Tikvah
Editors’ Pick

April 28, 2026

American Interests, Not Domestic Pressure, Shape Middle East Policy

The myth of the Israel lobby.

Lobbying by special-interest groups has been part of American politics since the ratification of the Constitution. Nearly as old is lobbying by specific ethnic groups for specific foreign policies. But, observes Michael Mandelbaum, rarely have such groups had a decisive influence on important policy decisions. The pro-Israel lobby, “a latecomer to the roster of ethnic interest groups,” is no exception:

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