Folks, I’m pleased to share the video from The Debrief’s live podcast today with Eli Clifton and Dr. Ian Lustick on their new book, Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power.
Israel’s Lobby is a deeply researched, well-argued book. I hope that it — and our podcast about it on The Debrief — will provide a corrective to conversations that generate more heat than light.
The topics we covered include:
Whether Israel’s Lobby is a sequel to The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy, (Mearsheimer and Walt, 2007) — and how Israel’s Lobby differs in covering civil society and US domestic politics, in addition to foreign policy
Defining “Israel’s Lobby” — It includes but is not limited to AIPAC; it is opposed by many Jewish Americans (and supported by many evangelical Christians); and it stands apart from US lobbying efforts for other foreign countries
Distortion of US foreign policy by “Israel’s Lobby” — Ian presented examples including Harry Truman’s recognition of the State of Israel in 1948 and Gerald Ford’s about-face on his “reassessment” of US Middle East policy in 1975
Loss in international standing by the US — Unconditional diplomatic support for Israel at the UN and international courts has diminished US credibility as a supporter of international law and organizations
Corrupting US elections and purchasing policy outcomes — We spoke about Michigan’s US Senate race (in which AIPAC spent tens of millions of dollars against Abdul El-Sayed) and Rep. Ilhan Omar’s 2019 “all about the Benjamins” tweet
Attempting to control civil society — As Israel loses the American public over Gaza and the Iran war, “Israel’s lobby” is working to quash dissent on campuses and beyond
AIPAC’s Rightward lurch — It has accompanied Israel becoming a “crazy state”
“Special danger” — Israel is pursuing regional hegemony, backed by Christian evangelicals eyeing a path to Armageddon, and justified as defense of “the West”
Pretty fascinating stuff, I think, but I want to hear your reactions. I read all replies, so tell me what’s on your mind. Civil, respectful, and thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated.
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More Coming Up This Week!
New! Thursday, Sept. 10, at 11am Eastern:
UK’s New Israel-Palestine Policy Targets the Occupation — with Michael Omer-Man
Yesterday, Ed Miliband — UK Foreign Secretary in the new Labour government led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham — delivered a landmark statement on Israel-Palestine in the House of Commons.
The new policies he announced include:
UK positions that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, as the International Court of Justice ruled in 2024, and “ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians is being perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank
Imports of goods from illegal settlements in the occupied territories will be banned, backed by a comprehensive sanctions regime
UK will pursue “action against specific companies and individuals who provide services such as construction, infrastructure, financing, or real estate for settlement expansion”
France and Canada also announced a ban on the importation of settlement goods, joining a number of European countries that have taken this step or are in the process of doing so.
To debrief these important developments, I’ll be joined by Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, Director of Research for Israel-Palestine at DAWN.
Friday, September 11 at 11am Eastern:
Lara Friedman on HR 4795 & Efforts to Quash Dissent on US Campuses and Beyond
Last week in Office Hours, I spoke about HR 4795: “Protect Economic and Academic Freedom Act” — an Orwellian name for a bill that violates the First Amendment while promoting Israel/settlements at US universities.
Lara knows more about it — the substance, the politics, and the broader context of the battle by “Israel’s Lobby” (to borrow Clifton & Lustick’s term) to quash Americans’ rights to engage in economic boycotts of Israel and/or its illegal settlements — than anyone else I know.
Lara Friedman is President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace. Lara is one of the sharpest analysts on Israel-Palestine and US foreign policy. Her Weekly Legislative Round-Ups are indispensable reading for congressional staff, advocates, and analysts alike — anyone who wants to understand what Members of Congress are doing vis-a-vis the Middle East.
When Lara last appeared on The Debrief, she delivered the podcast was only available to paid subscribers. This time, there’s no paywall. Don’t miss it!
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One More Thing — About Netanyahu and October 7th
In Office Hours last week, a member of our Debrief community asked me what Benjamin Netanyahu knew about a potential Hamas attack against Israel before October 7, 2023. I shared what had been reported by credible sources to that point, and above all, stressed the need for an independent investigation — which Netanyahu has blocked.
Yesterday, Israeli newspaper Haaretz published an important article detailing a previously unreported phone call between Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed (“MBZ”) days before Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. During the call, MBZ warned Netanyahu that Yahya Sinwar — Hamas’ leader in Gaza — was planning a major attack against Israel. The Emirati leader shared his concern that an operation by Hamas would destabilize the entire region and undermine the Abraham Accords, in addition to the immediate death and destruction it would cause. Rather than taking action, as MBZ had hoped, Netanyahu failed to brief the heads of Israel’s security establishment.
Looking forward to an opportunity to discuss this with you all soon!
I hope to see you at an upcoming podcast this week.
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All the best,
Debra
