Taking on Sacred Cows: Ending Israel's Veto on a Just Foreign Policy

By Ed Hunt, AlterNet. Posted June 19, 2008.

Obama's promise of change apparently comes to a screeching halt at Israel's doorstep. Witness Barack's statement at the recent AIPAC conference, and heard around the world, that the relationship between the US and Israel was "sacrosanct."

More disturbing was the comment on Jerusalem, which he said "will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided." US policy in the Israel-Palestine conflict has never been fair and even-handed. But recent indicators by US politicians reveal an alarming shift to an even more biased policy in favor of Israel's continued ethnic cleansing and land grabs in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Don't forget recent revelations out of Israel that President Bush gave a quiet nod to continued settlement activity on Palestinian land. Hillary Clinton had already been on record as endorsing the annexation of east Jerusalem, and had declared at AIPAC that US policy on Israel was non-negotiable and will "never change."

Actually, stated US policy is supposedly one of opposition to Israeli settlements in any of the occupied territories. There has never been any overt endorsement of the unmistakable Israeli intent to ethnically cleanse East Jerusalem, by any US administration. It looks as though US policy could change, if we take either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama at their word. Contrary to Hillary's recent statement, this would be a change indeed -- for the worse. Tragically, this pushes a fair and just settlement further from reach.

It does not bode well for a new and more democratic US foreign policy that the candidate of change appears to support the further disenfranchisement of Palestinians. I'm not nave. I know full well the stranglehold that the Israel lobby has on national politics in this country. I know that if Obama took the high moral position on the conflict that all justice loving politicians should, these powerful forces would jump into action to work to ensure his defeat in November. Still, he did not have to endorse the annexation of East Jerusalem.

Another leader of promise bends and kneels at the altar of AIPAC. When is it going to end? Politicians will never stick their necks out for a fair and even handed policy in the Palestine-Israel conflict until there is a large and vocal grassroots block demanding it. I do, however, believe we can ultimately send AIPAC packing, but we have to think new, and not expect that this block be the exclusive province of the left side of the spectrum.

Iran, Iraq and the US failure to support democracy in the Middle East

What about Iran? I support democratic change in Iran but unfortunately one must be reminded that it was our CIA that helped to overthrow a democratically elected government in Iran in 1953. What followed was a bloodbath and installation of the Shah, who went on to rule with a terrible human rights record for many years until his overthrow.

Successive US administrations, Republican and Democratic alike, continued to support the Shah economically and militarily without concern for those massive human rights abuses. Sooner or later there was going to be blowback. The result was Islamic revolution. Isn't it time we assign some blame, here at home, on our own politicians who demonstrated bad, even criminal, judgment? In the end, democratic change can only come from within.

On the eve of the Pennsylvania primary, Hillary indicated her willingness to "obliterate" Iran for Israel.

Ironically, news had just broken that US authorities had taken Ben-Ami Kadish into custody for spying for Israel. This is the umpteenth time that US authorities have arrested individuals in the service of Israel for espionage. For a country that many celebrate as a great ally, Israel has a never ending stream of spies operating here.

I don't happen to subscribe to the view that Iran is poised to nuke Israel even if they had the means to do it. You cannot hit Israel without hitting the occupied Palestinian territories and/or other Arab states, and of course Iran is not going to do that. But it is dangerous, and dishonest, for American politicians to pretend Iran is on the verge of doing so.

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Ed Hunt is a long-time labor activist who follows political developments in the Middle East and in international affairs.