Tel Aviv - The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a typical example of the opportunities and guarantees provided by American democracy. AIPAC is playing by the rules set by the U.S. Constitution, lawmakers and political system. Yes, it has used those rules and opportunities to gain advantages. But what's wrong with that? Such clever behavior should be admired, not cursed. In that sense, AIPAC is no different from any other lobby in America; it exists to promote its interests. If AIPAC or its officials are breaking the laws or the rules, put them on trial. AIPAC’s only problem is that it is successful and outstanding, and thus has become an object of envy.
AIPAC is indeed a powerful organization. It is one of the oldest lobby groups in the U.S., established 1951 by Isaiah (Si) L. Kenen, a Canadian-born Jewish journalist. It is committed to its mission to promote the Israeli-American alliance, and has been effective in doing so.
It’s no surprise that Israel's opponents and bashers would like to see a weak and dysfunctional AIPAC. But those who claim that the lobby is too powerful and too influential are not honest in exposing their true motives. They don't wish to curb only AIPAC. They have a different, hidden agenda: to restrain and downgrade U.S.-Israel relations. But as is said of ancient Rome, the alliance between the U.S. and Israel was not built in a day. It is a result of many factors: the horrors of the Holocaust, family and cultural ties, common shared values, religion, military, intelligence and strategic cooperation. AIPAC is only one more contributor that cements the multi-layered, patchwork-quilt nature of strong U.S.-Israel ties.
I find a lot of hypocrisy in the argument that AIPAC's power needs to be limited. It is like getting angry at the messenger. Is a strong NRA responsible for the violence in America? Of course not. The roots of the violent disease are deeper. The same is true about AIPAC. If U.S. administrations had reached the conclusion that strong relations with Israel were a disservice to their national interests, they would have severed them without a second thought. As long as U.S. governments maintain pro-Israeli policies, it means that they perceive them as in their national interest. If the American public has a problem with the policy, it should challenge American leaders to modify those policies and their consequences. But neither Israel nor its strong lobby is to blame. Governments are persuaded or even manipulated because they allow themselves, or even want themselves, to be.
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