With Steve Walt on the Lobby & Iran
On, 29 March 2026, Tom Switzer hosted a discussion with me and Steve Walt about our article, “The Israel Lobby,” which appeared 20 years ago in March 2006 in The London Review of Books. The back and forth with Tom provided me and Steve with an excellent opportunity not only to talk about what we said in the original article, but what has changed since then regarding the lobby and its influence on US foreign policy. We naturally focused much attention on the Iran war and the central role that Israel and the lobby played in pushing the US into this disastrous war.
Great to see both authors of a great book discuss where we were and where we're headed. What a timeless and meaningful read!
Key takeaway: Just because the population of the US has shifted its view of Israel, it doesn't mean the policy toward Israel will change anytime soon, just observe how many laws have been passed to crack down on free speech etc.