The Israeli lobby in the United States is one of the most influential foreign lobbies and the one with the most significant political impact. Based on its results, the Israeli lobby is not only the most powerful political lobby in America but also in the world. No other political lobby has been able to influence the policy of a major country to the same degree as the Israeli lobby has in the case of the United States. According to political scientists John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, the Israeli lobby refers to a “loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively work to shape U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israeli direction.
However, the lobby is not a unified movement with central leadership, and the individuals and groups that form this broad coalition sometimes disagree on specific political issues. Nor is it a form of cabal or conspiracy. Rather, the organizations and individuals that make up the lobby operate publicly and in the same manner as other interest groups.” In other words, the lobby represents a complex network of formal organizations, various groups, and individuals working to strengthen U.S.-Israeli relations.
Political and Social Circumstances Favoring the Israeli Lobby
There are several political, social, and cultural factors that favor the development and strong influence of the Israeli lobby in the U.S. Many Americans feel a cultural and religious closeness to Israel due to the Judeo-Christian tradition. Studies have shown that Americans often feel closer to Jews than to other religious groups, such as Muslims or Hindus. This is a result of the significant influence of American Jews. The immense suffering during the Holocaust has garnered the American public’s sensitivity and positive orientation towards the Israeli state and people.
Americans see Israel as a strategic partner in the unstable Middle East region, which is full of anti-American regimes and movements. Strengthening Israeli military power and political stability is seen by many as maintaining the stability of the region, and thus of America. Strong economic relations between the U.S. and Israel, including joint trade, technological, and military projects, have created mutual interests that further fuel political support. The strong support for Israel from Christian Zionist groups, based on religious beliefs about the importance of Israel, has further amplified the influence of the Israeli lobby.
Lobby Organizations
It is estimated that there are 51 pro-Israeli organizations in the U.S. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) stands out as the most influential lobbying entity in America, continuously supporting Israeli state policies. AIPAC has such a significant influence that its former director, Steve Rosen, once remarked that it would be political suicide for any American politician seeking election to use anti-Israeli rhetoric. Rosen claimed that he could discredit any presidential candidate who embraced an anti-Israeli stance within a day. Thus, it is not surprising that U.S. presidential candidates and sitting presidents often visit Israel and stand beside the Western Wall in Jerusalem while curious journalists follow. This was done by George Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
AIPAC has often been accused of being closely tied to the Likud party in Israel and the U.S. Republican Party. Some have even gone so far as to accuse the organization of acting as an Israeli intelligence entity. Other notable lobbying organizations include the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP), the American Jewish Congress, the Israeli Policy Forum, the American Jewish Committee, Christians United for Israel (CUFI), the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA), the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), among others. These organizations form the core of support for Israel in the U.S. Their members have a significant influence on members of Congress, the American government, journalists, and the American public throughout the year.
Key Individuals Serving the Lobby
In addition to organizations, there are individuals who actively work to ensure that U.S. foreign policy moves in a pro-Israeli direction, and they are part of the lobby. The Israeli lobby in the U.S. includes prominent individuals in key positions in the public and private sectors who exert pressure on the U.S. government and public to adopt pro-Israeli, essentially pro-Zionist stances. Political scientists Mearsheimer and Walt identify individuals like the late Washington Post columnist Charles Krauthammer and the late Princeton University history professor Bernard Lewis as figures who always defend Israeli policies. Not all lobbyists share the same views. Some, such as Christian Zionists, believe Israel should retain all occupied Palestinian territories.
Christian Zionism is based on the theology of dispensationalism, an approach to interpreting the Bible that emerged in England in the 19th century. According to this interpretation of the Bible, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will occur after the return of the Jewish people to Palestine. The late pastor Ed McAteer once stated that “every grain of sand between the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, and the Mediterranean Sea belongs to the Jews, including the West Bank and Gaza.” Others, however, support a two-state solution achieved through negotiations and sometimes criticize Israel. Nevertheless, all essentially support Israeli views.
Among prominent politicians, it would be appropriate to include president Donald Trump, the Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democratic Senator from Maryland Ben Cardin, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Among public figures who regularly support Israel are businessman Haim Saban, lawyer Alan Dershowitz, The Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg, and columnist Bari Weiss.
Goals of the Israeli Lobby
The main goal of the Israeli lobby is to influence the executive branch, the U.S. federal government, to conduct a pro-Israeli foreign policy. The Israeli lobby in the U.S. is so powerful and influential that it shapes U.S. foreign policy in ways that are sometimes not in the strategic interest of the U.S., i.e., it occasionally directs foreign policy in a direction that contradicts American interests. Another equally important goal is to create an atmosphere in American society where pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian, anti-Iranian sentiments prevail. If pro-Israeli views dominate the public, it is more likely that the U.S. government will translate them into pro-Israeli policies.
One study showed that 73% of Americans want their government to remain neutral in foreign policy, but this has not prevented the adoption of pro-Israeli policies. The same is true in public discourse. Analyses show that, on average, there are 61 pro-Israeli journalists for every 5 pro-Palestinian journalists in American mainstream media. This is unsurprising, as pro-Israeli lobbyists actively discredit any legitimate criticism of Israeli policies, often playing the anti-Semitism card. Nearly every influential figure (e.g., a senator, professor, or political analyst) who opposes imposed Zionist views is accused of anti-Semitism.
Development of the Lobby Throughout History
Before the creation of the state of Israel in 1948, the Zionist movement was already active in the United States. Organizations like the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) worked to promote the idea of a Jewish state among American Jews. After Israel declared independence, support for the Israeli state significantly increased in the U.S. It is little known that U.S. Secretary of State George Marshall and key foreign policy strategist George Kennan opposed American recognition of Israel, believing that it would jeopardize U.S. relations with the Arab world and facilitate Soviet expansion in the Middle East and North Africa. And they were right. However, President Harry Truman recognized Israel, motivated mainly by compassion after the wartime suffering of the Jews.
In the early years of Israel’s existence, the U.S. government, under the influence of the Israeli lobby, provided critical diplomatic and military support to the nascent state. Organizations such as AIPAC were founded to institutionalize lobbying efforts. During the Cold War, Israel became a key U.S. ally in the fight against Soviet influence in the Middle East. In fact, most Arab states, such as Egypt, Iraq, and Syria, were pro-Soviet. The Six-Day War of 1967, during which Israel seized all Palestinian territories, further increased U.S. military and economic aid. The Israeli lobby played a crucial role in ensuring continued support, using the Cold War as an argument for maintaining strong U.S.-Israeli ties.
In 1975, Henry Kissinger notably stated, “Israeli strength does not prevent the spread of communism in the Arab world… So, it is hard to argue that a strong Israel serves U.S. interests by preventing the spread of communism in the Arab world. It does not. It ensures Israel’s survival.” From a realpolitik perspective, Israel became a necessary ally to the U.S. only in the late 1970s, after the overthrow of the pro-Western Iranian government of Shah Reza Pahlavi and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. From 1948 to 1979, supporting Israel brought more harm than benefit to U.S. interests in the Middle East. During Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, Israel became the most important U.S. strategic partner outside NATO.
Author: Matija Šerić
Featured image: Ted Eytan, licenca CC BY 4.0
