Israel

Robert P. Watson

There are several principles that must guide thinking and action on U.S.-Israel relations and America’s role in the Middle East.

I recognize America’s special relationship with Israel, a relationship defined by our mutual values, shared interests, and long history of support dating to May 14, 1948 when President Harry S. Truman recognized the creation of the state of Israel only 11 minutes after statehood had been announced, making the U.S. the first nation to recognize the new state.

I support Israel’s right to self defense. As a sovereign nation, Israel must be able to make its own decisions. Our role is to support actions that are in the best interests of America, our allies, and the international community.

Pressure from the international community must be brought to bear on the Palestinian Authority (PA) to fight terrorists within their ranks, deescalate the Intifadah and Islamic Jihad, and move forward in instituting needed political, legal, and security reforms.

For example, Hamas has not been effectively controlled, but not long ago announced the end of their 10-year boycott of the PA (a boycott that began when the PA was formed at the 1993 Oslo Accords) and participation in the political process. Mahmoud Abbas has invited them to join his government. As such, it is vital that Hamas be reformed and controlled along with other terror organizations such as the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, the suicide bombers linked to Abbas’ own Fatah ruling party. Israel has shown a willingness to offer bold, unilateral initiatives such as Prime Minister Sharon’s approval of a list of 500 Palestinian prisoners to be released and decision to allow Palestinian workers to return to work in Israel. The peace process needs the same bold action by the PA and Arab states in the region.

Let us commit ourselves to restoring America’s leadership in the Middle East peace process, which has largely been abandoned by the Bush administration and too many leaders in Congress.

Our policy must also seek to educate both Americans and Muslims worldwide about our mutual interests, deal with the brain-washing that occurs in extremist schools, and embrace economic development in the region. By supporting failing states we prevent terrorists a safe haven. At the same time we must isolate terror groups from their funds, recruitment, and training bases and bring the international community together in our shared cause.

It is also vital to the peace process that U.S. leadership in the region be renewed and America’s standing in the international community be improved. We should support recent summits between the Israelis and Palestinians such as the February 2005 talks between Abbas and Sharon hosted by Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak and attended by King Abdullah of Jordan. Noticeably absent from these talks was the U.S.

It is unthinkable that U.S. standing is so low that our presence at a summit would disrupt the dialog. Because of our neglect of the peace process for several years and our bullying foreign policy, at times the peace process has been harmed not because of our absence but because of our presence. We need additional summits, promoting a mutual cease-fire, halting Israeli army raids into Palestine, and halting Palestinian-backed terror attacks in Israel, but most of all it is necessary to rethink U.S. policy in the region.