How the pro-Israel lobby has steered U.S. presidents from Truman to Trump

A new book argues that successive American presidents have repeatedly yielded to a powerful Israel-focused lobby, often at odds with their own advisers and national interests.

The book "Israel’s Lobby" contends that U.S. leaders have long been pressured by a coordinated pro-Israel network, beginning with Harry Truman’s 1948 recognition of Israel despite George Marshall’s counsel to avoid war in the Middle East. Subsequent presidents - Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump - each faced moments when their own foreign-policy judgments clashed with lobby demands, leading them to reverse or dilute initiatives aimed at a broader Arab-Israeli peace.

Notable incidents include Ford’s abandoned “Wise Men” plan, Carter’s capitulation after a threat from Moshe Dayan, Bush’s suspension of loan guarantees, Obama’s shift from a settlement freeze to supporting Israeli positions, and Trump’s 2023 decision to join an Iran operation after Israeli lobbying. The authors argue that the lobby’s capacity to mobilize political support and threaten accusations of antisemitism has entrenched its sway, limiting U.S. options in the region. They call for broader resistance to foreign-interest groups to restore independent American policymaking.