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Jewish Lobby Case Study

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Introduction
Most references are often made to the "Jewish lobby" with the purpose of describing Jewish political influence in the United States. This offers a shallow and an inadequate position. It is evident that Americans of Jewish descent are at times represented by lobbyists. However, such direct efforts to influence the policy making process are but a small part of the lobby’s ability to shape policy, (Bard, 2004).
According to Teitelbaum, (2010), the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a registered lobby being one of the organized groups that try to influence legislation. Other groups like B’nai B’rith and Hadassah do not engage in direct lobbying. However, they disseminate information while encouraging their members to become more involved in political processes. Most times they specifically attempt to lobby on specific issues though they have rarely influenced policy.
The Israel lobby grew significantly in the 1980s, but controversy arose from opponents of the lobby and supporters. This was due to the proposed sale of the AWACS warning and command system in 1981 to Saudi Arabia, (Teitelbaum, 2010). This angered many Israeli supporters in the United States. The sale was intended to appease Arab nations in an attempt to promote stability …show more content…
The sale of AWACS surveillance planes by President Ronald Reagan’s US administration to the Saudi government has been significantly controversial in what was then the largest foreign arms sale in US history. The AWACS plane is a modified Boeing 707 commercial jetliner distinctly characterized by the strikingly large thirty-foot rotating antenna which is mounted on its roof. The planes' mobility provides the use of its sophisticated detection equipment whenever and wherever needed thus proving as its most important

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