Obama’s administration has sunk to an all time low from the time President Harry Truman recognized the Jewish state in 1948. It is also true that the Jewish and the Kurdish people are the two “nations” who are not welcomed in the Middle East: however, they are the only nations that could be our most reliable allies in the region.
Under the Obama administration both people have been abandoned. According to former US ambassador to the UN John Bolton, “Obama is the most hostile president since the State of Israel was created. “Currently President Obama has refused to meet with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu while he is visiting at the United Nations’ annual meeting in New York.
Israel knows that Iran cannot destroy the United States but can annihilate Israel if Iran develops nuclear weapons. That is what makes Israel nervous and what makes Israel’s response to Iran’s developing nuclear weapons urgent. Further, it is why Israel wants the US to set clear red lines for the Iranian government regarding the development of a nuclear program. President Obama has made it clear that his administration rejects Israel’s demand.
Many Americans who support the right of Israel to exist also believe that if the President is reelected for a second term in office, he will give the Palestinians a state. Also, with the rise of Political Islam in the Arab Spring, Israel has been more isolated than ever. The stakes are high for Israel‘s future in the region. It is clear that President Obama’s foreign policy is ineffective and has weakened America‘s influence around the globe and that the President is confused about who America’s true and reliable ally in the Middle East is. It is not Turkey nor the Turkish people but rather the Jewish and Kurdish people. They are the ones who can best represent long-term American interests in the region.
Many Christians who agree that America must support Israel draw this conclusion from their deeply held beliefs. Because Christians believe that God gave the Holy Land to the Jewish people and believe that God has promised to bless those who help and support the Jewish people but will curse those who do not or who are anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic, they support Israel. It is true, though, that the US does give lots of aid to the Palestinians as well as to Arab states, not to only Israel.
Granted, George Bush was the first American President to call for a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, but he did so to make sure Hamas and other fundamentals would accept Israel’s right to exist and would denounce all forms of violence against the Jewish people. President Obama and Candidate Romney both say they are the better friend of Israel. Romney questions why President Obama visited two Muslims nations and by-passed Israel not visiting it, so he promised to the Jewish people that if he becomes the President of the United States, he will restore the American relationship with Israel. Romney criticized Obama for not doing enough to pressure Iran to stop developing its nuclear weapons, but Romney fails to take a stand on whether or not he would actually order any military action against Iran if Iran still does not stop developing its nuclear program.
But the questions often asked by many people are why does Iran have nuclear weapons or why does it need them? Second, why does the US support Israel? Israel has commited that it will not use nuclear weapons against any nation unless that nation attacks it, such as Iran. On the other hand, Iran publicly committed to wiping out Israel. At the UN this week, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad offended Israel again saying, “They [Israelis] have no roots there in history.” The reason America has supported Israel for a long time is because Israel shares the same values as America; both are committed to democratic values. Obama and Mitt Romney both seem willing to use military options to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb and do not want to hurry to take risks on when and how this might occur. Yet, President Obama’s policy supporting the pre-1967 Israeli borders has made the future of Israel tentative and could result in the end of Israel as a state. The pre-1967 borders or Green Line mean full withdrawal of Israel from the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem, which are strategically important for Israel especially for water resources returning to Syria.
President Obama has mistakenly believed that, if he distances himself from Israel, America will be safer and will have greater peace in the region. That clearly has been a failed policy. Obama‘s foreign policy and his recognition of pre-1967 borders make Israel indefensible and jeopardize the future of the state of Israel. Why is the state of Israel so important for American foreign policy? It is because the policy toward Israel serves as proxy for views toward other Middle Eastern issues and influences not only the Jewish votes, but also Muslim votes and Christian votes for the President. It is clear that for a long time Israel enjoyed bipartisan support; however, under President Obama’s administration Israel has become an issue that divides the Democrats from the Republicans. Further, President Obama’s foreign policy toward Israel is an existential threat to the Jewish people. However, America is tired of war and does not want to start another conflict in the Middle East, because for now America‘s biggest concerns are the economy and jobs. If America supports Israel in a plan to attack Iran, oil price will go higher and economic recovery in the USA will slow down, and Americans do not want that as of now. Since the job of the American President is to protect America’s interests, it is not in the best interest of America to distance itself from the only truly democratic ally in the region.
The author Dr. Aland Mizell is with the University of Mindanao School of Social Science, President of the MCI and a regular contributor to The Kurdistan Tribune, Kurdishaspect.com, Mindanao Times and Kurdish Media.You may email the author at aland_mizell2@hotmail.com.