For a guy who writes about the Israel lobby all the time, you’d think I would have related all I personally know about the lobby by now. Not true. I’ve never told this story.
I live in New York’s 19th Congressional District. For about 15 years the district was considered a safe Republican seat, held by Sue Kelly, a conservative from Westchester. But Sue Kelly held the line on the Iraq war and two years ago she started to look vulnerable. She was defeated last year by Democrat John Hall, a musician.
Back in 2005, a close friend of mine who has served in local government gave thought to running for Kelly’s seat. He didn’t in the end, but I encouraged him and gave him as much help as I could. I introduced him to a couple of pros who had worked for Democratic campaigns. The message we got over and over was that you couldn’t mount a serious primary campaign without $1 million minimum. No one would take my friend seriously without money, money, money. It was all that mattered. One of my friends offered to meet my pal and fix him up with big deal fundraisers in New York City. That’s where the money is, for congressional candidates. "How’s he going to feel when he goes to a fundraiser at someone’s apartment and gives a great speech about all the wonderful things he’s going to do in Washington, and then the first question is, ‘What is your position on the Israeli settlements?’" That’s a verbatim statement, from someone who has been around Democratic politics for a long time. I realized I wouldn’t be able to help my friend in such circles if he ran…
When reviewer after reviewer of Walt and Mearsheimer’s book says that it’s just like the Cuba lobby or the gun lobby, they trivialize the Israel lobby’s power. Neither of those powerful lobbies is affecting our foreign policy in such a significant manner, neither of them has enforced the code of silence that the Israel lobby has maintained. The Israeli settlements that are so popular in New York are illegal and hateful and have proceeded without real opposition from the American political establishment.
