Time for America to Stand Up for Democracy

The last JINSA Report noted the difference between “doing something” and getting something done, and suggested that the U.S. refrain from simply “doing something” for appearance sake. We failed, however, to point out that there are many things the United States can and should to in order to help our democratic friend under siege Israel.

The last JINSA Report noted the difference between “doing something” and getting something done, and suggested that the U.S. refrain from simply “doing something” for appearance sake. We failed, however, to point out that there are many things the United States can and should to in order to help our democratic friend under siege Israel.

America must stand in support of democratic interests and in opposition to corrupt dictatorships, the spread of terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. That puts Israel on one side of the American ledger and puts Arafat, the PA and its Islamic agents (along with Iran, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon-mostly-unwillingly and probably Egypt) on the other.

The United States must admit a mistake. We failed to see that from the AMERICAN perspective, the Oslo process was faulty in its assumption that Israel and the Palestinians shared a goal with which the U.S. was in accord, and thus both could be “partners” for peace and “partners” in good relations with us. The PA does not share AMERICAN interests and aspirations in the Middle East and does not share even a remote attachment to human rights or human decency, civil liberties or rule of law. The PA, therefore, is part of the problem now and for the foreseeable future.

The United States must make it clear that there is no “cycle of violence” the PA is making war on Israel, and Israel has a right to engage the enemy. The U.S. must say there will be no arbitrary standard of “proportionality” invoked against Israel it is for Israel to decide the proper proportion of response to people who smash the heads of teenage boys, target women in funeral processions and blow up teenagers at a disco. (America’s targeting of Khadaffi’s house in response to a bombing that killed two Americans in a club seems to us to have been both proportionate and effective.)

And whether we say so out loud or not, the U.S. must recognize that we never belonged in between Israelis and Palestinians. Parsing the land and parsing claims is beneath us. The issue is not the West Bank, not Palestinian political and military aspirations, and certainly not “settlements.” The issue is Arab failure to accept the legitimacy of Israel. We used to insist on that as the basis for reconciliation in the region and for friendship with us. We have to do it again.

The U.S. must abandon Oslo and explicitly return to the principle we helped draft 34 years ago, which includes: “Termination of all claims or states of belligerency and respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of every State in the area and their right to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.” (UN Resolution 242, 11/22/67).

American obligations in the region must include support for Arab and Moslem countries that have demonstrated their acceptance of Israel, and limited support for those who haven’t yet met their obligations. Broader American action in the region must include denying Iran and Iraq the ability to support the most radical Palestinian and other anti-democratic groups, and denying them completion of their weapons programs.

There is a lot for the United States to do and no excuse for not doing it.