Critiquing the critics of the Israel Lobby

From Ignorance cannot be realistic: A Critique of the Mearsheimer-Walt Hypothesis

Whether or not one believes the Iraq War was a wise or necessary action, any serious analyst must acknowledge that the administration acted on the basis of perceived U.S. interests. There is no serious evidence that this was done either at Israel's behest or for its benefit. In fact, as Walt and Mearsheimer have since admitted, Israel was unenthusiastic at best about the idea of invading Iraq, partly out of a belief that such an offensive would seriously damage Israel's main priority, deterring Iran. Lawrence Wilkerson, chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, disclosed that the "Israelis were telling us Iraq is not the enemy--Iran is the enemy," adding that warnings against the invasion were "pervasive" in Israel's communications with the administration.