Steve Walt says the Obama meeting with Jewish leaders proves the Israel lobby theory. I know this is obvious, but I have to quote it:
First, although a few individuals in the Israel lobby continue to
downplay its influence, the very fact that this meeting was held is
additional testimony to its important role in shaping U.S. Middle East
policy. Why was Barack Obama taking time from his busy schedule to meet
with the heads of groups like AIPAC, the Anti-Defamation League, J
Street, Hadassah, and the Conference of Presidents of Major American
Jewish Organizations (among others)? Simple: he knows that these groups
have a lot of political power.
And he's generally more positive about the meeting than Ali Abunimah was. Sees real progress. And has this incisive bit:
You know a country is in trouble when it routinely attacks
respected human rights organizations like Amnesty International and
Human Rights Watch, or when a group of its own soldiers releases damning personal testimony
about their own misconduct in Gaza. (The courage and candor of these
Israeli dissidents remains a redeeming feature of Israel’s otherwise
troubled democracy).
