SOME PEOPLE blame the recent terrorist attacks on American foreign policy in the Middle East. These people claim that America must change its ways if it wants peace. While this logic is fueled by ignorance, it would not be a bad idea for the United States to review its Middle Eastern policy in the wake of the worst terrorist attack in American history. This analysis can lead to only one conclusion: The United States must support Israel more than it ever has before.
As the United States and Great Britain began bombing campaigns on Afghanistan on Oct. 7, Osama bin Laden praised the terrorist attacks on America over a video broadcast. In this broadcast, he pointed out the situation in Israel as one of his main areas of anger toward the United States. The United States must stand by Israel and show that our foreign policy is not changed by terrorism.
Israel has been an ally of the United States since its founding. Israel served as a foothold for the United States in the Middle East during the Cold War, when many of its Arab neighbors were supported by the Soviet Union. Israel has almost always listened to the United States, and even allowed itself to be bombed by Iraq during the Cold War, without retaliation, because the United States asked it too. Furthermore, Israel has served as an example to the rest of the Middle East of what a democracy is, in a land of monarchies and dictatorships. These qualities, as well as the large support which Israel has among the American people, have led the United States to continue to be Israel's biggest ally. This cannot change now.
The Palestinians also have shown themselves to be hateful of the United States and all of our values. Many Americans were sickened after the Sept. 11 attacks by videos showing Palestinians dancing in joy on the streets over America's pain and suffering. But Palestinian supporters in America were quick to try to make up excuses for this shameful act. Some said that these represented only a small number of people, or that the news media was manipulating the issue against the Palestinians on purpose.
But Oct. 8, thousands of Palestinians went to the streets to protest the attacks on Afghanistan. Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat sent the Palestinian security forces to stop the demonstrations and at least two people were killed, including a 13-year old boy. Arafat acted quickly to stop the march in an effort to show the United States that the Palestinian Liberation Organization was behind America. He wanted to prove that the country is against terrorism, and is not dominated by extremist groups
These attacks should show that Arafat is a hypocrite in the worst sense of the word. He is only too willing to criticize the Israelis for breaking up Palestinian riots and claims that they use excessive force. Yet he turns around and does the same thing. Also, the Palestinians, whether rightly or wrongly, hate the United States.
The idea that the United States is to blame for the so-called oppression of the Palestinians in Israel is ironic. Israel has the best army in the Middle East and has shown in the past that it does not have a problem killing Palestinian civilians if they get in the way during battle. A major reason that Israel does not launch a full military strike to wipe out the Palestinian opposition is because of the United States. The United States is Israel's best and only real friend in the world. The United States spends much of its time trying to bully Israel to the peace table. If the Palestinians think this means the United States is acting in only Israel's interests, then America should stop its efforts for peace in this troubled region.
But the United States is trying to build a coalition against terrorism and needs the support of the moderate Arab countries in the Middle East. This means that the United States has been putting more pressure on Israel to reach a cease-fire in order to pacify the Arab countries of the Middle East.
But President Bush must rely on his own moral judgment rather than the so-called wisdom of his advisors, who have been pressuring him to force Israel to the negotiating table in the name of diplomacy. It was Bush who refused to invite Arafat to the White House because he is wary of his intentions. Bush was doing the right thing before Sept. 11 and must not change course now. Bush's closest advisors, such as Secretary of State Colin Powell, seem to favor appeasing Arab states over the interests of America's support of Israel.
The United States must make it clear to the world that it is not intimidated by the attacks of Sept. 11. Israel has always been America's friend, and we must continue to treat it that way.
(Harris Freier's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at hfreier@cavalierdaily.com.)
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