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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Nadine Carroll who wrote (111089)	8/12/2003 2:38:43 PM
From: Jacob Snyder	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 281500

<My standards aren't very high, and are applied equally to all nations.> and <My standard is not the (extremely low) standard set by Arab nations> Yes, I think you've caught me contradicting myself. The general principle, (anti-colonialism, a strict respect for sovereignty), I'd like (ideally) to apply equally to all. In practice, there is a triage process, picking where effort should be concentrated. Israel is a target of opportunity. As an American, I feel responsible, first, for the actions of my own nation's government and army. Second, I feel responsible for the actions of those nations that are very closely allied to the U.S. Israel is even more closely allied to the U.S. than Canada or New Zealand. It is, effectively, already the 51st State. When Israel does anything, most of the world correctly sees it as an American action by proxy, we are that closely identified. So, yes, Israel's actions get more scrutiny, they are expected to meet the Enlightenment ideals more than, say, Syria or Uganda. There is also the fact that Israel has received more dollars, weapons, political support, etc., from the U.S., than any other nation. So, in addition to being responsible for Israel's actions, the U.S. also has more leverage there(if we choose to use it). When the Syrian government destroys a rebel city, this isn't much the U.S. can do to stop it. But we can, if we choose to, stop Israel from razing Palestinian houses. Ideally, both actions could be stopped. In practice, you do what you can. I don't see Jewish nationalism (Zionism) as much different from any other nationalism. Israel is doing, more or less, what many nations have done. Now that the Diaspora is over (80% of Jews in two nations, one of which they rule, the other where they are not an oppressed minority), the Jewish nation is a normal nation like any other. The criticisms of Israel I make, I can (and do) apply to many other current and historical colonialisms.