Manufacturing the Next Big Lie: The Israel Lobby, Jews & Iran
Manufacturing the Next Big Lie: The “Israel Lobby,” Jews & Iran
Convergence of the Antiwar and Anti-Israel Movements
When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, the far left antiwar and anti-Israel movements quickly united to condemn the war and to accuse the “Israel lobby” of forcing the U.S. into it. Now that tensions with Iran are escalating, these movements have similarly sought to blame the “Israel lobby” for trying to force the U.S. to go to war against Iran.
In fact, some of the most virulent charges about the “Israel lobby’s” role in pushing for a war against Iran come from the antiwar movement. Antiwar.com, a Web site that regularly posts articles criticizing the “Israel lobby,” features articles written by individuals who are critical of U.S. foreign policy both on the left and right-wing ends of the spectrum, including Patrick Buchanan, Michael Scheuer, and Juan Cole, a history professor at University of Michigan and political blogger.
In several articles, the site’s founder, Justin Raimondo, alleges that the “Israel lobby” is compelling the U.S. to wage war against Iran just like it did with Iraq. For example, in a November 2007 article that was also published on Press TV, the Iranian international news network, Raimondo wrote, “Beating the drums for war, the Israel lobby is pulling out all the stops, and this time they are out in the open about it. The fear that the Lobby would be too visible in promoting Israel’s interests motivated them to keep a relatively low profile during the run-up to war with Iraq, but it isn’t holding them back now.” Similarly, in a January 2007 article on Antiwar.com Raimondo had warned that the “power of the Lobby is being mobilized, and not quietly” to convince the U.S. to start a war with Iran.