There's no such thing as "normalizing" a relationship we've been subsidizing to the tune of almost $350 billion over the last 6 decades. We need to behave and act in reality, not fantasy.
You touch on some good points regarding Biden not hugging Bibi.. however, you failed to mention that the Biden Adm continued to provide Israel with US weaponry which killed thousands upon thousands innocent Palestinian lives. Democratic congressman, to this day, continue to receive APAC dollars, which to me pretty hypocritical, as they still call out the horror show in Gaza and the West Bank.
Personally, as a Jew, I find what Israel has become is a huge disappointment and I do not support them one single bit and feel Netanyahu is a murderer!
Amy, I agree with you about Netanyahu and the far right in Israel. We share in Netanyahu's shame and it is sickening what happened to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The fact that APAC puts dollars into the pockets of our congressmen and women is wrong and should be stopped.
The strategy in normal alliance politics makes good sense. Unfortunately I have little faith in our current administration.
Agree with Goldenberg. Israel has now evolved to a status comparable to that of EU or NATO members. Our relationship should reflect that fact. The historic special relationship has outlived its advantage for us, and has encouraged Israeli policies not in its own long term best interests in my view. I say this as a lifelong Jewish supporter of Israel’s welfar[e.
The underlying assumption for this analysis appears to be that Israel's values and objectives align with a progressive American agenda that is defined, ultimately, by what we call "Jewish values" and include the ultimate establishment of two separate, peaceable nation-states. Opposition in Israel to these values is aberrational. Elections in Israel will see the end of Smotrich and Ben Gvir and Bibi and elections in the United States will restore a definition of American interests that recognizes Russia and China as principal adversaries, followed by Iran, instead of a new and naked imperialism.
What if the underlying assumption is wrong? It is not difficult to suppose that the new American agenda defined by Trump has no particular interest in Palestinians nor a Palestinian state. There is valuable real estate to be exploited, especially in the seaside resort potential of Gaza, where the Trump profiteers already are designing Mar-a-Lago East (and they can get the United States to pay for it). The United States' interest, which is identical to the Trump family interests, is in pacifying Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria while maintaining peace with Jordan and Egypt so that the new resort can flourish. Pacification of Palestinians may be addressed by mass deportation to Somaliland and repression of the remnant within Greater Israel.
Israel's interests remain aligned with the new American foreign policy "strategy," with one vital exception, Bibi's fate. That problem is ready to be solved. Trump is demanding a pardon and Herzog almost certainly will grant it. Bibi then remains in power indefinitely, an electoral outcome also possible in the United States once the military and National Guard are deployed on election day to suppress the vote by intimidation or, if the vote cannot be rigged, invoking the Insurrection Act to dissolve elections altogether.
These scenarios are of personal interests and politics upending the values and beliefs of the post-World War II, post-Cold War regime. Just as the world trading system has been decomposed and "crimes against humanity" in Ukraine and Gaza is a mere slogan, so the assumptions that the slogan can be applied or will be restored within a context of Jewish progressive values may be presumptive fantasy.
The assumption here appears to see an eternal, common role of the United States as a hegemonic power promoting democracy around the world. That day, however, seems to have passed and there are few if any signs that it can ever come back.
There's no such thing as "normalizing" a relationship we've been subsidizing to the tune of almost $350 billion over the last 6 decades. We need to behave and act in reality, not fantasy.
Which country in Europe do we sign an annual $60 billion check to without any strings attached?
You touch on some good points regarding Biden not hugging Bibi.. however, you failed to mention that the Biden Adm continued to provide Israel with US weaponry which killed thousands upon thousands innocent Palestinian lives. Democratic congressman, to this day, continue to receive APAC dollars, which to me pretty hypocritical, as they still call out the horror show in Gaza and the West Bank.
Personally, as a Jew, I find what Israel has become is a huge disappointment and I do not support them one single bit and feel Netanyahu is a murderer!
Amy, I agree with you about Netanyahu and the far right in Israel. We share in Netanyahu's shame and it is sickening what happened to the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The fact that APAC puts dollars into the pockets of our congressmen and women is wrong and should be stopped.
The strategy in normal alliance politics makes good sense. Unfortunately I have little faith in our current administration.
Agree with Goldenberg. Israel has now evolved to a status comparable to that of EU or NATO members. Our relationship should reflect that fact. The historic special relationship has outlived its advantage for us, and has encouraged Israeli policies not in its own long term best interests in my view. I say this as a lifelong Jewish supporter of Israel’s welfar[e.
Israel is a murderous collective. We should not be involved with them on any level. The money train and protection needs to end.
The underlying assumption for this analysis appears to be that Israel's values and objectives align with a progressive American agenda that is defined, ultimately, by what we call "Jewish values" and include the ultimate establishment of two separate, peaceable nation-states. Opposition in Israel to these values is aberrational. Elections in Israel will see the end of Smotrich and Ben Gvir and Bibi and elections in the United States will restore a definition of American interests that recognizes Russia and China as principal adversaries, followed by Iran, instead of a new and naked imperialism.
What if the underlying assumption is wrong? It is not difficult to suppose that the new American agenda defined by Trump has no particular interest in Palestinians nor a Palestinian state. There is valuable real estate to be exploited, especially in the seaside resort potential of Gaza, where the Trump profiteers already are designing Mar-a-Lago East (and they can get the United States to pay for it). The United States' interest, which is identical to the Trump family interests, is in pacifying Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria while maintaining peace with Jordan and Egypt so that the new resort can flourish. Pacification of Palestinians may be addressed by mass deportation to Somaliland and repression of the remnant within Greater Israel.
Israel's interests remain aligned with the new American foreign policy "strategy," with one vital exception, Bibi's fate. That problem is ready to be solved. Trump is demanding a pardon and Herzog almost certainly will grant it. Bibi then remains in power indefinitely, an electoral outcome also possible in the United States once the military and National Guard are deployed on election day to suppress the vote by intimidation or, if the vote cannot be rigged, invoking the Insurrection Act to dissolve elections altogether.
These scenarios are of personal interests and politics upending the values and beliefs of the post-World War II, post-Cold War regime. Just as the world trading system has been decomposed and "crimes against humanity" in Ukraine and Gaza is a mere slogan, so the assumptions that the slogan can be applied or will be restored within a context of Jewish progressive values may be presumptive fantasy.
The assumption here appears to see an eternal, common role of the United States as a hegemonic power promoting democracy around the world. That day, however, seems to have passed and there are few if any signs that it can ever come back.