Our Israeli Relations

I read two different articles today concerning the widening rift between Washington and Israel. I'm sure there have always been differences of opinion between the two nations, some of them behind the scenes and others more apparent, but as a matter of political reality, the two nations nurtured that existing bond because of Judeo-Christian values, the Holocaust of WWII, and in no small amount, the large number of Jews living in the United States. There is also an American appreciation for the doggedness that the Israelis have displayed in the defense of their homeland (and yes, I consider Jerusalem and Israel the homeland of the Jews) in major wars and in their daily lives. Living constantly within rifle shot and mortar range of your enemy is not for the timid.

American memories are short, and WWII ended over 65 years ago. The photographs of the Nazi death camps that shocked the world are now put away into ancient history. The last Arab-Israeli war ended in 1973, over 40 years ago, and now the routine rocket attack, kidnapping, or wounding of an Israeli soldier by a Palestinian hardly jars our consciousness. And the continuing warnings from Mr. Netanyahu regarding Iranian nuclear intentions now seem to fall on numbed ears in Washington. 

The problem for Israel is that the United States wants out of the Middle East. There is an abundance of energy solutions for the United States within our own borders and from Canada and Venezuela. We don't need the Middle East oil, and we certainly don't need the headache from dealing with Israelis, Persians, Shiites, and Sunnis.  The global initiative of the United States is to pivot toward the Pacific. And if you couple this geopolitical attitude with a lessening of Christian influence in our government, it leads to a desire to have Israel be more amenable to the wishes of the Arabs. Never mind that it disregards the numerous failures of the past when trying to get Iran, Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, or Hezbollah to agree to let Israel have a right to exist.

No matter our military missteps in Afghanistan or Iraq, or the lack of understanding as to the threat of ISIS, we are the major military force in the world. I guess we have forgotten that we have two oceans to protect us from all but ICBM threats. Even with the upgrading of the Chinese navy, they are no match for the United States. Natural and easily defensible borders protect us with a technological/industrial engine to support any military activity. We have a strategic depth that other, smaller countries could only dream about. Countries like Israel. Israel just needs to understand that we have another direction we want to go. And if Mr. Netanyahu doesn't understand that, then he is a real "chickenshit".(here)

But then again, and for those of us who have a Biblical-based belief system, the Israelis don't really need us as much as we need them.