How Much Influence Does The Israel Lobby Have On U.S. Foreign Policy?

Organizations lobbying for Israel, such as AIPAC and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, are often attributed with outsized influence, while others claim that stressing the influence of these groups risks spreading antisemitic tropes. However, moving aside from the political and moral questions of lobbying for Israel, how much do these groups influence policy formulation? In this literature review, we will look at how authors have treated this issue and the limitations and advantages of their approaches. AIPAC and other groups have had a notable influence on the amount of aid and its quality sent to Israel. However, it has had far less of an impact on the formulation of policy toward the peace process. But that is not to say it has had none at all. One of the ways the Israel Lobby does influence the peace process is by creating a political cost to bringing the issue up, which leads to fatigue from policy-makers. However, when a notable US national interest is at stake, that is not enough to scuttle important diplomatic achievements.