Does Israel control American policy, or the other way round?

[luke]

if you change the question, then i agree - it does have to much influence over us foreign policy, the same as energy companys, arms manufactures and other big business interests ( on foreign and domestic policies )

really the problem has been the same since the start - government doesn't work for the people!

thanks for the link gg, will check it out, and yeah i totally agree the start of the solution is in the funding, if we can remove the need to rely on big business/the lobby for money, that removes a lot of the control they have over things. i don't really like the idea of state funding though, giving them taxpayers money so they can bombard us with propaganda doesn't quite seem the right solution definitely a limit, and a complete reworking of how things are done, how things are debated, more open and honest, what we need is a real democracy and real choice ... haha i'm dreaming now

[Mandy]

[nekokate]

[Mandy]

[nekokate]

Oh, I get it. I apologise for misunderstanding. Refusenik kinda sounded like an insulting term...

[faceless]

[Mandy]

[faceless]

A U.S. military withdrawal from Iraq would be damaging to Israel, Dick Cheney said.

“We must consider, as well, just what a precipitous withdrawal would mean to our other efforts in the war on terror, to our interests in the broader Middle East, and to Israel,” the U.S. vice president said over the weekend to a Republican Jewish Coalition leadership gathering in Latana, Fla.

“Commentators enjoy pointing out mistakes through 20/20 hindsight. But the biggest mistake of all can be seen in advance: A sudden withdrawal of our coalition would dissipate much of the effort that has gone into fighting the global war on terror, and result in chaos and mounting danger. And for the sake of our own security, we will not stand by and let it happen,” Cheney said. He has a similar message earlier this month to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy forum.

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I just found this on some blog, but I've not checked it's authenticity. If it is true then it puts a slant on this debate for sure...

[Mandy]

Thanks Faceless. I did a google search, and the above does seem to be reported on a few "respectable" sites. So I believe it is true.

I believe (though I haven't found the exact recording) that George Galloway said on TalkSport that Israel was the only country to benefit from the Iraq war. That would be a further indication that Britain and US are following a policy which only benefited Israel (even after millions demonstrated BEFORE the war that it is a bad idea to invade .. I recall, I was one of them in 2003).

I have read the following, though can't attest to its accuracy (referring to British MPs) :
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In March 2003, about half of the MPs we voted for in 2001 just happened to be members of the various "Friends of Israel" parliamentary groupings. If any of these "Friends" voted AGAINST the invasion of Iraq, they are not known to me.

Those who worked most closely with William Hague on the 2001 election campaign were: the Australian-Asian, Amanda Platell; Ann Widdecombe and the ghastly Daniel Finkelstein.
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[major.tom]

[Karl]

GG fan if you dont mind me asking which area are you based in?

[Colston]

Corporate America... where is the ownership? There is your policy driver.

[Mandy]

[Mandy]

[faceless]

none of what you're saying suggests that Israel is leading American foreign policy though. There's little doubt that it is the cause of many problems, but to believe that America is treating it in any way other than as a useful state is pointless to me.

If you wanted to maintain your influence in a certain area and were rich enough to do so, what would you do?