Silverstein raises a rarely-treated point, about Israel's excessive reliance on a single large-country supporter:

"The U.S. at some future time might find that Israel has become too great a burden on national interests. At that time, the U.S. might abandon Israel to its fate. Even the Israel lobby with all their political muscle would be powerless to prevent it. Because Israel has no other major allies, this outcome, no matter how unlikely now, is something greatly to be feared."

Who hasn't heard the story of a business which got most of its revenues from a single large customer, and then collapsed after losing a key contract? Diversification is safety. But the Lobby's obsession with keeping a firm grip on the U.S. only increases the risk of an eventual split, driven by homegrown resentment of Israel's relentless exploitation of American generosity.

Which leads directly into Silverstein's final point:

"All this raises a larger question: why is it that the Dutch can see such a program and Americans can’t?"

Well, we all know the answer, don't we? The Lobby can't afford frank discussion on the subject. But that only heightens the 'beach-ball effect' — when some crisis finally propels the issue into the mainstream (which is on the verge of happening right now), the sense of scandal will be magnified because of the long-standing cover-up. It wasn't the ongoing crime, it was the cover-up that killed the golden goose.

Checkmate, as it were. It's a lovely dilemma; a lovely Catch-22. Your move, Mr. Hoenlein. But the only way to win is not to play!

I found the points of Levy (I forgot his first name), to be the most relevant.

Namely, that the sideshow of the messenger is less important than the real show of articulating a skillful and humane description of what is in Israel's and US's interests, rationally.

Do you think these factors give the realists room for maneuver? Also, do you think if (hypothetically) oil were to fall to 40$ or a highly successful attack on Iran were to occur, that the situation would change in favor of the Neoconservatives?

For full disclosure, I should mention I'm and American of Egyptian decent.

Thanx

Israel has made overtures to China with U.S. technology in the past. I just don't think that any other major power has the same internal dynamics or self-destructive streak that the U.S. has.

so i googled it and the most amazing narrative came up on top. it appears there is healthy and outspoken dissent *within* the american zionist community.

well maybe not exactly *within* i guess. but within the religious jewish community at any rate. it seems that the latter is not after all completely subsumed by the former. (aside from the traditional ortodoxy that surivives among some hassidim.) better and better. i am not alone.

it seems luke ford of lukeford.net is a convert to judaism who is a major journalist of the porn industry. which would label him as an outcast to us effete easterners, but not in hollywood, which is a much jucier mileau.

and hollywood after all is the logical place to look for a Jewish nonzionist resistance movement. and within the porn industry certainly most of all.

i wonder if anyone here knows anything about this?