Posted by
Andrews on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:22:20 PM
As anyone who reads this blog knows, I am very skeptical of allegations that the "Israel Lobby" somehow manipulates the US into doing the bidding of Israel. I am equally wary of any claims that there is any sort of Zionist conspiracy, causing the world to bend to Israeli desires. Obviously disproving such claims in difficult, but if you think about history, I think it is pretty clear that little in modern history supports these theories.
Let us look at the Six Day War. After the resounding Israeli victory, what was the world response? Did the Zionist conspiracy force the world to recognize Israel's gains? No, the UN passes Resolution 242, effectively insisting Israel return the captured territories to the aggressors. Not only that, but the world also responded with numerous boycotts on the sale of arms to Israel, though not to the belligerents who attacked Israel and started the war. (For those who love to push "moral equivalence", I would note, that prior to 1967, Jews were forbidden to visit the Western Wall when Jordan controlled Jerusalem, but after 1967, the Jews did not take the Temple Mount away from the Arabs, who control it to this day. Some "moral equivalence"!)
So, maybe it isn't the whole world, maybe just the US that is prey to the "Israel Lobby". If so, though, explain to me why the Israel lobby allowed Clinton to take the almost dead PLO, bring its leaders back to Israel, restore their authority and reignite the intifada, all so he could have a legacy? What sort of all powerful Israel Lobby would allow that to happen?
Nor have the Republicans been much more pro-Israel of late. The party line for both parties insists on a "two state solution", which means effectively creating a 13 mile wide "waist" to the state of Israel, putting terrorist within rocket shot of every inch of Israeli territory and putting Hammas and Fatah in position to begin demanding a "right of return" to allow them to flood Israel with militants.
So, please, explain to me, those who argue that Israel wields "too much influence", exactly what laws or resolutions or military actions have been to the benefit of Israel? Their receipt of foreign aid? What nation DOESN'T get foreign aid? Our invasion of Iraq? It may have benefited Israel, but I think a little smoldering hole in NYC had a little more to do with it than Israel did. No, Israel may be the beneficiary of its position as our only ally in the middle east, and they may also benefit from the significant US Jewish minority, but, looked at realistically, history simply does not support the idea that Israel receives an excessive amount of support form the US.
POSTSCRIPT
Looked at honestly, France seems to have more control over us than Israel. France often thwarts our foreign policy initiatives, engages regularly in hostile trade actions, is generally uncooperative, and yet they are treated as a valued ally. Compared to Israel's cooperative position toward us, and our relatively ambivalent attitude toward them, the US-French relationship is much more confusing than the US-Israeli one.