“The relationship with Israel is in a different league entirely”
In light of Israel’s multi-front war in the region, including Gaza, Lebanon and the escalation with Iran, how can we understand the US-Israel ‘special relationship’?
And where does the pro-Israel lobby in the US fit inside this framework?
That’s what we’re asking Harvard professor Stephen Walt, who joined us for an extended conversation on Real Talk.
Walt is considered one of the most influential US foreign policy experts. In 2007, he famously co-authored a book with John Mearsheimer titled ‘The Israel Lobby and US foreign policy’ which generated a lot of attention and controversy for challenging what has been a taboo topic in the US for decades.
Real Talk is a Middle East Eye interview programme hosted by Mohamed Hashem.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Israel and killing of Sinwar
06:16 Special relationship between Israel & US
11:47 The Lobby and Gaza war
13:46 War against US interests?
15:55 Biden’s outdated view of Israel
18:10 Arab public opinion
24:43 Biden’s political calculation
25:53 America’s hypocrisy in Gaza
30:29 What if Israel lost 1967 war?
31:37 America’s disconnect from Middle East
36:24 Are we back to a Bush-era type thinking?
39:16 The Lobby & attacking Iran
42:08 Does American public opinion matter?
47:26 Obama’s tenure and the Lobby
50:25 AIPAC & US elections
55:20 Future of US-Israel relationship
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