The Israel Lobby, Explained

Eli Clifton & Stephen Walt on the role of foreign influence in US foreign policy

Does Israel’s power in domestic politics threaten the very foundations of American democracy? How has the relationship between Israel and the United States changed over the past two decades — and where will it go from here? 

In this episode, the Institute for Global Affairs’ Jonathan Guyer is joined by investigative journalist Eli Clifton to discuss his new book Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power alongside Harvard professor Stephen Walt, who authored The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy nearly two decades ago. Together they discuss the evolution of the tactics of influence, how the debate has shifted amid the Gaza war, and much more.

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Eli Clifton is an investigative journalist focusing on money in politics and US foreign policy. He is also cofounder and senior advisor at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. His work has appeared in PBS, The Guardian, The Intercept, Foreign Policy, and many more. He is coauthor of the book Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power (Atria, 2026) alongside Ian Lustick. 

Stephen Walt is the Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School. He is also a columnist at Foreign Policy magazine. He is the author of several books on international relations including The Hell of Good Intentions (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018) and The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy (Macmillan, 2007) alongside coauthor John Mearsheimer. 

Find Eli on X: https://x.com/EliClifton  

Check out Israel’s Lobby: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Israels-Lobby/Eli-Clifton/9781668210840  

Read Stephen’s Foreign Policy column: https://foreignpolicy.com/author/stephen-m-walt/