Israel, Its Lobby, and the Iran War
On 17 March 2026, I was on “Judging Freedom” talking with the Judge about Iran and related matters.
Today is the 20th anniversary — to the day — of the publication on the internet of “The Israel Lobby” in The London Review of Books. Naturally, the Judge and I talked about the article and book that Steve Walt and I wrote, focusing on the role that the lobby plays today — as opposed to back in 2006 — in shaping the discourse about Israel as well as US policy toward Israel.
I emphasized that the lobby’s role in shaping policy remains as strong as ever, but that it has lost control of the discourse. It is now widely believed in the US — and all around the planet for that matter — that the US was dragged into the Iran war by Israeli PM Netanyahu and the lobby.
Shortly after the show ended, news came out that Joe Kent, the Director of the Trump Administration’s National Counterterrorism Center had just resigned, and said in his letter of resignation that “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Of course, that was the line of argument the Judge and I were discussing just beforehand on his show.
The Judge and I also talked about state of the war and the apparent lack of a way the US can either end the war or win it.
Israel keeps knocking off Iranian leadership. Surely, they are aware that Iranian strategic planning is centred on a decentralized "Dead Hand" command structure. According to the European Council on Foreign Relations and other experts like Alastair Crooke, it was orchestrated by Supreme Leader Khamenei in the months preceding his death. This doctrine was engineered to ensure that Iranian military operations continue even in the event of a total leadership decapitation. By eliminating the entire senior command structure, the US/Israel have removed the only individuals with the authority to rescind pre-authorized military orders. Netanyahu and Trump need to be put in strait jackets. Please comment.
Narena Olliver
It would be interesting to ask John Mearsheimer whether, given his life experience and his accumulated knowledge, he would entertain the idea of running for president if he were 45 years old. My guess is that he would say he’d rather live his life in a more contemplative manner than be involved in politics. And if that were his answer, it would point to the very reason we’re in the trouble we’re in. It is largely due to the fact that most of the people who run for higher office are self-selected narcissists, who are the worst types of people to hold these positions.