Episode 7: A Must Read Book on the Israel Lobby

When Steve and I wrote, the lobby was pretty much in charge of the discourse and pretty much in charge of policy. But that has changed. The West is leading Ukraine down the primrose path, and the Israelis are executing a genocide in Gaza. It's not China's fault that it wants to be powerful. So if you get into trouble and you dial 911,

there's nobody at the other end. Hello this is John Mearsheimer, and in today's episode, I would like to talk about the new book on the Israel lobby by Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick. It's called Israel's Lobby. America in the grip of a Foreign Power. I think this is a truly important book, and I hope that all of the viewers

go out and buy a copy and read it very carefully. Of course, this is a subject that's dear to my heart because along with Steve Walt, I wrote an article and a book on the subject of the Israel lobby back in 2006 2007. Steve and I wrote the article, which appeared in the London Review of Books in 2006.

And then, of course, our book came out, The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy in 2007. And what I'd like to do is tell you why I think that the new book by Eli Clifton and Ian Lustick, is so important. And in the process, I want to do that by comparing it to the

book that Steve and I wrote. This book is not just an updated version of what Steve and I wrote. This book has all sorts of new insights in it that people should consider very seriously. And the way I'd like to proceed is, first of all, I just like to talk about what the basic arguments are in the two books.

Then I'd like to talk about the underlying conceptual framework that has to underpin any discussion of the Israel lobby and of course, underpins both the book Steve and I wrote in the book that Eli and Ian wrote. And then I want to talk about the nitty gritty changes that have taken place since