IbnAlAawam
Junior Member
Influence of the Israel lobby
Monday September 17, 2007
The Guardian
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt (Articles of faith, September 15) are to be commended for their courage in continuing to draw attention to the influence of the Israel lobby on US foreign policy. While such claims may be overstated, there does exist a not-so-informal alliance of the Christian right, Jewish Zionists and neoconservatives determined to undermine prospects for peace in the Middle East by their unequivocal support for Israel and opposition to Islam. The lobby is well organised and regularly calls upon tens of thousands of supporters to pressure their elected representatives.
As a result barely 5% of congressional representatives and senators are prepared to challenge or speak against Israeli policies in the region. As with all academics, and indeed journalists, who dare challenge Israel, Mearsheimer and Walt are accused by the lobby machine of anti-semitism. This accusation is intended to intimidate and foreclose discussion, rather than engage with the real issues raised. Mearsheimer and Walt's work deserves a wide readership, able to consider the research on its merit, even as the lobby seeks to close down their academic careers.
Dr Lee Marsden
Author, The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy; University of East Anglia
Now that the issue of the Israel lobby in the US is under discussion, is it not appropriate that we in the UK should consider the influence that Labour Friends of Israel has on British foreign policy through ministers and MPs who are members and supporters?
Stephen Williams
London
Monday September 17, 2007
The Guardian
John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt (Articles of faith, September 15) are to be commended for their courage in continuing to draw attention to the influence of the Israel lobby on US foreign policy. While such claims may be overstated, there does exist a not-so-informal alliance of the Christian right, Jewish Zionists and neoconservatives determined to undermine prospects for peace in the Middle East by their unequivocal support for Israel and opposition to Islam. The lobby is well organised and regularly calls upon tens of thousands of supporters to pressure their elected representatives.
As a result barely 5% of congressional representatives and senators are prepared to challenge or speak against Israeli policies in the region. As with all academics, and indeed journalists, who dare challenge Israel, Mearsheimer and Walt are accused by the lobby machine of anti-semitism. This accusation is intended to intimidate and foreclose discussion, rather than engage with the real issues raised. Mearsheimer and Walt's work deserves a wide readership, able to consider the research on its merit, even as the lobby seeks to close down their academic careers.
Dr Lee Marsden
Author, The Christian Right and US Foreign Policy; University of East Anglia
Now that the issue of the Israel lobby in the US is under discussion, is it not appropriate that we in the UK should consider the influence that Labour Friends of Israel has on British foreign policy through ministers and MPs who are members and supporters?
Stephen Williams
London