After reading the first chapter of Mearsheimer and Walt’s The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy, I can say one thing with absolute certainty: These guys are major-league anti-Semites. What I can’t understand is how such ardent neo-Nazis were able to hold their tongues for decades as they infiltrated America’s elite universities and became respected members of the establishment. Seems they would have let slip some of their bigotry long ago at faculty gatherings – in vino veritas and all that. How could they suppress the sort of volcanic hatred that has finally come out in this hatey hate-athon of hate?
I feel compelled to offer some samples to quiet the skeptics, but avert your eyes if you wish to remain pure of heart:
“There is a strong moral case for Israel’s existence and there are good reasons for the United States to be committed to helping Israel if its survival is in jeopardy.”
“The lobby is a loose coalition of individuals and organizations that actively works to move U.S. foreign policy in a pro-Israel direction. As we will describe in detail, it is not a single, unified movement with a central leadership, and it is certainly not a cabal or conspiracy that ‘controls’ U.S. foreign policy.”
“Like the efforts of other ethnic lobbies and interest groups, the activities of the Israel lobby’s various elements are legitimate forms of democratic political participation, and they are for the most part consistent with America’s long tradition of interest group activity.”
“By making it difficult to impossible for the U.S. government to criticize Israel’s conduct and press it to change some of its counterproductive policies, the lobby may even be jeopardizing the long-term prospects of the Jewish state.”
Ugh. I hope you didn’t actually read any of that garbage.
UPDATE: I see that Clark Stooksbury is similarly chagrined.
With tongue firmly planted in cheek, right…
I literally LOLed.
so what does questioning israeli interests have to do with anti semitism….you ought to respect those of your religion killed in ww2 more and stop hiding behind their deaths, they were more brave than you ever will be and withstood persecution for the sins and politics of others, you on the other hand choose to smear yourself with the dishonor of using their bravery for your zionist purposes. the old rabbis were right about zionism it turns out as one can see on http://jewsagainstzionism.com/…but alas anti semitism truly has become the new term for those whom the zionist hate and want to try to silence.
i hope all of americas liberal jews wake up and leave you zionist usurpers to fend for yourselves.
an arrogant lot you are.
wow, i’m a ‘major-league anti-semite’ and i didn’t even know it. what actually reads like a reasonable look at the situation is actually neo-nazi propaganda.
i best go and tell my Jewish boyfriend that i can see him anymore and i guess that year i spent studying the holocaust at university was in vain.
now where did i leave my brown shirt, i’m sure it’s around here somewhere…
You may want to check out the review by Ron Rosenbaum on Slate, where things go awry in the second paragraph when [the fact that the book] “calls to mind the fantastical, string-pulling Jewish conspiracy for world domination one finds in that century-old fraud The Protocols of the Elders of Zion” is pointedly “set aside”. I just sighted – what a letdown. Why does one have to suffer such rhetoric?
http://www.slate.com/id/2173908/
I read Rosenbaum already, thanks. It’s typical of the genre.
From you’re selected text, it is obvious to myself and the casual reader that “The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy” is on par with that of Mein Kampf. Walt and Mearsheimer belong in Gitmo with all the other anti-Semites.
Sincerely,
A True American Patriot
http://www.israellobbybook.com/
@Matt Barganier.
ANTI-SEMITISM: this is the accusation most used among imbeciles these days.
For the nth time: Criticism of Israel is not Anti-Semitism.
To consider the Zionist movement an arrogant bunch of dangerous criminals is not anti-semitism either. I am sorry.
Although the definition doesn’t even strictly mean that, Anti-Semitism is supposed to be taking against the jews just because they are jews, and there isn’t a single sentence in the excerpts you provided that goes in that direction.
I wonder, are you aware of it? Are you really that ignorant?
Who knows.
Paradoxically, you wanted to slam a book after having read only one chapter: evidently you think this is something you readership deserves, without even going into the ethical… I guess you must be excused because you probably were in a hurry to get yourself some praise from the higher ups this way–
but instead than achieving this, you just proved to everyone how much your judgment is biased and how much the definitions you use are in fact used superficially.
will some people ever get sarcasm ?
thanks for the post matt.
wait, was it sarcasm? well, if it was, now I certainly feel like an idiot for not having realized it, and I am sorry.
On the other hand: I suppose that to enjoy this sarcasm one should know for a fact that it is impossible for this contributor to ever think or write these things, right?
But 1) I have yet to familiarize with this contributor or this blog positions 2) I am not updated on the debate about this book (if any) 3) it is not impossible or infrequent to encounter such positions about Israel among the ranks of the left, when they act as gate-keepers of the dissent.
Thing is, there’s plenty of them out there doing so, especially in preparation of the 2008 elections and all the dissent that will have to be “routed” around it.
I admit I still have to understand what role antiwar.com wants to play in this game. Meanwhile I am on the defensive.
Are you trolling or something? “Non ho capito” — “I didn’t understand”? Matt’s post is unambiguously sarcastic humor. Only a robot wouldn’t get it.
fine, it’s unambiguous. I must be stupid. I already called myself idiot, what do you want? I am not the only one apparently who got tricked. nonhocapito is just the nickname I use, don’t get too suspicious.
“hatey hate-athon of hate”
Come on dude. There was no trickery involved. The fact that you weren’t the only one makes it even more disturbing. Even if you are an idiot (not saying you are), this is idiot-proof stuff.
Anyway, sorry, I’ll stop hassling now.
I think we need to invent a new font or something so people understand sarcasm. It actually did took me a few seconds to realise! If I had read this piece on some other site, maybe I wouldn’t have gotten it.
The first couple of reply posts and people should have realized it was all in good sarcastic humor…
all these accusations of anti-semitism, but they are just that, accusations. no facts or statements from the book to back up those claims, just random name calling.not very nice.from now on if you are going to call someone an anti-semite you should back up that accusation with some facts.thanks.it was an excellent book, thank you w&m.
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