Prof. Mearsheimer at IAGD

By Adil James

Rochester–June 6–People willing to speak out–in the face of massive reprisals by an organized and motivated group of individuals and institutions who aim to destroy anyone daring to challenge even Israel’s most outrageous policies–are few and far between, especially among people with established reputations.

But such a man is Professor John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago, who together with Professor Stephen Walt published The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy in 2007, describing in detail the extent to which a narrow and powerful lobby within the United States skews American foreign policy to an extent far beyond the level of influence to be expected from the small minority of people who have ties to Israel.

Professor Mearsheimer was invited to IAGD for its fundraiser Saturday night, and he described his perception of the future of Israel and the Palestinians concisely before an audience of perhaps 150 people.

Essentially, he argued that the only way forward, for Israel, for Palestinians, and for the United States, is a two-state solution, something the Israel Lobby is likely to oppose tooth and nail. In fact the Israel Lobby represents the far right of the Israeli political spectrum.

Absent a two-state solution, he explained the most likely future will be an apartheid-like state which will be indefensible in world public opinion.

“More American Jews should understand that Israel is in serious trouble and things are likely to get worse, not better,” he said.

He said the Israeli population shows signs of malaise, explaining that perhaps 1 million Israelis now live outside Israel, saying that now more Israelis move out of Israel than into it, citing statistics that 25% of Israelis have considered moving abroad, and–worse–50% of young people have considered moving abroad.

For the US, support of Israel is costly.  Mearsheimer quoted the 911 Report which said 911 planner KSM’s animus to the United States stemmed primarily from Israel; and Mearsheimer explained that Osama Bin Laden had been concerned since his youth about Palestine.

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