[Peace-discuss] WHAT accounts for the US' mindless support for Israel???

[C. G. Estabrook]

I think it's important to realize that the USG's support for Israel isn't 
mindless at all.  It's perfectly in keeping with the long-standing US policy in 
the Middle East, which -- because of its energy resources -- is the most 
important region of the world for US foreign policy.

"Since WWI, when the world began to move onto an oil-based economy, the Middle 
East has become central in world affairs, for the very obvious reason that it 
has, by far the largest and the most accessible petroleum resources -- primarily 
in Saudi Arabia, secondarily in Iraq, and thirdly in the Gulf Emirates, and 
elsewhere. As the State Department described it during the Second World War, 
when the US was taking over, 'It's a stupendous source of strategic power and 
the greatest material prize in world history.' In the 1950s President Eisenhower 
called it 'strategically the most important part of the world.'"

It's become even more important to the US as economic rivals arose in the world 
-- Europe and northeast Asia.  The US doesn't need Mideast energy for its own 
purposes, but control of it gives the USG a strangle-hold over these competing 
economies.

The greatest threat to US control has been what the State Department calls 
"domestic radicalism" -- the unconscionable demand of the people of the region 
to control their own resources.

In the post-WWII period of decolonization, this threat was borne by (secular) 
Arab nationalism, led by Nasser of Egypt.  The defeat of this threat by Israel 
in 1967 solidified the adoption by the US of Israel as its chief client (and by 
far the largest recipient of US foreign aid, particularly military).  It became 
the bulwark against threats to "our" oil -- the "local cop on the beat," in the 
words of the Nixon-Kissinger administration.

It's recently become fashionable to ignore the long-term geopolitical reasons 
that make the US Israel's patron, and to suggest that it's all matter of 
lobbying, of bribing congress with campaign contributions, or of malign and 
occult influence by the Israeli government over successive US administrations. 
At its worst (as in the case of the recently-departed head of the CIA, George 
Tenet) -- and not just on the Right -- this view becomes a sort of higher 
anti-semitism, the notion that crimes that the US has committed in SW Asia are 
the Jews' fault.

As Noam Chomsky argues, "The thesis ... is that the lobbies have overwhelming 
influence, and the so-called 'national interest' is harmed by what they do. If 
that were the case, it would be, I would think, a very hopeful conclusion. It 
would mean that U.S. policy could easily be reversed. It would simply be 
necessary to explain to the major centers of power, like the energy 
corporations, high-tech industry and arms producers and so on, just explain to 
them that their interests are being harmed by this small lobby that screams 
anti-semitism and funds congressmen, and so on. Surely those institutions can 
utterly overwhelm the lobby in political influence, in finance, and so on, so 
that ought to reverse the policy."

But it doesn't happen, and the reason is that USG support for Israel isn't 
mindless at all; it's an important part of fundamental US geopolitical strategy, 
notably its control of the Mideast energy.  --CGE


Karen Medina wrote:
> Jenifer Cartwright asked > WHAT accounts for the US' mindless support for 
> Israel???
> 
> The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is America's Pro-Israel
>  Lobby. 100,000-members. Money beyond belief.
> 
> Of the two recent resolutions "recognizing Israel's right to defend itself
> against attacks from Gaza": * Senate Resolution 10 passed by unanimous
> consent in the Senate. * House Resolution 34 passed the House by a vote of
> 390 to 5. Rep. Nancy Pelosi was the sponsor and there were 116 co-sponsors.
> Those 5 voting AGAINST the resolution were: Dennis Kucinich, Gwen Moore, Nick
> Rahall, Maxine Waters, and Ronald Paul.
> 
> You really must look at the numerous statements of "American Leaders Speak 
> Out in Support of Israel's Right to Self-Defense" updated January 15, 2009. 
> http://www.aipac.org/Publications/SourceMaterialsCongressionalAction/Congre 
> ssIsraelGazaSelfDefense.pdf
> 
> Is it the U.S.'s fear of Iran that gives this group (AIPAC) so much power?
> 
> Hey, have you seen the video of Obama at AIPAC's policy conference???? Scary
> but worth watching. 
> http://www.aipac.org/about_AIPAC/Learn_About_AIPAC/2841_12684.asp He mentions
> the nebulous "shared interests, shared values."
> 
> AIPAC claims as their major achievements: * Passing more than a dozen bills
> and resolutions condemning and imposing tough sanctions on Iran during the
> past 15 years. * Securing critical security assistance to Israel each year to
> ensure that Israel remains capable of facing increased threats. * Passing
> legislation requiring the administration to evaluate all future military 
> sales to Arab states in the context of the need to maintain Israel's
> qualitative military edge over potential adversaries. * Reinforcing the key
> principles America should stand by as it works to help Israel achieve peace
> in letters to the president signed by 268 House members and 78 senators. *
> Passing multiple resolutions affirming congressional support for Israel's
> right to self-defense in the face of terrorism by the terrorist groups Hamas
> and Hizballah. * Strongly urging the administration to take its decision to
> designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist
> group and weapons proliferator through an amendment supported by 76 senators
> and key legislation passed in the House of Representatives. * Strengthening
> U.S.-Israel energy cooperation by passing legislation that establishes a
> grant program that funds joint projects between U.S. and Israeli entities in
> the field of alternative energy. * Strengthening U.S.-Israel homeland
> security cooperation by passing landmark legislation creating an office
> within the Department of Homeland Security to support joint research and
> development projects between the United States and key allies such as Israel.
>  * Prohibiting U.S. aid and contacts with a Hamas-led PA until its leaders 
> recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce violence and ratify previous
> Israeli- Palestinian peace agreements. * Ratifying an agreement that led to
> the Israeli medical service Magen David Adom's admission to the International
> Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IRC). * Passing the Syrian
> Accountability Act, which allows the president to sanction Syria for its
> continued involvement in Lebanon and support of terrorism.
> 
> ---- Original message ----
>> Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 12:50:52 -0800 (PST) From: Jenifer Cartwright
>> <jencart13 at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Fwd: Message From
>> Senator Durbin -- P S To: peace-discuss <peace-discuss at anti-war.net>,
>> "Brussel Morton K."
> <mkbrussel at comcast.net>
>> Naive question on my part, but WHAT accounts for the US' mindless support
>> for Israel??? Jews are about 3% of the US population, and almost all of the
>> ones I know agree w/ me about the situation in the ME.
>>  --Jenifer