Trump advisor says Israel lobby 'pushes US into wars'

"We're dragged in because of our close relationship with Israel," he said in the interview.

"You have to look at the people that donate to those individuals," Macgregor added, referring to former Trump
national security adviser John Bolton, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.

"Mr. Bolton has become very, very rich and is in the position he's in because of his unconditional support for the Israeli lobby," Macgregor said.

"He is their man on the ground, in the White House. The same thing is largely true for Mr. Pompeo, he has aspirations to be president. He has his hands out for money from the Israeli lobby, the Saudis, and others."

Read also: Obama suggests bullying campaign by pro-Israel lobby in new memoir

Macgregor also alleged that Israel pushed the US into war following the September 11 attacks of 2001.

"When the opportunity came with 9-11 to expand the horizons of conflict if you will and pursue the opportunity to develop in theory an Anglo-Saxon democracy on Arab soil that would be friendly to Israel which was Paul Wolfowitz’s argument, the group we call neocons jumped on it," he said, referring to the US' former deputy secretary of defence under President George W. Bush.

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In another interview uncovered by CNN, Macgregor tells Kremlin-backed broadcaster RT that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee pushed US lawmakers for military strikes against Iran.

"I think the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee and its subordinate elements or affiliated elements that represent enormous quantities of money that over many years have cultivated an enormous influence in power in Congress," he said.

"I think you've got a lot of people on the Hill who fall into two categories. One category that is interested in money and wants to be reelected, and they don’t want to run the risk of the various lobbies that are pushing military action against Iran to contribute money to their opponents."

AIPAC, which is courted by both of the US' major parties during elections, responded to the claims on Twitter.

"Our bipartisan efforts are reflective of American values and interests. We will not be deterred in any way by ill-informed and illegitimate attacks on this important work," AIPAC said.

Macgregor is one of several Trump loyalists who have been brought in amid a last-ditch change of personnel in Washington. Last week, President Trump fired Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and several other defence officials.

Macgregor was lined up as Trump's nominee for ambassador to Germany earlier this year, however had his nomination terminared after CNN KFile highlighted that the former US army called Germany’s efforts to come to terms with the Holocaust as a "sick mentality".