AIPAC and its allies (including Christian Zionists) have no serious opponents in the lobbying world. They know that it has become more difficult to support Israel's cause today, and they are responding by expanding their operations and staff. Furthermore, American politicians remain extremely sensitive to campaign contributions and other forms of political pressure, and the mainstream media is likely to remain sympathetic to Israel no matter what it does. This situation is deeply worrying, because the lobby's influence causes problems on several fronts. The terrorist threat facing all states, including America's European allies, is increasing. By preventing US leaders from pressuring Israel to achieve peace, the lobby has also made it impossible to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This situation offers extremists a powerful recruitment tool, increases the pool of potential terrorists and sympathizers, and contributes to Islamic radicalism around the world. Furthermore, the Lobby's campaign for regime change in Iran and Syria could lead the United States to attack those countries, with potentially disastrous effects. We don't need another Iraq. At the very least, the lobby's hostility toward these countries makes it particularly difficult for Washington to enlist them against al Qaeda and the Iraqi insurgency, where their help is desperately needed. There is also a moral dimension here. Thanks to the Lobby, the United States has become the de facto facilitator of Israeli expansion into the occupied territories, making itself complicit in the crimes perpetrated against the Palestinians. This undermines Washington's efforts to promote democracy abroad and makes it seem hypocritical when it pushes other states to respect human rights. US efforts to... middle of paper... West Bank or its broader regional agenda. An open debate will highlight the limits of the strategic and moral reasons for unilateral U.S. support and could move the United States toward a position more consistent with its own national interest, the interests of other states in the region, and with Israel's long commitment. Even long-term interests. To summarize: Jews wield immense power and influence in the United States. The “Jewish lobby” is a decisive factor in US support for Israel. Jewish-Zionist interests are not identical to American interests. In fact, they often come into conflict. As long as the “very powerful” Jewish lobby remains entrenched, there will be no end to the Jewish-Zionist domination of the US political system and the American media, the Zionist oppression of the Palestinians, the Israeli threat to peace, and the bloody conflict between Jews and non-Jews in the Middle East.