Why blaming the Israel lobby for western Middle East policies is misguided

Over the last few weeks, the Israel lobby has been increasingly featured in the news in the context of the ongoing election seasons in the UK, France, and the US.

News articles proliferate about the huge funds the UK's Israel lobby contributed to candidates in the recent elections, the Israeli ministerial interference in the recent French elections, or the defeat of US Congressional Representative Jamaal Bowman due to the support of his opponent by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (Aipac), the most influential pro-Israel lobby group in the US.

This is in addition to media coverage of the role the lobby has played since 7 October in silencing critics of Israel and its genocide in Gaza.

As I have argued previously, there is often an excitement that afflicts many pro-Palestine supporters in the US and the Arab world when the Israel lobby's machinations are exposed in the western press.

Read more: Why blaming the Israel lobby for western Middle East policies is misguided