Analyst: The U.S. Unlikely to Stop Arms Sales to Israel Due to AIPAC

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – It is almost impossible for the Democrat Party and the Republic Party to stop arms sales to Israel due to the strong lobbying from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), according to an analyst.

Max Blumenthal, the editor of The Grayzone news site, told Anadolu that one of the first offers faced by US congress members when they start their service is a free trip to Israel, organized by AIPAC.

He said that politicians with limited knowledge about Palestine issues and those who consider Israel as a holy land receive significant financial support for their campaigns.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the politicians, and the supporting network is likened to a major mafia boss, he added, as reported by Anadolu Agency.

Politicians, with limited understanding of the other party, enthusiastically support Netanyahu, said Blumenthal, adding that AIPAC operates in Washington with little resistance due to deep-seated prejudices against Arabs and Muslims.

Blumenthal said that funds from the arms industry are channeled directly to U.S. Congress members, and the Pentagon regularly provides guidance to them to influence views, and the media is controlled in various ways.

He added that if the U.S. enacts an arms embargo against Israel, a ceasefire will definitely occur. However, Washington cannot control Israel. It is almost impossible for an independent presidential candidate to emerge in the Democratic Party free from Israeli influence, he said.

Many leaders, who are beyond AIPAC’s reach, will face assassination threats, as experienced by Middle Eastern leaders, if they refuse to comply with Israel’s demands or oppose its authority.

The U.S. violates its laws by supplying weapons to Israel

Blumenthal said that by supplying weapons worth billions of dollars to Israel since October 7, 2023, the U.S. has allowed Israel to violate international humanitarian law and U.S. law.

He argued that the U.S. has been involved in war crimes in the Gaza Strip and can be considered one of the parties responsible for the genocide.

Blumenthal noted that despite letters from U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken requesting the entry of at least 350 humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza daily, Israel only allows 71 trucks to pass.

He emphasized that under the U.S. law, countries that block humanitarian aid must face an arms supply cutoff, but he doubted Washington would impose sanctions on Israel.

Referring to a Washington Post report on November 1, citing evidence of civilian deaths in Gaza caused by US-made weapons, Blumenthal said the report contains concrete evidence.

For example, remnants of U.S.-made bombs were found in a warehouse in Beit Lahiya, where nearly 100 people were killed, he added.

Blumenthal stated that defense journalists in Washington receive information from the Pentagon and are warned that they could lose their jobs if they protest.

He stressed that the U.S. uses its power in the UN and support from other European countries under its control to shield Israel from accountability and thwart efforts to stop the genocide.

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