Great article. Looking forward to reading the book. However, I think the following was stated too strongly:

“Why was the campaign to identify the atrocities of September 11, 2001, with an Israeli conspiracy ignored by American Jewish leaders as beneath notice? The agitators responsible for that libel should be named and shamed.”

They were definitely named and shamed. Jewish groups across the political spectrum were highly critical of individuals and organizations claiming the terrorist attacks on Sep. 11. 2001 were part of an Israeli conspiracy. I can’t think of a single organization, from ZOA on the right, ADL in the center and Meretz USA on the left, that failed to condemn those who made these sorts of claims. I recall the ADL being particularly vocal after Amiri Baraka published his anti-Semitic poem “Somebody Blew Up America.”

Anonymous writes:

“And why are all criticws of the Jewish Lobby by defiintion either anti Semites or self-loathing jews. There are plenty of critics in Israel of Israeli state policies.”

This is an old trope that never seems to tire. It’s similar to “why are all critics of Israel by definition either anti-Semites of self-hating Jews?”

Even the most vigorous defenders of Israel never hesitate to state time and again that criticism of Israel per se is not anti-Semitic. What matters is the type of criticism and if Israel is held to a double standard. Does a critic note that minorities face discrimination in Israel? Or does the critic argue that Israel is a fascist apartheid state engaging in genocide against the Palestinians? There is definitely a difference between these two forms of criticism. Similarly, the type of criticism one levels against organizations like AIPAC is important to examine as well.