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Politics Foreign Affairs Culture Fellows Program

A Defining Moment

Many observers of the rift between Israel and the United States see a defining moment, in which the national interests of the two countries are visibly moving apart.  I would note that the national interests have never been even close to identical, that the myth of Israel as a security asset to the US has […]

Many observers of the rift between Israel and the United States see a defining moment, in which the national interests of the two countries are visibly moving apart.  I would note that the national interests have never been even close to identical, that the myth of Israel as a security asset to the US has been deliberately and falsely promoted, and that Israel has always been an expensive liability to the United States.  Those “truths” are just a bit more visible at the present time.

Some predict that President Obama, a methodical and patient man, will gradually turn the tables on Israel now that the public has become aware that the lopsided relationship is costing American lives on several battle fronts.  But I’m not buying that argument.  Earlier this week a letter signed by 300 Congressmen pledged commitment to the “unbreakable bond that exists between the US and the State of Israel.”  The public, God bless them, have no ability to overturn Congressional knee jerk support for Israel, and besides, the ability of the MSM to control the coverage of the issue means that most Americans will have no clue that there is any school of thought that Israel constitutes a liability.  Israel’s $3 billion from the US annually is untouchable, which means that the White House can exert no pressure on Tel Aviv.  At the UN, the US yesterday vetoed three resolutions mildly critical of Israel, one of which sought to affirm the Palestinians’ right to self determination (the vote was 45 to 1).  The US also confirmed this week a new $210 million arms sale to Israel (which will be paid for by the US taxpayer).  So much for punishment.

So what does that leave?  It leaves Americans like me and PJB and many of the readers of TAC seriously annoyed that the wag the dog continues but there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.  Expecting Obama to function as a deus ex machina to turn things around is completely unrealistic.  He is facing mid-term elections and the pro-Israel crowd in his own party can create havoc for him, ditto next year when the Dems begin to crank up for the presidential election.  The Republicans already appear to be turning the issue of Israel into one of their wedge issues for the upcoming elections, which means that the party of Lincoln will pretty much become the party of apartheid and Bibi Netanyahu.  The Ron Paul people are pretty much uninterested in foreign policy except that they are anti-intervention.  Where do we go?  Where do we hide?

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