What is the power and influence of "The Lobby" (a.k.a. AIPAC) on US Foreign Policy?

The explanation for the support is to be found in the activities of the Israel Lobby, also known as the Jewish Lobby, or as AIPAC (the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee), which uses its formidable influence to shape American foreign policy in accordance with Israeli interests. This opinion has most recently been associated with an article published in the London Book Review, co-authored by Professor Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Professor Walt of Harvard University (more about this here and here).

Here is a debate on this subject between Norman Finkelstein (professor of political science at De Paul University) and James Petras (an Emeritus Professor of sociology at SUNY, Binghamton):

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