Customer Reviews

The Power of Israel in the United States

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

This book by a left-of-center author analyzes and documents of the power of Israel via the Israeli, Jewish and Pro-Zionist Lobbies on US Middle East policy. It questions the primary beneficiary of US policy, and its destructive results for the United States. It explores the extraordinary extent of US political, economic, military and diplomatic support for the state of Israel, along with the means whereby such support is generated and consolidated. Zionist power in America ensures unconditional US backing for Israeli colonization of Palestine and its massive uprooting of Palestinians. It contends that the interests of Israel rather than those of Big Oil are the primary cause of the disastrous US wars against Iraq and threats of war against Iran and Syria. It also explores the AIPAC spying scandal and other Israeli espionage against America. It questions the inability in America to sustain or even formulate a discourse related to the subject of Israeli influence on the United States. Finally, it calls for a review of American Mid East policy with a view to reclaiming US independence of action based upon enlightened self-interest and progressive principles.

Petras seems to cover it all in this scathing and incredibly well informed analysis of Zionist control over United States decision making regarding the Middle East. He proffers a myriad of statistics augmenting his point that the Jewish Lobby is ultimately in the driver's seat when the Pentagon, State Department and Executive Branch deliberate on Middle Eastern policy, and carry out their policy objectives in that region of the world. The Power of Israel in the United States is such a scholarly and well sourced book that it's hard not to laugh in the face of those who scream accusations of anti-Semite at anyone who happens to be toting the book about.

It does an excellent job in explaining how the Jewish Lobby in Washington greatly desired a fragmented Iraq which would pose no threat to Israel's continued ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians and Israel's illegal land grabs into the occupied territories. The Israel-Firsters have pretty much gotten exactly what they wanted: Iraq is indeed turning into a fractured state which will likely end up a tripartite entity virtually powerless to effect change in the Middle East -- cheers from the Israel-Firsters are no doubt echoing from Tel Aviv and AIPAC headquarters.

Naturally Petras points out how the Jewish Lobby is acting consistently on behalf of a foreign power that is outside the reach of American voters. He explains the truism (a truism to anyone garnering information outside major United States media channels) about how the U.S. Congress is completely subservient to Israel and how both Republicans and Democrats are major recipients of the campaign cash emanating from the coffers of the Israel Lobby. Democratic congressional candidates receive roughly 60% of their campaign contributions from Israel-Firsters while GOP candidates receive approximately 35% of their total campaign contributions from the Jewish Lobby. To believe either party on Capitol Hill will buck this stranglehold is delusional.

Petras is truly dedicated to world peace; he explains that one critical step in curbing Middle Eastern violence is for Israel to relinquish its colonial occupation over Palestine. Clearly mainstream media sources will stay as far away from this book as possible given Zionist power over most major media outlets in America. Petras' seminal work should be on the bookshelf of every citizen who considers themselves well informed, and vast passages should be duly highlighted.

Given American's unprecedented military involvement in the Middle East- we have invaded a soveriegn Arab nation based on contrived false assumption, we have allowed Israel (our supposed ally) in invade Lebanon, decimate Gaza and to further colonize the West Bank regardless of the consequence to US strategic interests, it is time to ask "why." Recently we have seen several courageous, credible Americans put forth theories that US Middle East policy has been highjacked by a highly organized political lobby made up of pro-Israeli Jews and so-called Christian Zionists. The works of Professors Mearsheimer and Walt and President Jimmy Carter come to mind. Petras paints a picture of an international organized pro-Israeli lobby that has one mission- advancing the strategic political and military interests of a foreign power. This is without precedent in American history. Although we had other "ethnic based" lobbies (the pro-Taiwanese Chinese lobby of the 1950s, the Cuban lobby in Miami, and the pro-IRA lobby of Irish-Americans), non of these has been able to so capture the entire regional policy of the United States. In fact, Petras argues that the Jewish lobby bears direct responsibility for the Iraq war and the current effort to manipulate the United States to attack Iran and Syria. Sadly, the facts are on Professor Petras' side. One interesting fact that I did not know and was not reported in the US media was the so-called Danish cartoon controversy was caused by a Ukranian, Mossad connected Jew who went by the phony name of Flemming Rose. Petras documents that this was part of a deliberate strategy to further isolate the Muslim world from the West. It is interesting to note that most of the anti-Muslim diatribes being printed in the US media are for the most part written and produced by individuals with close, known pro-Israeli proclivities and generally Jewish. These are indisputable facts the Petras supports with solid references. Petras warns us to beware! Excellent, easy to read, well documented work.

This book is detailed and well-researched. It targets facts and events which are in most cases intentionally ignored by politicians and mass media. The facts are there, but who dares to share them. Better, who dares to face them. I have only read two chapters and am overwhelmed by the deepness of the research and fact-finding.

I believe that every American ought to know the truths which are documented in this book about what is going on in Washington DC. I believe many politicians wish to be able to talk about the abuse of power by the pro-Israeli lobby, but dare not. They have a lot to lose (personally speaking), but the writer of this book holds nothing back from the American public of what they ought to know. He is interested in informing and educating so that the reader can make his judgement and help protect democracy and freedom in the USA and work for a just peace in the Middle East.

Don't read this book unless you are ready. Are you? I dare you.

The question remains, "Will Petras suffer the same outcome as Professors Mearshiemer and Walt?" At least Petras is an Emeritas professor
but because I believe everything that he wrote in this extraordinarily brave, insiteful and prophetic book I fear for his safety. Yes--it is easily within the realm of possibility that bad things could mysteriously befall Petras in the next months, after the dust settles and the memory of all that he has written in this powerful book fades.

I am not one iota surprised by all that Petras has written; the enormity of the threat posed by Israel and its Lobby in the United States has been maturing for the decades that I have been a student of world affairs. There can be no question about this statement regardless of the vociferous denials spalashed on every contradictory statement that ever appears in print or on the electronic media. How can there possibly be a resonably intelligent exchange of views and opinions about the world's most malignant cancer--contemporary Middle East affairs, when one of the major players uses any form of dissuation and disinformation to minimize that debate?

The Power of Israel in the United States raises so many points germane to the current discussion about this most important area of the world. Obviously, of all that Petras writes, the expansion of Israel into what the Zionists call Greater Israel is the most important. When 9/11 happened I told Diane that America was protecting its parent state, Israel, because only the US was powerful enough to withstand the opinion firestorm that would follow an attack on Iraq. Nothing that I have read since then disaproves this original opinion. Petras agrees with the general idea in all of chapter one and speciffically on P. 25 and p. 28.

I feel bad because I still have this childish notion that countries will not drop to the depths of evil but that what looks bad is just something I do not understand--how wrong Petras has proven that I was. On page 86, Petras solves one of the most puzzling events of this murderous assault on Iraq and that was the looting of Baghdad's national archaeological museum. This destruction of one of Western civilization's premier collections of our heritage ranks as a war crime of the highest order and I could not understand how even the incompetant American army could allow it to happen. Now however, after Petras explains what the invasion was about, all the pieces fall into place. I childishly thought that only the Nazi army in Warsaw and the Soviet Union called for the total destruction of the Slavic nation's intellectual and historical infastructure. After reading chapter six, I realize this evil is open to any players and I am ashamed. Poor stupid me; I guess I had better grow up.

If you are not afraid, read this book: underline it, take notes about it but most importantly absorb it. It really is that important!

This is a great book for those who suspect the stupendous influence of a foreign government on our own. It deals with Israel and it's Zion-con agents within and without our government. It is divided into standalone topics - every one of which is an eye-opener in itself. Well written and researched this book is a very valuable tool and historic reference.

For those who have ignored the reckless, unfair and dangerous path we have adopted in the Mid-East it is a must for understanding the overall situation. For those who have watched in horror while the U.S. has become more and more entrenched in operations - over which we have seemingly little or no control - think again and read this book. It is a must! Incidentally, 'seemingly' is the keyword.

P.S. Encourage your local library to buy this book and also buy this book; you will not be sorry!

This book is a perfect counter-point to They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby. I review that book also, and recommend both books to every American, just as I recommend the books below that document how the Saudis have bought the Bush Family and the Republican and Democratic parties, neither of which represents We the People.

I would normally remmove one star because the author is a bit over the top in blaming everything on the Zionists and the Neo-Conservative servants, but I went with five stars to offset the mindless rapid Zionists (I hold moderate Jews in total respect). The same week that WIRED Magazine had a cover story on a new two way sustainable energy grid, Dick Cheney was meeting secretly with Enron and Exxon. Iraq happened because Dick Cheney wanted it to happen, the Zionists provided the lies, and the Congress and the media both were intimidated into ignoring General Tony Zinn, General Shinseki, and others including myself, who said quite clearly that this was an insanely bad thing to do with an incalculably high cost.

Over-all this is an extremely welll-researched, well-written presentation of fourteen chapters that are logical and thoughtful and absolutely meritorious of full consideration.

I was very surprised to read, very carefully, two chapters dissecting two of my personal heros, Sy Hersh and Noam Chomsky, and must confess that the author provoked in me thoughtful concern and reflection. I trust Sy and Noam, but the author is so well-organized that he causes me to realize that everybody has multiple levels of agenda, and that we must all take greater care in discriminating our sources of information.

Congressman Jim Moran, who represents my district, has personally said that Zionish have too much influence on Congress, and I agree. Tom Moran has been a very good representative, and he speaks the truth.

Here are some books and a DVD that can put the totally unacceptable Zionist influence on the USA in a larger context:

Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--And How We Take It Back
The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom
The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
Why We Fight
Fog Facts : Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin (Nation Books)
Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)

Any reader interested in surveying the landscape of analysis about the unique and "special" relationship between Israel and the U.S. must read this penetrating and scholarly book.

Author James Petras unmasks the concocted basis for America's unconditional support for the Jewish State. Petras exposes the duplicity among Leftist intellectuals (author and Prof. Noam Chomsky is his primary target) who would have Americans believe that Israel is a pawn of the U.S., that America's military interventions in the Middle East are all about oil, and that the pro-Israel Lobby is like many others operating in Washington. Indeed, both liberal and neo-conservative collusion with Zionist 'values' in America has produced a moral mailaise in official Washington where, for instance, racism is universally decried--except in Israel.

Still worse, the acquisition of 'weapons of mass destruction' and the option of employing pre-emptive military strikes are invaribaly acceptable to our nation's ruling elites whenever Israeli interests are concerned.

Why is America so hated? Petras makes it perfectly clear, only you won't find these salient conclusions noted on the evening news.

Indeed, the legendary Israel Lobby is both better realized, and more complex, in "The Power of Israel in The United States" than in many similar books. The countless Jewish federations, "gatekeepers" and think tanks, and non-government organizations which interconnect to advance Zionist goals throughout the U.S. comprise, says Petras, a "Zionist Power Configuration", or "ZPC", which further magnify the better-known operations of Washington's formidable AIPAC (American Israel Political Action Committee). In short, there is no 'lobby' in America that comes close to exercising the kind of cultural and political influence which today's Zionist lobby now wields. This is a disturbing but important book.

POWER paints an accurate picture of the reality of Israel's control of America from within. It explains how this power isn't only exerted from Israel, but specifically from Americans themselves - Zionist American traitors. For those unfamiliar with this issue, a simple search for AIPAC or "Zionists of America," Amdocs, AEI will be an introduction. It's important to remember that Christians can be Zionists. 'Zionist' is not a euphemism for Jewish. The term 'anti-Semitism' cannot possibly apply. There are many Jewish Americans whose loyalty is to the United States. Zionists try to hijack Judaism so they can smear such truthful books such as this one.

I recommend this book for its truth.

In blunt words, Prof. James Petras calls upon Americans to look at how American Mideast policy has been conducted, especially since September 2001. Dr. Petras takes the reader across a number of issues related to the overt pro-Israeli positions of America's foreign policy. He identifies many pro-Israeli supporters in the Bush administration and how they contributed to the disastrous policies of the last six years. What Mr. Petras has to say will upset many, but this book is important as a launching pad for America to change its Near East policy before even more harm comes our way.