In March 2006, the Harvard Kennedy School posted a working paper by Professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt on its website. Shortly after, the London Review of Books ran a condensed version titled “The Israel Lobby.” And in 2007, it came out in book form. The rare academic work to redefine popular discourse, “The Israel Lobby” broke in grand fashion the taboo against discussing the power of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and its allies.

But the paper exaggerated the lobby’s power. The inevitable charges of antisemitism drowned out the substantive criticism from people like Noam Chomsky, who, while giving Mearsheimer and Walt credit for broaching the topic, debunked their thesis. He pointed out that the United States’ interests usually aligned with Israel’s and that US policies in the Middle East were “quite similar to those pursued elsewhere in the world, and have been a remarkable success.”

Chomsky’s argument is even more persuasive today as President Obama negotiates with Iran over its nuclear program despite the furious objections of Israel’s government. Obama has previously defied the Israel Lobby on other issues, from the Chuck Hagel nomination to sanctions on Iran. So much for American subservience. And while the US government supports Israel’s domination of Palestinians, this continues to serve American interests in the region.