America's Pro-Israel Lobby

Are the interests really as intertwined as the flags suggest?

The picture is from the homepage of AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

The caption reads "Israel is America's closest ally in the Middle East."

You've probably heard the same words coming from politicians, diplomats and "think tank formers;" members of previous administrations who play the roles of Statler and Waldorf criticizing the more recent winners while waiting for a return to power. But for the most part, anyone who parrots AIPAC's language refuses to question Israeli provocations.



Constructing Jewish settlements in predominantly Arab areas has been an Israeli tactic for decades. The CIA's 2007 estimate includes about 187,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank, 20,000 in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and 177,000 in East Jerusalem. Every one of them is a tripwire for larger conflict, a provocation of a subjugated minority and an obstacle to any potential of negotiating a durable political agreement with the Palestinians.



Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted Israel’s “right to build” in Jerusalem, saying it was “not a settlement, it’s our capital,” while making a speech to AIPAC in Washington; our capital.

Audio: BBC, PRI & WGBH's The World 3/23/10, Reporter: Matthew Bell.

While Obama & Netanyahu met, Melissa Block spoke to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who's now the Middle East envoy for the Quartet — which includes the U.S., Russia, the UN and the EU. The Quartet wants to reach a peace deal on the two-state solution within two years. Blair says that's not an unrealistic goal if talks get going. He also says Hamas could be part of the process if they are prepared to work toward a two-state solution in a peaceful way.

Audio: NPR's All Things Considered 3/23/10.

Britain has expelled an Israeli diplomat, believed to be the Mossad's chief spy in the UK, after evidence suggested Israeli assassins used forged British passports in the killing of a Palestinian Hamas official in Dubai in January. The British government says trust between the two countries has been damaged.

Audio: BBC, PRI & WGBH's The World 3/23/10, Reporter: Laura Lynch.

The AIPAC logo also suggests that American and Israeli interests are inevitably and inextricably intertwined.

In terms of America's domestic politics and political fundraising, that may be true. Absolute and unconditional support for Israel without question is a "bullet vote" issue, as critical to a candidate's constituency as social security, gun ownership or "right to life" issues can be.

Israel: the fourth third rail of American politics.