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T HE I S R A EL LOBBY AND U.S. F O R E I GN POLICY John J. Mearsheimer AND Stephen M. Walt U.S.A. $26.00 WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THE ISRAEL LOBBY ON U.S. FOREIGN POLICY-AND IS IT IN AMERICA'S NATIONAL INTEREST? "The Israel Lobby," by John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen M.Walt of Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government, was one of the most controversial articles in recent memory. Originally published in the London Review of Books in March 2006, the essay provoked both howls of outrage and cheers of gratitude for examining one of the most taboo issues in America: the impact of the Israel lobby on U.S. foreign policy. According to The New York Times Maga zine, it "slammed into the opinion-making world with a Category 5 force." Now, in a work of major importance, Mearsheimer and Walt deepen and expand their argument and con front recent developments in the Middle East. They describe the remarkable level of material and diplomatic support that the United States provides to Israel and argue that this support cannot be fully explained on either strategic or moral grounds. This exceptional rela tionship is due largely to the political influence of a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively works to steer US. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direc tion. Mearsheimer and Walt provocatively contend that the lobby has a far-reaching impact on America's posture throughout the Middle East—in Iraq, Syria, Iran, and Leb anon—and toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and that the policies it has encouraged are profoundly damaging to both America's national interests and Israel's long- term security. The lobby's influence also affects America's (continued on back flap) (continued from front flap) relationship with important allies and increases the dan gers that all states face from global jihadist terror. Writing in The New York Review of Books, Michael Massing declared, "Not since Foreign Affairs magazine published Samuel Huntington's 'The Clash of Civili zations?' in 1993 has an academic essay detonated with such force." The publication of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is certain to widen the debate at a time when there is no more urgent issue than America's role in the Middle East. JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER is the R. Wendell Harrison Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science and the codirector of the Program on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago. He has published several books, including The Tragedy of Great Power Politics. STEPHEN M. WALT is the Robert and Renee Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and was academic dean of the Kennedy School from 2002 to 2006. He is the author of Taming American Power: The Global Response to U.S. Primacy, among other books. Jacket design by Jennifer ( 'arrow Author photograph C (ireg Martin FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX www.fsgbooks.com www. israellobbynook.com Praise for John J. Mearsheimer's THE TRAGEDY OF GREAT POWER POLITICS "Mearsheimer marshals enormous evidence and sophisticated logic to make an impressive case for his theory." —Samuel P. Huntington, Harvard University "[Mearsheimer] provides a fascinating account of how great powers behave and a powerful explanation of why they behave as they do." —Kenneth Waltz, Columbia University "[Mearsheimer] is an excellent critic of rival perspectives, exposing their weaknesses with real forensic flair." —Adam Roberts, The Times Literary Supplement Praise for Stephen M. Walt's TAMING AMERICAN POWER "[Walt] offers a rigorous critique of current U.S. strategy and, even better, a clearly articulated alternative." —David Ignatius, The Washington Post Book World "This is a book to argue with and to admire." —Michael Ignatieff "[A] brilliant contribution to the American foreign policy debate." —Anatol Lieven, The New York Times Book Review POLITICAL SCIENCE ISBN-13: 978-0-374-17772-0 ISBN-10: 0-374-17772-4 T HE I S R A EL L O B BY AND U.S. F O R E I GN P O L I CY ALSO BY JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER Conventional Deterrence Liddell Hart and the Weight of History The Tragedy of Great Power Politics ALSO BY STEPHEN M. WALT The Origins of Alliances Revolution and War Taming American Power. The Global Response to U.S. Primacy T HE I S R A EL L O B BY AND U.S. F O R E I GN P O L I CY JOHN J. MEARSHEIMER AND STEPHEN M. WALT FARRAR, STRAUS AND GIROUX I NEW YORK Farrar, Straus and Giroux 19 Union Square West, New York 10003 Copyright © 2007 by John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America First edition, 2007 Portions of this book were originally published, in different form, in the London Review of Books in March 2006. Grateful acknowledgment is made to Amnesty International for permission to reprint excerpts from "Israel/Lebanon: Deliberate Destruction or 'Collateral Damage? Israeli Attacks on Civilian Infrastructure," AI Index MDE 18/007/2006, August 23, 2006; copyright © Amnesty International Publications, 1 Easton Street, London WC1X0DW, United Kingdom, www.amnesty.org. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Mearsheimer, John J. The Israel lobby and U.S. foreign policy / John J. Mearsheimer and Stephen M. Walt.— 1st ed. p. cm. "Portions of this book were originally published, in different form, in the London Review of Books in March 2006." Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-374-17772-0 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-10: 0-374-17772-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. United States—Foreign relations—Israel. 2. Israel—Foreign relations— United States. 3. American Israel Public Affairs Committee—Influence. 4. Zionists—United States—Political activity. 5. United States—Foreign relations—2001— 6. Lobbying—United States. 7. United States—Foreign relations—Middle East. 8. Middle East—Foreign relations—United States. I. Walt, Stephen M., 1955- II. Title E183.8.I7 M428 2007 327.7305496—dc22 2007024183 www.fsgbooks.com 1 3 5 79 10 8 6 42 CONTENTS Preface vii Introduction 3 Part I: The United States, Israel, and the Lobby 1. The Great Benefactor 23 2. Israel: Strategic Asset or Liability? 49 3. A Dwindling Moral Case 78 4. What Is the "Israel Lobby"? 111 5. Guiding the Policy Process 151 6. Dominating Public Discourse 168 Part II: The Lobby in Action Introduction to Part II 199 7. The Lobby Versus the Palestinians 204 8. Iraq and Dreams of Transforming the Middle East 229 9. Taking Aim at Syria 263 10. Iran in the Crosshairs 280 11. The Lobby and the Second Lebanon War 306 Conclusion: What Is to Be Done? 335 Notes 357 Acknowledgments 465 Index 467