Today, I have dipped into Takes on the Worldâs archives for a very special program, one that I originally played on May 13, 2015, the likes of which you are not going to find on any other radio station. What youâll hear was recorded at a conference at the National Press Club in Washington on April 10, 2015, that addressed the question of whether or not the Israel Lobby was good for the United States or for Israel. The event was sponsored by the Washington Report on the Middle East and the Institute for Research: Middle East Policy, whose director, Grant Smith, is a frequent guest on this program. Despite a stellar list of nationally and internationally known speakers appearing before a packed National Press Club conference room, and the unquestionable relevance of the subject to the American political scene, there was not a single word of the event in the mainstream US media. This was pointed out by Ralph Nader on the CounterPunch website which was, ironically, the only reporting of the event in the alternative media. All the presentations ran under 20 minutes which enabled me to put together three that I considered among the most important for an American audience. The first speaker is Israeli born Miko Peled, author of The Generals' Son, who now lives in San Diego, and whom I interviewed in October, 2013. Following Peled will be, arguably, Israel's most controversial and well known journalist, Gideon Levy, from Ha'aretz, whom I also interviewed several years back. Concluding the hour will be MJ Rosenberg, formerly the editor of AIPAC's Near East Report, and a veteran of 15 years working for members of Congress on Capitol Hill. Each of the speakers will tell you something about themselves and how they arrived at their current positions. Given the expressed desire by Congress and Resident Trump to bow to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahuâs and AIPACâs wishes and walk away from the nuclear deal negotiated by the Obama administration with Iran, what you will hear now is perhaps more relevant today than it was two years ago. The entire conference can be viewed at israellobbyus.org.
Recorded at conference on Israel Lobby: Is it Good for the US or Israel" Originally recorded April 10, 2015 at National Press Club in Washington DC sponsored by Wash. Report on Middle East and Inst. for Research: Middle East Policy.
The entire conference can be viewed at israellobbyus.org.