One half of the stand up comedy team of Mearsheimer & Walt was given a chance to promote their book “the Israel Lobby”, on Comedy Central (video below). The book –which seeks to portray US support for Israel as being the sole product of the US Israel lobby– is actually a product of the (rightfully so) much maligned unofficial Harvard paper, from which the university later removed its official seal.
According to a J’lem Post report: “Stephen Colbert, whose turn as a satirical ultra-conservative TV host entertains Comedy Central audiences nightly, was trying his darnedest to understand the arguments made in his guest’s book.”
“You say that the Israel lobby was influential in helping push for war with Iraq. Is that because the Israeli lobby knew there were so many pro-Israeli forces ready to take over in Iraq once Saddam fell?”
“No,” Mearsheimer responded as the audience laughed.
Colbert tried again.
“How do they influence United States policy to make the United States the largest single supplier of arms – to Saudi Arabia? How does that benefit them?”
The audience laughed again.
Point clearly taken. The comedy team of Mearsheimer & Walt cannot explain the inconsistencies an contradictions in their thesis. If the “Israel lobby” is so powerful to cause a country to go to war (later proved that Israel was indeed against the war in Iraq), how come they can’t influence an embargo of US weapons to both the Saudis and Egyptians?
Mearsheimer’s book goes hand in hand with the one authored by the worst US ex-president, Jimmy Carter. Over all, Mearsheimer’s appearance on the comedy show was the proper venue for such a book, I just hope that Jimmy Carter will do the same. More here. *L* KGS
