Money is the mother's milk of american poltics. It has been said many, many time. Money, however, is not the only factor. you need a cohesive idea of what you are lobbying for. AIPAC has its ducks in a row, so to speak. To say that there is nothing to gain by discussing AIPAC is astounding. If you do not know how Israel is able to sustain and maintain american support for so long, then how are "we" going to change that immoral and unethical support that denys Palestinians self determination. I have reflected on the sources of US support to Israel many times. The postuales that most of the people on this list believe in has big holes in it. You guys suggest that Israel gets its support only because the Empire allow that to happen. That does not hold water. There are multiple instances of the client dragging the Empire by the nose. The most recent one is of Bush telling Sharon to end the offensive and getting rebuffed since the offensive continues. What does that tell you??
The idea that Israel is a strategic asset for the US does not hold water either.
1. Israel is supposed to be buffer against Arab radicalism, but where is that radicalism??? Did not the Arab states just offer Israel peace in exchange for implementing UN 242. Moreover, Israel itself is being radicalized and Jewish fundamentalism is on the rise. 2. Israel is a base for the US to control access to oil. Again this failed the test. when Iraq invaded Kuwait, the US stationed troop on SA and kept Israel on the sidelines for the entire conflict. What kind of help to the US was that? 3. Israel has spied on/in the US. you have the celebrated case of Johnathan pollard and you have the most recent case of the Israeli "art students." If the Empire was really in control of its policy towards Israel, would you really think that the Empire would be that tolerant of Israel's spying??
Naji
> Fine- but then the whole ominous Israeli lobby argument boils down to the
> idea that pro-Israeli forces have been better organizers than their
> counterparts, which I have no dispute over. They have built alliances
with
> numerically larger groups like fundamentalists and avoided infighting.
>
> Which is usually true of any issue which wins in Congress, so by
definition,
> a pro-Israeli policy indicates smart organizing by its advocates.
>
> At the end of the day, if the "Israeli lobby" boils down to saying that
they
> are good organizers, I don't know what is gained by even discussing its
> existence.
>
> -- Nathan Newman
>