Can of Worms

John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt have recently published a working paper titled: The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. It makes for some pretty fascinating reading.

Their main conclusion seems to be that the powerful Israel Lobby in America has influenced US foreign policy to such an extent that most policy decisions are centered on unconditional support for Israel, often at the expense, and sometimes in direct opposition, to actual US interests.

This paper has, of course, sparked widespread controversy. One critic described it as:

"A classical conspiratorial anti-Semitic analysis invoking the canards of Jewish power and Jewish control..."

This accusation, and many others of a similar nature that have been leveled at the authors, are to be expected where any criticism of Israel is involved. The problem is that any reasonable and informed debate about the US/Israel alliance and its implications for US foreign policy has largely been eclipsed by the more emotional and vitriolic response. Surely research that raises such serious questions deserves more than this.

Or we could just continue kicking each other in the shins.