By Roland S. Martin
If you listen to supporters of Israel, they essentially act as if Americans criticizing the Jewish nation is akin to committing treason against the United States.
Sorry, folks. Israel, no matter how close an ally of America, should not expect the United States to act as if everything it does is fine.
The decision by the Israeli government to announce the building of 1,600 homes in the disputed area of East Jerusalem while Vice President Joe Biden was in the country to move forward the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was a slap to the United States.
Supporters of Israel always want the U.S. to ignore their wrongdoing and focus on the Palestinians. And the supporters of the Palestinians are quick to deflect criticism when they do something dumb and demand that the U.S. decry Israeli actions. We see it in Israel and here in the U.S.
This is utter nonsense.
In order for the United States to be seen as an honest broker for peace, we can’t be seen as favoring one nation over the other. Our moral authority to lead is based on our credibility with both sides.
Even though Arab nations know that Israel is our closest ally, they know that we have a history of giving them a fair shake. That’s the only way President Carter was able to broker a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel in 1978, leading Anwar Sadat, president of Egypt, and Menachem Begin, prime minister of Israel, to share the Nobel Peace Prize.
And the only way to get there is if America speaks forcefully when one or both sides do something that will endanger a peace accord. In this case, Israel’s actions aren’t helpful. And we were right to call them on it.
http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/03/16/martin.israel.criticism/index.html?hpt=Mid
/
/
/
Israel is no friend to us. The only reason we continue to support them is because thier lobby now owns the US govt, influencing its policy.
Israel needs their US aid to canceled and their *sses handed to em on a platter.
We need to join the EU and UN and employ economic sanctions and whatever else is necessary to force them back to their pre 67 borders, period.
im very pleased with the Obama Administration`s response to the ill-conceived plan to build more Jewish housing in East Jerusalem. If Israel wants to survive, it needs to decide — one state, or two. If one state, then it`ll be a majority Arab state. That`s the reality. Without a viable Palestine next to Israel, there won`t be a Jewish & democratic Israel within a few years. Sometimes true friends are the ones who tell you the truth.