Israel lobbyist outraged at foreign lobbying through Hollywood
Writing in The National Interest yesterday, Susan Schmidt alerts American readers to an apparently egregious instance of foreign lobbying through the silver screen. “Is this a new form of foreign lobbying?” she asks, pointing out that there are laws against this sort of thing.
           ''Unlike American companies, foreign entities are generally required to disclose to the Justice Department not only lobbying but also efforts to influence public opinion in the United States.The Justice Department’s national-security division, which administers the Foreign Agent Registration Act, faces a host of new challenges in keeping up with public-relations campaigns given the proliferation of social media and television programming, some of it news, sponsored by foreign entities.''
So who is this Susan Schmidt that appears to be so concerned about undue foreign influence in the United States?Apart from being a former longtime reporter for the Washington Post, she just happens to be a visiting fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. And as those familiar with the preeminent case of foreign influence in America know all too well, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) is one of the key groups that make up the Israel lobby.After drawing attention to the oil royals’ growing media empire, the FDD fellow concludes her commentary thus:But funding Hollywood movies? The Emiratis are more Westernized than most foreign investors. They seem to know the value of public opinion in this country—and maybe the best way to buy it.As for the pro-Israelis funding Schmidt’s visiting fellowship, they of course knew the value of influencing American public opinion years before the UAE even existed. And with a top Hollywood producer having doubled as an intelligence agent for the Jewish state, the Emiratis still have a lot to learn from the foreign entity in whose national interest she is paid to write disingenuous pieces like this.

[ed notes:speaking of israhell lobby and hollywood...also see.. Hollywood, pro-Israel lobby, unions seek exemptions from ban on ... 

Associations representing Hollywood studios and the pro-Israel lobby are among the powerful Washington groups seeking exemptions from a new ethics rule prohibiting federal workers from attending events sponsored by lobbyists AIPAC argued that the rule would prevent federal employees from attending its annual policy meeting, which presidents, leaders of Congress and leading Israeli officials typically visit. Hundreds of AIPAC members from around the country come to Washington for the event, which is intended to highlight Israel’s political clout.“Rather than disadvantaging membership and advocacy organizations like AIPAC, OGE should facilitate the opportunity of government officials to openly meet and field questions from American citizens concerned about U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East and the U.S.-Israel relationship,” said Philip Friedman, AIPAC’s general counsel, in the group’s comment on the rule.