.   Inflated importance of Israeli intel 20:15  |  ting 24/08/07
  84.   What about Christian fundamentalists? 20:20  |  Robert 24/08/07
  85.   What about Christian fundamentalists? 20:21  |  Robert 24/08/07
  86.   Gil, excellent post #48 20:21  |  Ibrahim 24/08/07
  87.   What about Christian fundamentalists? 20:36  |  Robert 24/08/07
  88.   the attack on W-M are a symptom of a trend. 20:42  |  ting 24/08/07
  89.   Sorry for the multiple postings 20:56  |  Robert 24/08/07
  90.   Misguided US "help" for Israel 21:08  |  Stanley 24/08/07
  91.   Rosner at it again 21:12  |  Michael N 24/08/07
  92.   #48 Gil: al-Qaeda was born 21:56  |  Victor 24/08/07
  93.   terrible intel 22:33  |  white russian 24/08/07
  94.   Haartez 22:50  |  P. J. Casey 24/08/07
  95.   #3, American Living Here 22:53  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  96.   #5, Mark B. 23:02  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  97.   Response to 76 23:05  |  Windsor 24/08/07
  98.   Ibrahim -- Palestinian terrorist groups don`t fight for freedom 23:06  |  Gina 24/08/07
  99.   #10, Mr. T. 23:10  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  100.   Americans support our ally Israel 23:10  |  Gina 24/08/07
  101.   #11, Olivia 23:15  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  102.   #14, Debby 23:18  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  103.   #9, Olivia and #23, Clickfool 23:23  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  104.   #95, #97 False Hannah Alert 23:36  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  105.   #101, #102, #103 False Hannah Alert 23:38  |  Hannah 24/08/07
  106.   #88 Ting in Norway 23:47  |  Raul 24/08/07
  107.   FAKE HANNAH (aka Ms Kohn) ALERT! #104, #105 00:13  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  108.   AIPAC 00:47  |  John 25/08/07
  109.   #107 False Hannah Alert 00:48  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  110.   Response to Gina #100 01:36  |  Suzanne 25/08/07
  111.   FAKE HANNAH (aka Ms Kohn) ALERT! #107 01:40  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  112.   John -- vote em out! 01:44  |  Gina 25/08/07
  113.   #80, Ting 01:47  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  114.   MARKB #38 02:23  |  JOJO 25/08/07
  115.   Suzanne 02:33  |  Gina 25/08/07
  116.   Gina 02:48  |  John 25/08/07
  117.   I have been trying 03:00  |  Mark Lincoln 25/08/07
  118.   America Supports Democracies 03:12  |  Dan 25/08/07
  119.   #116, John 03:30  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  120.   #118, Dan 03:37  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  121.   #119 False Hannah Alert 03:44  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  122.   ClickFool 04:17  |  Larry 25/08/07
  123.   FAKE HANNAH (aka Ms Kohn) ALERT! #121 04:35  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  124.   #123 False Hannah Alert 05:05  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  125.   Gina 06:29  |  Suzanne 25/08/07
  126.   To our Hannah... 06:47  |  Silvienne 25/08/07
  127.   US supports democracy? 07:16  |  RICK 25/08/07
  128.   John 07:41  |  Gina 25/08/07
  129.   ISRAELI INTELLIGENCE 07:54  |  GARRY CULHANE 25/08/07
  130.   ISRAELI INTELLIGENC 07:58  |  G ARRY CULHANE 25/08/07
  131.   count the cost.... 08:02  |  ravi 25/08/07
  132.   #79 CLIKKFOOL AND THE OLD MANTRA 08:31  |  PAUL HARRIS 25/08/07
  133.   Suzanne 08:45  |  Gina 25/08/07
  134.   For Larry in Toronto # 122 09:34  |  Clickfool 25/08/07
  135.   To the fake,false and real Hannah 11:03  |  Daniel Leopold 25/08/07
  136.   round "N" 11:21  |  Roli 25/08/07
  137.   if the adl was an honest and objective organization...(2nd try) 12:29  |  eric 25/08/07
  138.   To Mr. Schulz 13:25  |  John 25/08/07
  139.   To Gil #47 13:29  |  John 25/08/07
  140.   what is pro-israel 14:28  |  michael 25/08/07
  141.   #106 raul, you are correct 16:56  |  ting 25/08/07
  142.   hei Hannah 17:19  |  ting 25/08/07
  143.   Larry, the "stupidest" person? 17:39  |  Wiktor 25/08/07
  144.   # 77 Tosefta 18:06  |  17 25/08/07
  145.   Denying W & M 18:06  |  Wiktor 25/08/07
  146.   FALSE HANNAH ALERT #111 19:27  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  147.   FAKE HANNAH ALERT #107 19:28  |  Hannah 25/08/07
  148.   To Guardian # 68 Hasbara Machine 19:44  |  Dagma 25/08/07
  149.   To John # 139 20:12  |  Dagma 25/08/07
  150.   "The Deadliest Lies"... 20:48  |  Dagma 25/08/07
  151.   Explanation? (#143 Tov-17) 21:10  |  Tosefta 25/08/07
  152.   GINA and American support 21:58  |  Nick 25/08/07
  153.   wiktor 22:36  |  wh 25/08/07
  154.   #149 toosofta and muslim anger ?? 23:51  |  victor hardman 25/08/07
  155.   the emperor has no clothes 00:00  |  margaret 26/08/07
  156.   Israeli "intelligence" regarding Iran... 00:36  |  Veritas 26/08/07
  157.   When people are silenced ! 01:00  |  El-birawi 26/08/07
  158.   Nick 03:58  |  Gina 26/08/07
  159.   Israel is more trouble than its worth today. 03:59  |  Dutch 26/08/07
  160.   El-Birawi -- don`t be jealous 04:00  |  Gina 26/08/07
  161.   larry of toronto 07:42  |  realism 26/08/07
  162.   To Margaret # 155 08:33  |  Dagma 26/08/07
  163.   #155, Margaret 14:55  |  Hannah 26/08/07
  164.   #162, Dagma 15:21  |  Hannah 26/08/07
  165.   Dagma #162 20:06  |  Veritas 26/08/07
  166.   Crossing the line? 01:54  |  The Northern Wind 27/08/07
  167.   Gina 05:02  |  Suzanne 27/08/07
  168.   Suzanne 10:28  |  Gina 27/08/07
  169.   Walt- Mearsheimer hypocrisy 14:48  |  Shalom Freedman 27/08/07
  170.   Gina, Suzanne 20:11  |  Robert 27/08/07
  171.   `The Trick` 20:40  |  Colin Wright 27/08/07
  172.   #2 Roderick Bibatus 21:22  |  Boycott 27/08/07
  173.   #169 Shalom Freedman 21:28  |  Boycott 27/08/07
  174.   Walt-Mearsheimer book 00:12  |  P. J. Casey 28/08/07
  175.   The secret of the ooze.......... 00:26  |  NS 28/08/07
  176.   Rick in LA 00:38  |  rich 28/08/07
  177.   Israeli intelligence is first rate! 01:36  |  W 28/08/07
  178.   "Fake" Haaretz User alerts 06:00  |  Bill 28/08/07
  179.   Jewish lobby - American Presidential Election 15:15  |  Constance Blackwell 28/08/07
  180.   ISRAEL INTERVENTION IN FOREIGN POLICY 07:58  |  WILLIAM J CLEMONS 15/09/07
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