No time to comment on this at greater length until tomorrow, but Ambassador Freeman’s decision to step aside is sad but not surprising. He had accepted an intelligence position; not an invitation to get crucified by the Israel lobby. Indeed, as a realist his decision to bow out seems to reflect an understanding of the lobby’s actual power and that his appointment would be unlikely to be a decisive factor in reigning in a force that clearly retains a stranglehold on Washington.

The last two weeks have really served to showcase the lobby in action. Those who have long claimed that the lobby’s power gets overstated, now have very little ground to stand on.

Israel-first neo-McCarthyism still rules the US government, Congress and the US media. While the power holders may take comfort that they succeeded in winning this battle, they should also know that now more than ever they are viewed with disgust by Americans whose numbers are swelling even if their voices struggle to be heard.
Paul Woodward