Exclusive - Stephen Walt, Protector of J Street.

Professor Stephen Walt, co-author along with John Mearsheimer of The Israel Lobby and recent supporter of J Street would most likely decline an invitation to join that group's advisory council. Asked if he would join, he replied that "I don't know if that would be good for them or not."

Clearly, Walt agrees with most if not all of J Street's radical positions and understands that his "demonization" - as he put it -by segments of the American Jewish community might prove a detriment to J Street were he to join its advisory council.
And yet, in spite of his apparent affinity for the group, Walt considers them to be part of The Israel Lobby, accepting the "special relationship" view of Israel and the United States, a view apparently anathema to his and Mearsheimer's fundamental agenda.

Walt's endorsement of J Street in a recent oped in The Washington Post will put J Street to the test. Most likely, Ben Ami will ignore the compliment considering the toxicity of The Israel Lobby's themes. Of course, hewing so closely to the Obama line on Israel, he may well embrace Walt and Mearsheimer. Stay tuned.