The Israeli Lobby's Poisonous Influence on US Policy

By Stephen Lendman

The Israeli Lobby's Poisonous Influence on US Policy - by Stephen Lendman
In his powerful 2006 book titled, "The Power of Israel in the United States," James Petras explained the enormous Jewish Lobby influence on US Middle East policies. Often harming American interests, they're pursued anyway because of its grassroots and high-level control over government, business leaders, academia, the clergy and mass media since at least the 1960s.
As a result, anyone challenging Israeli policy risks being intimidated, blackmailed, smeared, pressured, removed from positions of authority, or called a national security or terrorist threat, leaving them vulnerable to unprincipled ostracization, persecution or worse.
Among America's 52 Conference of Major American Jewish Organization(s) (CPMAJO), the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) is the oldest, founded in 1897.
Established by B'nai Brith in 1913, perhaps the Anti-Definition League is best known.
However, in terms of its influence over US Middle East policies, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) stands out. Calling itself "America's Pro-Israel Lobby," it's represented Israeli interests since founded in 1953, then incorporated in 1963 as a division of the American Zionist Council (AZC), its precursor.

In 1962, Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered AZC to register as the foreign agent of the Jewish Agency for Israel (responsible for Israeli immigration) under the 1938 Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). In 1963, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee investigated AZC's stealth Jewish Agency funding. Weeks later, AIPAC was incorporated, replaced AZC, was later granted tax exempt status retroactive to 1953, refuses to register as an foreign Israeli agent, and gets away with it.

Today, masquerading as a domestic lobby, it's a stealth foreign Israeli agent, supporting policies harming US interests. Calling itself "America's leading pro-Israeli lobby," its web site says it "works with both Democratic and Republican political leaders to enact public policy that strengthens the vital US-Israel relationship."
In fact, functioning as a virtual fifth column, it's poisoned the body politic since exempted from operating lawfully. As a result, as part of the destructive Israeli Lobby, it has virtual veto power over war and peace, trade and investment, multi-billion dollar arms sales, and all Middle East policies under Democrat and Republican administrations alike.
Ralph Nader calls Washington corporate occupied territory. It's also Israeli Lobby-controlled, including AIPAC, assuring what Israel wants, it gets, but not without independent voices denouncing its poisonous influence.
Included are Jewish organizations against Zionism, a topic addressed in a previous article, accessed through the following link:
click here
It discussed Zionism's hidden history, as well as opposition groups, including:
-- True Torah Jews Against Zionism;
-- Not In My Name;
-- Jewish Voice for Peace;

Source:  opednews.com