United States foreign policy and the Israeli lobby By John Mearsheimer (University of Chicago) and Stephen Walt

(Harvard University)

ARM Assignment # 2 Muhammad bin Khalid 01-111102-119 BBA 6(F)

Focus of Research
The focus on the research is on the United States foreign policy and is aimed at articulating how a certain pro-Israel lobby in the United States has had its overall ramifications and repercussions on world politics. The research covers all the aspects of the unconditional support rendered by the United States to Israel after the Six days War of 1967 and due to the initial efforts of Israel to curb the expansion of Bolshevism in the Arab World. The writers who are revered as two of the best International Relations experts in the world argue that ever since this episode in world history Israel has been more of a liability to the United States and they are critical of all erstwhile ties with Israel. The research encourages the United States to pursue a more logical approach in the Middle East as the current policy has led to the widespread resentment of many Muslim countries. There is also a need for a bilateral effort in Israeli and United States relations while the authors argue that the former is ever more dependent on the latter.

Issues raised in the Research

After 1967 there has been a keen stake for American policy makers in the Middle East because Israel forged a strategic alliance. Zanotti (2012) and other scholars argue however that the Zionist agenda of the United States foreign policy dates back to 1948. The research clearly notifies us that there are some commentators and laymen alike who feel like there is a yearning for pro-Israeli policy because of ideological similarities between both states but the authors argue that this is not the case. Clearly shown in their report Walt cited that Israel received about $3 billion per year on foreign aid from the United States which amounts for one-fifth of the total foreign aid budget of the United States Department of State. Despite the acquisition of Israel of nuclear weapons in a more turbulent part of the world the United States has done little or nothing to keep a check on Israel. The United States supports Israel so much that to the extent that Israel gets intelligence sharing with United States, such clandestine information that it is not even shared with the NATO allies. The authors argue that Israel has received the unconditional support of the United States despite the fact that the state has defied many of the political maxims expressed by the United States over the years for example the acquisition of nuclear weapons by the state of Israel. The main purpose of the research is to systematically express how Israel has become more of a liability to the United States rather than an asset. Their proxy services to curb Soviet expansion in 1967 was very important for the United States however, after that unrelenting Israeli support has given rise to problems and often the United States had to rely on self-help impose their will in the Middle East. The works of Israel and the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East has led to incessant diplomatic impasses for the United States and the country has often found itself having a stark duplicity in the conduct of its diplomats and policy makers. The pro-Israeli lobby has done whatever is possible in order for them to avoid

being sequestered in any way. The authors argue that this is not a feasible course of action for them as they get a lot less in return and this defies the rules of American doctrine of Pragmatism.

Domain or Context of Research

The research is very valid and feasible because of the global position of the United States as a world leader. The research falls into the domain of International Politics or International Relations. With the ushering in of the new unipolar world order and the dominance of the United States in global politics for the past two decades we have seen imposition of American will and ideologies in different parts of the world. Nowhere in the world can this be felt more than in the Middle East. Stubbs and Underhill (2005) emphasized the importance of the post-world war Bretton Woods system and the globalization agenda of the United States that set it up as the leader of the contemporary world. The United States global hegemony was further enhanced by rapid commercialization and a belief in the Trade theory of the Heckscher-Ohlin Theorem which dictates that pioneering nations like the United States make the most money out of goods and commodities. This commercial hegemony has made the United States the leader of the world and it enabled them to impose their ideals on the world. With the emergence of the pro-Israel lobby that Mearsheimer and Walt so clearly pointed out, Israel has done the utmost to make sure that they make the most out of this American dominance. The Israelis constantly press Americans to keep on promoting their interests and veto any Security Council Resolutions made against Israel. Moreover, Sharp (2012) showed that despite lending a helping hand in diplomatic efforts, the United States also showed that this commercial power of the United States enabled it to give a total of 115 billion United States dollars of assistance, more than the Israeli foreign reserves. Mearsheimer and Walt also testified to this fact and they also showed that instead of usual quarterly payments these were given at the beginning of each year. Sharp (2012) also agreed with the crux of Mearsheimer and Walts argument that it was now time to change the alignment of the foreign policy and cited fiscal and economic reasons. The United States with Chinas vast foreign reserves is at a very precarious position. With a debt of over a trillion US dollars any dumping of US currency by China will result in catastrophe for the United States. So a lot of intellectuals are now try to revert the foreign policy and pursue and isolationist doctrine. The United States has too many problems of its own to help what most may call a rogue state. This research may prove very important for United States policy makers who want a dove lobby and above all an isolationist foreign policy.

Research approach and Methodology

Israel and United States relationship forms the very cornerstone for Middle Eastern affairs and the issue has been debated and raised over in different international fora and think tanks alike. Hence it is very easy to find sources of literature on the issue. There is also a publication each year that comes out for the aid of United States congressmen to make policies. The primary think

tank involved is the Congressional Research Service. As clearly written in the research paper, the authors have used whatever knowledge they could by looking at the history of US-Israeli relations and used the American political philosophy of Pragmatism to prove and propound their viewpoints. The report has used data from internationally renowned scholars and dignitaries. They had to give over two hundred references and sixty three citations. They have used accounts from secondary data and have rigorously used the stance of Israeli authors also. The research has been made publicly available and funded by Harvard University and the University of Chicago.

Bibliography
Richard Stubbs, G. U. (2005). The United States and Globalization:Struggles with Hegemony. London, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. Sharp, J. (2012). U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel. Washinton, D.C, United States: Congressional Research Service. Walt, S. (2006). 1-42. Boston, Massachusetts, United States: Hardvard University/University of Chicago. Zanotti, J. (2012). Israel:Background on U.S. Realtions. Washington, D.C, United States: Congressional Research Service.