They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby

The book is extremely well written and organized, although there are no numbers in the text to match the endnotes at the back of the book. At first, I snickered at some of the accusations Findley makes. After all, shouldn't a criticism of AIPAC be extended to ALL political action groups? Wouldn't it be just as easy to point out that this is a symptom of a larger problem, that of outside influence in politics? What quickly becomes apparent is that AIPAC uses threats and intimidation to cow any voices that speak out against what Israel is doing to the Palestinians. Those who can't be dealt with immediately are publicly branded as anti-Semites or Jew haters. Some are even compared to Nazi war criminals. The people Findley discusses are hardly goose-stepping thugs. They are people who are concerned that Israel is using American weapons to kill innocent civilians. Some oppose the Israeli theft of Palestinian land, or Israeli spying within U.S. institutions. Almost all of these people begin to receive letters, threatening phone calls and other heavy-handed tactics designed to shut them up.

Findley shows how the pro-Israel lobby intimidates government officials, educators, restaurant owners and journalists into toeing the Israel line while denying the Arab position on any matter. Even presidents have felt the pressure from Israel's lobby. Reagan renewed the shipment of cluster bombs to the Israelis even after it was known that Israel used them on Palestinians in the past and would probably do so again in the future. Although not mentioned in the book, even Clinton felt the pressure. He came close to pardoning Jonathan Pollard, the Israeli spy, until the heads of the FBI and CIA threatened to resign if he did so. Findley talks about Pollard in the book, and the tale is staggering to behold. Pollard continues to receive pay from the Israelis, even though he is in prison. Documents stolen by Pollard were never returned by Israel, and many of these papers ended up in the hands of the Soviet Union, endangering U.S. lives and security. Israel also refused to hand over Pollard's handlers. These Israeli agents ended up with lucrative positions back in Israel.

Probably the most disturbing account in this book is that of the USS Liberty. The Liberty was a U.S. warship that was viciously attacked by Israeli planes and gunboats in 1967. Despite flying a U.S. flag in a stiff breeze and clearly marked numbers and names on the hull, the Liberty was strafed, torpedoed and napalmed by Israel. The toll was staggering: 34 dead and 171 injured. The U.S. government not only delayed sending a rescue mission to the imperiled ship until well after the attack, they covered up the entire incident. Documents were destroyed or hidden and letters to the families of the dead failed to take into account what really happened to their loved ones. A book written about the attack by James Ennes was blackballed. Even if this attack was a mistake, and Findley presents plenty of evidence to the contrary, covering it up is a crime tantamount to treason.

There is plenty of evidence in this book to make any thinking person stand up and take note. To criticize Israeli policy is not anti-Semitism. Not one of the people in this book ever tried to deny Israel the right to exist as a state. They merely wanted Israel held accountable for its behavior towards the Palestinians. As can be expected, Findley has suffered insults and slurs for his beliefs. Read this book.


A stark revelation about who wields the true power in D.C.   January 5, 2000
Christian Engler (Woburn, Massachusetts)
308 out of 406 found this review helpful

Paul Findley has written one incredible, eye-opening book that calls into question the high pressure, unethical, slander tactics used against academics, religious figures, journalists and political figures who speak out against the American Israel Public Affairs Committee's overzealous involvement and desirous control of economic and military diplomacy as well as education. This is a group that nobody wants to mess around with. The power hungry citizens and 'big wigs' in this lobby have a disturbing amount of clout that really makes you look at government differently. To stand up and speak out against Israel's lobby and their very questionable dealings in national and foreign affairs is essentially to put a career/social/economic death mark on your forehead. The shady dealings that this group instigates and leads, whether it be on a large or small scale, undermines the ethics and principles for which this country and the Jewish faith stand for. This book is an education in itself. Although disturbing, because it makes the Constitution seem like a useless piece of paper with 'silly' writing on it, Findley's book is very benefical if you want to know how a facet of foreign and national policy operates.


I found this book to be highly informative and objective.   December 16, 1999
173 out of 236 found this review helpful

I feel that this book is a must read for all Americans interested in U.S. - Middle East relations and the challenges to formulating a more balanced and just policies. Paul Findley, an Illinois Congressman for 22 years, examines the role of pro-Israel special interest groups in heavily influencing public officials and policy makers into making biased and counterproductive decisions impacting our relationship with the countries of an important region of the world. Findley has carefully researched and examined the extent of pro-Israel lobbying in this nation. While he defends the rights of American citizens to support causes they feel a moral obligation to, he argues eloquently that the interests of another country should never be placed above the interests of the United States.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding the importance of having balanced foreign policies, particularly at a time when the United States is trying to serve as an honest broker to resolving conflicts in the Middle East and elsewhere. It was educational and a real eye opener to me, a seeker of truth and objectivity.


Finally someone with authority tells us "why"....   February 15, 2004
114 out of 131 found this review helpful

Ever since I happened to notice George W. Bush repeating over and over again during his presidential campaign the mantra, "I know one thing -- Israel is our friend", my interest was piqued. At the time, I thought conservatives were largely at odds with Jews due to their reputations for being liberal Democrats. (Since then, I have discovered that conservative Christians often support Israel because of their biblical beliefs regarding Jews as God's chosen people).

Later, I saw Hillary Clinton stammer and look visibly shaken during an otherwise very confident and fine performance on a Crossfire appearance, when Chris Matthews pressed her about the Palestinian right to statehood, and her only being able to blindly repeat the stock answer "well, I support Israel's right to defend itself." I thought...hmmm, this is interesting. It seems that nobody, regardless of political persuasion, wants to say anything even remotely being construed as being against Israeli policy.

Since then I have read a lot on the issue and have been watching the news media and our government officials more closely. The most recent standout example was when Howard Dean was publicly criticized for the apparent crime of saying that US needed more balance in its policies with respect to the Israel/Palestine issue. Joseph Lieberman publicly castigated Dean for that statement, saying he was hurt and saddened Dean had been so insensitive to Jews.

Does sensitivy to Jewish feelings mean that we must muzzle oursleves with respect to U.S. foreign policy? After all, it is our money, our security, and our lives that we're talking about. Findley's book shows that this is more true than we ever thought possible in a supposedly "free" society. He shows how powerful pro-Israel lobby wields such influence that governmental officials and the media cannot even public disagree when Israeli interests counter U.S. interests. If what Findley says is true, a one-time leader of the powerful AIPAC actually boasted that his organization actually controls U.S. foreign policiy in the Middle East. Apparently Congressmen and Senators routinely "clear" their positions and legislation with AIPAC before proceeding.

Over and over again I have watched the U.S. government and our main media outlets whitewash, or more likely, completely fail to cover, Palestinian deaths at the hands of Israelis, while never failing to report and denounce Israeli deaths at the hands of Palestinians (despite the fact that far more Palestinians have died). Our unbelievable amount of monetary and military aid to Israel, more than 3 billion annually, is outside of the realm of public debate.

Along the way I have talked to many Jews and non-Jews, in a sincere effort to come to some understanding about all this, to determine what is at the root of this seemingly inseperable and super-loyal bond between the U.S. and Israel.

Up until I read Findley's book, nobody has ever been able to articulate the reasons behind the power that Israel holds over our country (and thus over U.S. taxpaying citizens). In talking to others, I dismissed comments I got like "well, you know the Jews run the country", knowing that Jews have always been shunned and discriminated against and that was too convenient an answer. I wanted real answers -- facts, not opinions -- from an insider, someone in a position to know. With this book I got them.

The edition I read was from 1985, but based on what I observe going on in the country today, things have not changed any since then, if they have not gotten worse. It is impossible to call into question our foreign policy or the actions of the Israeli government without being labeled anti-Semitic, something that is very dangerous indeed. Equating the individual with the individual's goverment is always a dangerous thing. Open debate and access to facts must be a staple of a democracy, of a "free society", as our president is fond of saying.

It appears to me that whether Jew, Arab, or any other religion, too much of a marriage of church and state, or perhaps more precisely, a marriage between religion and ethnicity, always results in great conflict, unrest and thousands of dead people. When people start painting all people of a certain ethnicity with the same brush, when we start talking about "the Palestinians" or "the Jews" as if they all were the same, we run into big trouble.

As an analogy, imagine if we had citizenship quotas in the United States -- for example, to rectify past injustices, if by law we had to maintain no less than a 70% Native American population in the United States, and that political boundaries were be constantly being adjusted to preserve this majority. If you think for a second that the rest of us would take that lying down and just walk away, without a revolution, well we all know that would just never happen.

But this is exactly what is happening in Israel - an Israeli ethnic majority is openly pursued and maintained, yet it is still referred to, at least by the United States, as one of the few democracies in the Middle East.

I truly marvel at the psychology of those among a people as historically opressed as the Jews, who cannot seem to look past their own needs and their own pain to see the pain and injustice suffered by others at their own hands. (Findley correctly points out that many Israeli and Jews in America do publicly speak out) but I am speaking of those who show no apparent sympathy for the plight dreary and powerless life of the average Palestinian. This extreme and destructive self-intrest exists on both sides -- the Palestinian suicide bomber likewise displays an appalling lack of empathy for his fellow man.

Thank goodness for courageous people like Paul Findley and for those profiled in his book who do "dare to speak out". These people evidently recognize that truth is the most precious ingredient in a democracy, and more importantly, it is what we must all work hard to seek seek out and strive to live by.

I strongly recommend this book for people find themselves looking at the all the spin, who know that facts as they are presented just don't add up.

This book fills in the gaps and is wholly consistent with what I see going on today. There was not one thing that I read in this book that didn't seem quite right. If you can clearly see the "what", but are still trying to find out the "why", this book will connect the dots for you.


Every American Should Read This Book   October 10, 2001
91 out of 129 found this review helpful

I have asked many Americans if they know what the AIPAC is (American Israeli Public Affairs Committee). These average Americans did not know. Not one. Yet Fortune Magazine ranks the pro-Israeli lobby as No. 2 in power and influence on Capitol Hill. Imagine, Americans who know the Gun Lobby, the AMA, big Oil, Teachers, etc. have never heard of the second most important Lobby.

Why? Because the media is self-controlled and never, ever mentions this lobby. They know that if they do, or, heaven forbid, if they would make anything but a glowing positive comment, their careers could (and Have) come to abrupt ends.

The situation - a lobby representing a foreign government that can dominate and supress news, as well as end Congressional careers - represents a shocking subversion of the American system of government whereby a free press is vital to our democracy.

Get this book. Read it. Then, write your representatives in Congress and demand they put the interests of America first! Then, next, write ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and all the rest of the news outfits and demand they tell Americans the whole truth about the power Israel has over U. S. politics.