If Americans Knew, YouTube, Feb 28, 2017

A lecture by journalist Alison Weir at the Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists on February 16, 2017. Her book, Against Our Better Judgment: The Hidden History of How the US Was Used to Create Israel, is available at http://iakn.us/AOBJ-book. The article she mentions near the end of her talk about Israel’s long plans to fragment and destabilize the region is here: https://iakn.us/3ssUubU.

The creation of Israel in 1948 was the result of a worldwide movement called Political Zionism, active in the United States since the late 1800s. After Israel was created, this movement – which then became known as the “Israel lobby” – continued to work on behalf of Israel. Today it is one of most powerful and pervasive special interests in the U.S. Among its many achievements has been to re-define the term anti-Semitism to increasingly mean criticism of Israel and/or support for Palestinian human rights. Another accomplishment has been to procure massive aid to Israel: on average, 7,000 times more per capita than to others around the world.

Drawing on her best-selling book, Weir discusses this movement, its history and current reality, media coverage of Israel-Palestine, and the role of Israel partisans in promoting the Iraq War and in the continued demonization of Iran.

Weir is the executive director of If Americans Knew and president of the Council for The National Interest.