by Ken King

Hello again folks. It's been a while since I have been able to sit down and put my thoughts into writing. I've been experiencing some sort of writers block and have had a heck of a time getting past just a few lines before trashing the project. It hasn't been because there isn't anything to write about as I have probably started ten or so times and just haven't been able to get anywhere. Hopefully this time I will get my stuff together and keep it together long enough to finish this. The topic I want to go into is foreign policy, more specifically the issue is the Middle East and how it seems that no matter how horrendous Israeli reprisals are we just seem to accept them.

I fully realize that our actions are a compilation of over 50 years of effort to assist the Jewish people in developing and maintaining a homeland. But, it seems that a lot of the problems are being brought on by their continuous act of colonizing the Palestinian territory. What gives the Israelis the right to just take what they want in the way of land from these desert folk? More importantly, why do we (the United States) sit by and let it happen. When Sadam Hussein tried to acquire the oil rich region to his south we went in and kicked his butt. We forced his military back to their recognized boundaries and did so with the assistance of other Arab countries. The same can be said for Milosovic and the former Yugoslavian Republic. So why do we tolerate similar behavior from the Israelis? 

At one time Israel was of strategic value to us as we needed to have one stable country to deal with in that region and Israel was it. However we have been able to broker arrangements with several Arab nations over the years and through diplomacy we should continue to do so. So I ask, why is Israel so important to us still? What do they offer us or what strangle hold do they have on our government that allows us to accept the activities that regularly go on over there? I just can't seem to grasp how we can continue to watch a repressed people have their land stolen from them without some form of action on our part to stop it. Isn't America supposed to be the protector of those seeking freedom and the right of self determination? Aren't we the ones that help the underdog do battle with the bullies on the block? 

The United Nations has become more active in condemning these acts while the United States either abstains from voting or votes against the UN resolutions. The only other area of our government where I see similar behavior is in the partisan bickering that goes on in Congress where the politicians toe party lines instead of acting in the interest of the country. So year after year as nothing improves all we do is continue to sell military hardware to the Israelis and bury our heads deeper into the sand. The UN, without our assistance, is impotent in dealing with situations like this. They put on a good show but in reality we all know it is our dollars, equipment, and people that make things happen. Without our condemnation of their acts nothing will change. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't think we should send our forces off on another peacekeeping action (at least not yet). I do think it is time for us to get serious about resolving this issue before it gets farther out of control. To do this I feel we should make Israel adhere to the territorial boundaries for their country as they were originally established, that they leave the "settlements" that they have carved out of the Palestinian territory, and that they stop the practice of assassination (targeted attacks) that they have recently engaged in. Be assured that this will not be an easy task but we have faced equally difficult tasks before and have found a way to make it happen. Until this takes place I feel it is necessary to place economic and military sanctions against the Israelis to encourage their compliance with what has already been agreed upon.