The US is supporting Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Now in its fourth month, the conflict runs the risk of becoming a regional conflict. There is unrest in Iraq, the Houthis are targeting ships that are approaching Israel, and there is a growing likelihood that Hezbollah and Israel will engage in a major conflict. Stability in the area depends on a ceasefire. The disparity between popular sentiment and US Middle East strategy and national interest is particularly evident in the case of the Gaza conflict.
The Power of Lobbying in US Foreign Policy
The US is the only power capable of forcing Israel to declare a ceasefire. Sixty-eight percent of Americans want a truce. Nevertheless, the US keeps writing Israel a blank check. Despite popular support for a ceasefire, the US continues to back Israel. Furthermore, the US has no interest in becoming involved in a regional conflict, even if it does.
It appears that US policy in the Middle East is more about defending Israel than it is about considering the preferences of the American people or the interests of the nation. The United States of America will defend its interests in space, but it now cedes its sovereignty to a foreign politician who is being investigated. A collection of groups known as the pro-Israel lobby seeks to advance US Middle East policies that benefits Israel. AIPAC, or the American Israel Political Affairs Committee, is perhaps its most significant component. Because its supporters and members are US residents, it is governed by domestic group lobbying rules. AIPAC is permitted to contribute to political campaigns, just like any other domestic lobby group.
Disproportionate Influence
After militants from the radical Palestinian organization Hamas unexpectedly entered Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing people in border communities and kidnapping over 240 others, including women, children, and the elderly, hostage, tensions in the Middle East flared up once more.
The Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem’s Old City was the target of Israeli authorities’ harsh activities, which prompted Hamas to launch its attack. Israel began attacking targets in the Gaza Strip, as well as certain regions in Lebanon and Syria, after declaring an end to all communication with the Gaza Strip.
There are also clashes happening on the West Bank. It’s time for the US to amend its legal system to stop a select few from dictating what is best for the country. Domestic policy should be the exclusive focus of domestic lobbying organizations. They must register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act if they wish to lobby on foreign policy. Foreign policy lobbying will become more balanced and in line with the actual interests of the nation once the financial component is eliminated.
Transparency and Accountability
The pro-Israel lobby is the driving force behind US support for Israel. Despite the perception that the lobby is a cabal or some sort of conspiracy, US law regards it as a completely legal business. The US Constitution’s First Amendment grants citizens the right to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.” It was as a result that lobbying began. After a politician is elected, their campaign pledges may become laws.
All of this appears to be a manifestation of democracy. This arrangement gives some organizations the ability to shape the foreign policy of the whole country. The situation of the pro-Israel lobby and its impact on US policy toward the Middle East is the most egregious example. Foreign nations are required to register their agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act if they engage a lobbyist or public relations professional to further their interests in the US. This regulation was implemented to restrict foreign governments’ capacity to sway US policy. However, because they are seen as American citizens with the right to participate in the nation’s governance, domestic organizations have a great deal of flexibility to organize and push for a particular foreign policy outcome.
Israel will lose in Gaza once more if there’s no clear goal in sight. It may be able to vanquish Hamas, but it cannot destroy it. Israel will destroy Gaza militarily, but what does it mean for the rest of the situation? This is the outcome of Israel’s six wars in Gaza as well as its conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon. Americans have the ability to band together and form pressure groups, which they may use to lobby the government and advance their preferred policies. This is how organizations may participate in the nation’s decision-making process as part of the democratic process. Election campaigns are further financed by lobby or pressure groups.
