Opinion

PANDORA'"

UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS

A Disconcerting Policy Shift

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44

May 20 2010

the administration. This
he Israeli settlement
aide told Haaretz:". . it
issue, particularly
is absolutely imperative,
the announcement
not just for the security of
during a visit by Vice
Israel and the Palestinian
President Joe Biden of 1,600
people, who were, remem-
new units, caused such a
ber, at war just a year ago,
political uproar that a much
but it is important for our
more serious development
own security that we move
slipped under the politi-
forward and resolve this
cal radar. The latter issue,
very difficult issue."
unless addressed strongly
Berl Fa Ibaum
There is it again; the
and vigorously, could lead to
Comm unity
resolution
of the Middle
more pressure on Israel and
Vi ew
East conflict is important
even to a major realignment
"for our own security."
of U.S. policy with its long-
If the U.S. decides the historic stra-
time ally, Israel.
tegic partnership is of no value, but,
The issue involves Gen. David
indeed, a foreign policy handicap, that
Petraeus, commander of the U.S.
would be a change — a major one
Central Command, who stated that
— from traditional U.S. foreign policy
U.S. strategic interests might not par-
thinking. Various American presidents
allel those of Israel.
may have had "crises" with Israel, but
In a paper delivered to the Senate
they have always valued the strategic
Armed Services Committee, Petraeus
partnership with Israel, recognizing it is
strongly implied that the lack of prog-
the only democracy in the Middle East.
ress in resolving the Palestinian-Israeli
Consider the consequences of letting
conflict may be causing the U.S. diffi-
culties in the region and, by implication this policy take hold: If it is repeated
often enough and the American public
at least, may be responsible for the loss
is convinced that, indeed, Israel is the
of the lives of American soldiers.
cause for the loss of American lives in
He also is reportedly to have asked
Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the the Middle East, it may erode the pub-
lic support Israel has enjoyed through-
Joint Chiefs of Staff, to add the West
out its history.
Bank and Gaza to his area of respon-
A change in the affection that
sibility (AOR). In that request, he also
Americans have for Israel could trans-
reportedly made an issue of Israeli
late into an abandonment of Israel by
intransigence in finding a resolution
Congress because politicians, despite
to the Palestinian issue.
their protestations, don't lead. They
But why create an uproar over the
follow. Political polls are a very strong
general's comments when they do
component in the development of
nothing but echo those of his boss, the
political philosophy.
commander-in-chief, Barack Obama?
To its credit, the Anti-Defamation
As a presidential candidate, Obama
maintained that the conflict "does infect League issued a statement calling the
linkage of peace in the Middle East to
all of our foreign policy;" as president,
the U.S. strategic alliance with Israel
he repeated that position as late as in
by Petraeus "dangerous and counter-
an April 13 speech in which he stated
that resolving the conflict is "in the vital productive."
Indeed, it is both, but it will take
interests of the United States" and the
more voices than just that of the ADL
conflict is "costing us significantly in
to make sure a historic reversal of U.S.
terms of blood and treasure'
policy as it relates to Israel does not
Notice the verb "infect" which,
succeed. And the voices need to be
needless to say, is not a positive. If the
directed at the White House.
U.S. foreign policy is "infected:' then
Given the Obama record on Israel
it follows that the policy needs to be
during
his first 16 months in office, the
cleansed of that infection.
Jewish
body politic has a daunting task.
It would be safe to conclude that
We
cannot
wait for Obama to take
Petraeus understood that he was sim-
the
actions
he
deems appropriate to rid
ply articulating and reinforcing the
U.S.
foreign
policy
of its "infection:'
administration's policy on the difficul-
ties of the American-Israeli strategic
Berl Falbaum is a Farmington Hills public
affiance.
relations
executive, author and a former
Indeed, the first reaction by an
He teaches journal-
reporter.
political
unnamed Obama aide (quoted by
ism
part-time
at
Wayne
State University,
Haaretz), does not support the view
Detroit.
that the general was out of line with

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