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Americans expect a friendlier policy on Israel

On the eve of President Obama’s visit to Israel, the American constituent is concerned about his attitude towards Israel, as reported by the March 4, 2013 issue of The Hill, one of the two newspapers on Capitol Hill.  

According to The Hill, which features a Pulse Opinion Research poll,
“The President’s support for Israel was found wanting by many voters…. Three times as many voters believe that the Obama administration is not supportive enough of Israel [39%] as believe it is too supportive [13%]….”

Once again, American voters reaffirm their sustained and solid support of the Jewish State and Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel, which dates back to the 17th century Pilgrims and 18th century Founding Fathers, who considered themselves “the modern day Israelites.”  The Jewish State has never been considered as a typical foreign policy issue, but rather as an integral part of the cultural and moral foundations of the United States:  Judeo-Christian values. 

The proportion of voters who say that President Obama does not give strong enough backing to Israel is higher than it was in each of three similar surveys conducted for The Hill since May 2011. Fewer voters find Obama’s policy excessively supportive of Israel…. A slightly larger percentage of likely voters say Obama is generally anti-Israel [30%] than those who say that he is pro-Israel [28%]….”  In the May and March, 2011 polls, 31% and 32% respectively said that the President was not supportive enough, while 27% and 25% respectively said that President Obama was too supportive of Israel. 

Elected officials in the US – the Legislatures and Executives alike – are much more accountable and attentive to constituents’ opinions and worldviews than any other Western democracy.  The Federalist system highlights voters as the chief axis of the political process, and “We shall remember in November” reverberates powerfully – every two years – through the corridors of power on both sides of Pennsylvania Avenue.  Voters’ priorities and worldviews are reflected, most authentically, through both Chambers of Congress, which constitute the most potent legislature in the Free World, co-determining and co-equal to the US Executive.

The March 2013 Gallup Poll features Israel, once again, among the top 5-7 countries which are most favored by Americans.  Israel is favored by 66%, while not favored by 29%.  At the same time, the Palestinian Authority – which is not favored by the Arab regimes, but embraced by the “Palestine Firsters” in Washington, DC – is not favored by 77% and favored by a mere 15%.  Once again, Mahmoud Abbas’ and Salam Fayyad’s Palestinian Authority joins Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya as the least favorable entities.

According to Gallup, Israel is the only top ally of the US which is involved in a high-profiled conflict with its neighbors – the Palestinian Authority and the Arab World – who are supported by some Americans that automatically oppose Israel.  Therefore, Israel’s 66% favorability is quite significant, since its potential favorability is uniquely constrained.

Israel is perceived by most Americans as a democratic ally, a senior strategic partner in the battle against mutual threats such as Iran’s nuclearization, Islamic terrorism and the raging Arab Street – a trustworthy beachhead in an area which is critical to vital US economic and national security interests.  At the same time, the Palestinian leadership – which sided with the Communist Bloc, Khomeini, Saddam Hussein and Bin Laden – is identified with the increasingly hostile Muslim Street, totalitarian and corrupt regimes and the US’ arch rivals, China and Russia. 

The results of the aforementioned Gallup and Pulse polls are consistent with the December 27, 2012 Pew Research Center poll (Israel was favored over the Palestinian Authority by a 5:1 ratio), the November 18, 2012 CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll (a 59%:13% ratio), the September 17, 2012 Foreign Policy Initiative poll (70% favorability for Israel) and the March, 2012 Gallup poll (a 71%:19% ratio), etc.

At the time when the Arab Street is boiling, Israel is increasingly recognized as America’s most reliable, stable, predictable, capable, democratic and unconditional strategic ally in the Middle East, and probably in the world.  At a time when political polarization is intensifying in the US, support of Israel constitutes a rare common-denominator on, and off, Capitol Hill, reflecting shared values, mutual threats and joint interests.

President Obama’s March visit to Israel constitutes an opportunity to prove to American constituents that the President shares their support of the Jewish State.

 



 




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Open letter to Prime Minister Bennett ahead of visit to USA

(Hebrew edition in “Israel Hayom,” Israel’s largest circulation daily)

During your first official visit to Washington, DC, you’ll have to choose between two options:

*Blurring your deeply-rooted, assertive Israeli positions on the future of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank), which would be welcome by the Biden Administration, yielding to short-term political convenience and popularity inside the beltway;

or

*Tenaciously advocating your deeply-rooted, principle-driven positions, which would underscore a profound disagreement with the Biden Administration and the “elite” US media, while granting you and Israel long-term strategic respect, as demonstrated by some of your predecessors.

For example, the late Prime Minister Shamir honed the second option, bluntly introduced his assertive Israeli positions on Judea and Samaria, rebuffed heavy US pressure – including a mudslinging campaign by President Bush and Secretary of State Baker – suffered a popularity setback, but produced unprecedented expansion of US-Israel strategic cooperation. When it comes to facing the intensified threats of rogue regimes and Islamic terrorism, the US prefers principle-driven, reliable, patriotic, pressure-defying partners, irrespective of disagreements on the Palestinian issue.

Assuming that you shall not budge on the historical and national security centrality of Judea and Samaria, it behooves you to highlight the following matters during your meetings with President Biden, Secretary of State Blinken, National Security Advisor Sullivan, Secretary of Defense Austin and Congressional leaders (especially the members of the Appropriations Committees):

  1. The 1,400-year-old track record of the stormy, unpredictable, violent and anti-“infidel” Middle East, which has yet to experience intra-Arab peaceful-coexistence, along with the 100-year-old Palestinian track record (including the systematic collaboration with anti-US entities, hate-education and anti-Arab and anti-Jewish terrorism) demonstrates that the proposed Palestinian state would be a Mini-Afghanistan or a Mega-Gaza on the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria.

It would dominate 80% of Israel’s population and infrastructures in the 9-15-mile sliver between Judea and Samaria and the Mediterranean, which is shorter than the distance between RFK Stadium and the Kennedy Center.

Thus, a Palestinian state would pose a clear and present existential threat to Israel; and therefore, Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria is a prerequisite for its survival.

  1. The proposed Palestinian state would undermine US interests, as concluded from the Palestinian intra-Arab track record, which has transformed the Palestinians into a role-model of intra-Arab subversion, terrorism and ingratitude. Arabs are aware that a Palestinian state would add fuel to the Middle East fire, teaming up with their enemies (e.g., Iran’s Ayatollahs, the Muslim Brotherhood and Turkey’s Erdogan) and providing a strategic foothold to Russia and China. Consequently, Arabs shower Palestinians with favorable talk, but with cold and negative walk.

Hence, during the October, 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty ceremony, Jordan’s military leaders asserted to their Israeli colleagues that a Palestinian state west of the Jordan River would doom the pro-US Hashemite regime east of the River, and lead, subsequently, to the toppling of all pro-US Arab Peninsula regimes.

  1. There is no foundation for the contention that Israel’s retreat from the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria – which are the cradle of Jewish history, religion and culture – is required in order to sustain Israel’s Jewish majority. In reality, there is unprecedented Jewish demographic momentum, while Arab demography – throughout the Middle East – has Westernized dramatically. The Jewish majority in the combined area of Judea, Samaria and pre-1967 Israel benefits from a robust tailwind of fertility and migration.
  2. Israel’s control of the mountain ridges of Judea and Samaria and the Golan Heights, bolsters its posture of deterrence, which has daunted rogue regimes, reduced regional instability, enhanced the national security of all pro-US Arab regimes, and has advanced Israel’s role as a unique force-multiplier for the US. An Israeli retreat from Judea and Samaria would transform Israel from a strategic asset – to a strategic liability – for the US.
  3. As the US reduces its military presence in the Middle East – which is a global epicenter of oil production, global trade (Asia-Africa), international Islamic terrorism and proliferation of non-conventional military technologies – Israel’s posture of deterrence becomes increasingly critical for the pro-US Arab countries (e.g., Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Jordan), who consider Israel to be the most reliable “life insurance agent” in the region.

Contrary to NATO, South Korea and Japan, Israel’s defense does not require the presence of US troops on its soil.

  1. Sustaining Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge is a mutual interest for the US and Israel, which serves as the most cost-effective battle-tested laboratory for the US defense industries and armed forces. Thus, Israel’s use of hundreds of US military systems has yielded thousands of lessons (operation, maintenance and repairs), which have been integrated, by the US manufacturers, into the next generation of the military systems, saving the US many years of research and development, increasing US exports and expanding the US employment base – a mega billion dollar bonanza for the US. At the same time, the US armed forces have benefitted from Israel’s military intelligence and battle experience, as well as joint training maneuvers with Israel’s defense forces, which has improved the US formulation of battle tactics.

Prime Minister Bennett, your visit to Washington, is an opportunity to demonstrate your adherence to your deeply-rooted strong Israeli positions, rejecting the ill-advised appeals and temptations to sacrifice Israel’s national security on the altar of convenience and popularity.

Yours truly,

Yoram Ettinger, expert on US-Israel relations and Middle East affairs

Support Appreciated

 

 

 

 

 




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