Welcome to Washington, Mr. Sharon
These are probably not the best of circumstances for Prime Mister Sharon’s maiden visit to Washington. But, as befits the elected leadership of countries that are friends of long standing, President Bush will probably welcome him with a full agenda – no doubt Mr. Sharon has one as well – and they will expect to get down to business quickly.
These are probably not the best of circumstances for Prime Mister Sharon’s maiden visit to Washington. But, as befits the elected leadership of countries that are friends of long standing, President Bush will probably welcome him with a full agenda – no doubt Mr. Sharon has one as well – and they will expect to get down to business quickly.
Iran: Iran poses a threat to both American and Israeli interest in the Middle East, supporting terrorism, and receiving weapons and nuclear technology from Russia and China. Mr. Bush wisely renewed sanctions on Teheran this week, but there are hints the administration may be inclined to view Iran as a potential ally in its plans to rid the region of Saddam. Israel and the U.S. need to be sure they are totally on the same page.
Iraq: Arab leaders said they are wary of rejoining a U.S.-led coalition against Saddam because of U.S. support for Israel in the “mini-war.” Their solution? Limit U.S. support for Israel. Nonsense. The Arabs won’t rejoin our coalition because we dithered away the victory of the Gulf War, and they aren’t sure we intend to finish the job now. Further, the Palestinians initiated the war, and Yasser’s best friend Saddam Hussein has used it to advance himself in the Arab world to the detriment of the “moderate” states. The U.S. should make it clear that support for Israel and the elimination of threats from Baghdad are parallel – not linked – pillars of American policy. The Arabs should be invited into our regional plan, but not at the expense of our fundamental national security interests.
Jordan: Jordan’s security requirements were ignored by the previous administrations in both Washington and Jerusalem. The first envoy sent abroad by PM Sharon went to Amman to ensure that King Abdullah knows the value Israel places on the Hashemite Kingdom. The U.S. should follow suit because absent strong American support, Jordan is being sucked into the dangerous Egypt-Syria-Jordan alliance that cost the Kingdom so much in 1967.
Egypt: For years, some of Israel’s supporters in the U.S. lobbied hard for American military aid to Egypt on the grounds that the peace treaty with Israel took it out of the circle of threat. Now Egypt is looking for an upgrade in status to “strategic ally” of the United States. The answer must be “No.” Undemocratic and unstable, Egypt is armed to the teeth and appears much more inclined to threaten Israel than Iraq with the weapons we supplied. The U.S. and Israel need a serious conversation about each country’s future dealings with President-for-life-or-until-the-revolution Mubarak.
Lebanon and Syria: Whoever thought Lebanon would be independent after Israel left the south was wrong. Iran and Syria have both pressured Beirut into taking destabilizing actions. American policy toward both Lebanon and Syria should be discussed with Israel, because Israel will bear the consequences of any miscalculation.
And yes, they have to discuss the Palestinians. Mr. Sharon will likely insist that Israel cannot move toward the Palestinians under conditions of active warfare and incitement from the Palestinian leadership. The Bush Administration should agree, placing the onus for Palestinian misery squarely where it belongs – on Yasser Arafat.
If they get just that far (leaving Russia, China, ballistic missile and WMD threats, and money for later), Mr. Sharon’s first visit to Washington as Prime Minister will be a success.