Jewish, New York blogger Phil Weiss explains, after hearing the rantings of a Zionist lobbyist on campus, what the lobby truly fears:
Because America is the mainstay of support allowing Israel to continue its policies in the Occupied Territories. The Israel lobby fears that Americans, if left to their own devices, will abandon Israel, out of indifference, or antisemitism. So Americans must be influenced—in this case by having the information they get about Israel/Palestine vetted, and by pressuring Jews on campus to toe the party line.
This certainly rings true. Any voice of dissent must be challenged and silenced. Failing that, send in the character assassination team. Thankfully, such a ghetto-mindset is no longer as effective as before (witness the success of the Jimmy Carter book, Mearsheimer/Walt paper and my own book.) What the lobby wants to avoid at all costs is an honest discussion about the Jewish state’s immorality.