When it comes to the Middle East, the United States sees only the interest of its only ally, Israel. Other states are friendly, their interests and policies are linked to Washington in the best of cases, or are enemies, especially if they constitute a threat to the Jewish state. American officials never tire of repeating this mantra. They repeat it so that the rivals of Israel (does it still have enemies?) understand their place, and so that they know that their way to the heart of the White House passes through Tel Aviv. They also repeat this, when congressional or presidential elections approach, to gain the favor and support of AIPAC. On the 21st of this month, the United States' National Security Advisor, General James Jones, gave an address at the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (and the occasion of Israel's 62nd year of independence). In this speech, Jones defined the orientations of the American administration in three main points: security, progress, and world order. He hinted that these three objectives have been achieved throughout the world, except for the Middle East. The reason for the failure to achieve them is the enemies of Israel, which at the same time are enemies of the US. What is to be done? So that the general could correct his mistake in interpreting White House policy and remove the distortion that has followed this policy (who has erred and who has distorted?), he said, “like any two nations, we will have of disagreements, but we will always resolve them as allies. And we will never forget that since the first minutes of Israeli independence, the United States has had a special relationship with Israel. And that will not change. Why? Because this is not a commitment of Democrats or Republicans; it is a national commitment based on shared values, deep and interwoven connections, and mutual interests. As President Obama declared in Cairo, ‘America's strong bonds with Israel are well known. This bond is unbreakable.' They are the bonds of history – two nations that earned our independence through the sacrifice of patriots. They are the bonds of two people, bound together by shared values of freedom and individual opportunity. They are the bonds of two democracies, where power resides in the people. They are the bonds of pioneers in science, technology and so many fields where we cooperate every day. They are the bonds of friendship, including the ties of so many families and friends.” The general uttered pleasant words on the anniversary of an organization known for its bias toward Israel and its impact on drafting the policy of successive American administrations, whether Republican or Democratic. When he wanted to explain these emotions in practical terms, he stressed the commitment to Israel's security and military superiority as being not open for discussion. Peace with the Palestinians is part of this interest. It removes an important bargaining card from Iran's hand. It exposes Iran, in front of its Arab neighbors. It will move it away from terrorists such as Hizbullah and Hamas, and force Syria to submit to certain conditions. The general was very keen on the Jewishness of the Israeli state (Netanyahu's plans to expel Palestinians). He said that the (Arab) demographic threat existed, and was dangerous. Therefore, Israel should get involved in negotiations with the Palestinians and the Arabs based on a two-state solution so that they can live in peace within secure borders, leaving behind dangerous threats. The National Security Advisor seemed to be apologizing for earlier comments by General David Petraeus, who said Israeli behavior was putting American soldiers' lives in jeopardy in Iraq and Afghanistan. It was an apology in which Jones responded by saying Petraeus' comments were blown out of proportion in a campaign of deception and distortion, hinting that the American-Israeli relationship was about to collapse. He reminded the audience of Obama's statement that “in Cairo, the entire world heard that Israel will not disappear….everyone should know that there is no space between Israel and the United States.” There is no confusion in the White House policy and the position requires no interpretation or explanation: Israel, on the one hand, and the entire world on the other. Israel does not want more than these guarantees, namely that it will engage in negotiations with the Palestinians and the Arabs, sponsored by the “unbiased” American mediator. The negotiations might be topped by an Israeli attack, here and there, to test the ally or get it involved, since the ties between the two states and people cannot be broken, not even by nuclear weapons.
