Bit by bit, now in a piece on the "pro-Israel lobby," Andrew Sullivan works his way toward the crucial understanding of the Israel lobby’s role in nullifying American policy in Israel/Palestine. There is simply no way to explain the policy nullification, with respect to settlements, over 7 or 8 US presidencies, without talking about a special interest. And you cannot then talk about the special interest without talking about its lopsided size in the American political process.
No one in Washington – apart from a few Likudniks and Palinite end-timers – actually supports more settlements or any settlements in the West Bank. At the same time, Washington exercizes a UN veto to protect Israel from international law, funnels a vast amount of foreign and military aid to the country, helped finance the pulverization of Gaza last year, provides absurd international cover for Israel’s 150 nukes, has worked tirelessly to prevent Iran from gaining nuclear capacity, and on and on.
In return? Fuck you, Obama. To which the overwhelming response in Washington is: Obama screwed up.
Even Haaretz is franker about this process than our media: "[T]he [Obama] administration will avoid taking any position that suggests disagreement with Israel, because of the support that Israel enjoys among both parties in Congress." Why? One must talk about money, media, and religious belief.
