Scott talks to Grant Smith about the role of evangelical Christians in the Zionist movement in America. Grant examines the premise that evangelicals are the most significant driving force behind American support for Israel, a popular notion ever since George Bush Sr. blamed his loss to Bill Clinton on his failure to appease evangelical voters on the issue of Israel. But Smith argues that their influence is overblown. He says that the power wielded by actual lobbying groups like AIPAC are still the overwhelming driving force in shaping U.S. policy toward Israel, pushing for things like weapons sales, anti-BDS legislation and the moving of the American embassy to Jerusalem.
Discussed on the show:
- “Are Christian Zionists the ‘Largest Pro-Israel Lobby’?” (Antiwar.com Original)
- The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
- “The Clinton Administration’s Approach to the Middle East” (The Washington Institute for Near East Policy)
- “Antisemitism think tank ISGAP got grant from Israel” (The Forward)
- “Watch the film the Israel lobby didn’t want you to see” (Electronic Intifada)
- IsraelLobbyCon 2021
Grant F. Smith is the author of a number of books including Big Israel: How Israel’s Lobby Moves America, Divert!, and most recently The Israel Lobby Enters State Government: Rise of the Virginia Israel Advisory Board. He is director of the Institute for Research: Middle Eastern Policy in Washington, D.C.
This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: NoDev NoOps NoIT, by Hussein Badakhchani; The War State, by Mike Swanson; WallStreetWindow.com; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Listen and Think Audio; TheBumperSticker.com; and LibertyStickers.com.
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