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Reader comment on:
Two Professors Fail To Clean Up Their Act
in response to reader comment: Truth & Politics

Submitted by Adam Lovinger, Sep 4, 2007 13:45

I applaud the evenhandedness of Mr. Williams contribution and his patriotism. Having worked for AIPAC for a brief time in the 1990s, however, I can dispell one prevalent myth -- that AIPAC lobbies in secret. The success of AIPAC has many sources, but what many people do not understand is that its lobbying is done in the full light of day -- It has a website that publicizes its priorities and concerns, it publishes the "Middle East Report," and its annual policy conference is covered by many of the major mainstream news outlets. The reason why AIPAC has nothing to hide is that its central tenant -- something of which Walt and Mearsheimer are amateurishly ignorant -- is to align the interests of Israel and the U.S. so that both nations prosper and benefit from the relationship. For obvious reasons, it is in AIPAC's interest to make this fact known -- which it does through many media -- rather than keep it secret. This is a major source of its power, and is a significant reason why politicians so strongly and easily support the organization. Thus Walt and Mearsheimer, having clearnly fallen victim to the anti-semitic stereotype of thinking that "Jews work in secret cabals," are blinded to the truth of AIPAC's transparent operations. To take any other approach -- especially to put the U.S. and Israel in opposing positions -- is amateurish. AIPAC's leadership is clearly much more savy than Walt and Mearsheimer have imagined. But their ignorance is understandible because like so many others throughout history, and despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, they are captive to the age-old predisposition to thinking that Jews must be operating furtively.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment By Date

this issue is very interesting, as is the discussion of the book in the article. i personally think that there... [MORE]

Thomas Jamieson 

Sep 16, 2007 06:53

The emergence of a frank and open public discussion of U.S. - Israeli relations should be viewed not as an... [MORE]

DPWalker 

Sep 14, 2007 09:56

I think we have freedom of speech in the US. It is healthy to stop for a moment and question... [MORE]

Subhi AbuAbbas 

Sep 7, 2007 19:10

For a lobbying organization or special interest group to be truly effective, it must be largely invisible. By working behind... [MORE]

Fredric Dennis Williams 

Sep 3, 2007 10:28

I applaud the evenhandedness of Mr. Williams contribution and his patriotism. Having worked for AIPAC for a brief time in...

Adam Lovinger 

Sep 4, 2007 13:45

Essentially, the situation that Mearsheimer and Walt describe is correct. Their critics -like the writer of this article- quibble over... [MORE]

Arthur G. Brina 

Aug 31, 2007 22:35

Your response to the article and book by Messrs. Mearsheimer and Walt once again exemplifies the proclivity of Israelis and... [MORE]

John Schwab 

Aug 30, 2007 22:23

The contrast of Ira Stoll's well crafted critique heightens the slovenly, lazy, and impoverished display of abilities of these two... [MORE]

Carolyn Barnett-Goldstein 

Aug 30, 2007 03:21

It's interesting that commentators are attempting to get the 2 professors fired for expressing their opinions. The are NOT saying... [MORE]

Steven Kammerer 

Aug 31, 2007 17:38

Israel should be taken to task for how they went into Lebanon. The world is going to find fault with Israel... [MORE]

Barbara 

Sep 1, 2007 21:00

I have read a number of reviews on the Walt- Mearsheimer book. This one gives special insight and we see... [MORE]

Shalom Freedman 

Aug 29, 2007 14:41

Thanks are due to Ira Stoll for an excellent analysis of the Walt-Mearsheimer propaganda tract. Stoll has composed what the... [MORE]

Elliott A Green 

Aug 29, 2007 10:18

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