After Obama invited fringe leftists as Jewish representatives to a meeting, AIPAC reasserted itself by single-handedly defeating those groups on Capitol Hill.
Despite their vehement opposition, AIPAC mustered seventy-one senators’ signatures on a letter to Obama urging him to press the Arabs. Seven out of thirteen Jewish senators refused to sign the letter.
The Senate has very little influence on foreign policy, and presidents routinely ignore such letters. Senators sign them eagerly: it costs them nothing, and sometimes brings Jewish donations. But most importantly, it shields them from Jewish’ accusations in cases where they—the senators—take pro-Arab actions. It is a sort of indulgence.
