Episode 12: Secret Deal

How Israel Made AIPAC

JFK's initiative to inspect the Israeli nuclear weapons production facility at Dimona and keep the Israelis from going nuclear dies in Dallas. AIPAC strives mightily, promoting legacy media reports, to convince Americans that Dimona will never produce nuclear weapons. Barrons charges the State Department "once more placed itself in a ridiculous posture by accusing Israel of conspiring to build atomic weapons."

AIPAC's umbrella group switches to an offensive posture against registering as a foreign agent. FARA section staffers criticize capitulation on the registration issue and ask soon-to-be Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach to hold firm. AIPAC's umbrella floods the DOJ with irrelevant payroll and other unsolicited documents. Finally in 1964 an agreement is struck for the lobby to file "representative" expenditure reports. In early 1965 the DOJ receives damning reports of massive payoffs to media organizations like the New York Times, sundry academics doing "independent" research, Zionist operatives and spokespersons barnstorming America to promote Israel. But rather than publicly disclose the itemized expenditure filing as required by FARA, the DOJ locks it away….until 2008. One FARA staffer is outraged.