Friends + Interlocutors,

Professor Mearsheimer points out a basic and obvious problem. What passes for Washington's diplomacy with regard to Israel and Palestine is a charade. It is hopelessly skewed because it is being led by Jewish Zionists who are essentially “Israel Firsters”. 

Diplomacy is not being conducted in America’s best interests. I would say it is being conducted to further and maintain the interests of Washington’s politicians who are in thrall to the Israel Lobby and dependent upon AIPAC campaign funding. 

Of course there are exceptions. There are nut-cases like Senators Linsey Graham and Tom Cotton who may actually believe their blind, unbridled support for Israel is in America’s interests. The same may or may not be true of ex-Senator Marco Rubio, who is now Trump’s embarrassing Secretary of State. 

Then there is Trump’s Christian Zionist Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Mike Huckabee, a remarkable double-loyalty character who appears to be out of touch with reality. In other words, you don’t need to be Jewish to be an Israel Firster. You can be a foolish Gentile. Or you can be a foolish Gentile who has been bribed and suborned.

Mearsheimer mentions in passing the 2000 Camp David negotiations in Washington at the tail end of Bill Clinton’s Administration. Clinton was surrounded by “Israel’s lawyers” during the negotiations, including inter alia Martin Indyk, Dennis Ross and Aaron Miller. I can envision the scene where on occasion Bill Clinton and Arafat might have been the only non-Jews in the room. 

In any event, Camp David was the last gasp. Anyone who has the time and the interest should read The Truth about Camp David by Clayton Swisher. This was the final realistic chance to reach an overall peace settlement before Arafat passed from the scene. The Israelis later murdered him. There has been only a sham of American diplomacy since. 

Patrick

=====