[R-G] America, stop sucking up to Israel

[Sid Shniad]

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1124928.html

Haaretz
                       01/11/2009

*America, stop sucking up to Israel*

By Gideon Levy

Barack Obama has been busy - offering the Jewish People blessings for Rosh
Hashanah, and recording a flattering video for the President's Conference in
Jerusalem and another for Yitzhak Rabin's memorial rally. Only Sheikh Hassan
Nasrallah surpasses him in terms of sheer output of recorded remarks.

In all the videos, Obama heaps sticky-sweet praise on Israel, even though he
has spent nearly a year fruitlessly lobbying for Israel to be so kind as to
do something, anything - even just a temporary freeze on settlement building
- to advance the peace process.

The president's Mideast envoy, George Mitchell, has also been busy,
shuttling between a funeral (for IDF soldier Asaf Ramon, the son of Israel's
first astronaut Ilan Ramon) and a memorial (for Rabin, though it was
postponed until next week due to rain), in order to find favor with
Israelis. Polls have shown that Obama is increasingly unpopular here, with
an approval rating of only 6 to 10 percent.

He decided to address Israelis by video, but a persuasive speech won't
persuade anyone to end the occupation. He simply should have told the
Israeli people the truth. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who arrived
here last night, will certainly express similar sentiments: "commitment to
Israel's security," "strategic alliance," "the need for peace," and so on .

Before no other country on the planet does the United States kneel and plead
like this. In other trouble spots, America takes a different tone. It bombs
in Afghanistan, invades Iraq and threatens sanctions against Iran and North
Korea. Did anyone in Washington consider begging Saddam Hussein to withdraw
from occupied territory in Kuwait?

But Israel the occupier, the stubborn contrarian that continues to mock
America and the world by building settlements and abusing the Palestinians,
receives different treatment. Another massage to the national ego in one
video, more embarrassing praise in another.

Now is the time to say to the United States: Enough flattery. If you don't
change the tone, nothing will change. As long as Israel feels the United
States is in its pocket, and that America's automatic veto will save it from
condemnations and sanctions, that it will receive massive aid
unconditionally, and that it can continue waging punitive, lethal campaigns
without a word from Washington, killing, destroying and imprisoning without
the world's policeman making a sound, it will continue in its ways.

Illegal acts like the occupation and settlement expansion, and offensives
that may have involved war crimes, as in Gaza, deserve a different approach.
If America and the world had issued condemnations after Operation Summer
Rains in 2006 - which left 400 Palestinians dead and severe infrastructure
damage in the first major operation in Gaza since the disengagement - then
Operation Cast Lead never would have been launched.

It is true that unlike all the world's other troublemakers, Israel is viewed
as a Western democracy, but Israel of 2009 is a country whose language is
force. Anwar Sadat may have been the last leader to win our hearts with
optimistic, hope-igniting speeches. If he were to visit Israel today, he
would be jeered off the stage. The Syrian president pleads for peace and
Israel callously dismisses him, the United States begs for a settlement free
ze and Israel turns up its nose. This is what happens when there are no
consequences for Israel's inaction.

When Clinton returns to Washington, she should advocate a sharp policy
change toward Israel. Israeli hearts can no longer be won with hope,
promises of a better future or sweet talk, for this is no longer Israel's
language. For something to change, Israel must understand that perpetuating
the status quo will exact a painful price.

Israel of 2009 is a spoiled country, arrogant and condescending, convinced
that it deserves everything and that it has the power to make a fool of
America and the world. The United States has engendered this situation,
which endangers the entire Mideast and Israel itself. That is why there
needs to be a turning point in the coming year - Washington needs to finally
say no to Israel and the occupation. An unambiguous, presidential no.