Transforming America’s Israel Lobby: The Limits of Its Power and the Potential for Change

Fleshler, former media strategist for the Israel Policy Forum, offers a clear-eyed and dispassionate assessment of what he terms “the conventional Israel lobby” and its real and imagined influence on Congress and the president. Observing the irony that both the lobby and its opponents benefit from overstating its power, Fleshler debunks conventional wisdom about the lobby and its methods, using, for example, a study of Federal Election Commission records to demonstrate that pro-Israel political contributions are in fact minor compared to those connected with dozens of other causes. With less specificity, Fleshler outlines how liberal supporters of Israel can simultaneously promote the country’s security and push American officials to make greater demands on its government, particularly concerning settlement expansion. The book accurately explains Jewish-American fears about criticism of Israel, acknowledging legitimate historical anxieties even as Fleshler calls on young and unaffiliated members of the community to lead new lobbying efforts on behalf of a less divisive approach to the Arab-Israeli conflict. (May)