Israel: America's Albatross
14/02/24 07:29
February 14, 2024 (Vol. 18 No. 8) - As the world's only democratic superpower, the United States has an imperative need and a moral responsibility to maintain peace. And make no mistake about it, playing the role of peacemaker is in our own vital interests. Unfortunately, there are those who choose to sow the seeds of chaos. It is not just the usual suspects - Russia, Iran, North Korea and China. It is also a nation that should be one of our closest friends, Israel. Under the erratic leadership of Benjamin Netanyahu, the public image of the only real democratic nation in the heart of the Middle East has been transformed from a sympathetic victim of the October 7 terror attacks into that of a callous, mass-murdering bully. As I noted in this space on November 1, Israel has a moral imperative to behave in a civilized manner, even in the midst of a war. And yet, as evidence from the above photograph (courtesy The New York Times), the Netanyahu government has been anything but civilized. That picture was taken after Israel this week conducted a raid to rescue two hostages. They were successful in liberating the hostages, but managed to kill dozens of women and children in the process. And Netanyahu has proposed a plan to force 1.5 million residents in Rafah to flee before engaging a military operations against Hamas. However, Netanyahu has no plans regarding where these poor people should go. In a 20th century context, we would call this ethnic cleansing. Don't get me wrong, Hamas are the bad guys and Israel has the right to defend itself. As I noted earlier this month, we also need to hold the Usual Suspects (Iran, Russia, North Korea and China) accountable for their bad behavior. However, Israel's actions in Gaza are beyond the pale and threaten the security of not only the Middle East, but of the United States itself. Because we are fully committed to Israel's existence and the Israelis know it, Israel has become an albatross around America's neck. There is not only increased danger of attacks on Americans abroad and in the homeland, but the controversy over Israel's behavior is threatening to splinter the Democratic Party at a time the nation is facing it's greatest threat, the candidacy of a racist, rapist, seditious, fraudulent, intellectual lightweight named Donald Trump. The Biden administration has to walk a fine line between unambiguous support for Israel and tampering down that nation's reckless and immoral behavior. To put it simply: Friends don't let friends commit mass murder. If we don't stop this madness, that albatross around our neck may strangle us. That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.