One way to achieve these goals is to emphasize the importance of countries like Iraq and Egypt, as well as Yemen, Sudan and the North African states. The author does not enter into the debate about the geographical extent covered by the term ‘Middle East.’ However, based on the case studies mentioned throughout the book, it is possible to infer that the term is used to designate countries located in North Africa, the Levant, the Gulf, and the Arabian Peninsula.
The formal and informal components tend to intersect at several points so the distinction is not always clear-cut. Together, however, they form the Israeli (or pro-Israel) lobby. This is a more accurate label than “Jewish lobby” because a large proportion of the lobby is made up of non-Jews. This term also reflects the lobby’s objective. The Israeli lobby can then be defined as those formal and informal actors that directly and indirectly influence American policy to support Israel.
