americaThat is a fascinating analysis. The appearance among many conservative Israelis is that Bush forced the release of Gaza and the implementation of the evacuation of the West Bank.
I am certain if there is any hesitancy on the part of the Bush Administration with Israel, it is the unproven leadership of Olmert. The old general and hawk Sharon is incapacitated. Sharon's gamble is based on the possibility for Israel to reverse course and militarily engage a recalcitrant Palestine. With Sharon gone that duty is left to the unproven Olmert.
Time will tell what happens, however my prediction is that Israel will be force to militarily engage Palestine. This engagement will give the Israelis the presupposed moral authority to push the Arabs from the Land it truly wants.
Part of Olmert's plan of Disengagement/Convergence is relinquishing part of Jerusalem. This will be difficult to sell when the Israeli Army re-occupies that which is theirs already. Sell to who? Sell to the Palestine liberal lovers in Europe.
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By Ryan Jones
April 2nd, 2006
Withdrawals, failure to defeat terror damage image of strong ally
A report in the latest edition of Geostrategy-Direct suggests that in Washington Israel's image as a strong, self-reliant ally is beginning to tarnish amid plans for an additional surrender of land and a clear hesitancy to fully crush the threat of Palestinian Arab terror.
Up until a few years ago US President George W. Bush viewed Israel as a powerful ally capable of deterring any foe, according to the report.
But when it became evident Israel would not militarily defeat the current "Palestinian" terror campaign and a program of "disengagement" was proposed as an alternative that perception was drastically altered, said a leading US analyst with close ties to the White House:
"The feeling in both the administration and belatedly among many conservatives in Congress is that Israel has to accept the fate of a small nation reliant on a superpower patron."
What's worse, Israel's back peddling is having a negative impact on America's own war on terror, in particular its mission in Iraq.
A senior Bush aide was quoted as saying in a conversation with a leading Republican House member:
"Israel screwed us up with its unilateral withdrawal plan because this is what is expected of us in Iraq."
But that position was not vocalized publically because "we can't be seen as intervening."
And so Washington ultimately gave its blessing to last summer's Gaza-Samaria withdrawal as a means of winning support from an Arab world long determined to see the Jews relieved of their biblical lands.
The report indicates that the policies of Israel's current leadership risk further driving the US into the arms of its Muslim neighbors as the Jewish state is increasingly seen as a liability instead of a stalwart and capable partner in the battle against global Islamic terror.
