In large numbers, literature regarding the politics of the Middle East, the war on terror, the regime-change policy of America, and the Israel-Palestine conflict has been produced, but major questions are not comprehensively addressed. The questions like, “Why did America invade Iraq after 9/11? Why does America support Israel diplomatically, financially, and militarily? Why was Syria seen as a threat? All these questions are broadly answered in the myth-breaking book by Johan J. Mearshemier and Stephen M. Walt titled “The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy”. This book describes the influence of the Israel lobby over American foreign policy and internal politics. Furthermore, it also resembles the tactics of Pakistani politics. The book is divided into two parts and eleven chapters.
The first part describes the Israel lobby, its undeniable influence on American politics, and the decision-making process. The lobby includes American Jews, Christian Zionists, and powerful organizations such as the America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which directly interferes in the decision-making process. In the book, it is argued that American support for Israel is provided not on moral, social, and strategic grounds but due to the dominance of the lobby. Besides this, American politics cannot survive the tactics of lobbyists because presidents are not selected unless they have shown sympathy for Israel. Moreover, the lobby has penetrated itself into the governance body of America and drives America according to its own will.
In the second part, difficulties created by these lobbyists for America in various countries, such as Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon, are narrated. This lobby initiated the regime change policy and the war on terror in order to weaken Arab influence, which posed a serious threat to Israel. America’s support for Israel has undermined the positive image of America in the Arab world. Furthermore, groups like Hezbollah, which were fighting against Israel, have made a strong move against not only Israel but also America. All these difficulties are caused by the influence of the lobby.
This book is very relevant to the internal politics of Pakistan. In Pakistan, there is a similar lobby that asserts great influence over the whole country. If the lobby gets angry, then your plane will crash, you will be hanged, you will be dismissed, and you will be exiled. But if the lobby is willing, then you can be returned to exile and become prime minister. The power lies in the hands of this lobby which is still running the country. On the whole, this book does not only reveal the dubious face of the Israel lobby but also resembles Pakistani politics. Although the faces have changed, the power holders have not.
