Unconditional Support for Israel is a Liability for U.S.

Written: August 10, 2006

The headlines are falling into a horrifyingly predictable pattern. Civilian casualties continue to mount in the Middle East while our government remains seemingly paralyzed by inaction.

The conflict has so far resulted in 95 Israeli deaths, including 35 civilians. In Lebanon, the death toll is more than 800, most of them civilians. Almost a quarter of Lebanon‘s population remains homeless.

Damage to that nation’s civilian infrastructure could cost tens of billions of dollars to repair.

Whether the killed or injured are a result of deliberate targeting, errant bombs or mistaken identity matters little to the dead or their families. A report by Human Rights Watch stated: “The Israeli government claims it is taking all possible measures to minimize civilian harm, but the cases documented here reveal a systematic failure by the IDF to distinguish between combatants and civilians.”

While the majority of the victims are Lebanese or Palestinians, nonetheless no one should underplay the loss of any innocent life, whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim.

Contrary to President Bush’s assertion, the current conflict did not begin with the abduction of Israeli soldiers. The attacks, reprisals and more counter attacks now form a vicious cycle, the core of which remains Israel‘s inability to make peace through justice, not force of arms.

Former President Jimmy Carter said recently: “There will be no substantive and permanent peace for any peoples in this troubled region as long as Israel is violating key U.N. resolutions. . .by occupying Arab lands and oppressing the Palestinians.”

Former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft concurs. He said: “Hezbollah is not the source of the problem; it is a derivative of the cause, which is the tragic conflict over Palestine that began in 1948. . .A comprehensive peace settlement would not only defang the radicals in Lebanon and Palestine (and their supporters in other countries), it would also reduce the influence of Iran.”

The Bush doctrine in the current conflict is mired in the same neo-conservative self-aggrandizement and political fantasy that got us into Iraq. Pre-emption of terrorism does not require unilateral violence and death of innocent civilians. Far from achieving peace, the Bush doctrine has only emboldened extremists on all sides, who now hold a veto over peace. This is not leadership of the traditional American values of fairness and justice.

Rabbi Michael Lerner in a recent CNN interview said, “Many Jews in this country believe that the root of the issue is the Israel-Palestinian struggle and that we need to pursue a path recognizing the humanity of the Palestinian people.”

The big problem in the Middle East remains the unresolved question of a viable Palestinian state. America‘s unconditional support of Israel makes it behave again and again like a bully on the playground.

Israel has repeatedly abused American economic aid and military cover by pursuing settlements, building walls and bombing civilians, contrary to the desires of the American public.

Polls show that majority of Americans would like to see an immediate ceasefire and a plurality of Americans wants to see America pursue an even-handed approach to resolving the Middle East conflict.

Instead of reflecting this public opinion, the Bush administration and many other elected officials remain spellbound by the parochial views of special interest groups and messianic visions.

A poll by well known pollster Daniel Yankelovich’s (www.Publicagenda.org)shows that the American public is very uneasy about the growing hostility toward of the Muslim world towards the United States.

Another poll, taken before the current conflict, by the Gallup World Poll shows that from North Africa to Southeast Asia, more than 90 percent of respondents say that they do not believe the U.S. to be trustworthy, friendly, or respectful of other countries. How else do we expect the Muslim world to react when they see our leaders speak about Israeli rights and security yet leave Palestinians and Lebanese with neither?

Our one-sided support for Israel is a liability in the war on terror.

It has turned much of the world including our European allies against us. It is time for our Mideast policy to reflect views held by the majority of Americans who desires a just and peaceful resolution that preserves the rights, security and dignity of Jews, Christians and Muslims living in the Middle East.