Victor Davis Hanson: When Should We Stop Supporting Israel?

VDH ^ | March 28, 2004 | Victor Davis Hanson

[quidnunc]

The recent assassination of Sheik Saruman raises among some Americans the question — at what point should we reconsider our rather blanket support for the Israelis and show a more even-handed attitude toward the Palestinians? The answer, it seems to me, should be assessed in cultural, economic, political, and social terms.

Well, we should no longer support Israel, when…

Mr. Sharon suspends all elections and plans a decade of unquestioned rule.

Mr. Sharon suspends all investigation about fiscal impropriety as his family members spend millions of Israeli aid money in Paris.

All Israeli television and newspapers are censored by the Likud party.

Israeli hit teams enter the West Bank with the precise intention of targeting and blowing up Arab women and children.

Preteen Israeli children are apprehended with bombs under their shirts on their way to the West Bank to murder Palestinian families.

Israeli crowds rush into the street to dip their hands into the blood of their dead and march en masse chanting mass murder to the Palestinians.

Rabbis give public sermons in which they characterize Palestinians as the children of pigs and monkeys.

-snip-

[quidnunc]

FYI

[Prime Choice]

BTTT!

[goldstategop]

When Israel vows "Death to America" and promises more 9/11s are in store for the Yankee colossus. You get the point... I can't imagine Israel ever forfeiting our support but the Palis have done that and more. How come they haven't forfeited our support yet??

[general_re]

The answer, it seems to me, should be assessed in cultural, economic, political, and social terms.

Errr, no. The answer should be assessed purely in terms of realpolitik - we should stop supporting Israel when it is no longer in America's interests to support Israel. Not that I think this is likely to happen any time soon, but that's how the geopolitical calculus works in the real world.

[thoughtomator]

funny stuff

[Lily4Jesus]

The day the U S A stops supporting Israel the U S A will be history. GOD said:"I will bless those that blesses Israel and I will curse those that curses Israel..." GOD said it that settles it. This also applies in a a personal level too. In Jesus Name, AMEN.

[ApesForEvolution]

Good 4 You Lily!

[laylauneok]

Palestine has NEVER complied to ANY rule of law set forth by the U.N. ever. Palestine has done NOTHING but support and arm terrorists against Israel and the friends of Israel. Palestine is now harboring terrorists against the United States and her allies. Palestine will stop at nothing until the complete destruction of Israel has occured. After that happens...Christians are next. And SO it goes.

[GeronL]

we should not make our foreign policy based on appeasing terrorists

[JLS]

Excellent reply.

[American in Israel]

we should stop supporting Israel when it is no longer in America's interests to support Israel.

Should we murder our neighbors kid when it is in our interest too? If you interests are bigger than your morality, you are in a very dangerous place.

[cinnathepoet]

Neighbor kids can be really annoying sometimes, too.

[general_re]

Should we murder our neighbors kid when it is in our interest too?

That's a ridiculous analogy, and you should be ashamed of yourself for even bringing it up. Please try to think of something a bit less hyperbolic in the future.

If you interests are bigger than your morality, you are in a very dangerous place.

Unless you are prepared to argue that we are able to enforce our morality in all places and at all times, we will necessarily have to pick and choose among those we will support. I assign no special criteria to Israel in that regard - when it is in the American interest to support Israel, we should support Israel, and when it is not, we should not. I assume that the Israelis regard their own allies in this fashion as well - if they do not, they would be wise to start.

We elect a government here in America with the goal of advancing American interests, not Israeli interests - that is what the Israeli government is for. When and where advancing Israeli interests proves felicitous for advancing American interests, the American government should advance the interests of the American people by advancing the interests of the Israeli people, and where it does not advance American interests, the United States should not advance Israeli interests. I also assume that Israelis regard their own state interests in a similar fashion here as well - if they do not, they would be wise to start.

[Tolik]

So until then, I think most Americans can see the moral differences in the present struggle.

If the Palestinians wish to hold periodic and open elections, establish an independent judiciary, create a free press, arrest murderers, subject their treasury to public scrutiny, eschew suicide murdering, censure religious leaders who call for mass murder, embrace non-violent dissidents, extend equal rights to women, end honor killings, raise funds in the Arab world earmarked only to build water, sewer, transportation, and education infrastructure, and pledge that any Jews who choose to live in the West Bank will enjoy the same rights as Arabs in Israel, then they might find Americans equally divided over questions of land and peace.

But all that is a lot of ifs. And so for the present, Palestinian leaders shouldn’t be too surprised that Americans increasingly find very little in their society that has much appeal to either our values or sympathy. If they continually assure us publicly that they are furious at Americans, then they should at least pause, reflect, and ask themselves why an overwhelming number of Americans—not Jewish, not residents of New York, not influenced by the media—are growing far more furious with them.

Victor Davis Hanson moral clarity huge BUMP  

[please freepmail me if you want or don't want to be pinged to Victor Davis Hanson articles]

If you want to bookmark his articles discussed at FR: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/k-victordavishanson/browse

His NRO archive: http://www.nationalreview.com/hanson/hanson-archive.asp

His blog: http://victorhanson.com/index.html     BIO: http://victorhanson.com/Author/index.html

Yes, he is listened by the Bush Administration; they like him maybe as much as we do: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085464/posts?page=6#6

[MEG33]

Bravo, Mr.Hanson.He nails it!

[PigRigger]

"When Should We Stop Supporting Israel?..."

Never. Israel is what the west has to look forward to if we do not win the WOT.

[PGalt]

Great post. Thanks.

[PigRigger]

The simple fact is that the PLA could attain all their goals and more through peaceful resistance - if they really wished to live in peaceful coexistence with their Israeli neighbors.

The truth of the matter is very simple - the PLA, and the supporting terrorist infrastructure, does not wish to live in peace with Israel. In fact, they wish to see the state of Israel removed from the face of the earth.

Until I see the PLA demonstrating a desire for real peace, and respecting Israel's right to exist, they should be hunted down and disposed of. Israel is fighting for its' survival - something we should never lose sight of.

[metesky]

Thanks for another great VDH article.

Tolik, thanks for the ping.

VDH moral clarity bump.