Rosen’s suit is based on the damage done to his reputation when AIPAC sought to distance his espionage from their regular course of business and other top staff’s responsibility. They painted him as a rogue actor, a bad apple, whose work stood outside of the group’s normal activities. If this suit goes forward, Rosen will make the case that gaining classified American documents for Israel is in fact part of what AIPAC does, making it something different than just a lobby group. AIPAC would be toast. Smith is pushing for AIPAC to register as a foreign agent, which of course would likely destroy the group.

AIPAC is playing a game of brinkmanship, hoping that it can scare away Rosen with the dirtiest of details, and in turn, seeing how far Rosen will take it. In the end, a settlement to hush the whole thing is likely inevitable, even if this has mostly only been reported in the Jewish press, e-magazines and progressive blogs and websites, such as the Huffington Post.

One would think the lurid details and intrigue of espionage would be great prime-time material for the press and the swinehole known as cable television news. But, oh yeah, it makes Israel look terrible, so never mind.

I doubt AIPAC will implode, however. They will risk embarrassment and even loss of donations for now, but would not go to the extent of risking survival. This could all be posturing to impact the level of the inevitable settlement. AIPAC will not hang itself to win a lawsuit.  The first hint they get that Rosen can cause legitimate damage, they will pay up

And even if it did implode and suffer a huge PR nightmare and, say, end up losing 90% of its budget, pro-Israel moneybags would find a new lobbying outfit that advances the agenda.  Middle East Forum, Daniel Pipes’ group where Rosen works currently, would surely get more of those monies.

And AIPAC, even with 10% of its budget, would still overshadow any pro-Palestinian lobbying efforts. It would still be Likud’s proxy in Washington.

At best, J Street would become the big dog on Israel policy perhaps. And then what? Would there be more push for a US-brokered two-state solution? What difference would it make if Israel has no interest in implementing it anyways?

All we’re seeing is some rumbling among the elite. If the system were not so biased for Israel, we could expect this to more serious. But, who among the powerful will act on this?  Even Washington’s elite who resent the power of the lobby will likely stay silent.  The Iraq war showed that obedient cowardice, with only occasional bouts of catty, narrow in-fighting, defines Washington’s political culture.

Related posts:

1. More on the Lobby
2. Franklin Ready to Rat
3. Israel Lobby 1, America 0
4. AIPAC’s Recycled Congressional Letter
5. When Do You Know Israel has Gone too Far? When the U.S. Senate Supports it.

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