Dear Chicago Council Members and Friends,

I am writing to share with you the reasons for my decision to cancel an event scheduled for late September with Professors John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt on their forthcoming book, The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy. 

From the time we at the Council became aware of the publication of the Mearsheimer and Walt book, it was our intention to develop a balanced and thoughtful airing of the issues raised by it.  Given the controversy that surrounded their article on the same subject last year, I felt it was essential that the authors present their views as part of a discussion with other speakers who would bring context and different viewpoints.  This approach is critical to the Council’s role as a nonpartisan forum for public learning, especially around such highly charged subjects.

Unfortunately, an appearance by the two authors in September was inadvertently scheduled through the publisher before we were able to frame a program that would include other perspectives.  Our subsequent efforts to create such a panel in time for the September date were not successful.  I therefore contacted Professor Mearsheimer to express my regret that we would not be able to proceed as scheduled.  The Chicago Council is committed to creating an appropriate forum on the issues raised by the authors when we can do so thoughtfully and responsibly.

The Chicago Council has a long and distinguished record of presenting diverse views on the major foreign policy issues of our day.  Even a cursory look at our programs over the past year attests to it. We usually accommodate diverse views over time, but when the topic is rendered particularly controversial by events, by sharp conflict over the issues, and/or by advance media attention, it is our normal practice to present different perspectives at the same event.  We took this approach in the highly charged debate before the war in Iraq, in the aftermath of the Hamas election victory, at the time of heightened tensions between India and Pakistan, and in many other instances.

Judging when and how alternative viewpoints on key issues ought to be presented is part of our responsibility as a public education institution. The Council’s decision to frame the issues raised by the authors in a broader discussion was a normal decision about how best to present a complicated and contentious matter to our audience.

All of us at The Chicago Council value the participation and support of the Council’s members and friends in Chicago and beyond.  We have an array of interesting programs scheduled for the Fall and look forward to seeing you as our new season gets underway.

With best regards,

Marshall M. Bouton
President
The Chicago Council on Global Affairs