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of the world. Whether one thinks it is fair or not, the entire Arab and Islamic world - more than 1.3 billion people - puts a lot of emotional and religious value into the area that comprises most of Israel and the Palestinian territories. That is what they fought the crusades over almost a thousand years ago.
Of course the 22 countries of the Arab League and the 57 countries of the Organization of The Islamic Conference now recognizes that it is a good idea and mutually beneficial to comes to terms with Israel and negotiate a peace based on the international consensus for a two-state solution. That is why they have endorsed a peace proposal supporting the two-state solution leading to establishing full diplomatic relations.
But as long as America is perceived as continually siding with Israel - something which is obviously compounded by the amount of primarily military aid which the U.S. government, not anti-Israeli propagandist, claims to be a larger than that provided any other country (with the exception currently of Iraq) - ill will toward America will be further facilitated and relationships that are in America's vital national interest will be further strained and further complicated while more misunderstandings contribute in no small way to watering the seed bed of of extremism.
During a certain stage of the cold war, staunch American support for Israel fit in well with cold war ideology. The 1967 devastating military defeat of the center of Pan-Arab nationalism that was lead by a prominent ally of the Soviet Union was no doubt hailed by cold warriors throughout the West as a proxy victory over the Soviet Union, the weakening of Soviet influence in the Middle East and the strengthening of American-backed Western power in the region.
Israeli arm sales to Latin American militarys and Israel's military alliance with the apartheid Republic of South African during the cold war also served as means where the United States could see that its allies against Soviet influence were well armed while reducing domestic and international scrutiny and criticism. Israel even played a key role in insuring that the Mujahideen in Afghanistan were well armed in their fight against Soviet occupation.
However, at this point and time with Soviet influence and power as a thing of the past - it is hard for me to see where America being seen as Israel's best friend does anything but complicate matters. Current foreign policy doctrine views the security of the Persian Gulf and steady flow of oil to the United States and elsewhere as the gravest security matter that faces potential threats. This is hardly a secret.
American politicians of both parties will talk about ending dependency on Middle Eastern oil. But anyone with even the most cursory understanding of the realities, all know perfectly well that this talk of ending dependency on Middle Eastern oil is nothing but electioneering rubbish that no knowledgeable person seriously believes. Modern economy is absolutely oil dependent at every level. It will take a lot more than running a small handful of cars on alternative fuels and tax credits for putting in solar panels to end dependency on Middle Eastern oil. Even if there was Green Party style ecological revolution in the Western World, the need for oil is so great and the demand comes from so many sources - it is ludicrous to imagine that even this would end dependency on Middle Eastern oil to anyone at all living in the world of reality and thinking about it. And it is fair to say that no matter who wins what elections in the United States and in the rest of the world - this dependency will not significantly reduce and will most likely only increase. If the supply of Middle Eastern oil was to be seriously disrupted for a prolonged period of time, the American and the world economies would be deeply imperiled and would almost certainly face collapse.
There is simply no question that strident support for Israel by the United States is a major contributing factor that elicits the appeal of anti-Western political movements that would threaten and compromise the supply of oil to a very oil-dependent America and world. Military power has simply no possibility whatsoever of reducing the resentment and anger elicited by the Israeli/Palestinian conflict among the word's 1.3 billion Muslims and Arab people who comprise the majorities in 57 countries and significant minorities in many, many more. Of course the U.S. has plenty of other problems in dealing with the Arab/Islamic world. But this is a very big one; not the only one - but a very, very big one.
Given that the facts of the situation is so obvious, in my humble opinion, America's almost blind support for Israel is primarily a combination of outdated cold war ideology and the influence of a militant and ruthless domestic political lobby that is not only pro-Israel, but pro-right wing Israeli. No member of Congress or candidate for the U.S. Congress of either party fears any significant political consequences for publicly and vociferously condemning Saudi Arabia. Conversely, most in fact all but a few members of Congress and candidates for Congress feel hesitant about even fairly mild public criticism of Israel. Even when they do, they inevitably open with a phrase something like this; "First of all, I am a friend of Israel." Even though in real concrete terms Saudi Arabia's security is far more important to America's national interest, I have yet to hear any member of Congress or candidate for Congress open with the phrase, "First of all, I am a friend of Saudi Arabia."
There are those who would say America's interest with Israel is rooted in shared values of democracy and human rights. Well clearly, Israel's treatment of the Palestinians make those words ring rather hollow, to say the least - especially in the region. As Phil Weiss once put it, "When I was young, Israel was proclaimed as 'A light unto the nations' - now it is is, 'well we're better than Syria'.
Let me say though, this strident support is not unlimited. If it were the case, Iran would have probably already been bombed and Jonathan Pollard would have been freed a long time ago.
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