One thing you can say about the Israel lobby theory is that it is becoming a major counter-narrative, just below the American discourse. There's Walt and Mearsheimer's depth charge, and Grant Smith's expose of the origins of AIPAC, America's Defense Line, former Indiana congressman John Hostettler's book on the Iraq war, Aaron David Miller's book on the peace process, which limns the lobby, and Stephen Sniegoski's Transparent Cabal. Now here's a press release for a book called Guilt by Association, about a cabal that got us into war, by a former counsel to the Senate Finance committee, Jeff Gates.
small group of elites and extremists who pledge allegiance to Israel,"
says Mr. Gates. "And our entangled alliance with Israel-with its known
history of stealth and deceit-has led us to war."
The book is apparently endorsed by Noam Chomsky among others. Interesting. I thought Chomsky buyeth not the Israel lobby as propeller of Iraq war.
I find all this remarkable because for all the denial of the Israel lobby that goes on in the mainstream, there's an absolute shadow of that denial in the non-mainstream's embrace of the idea. A friend explained the Yale students' Mearsheimer-inspired vote to end the special relationship with Israel last month in just this fashion. He said that the kids sense exactly where their parents' generation is most hypocritical, and they fly toward that spot with shrieks of delight. Seems to be happening all over. There's bound to be a mainstream discussion before long…
