Henry Kissinger once said "Israel has no foreign policy, only domestc policy." And domestic policy is the product of domestic politics. In the case of a Likud led coalition, political necessity dictates pandering to a machinegun toting minority of ultra-orthodox settlers intent on establishing a "greater Israel" but only in the sense of a geographically larger Jewish state. And that in turn leads to a political need to subvert any attempts to progress in what is euphemistically called a "peace process."
For the sake of argument consider for a moment that Israel is neither friend nor ally to the United States... And that succesive administrations' bi-partisan support is not so much a matter of strategic polcy but the product of domestic political considerations intertwined with the interests and advocacy of American Zionists, whether they're Jews, Neo-Cons or apocalyptic Evangelicals.
If there were no such domestic constituency and no such thing as AIPAC buying influence in American politics, would Israel merit the status of friend and ally based on their actions alone?
Every year, it's a weekend of emotional ambiguity marking two medical anniversaries with totally different outcomes.
More recently, a life saving surgery. In the distance, a reminder that one of the few potentially life saving amateur tools in which the public is trained fails 9 of 10 times.
The painful truth is that your best may not be enough to save a loved one. But because they are a loved one, you try... And live with the memory through your Sadderdays.
Earthquake, tsunami,
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