Jerusalem, Israel
DIFFERENCES CONTRIBUTING TO REGIONAL UNCERTAINTY:
The U.S. and Israel
The High Holy season is officially over in Israel but life
is not back to normal. Regional events are casting a shadow over the Middle
East causing the Israeli government to feel the tension and stress of trying to
defend the nation, militarily, from terrorism and war; while also defending it,
diplomatically, from regimes that want to destroy the safety and security of
Israeli citizens.
During the past few weeks it has become obvious that the
thawing in the personal relationship between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and U.S. President Barack Obama, which was highlighted in Obama’s
visit to Israel in March 2013, has recently frozen over. This is because of
differences in opinion regarding key Middle East issues and the way they are
being handled. While, publicly, it
appears that the two men are on the same page – privately, they are not.
Netanyahu is currently in the U.S. speaking in Washington,
at the U.N., and on major media networks, trying to get Israel’s point-of-view
across to Americans as well as the international community.
As disagreements are being discussed behind closed doors, it
is clear where the U.S. stands and where Israel stands, based on each country’s
geo-political interests. Rifts between Obama and Netanyahu are widening the gap
between these two allies. This is unfortunate in a volatile Middle East where
U.S.-Israel strategic cooperation needs to be robust and strong.
Contributing to uncertainty in the region is Iran’s quest
for nuclear capability, masked by a recent Iranian charm offensive meant to fool
Western powers. U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic phone call with new
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani
has seemed to shift American interests away from increased sanctions on Iran.
Now it is all about direct diplomacy between Obama and Rouhani supposedly meant
to sway Tehran away from its quest for nuclear capability. Yet, the centrifuges
are spinning faster and more efficiently than before, and Iran is headed
towards enough uranium enrichment for a “breakout” within six months. This is
the greatest threat to Israel’s survival and alarms Israel’s government.
Syrian President Bashar Assad’s agreement to allow
international inspectors into Syria to destroy his massive piles of WMD’s,
considered an impossible feat in a country that is embroiled in a 2.5 year old
bloody war, is also contributing to uncertainty in the Middle East. Yet, when America and Western powers could
have intervened, in the beginning of the Syrian civil war, nothing was done. The
isolationist attitude of Americans, who are war-weary and have ignored the
crisis in Syria, is even more surprising in their decision not to punish Assad
for using chemical weapons against his own citizens. More than 1,400 died from
sarin gas this summer. Now the death toll in Syria is 110,000; and, millions of
Syrians have been displaced who are hungry and living in poverty.
Obama’s appeasement policies, coupled with America’s reluctance
to get involved in another conflict that does not directly affect its shores, has
contributed to a major shift in the region’s power and influence. As American diplomacy trumps war in the
region, Israel and Arab Gulf States are showing greater concern about the
strengthening of the Shiite Crescent -- from Iran, to Iraq, to Syria, and to
Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The weakening of American resolve to get involved in the
region has Russia poised to take over as the leading political power in the
Middle East. Russia has effectively blocked UN Security Council resolutions concerning
Syria and Iran, while beefing up its own military presence in the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is delighted to take on the new role of “chief
security guard”, assuring the world of Assad’s willingness to destroy his chemical
stockpiles. Putin has also been very willing to help Iran store its enriched
uranium and fuel rods in his country. Russia has hidden its role in assisting
Iran’s mullahs in their quest for nuclear military power. In addition, because
Russia has continued to supply advanced weapons systems to Iran and Syria, it
has aligned itself with the Shiite axis of rogue states, propping up these regional
powers.
While war and rumors of war continue to embroil the Middle
East, Obama has focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, linking it to
regional stability. Leaks from the Palestinians indicate that peace
negotiations are at a stalemate and that a third Intifada may be on the horizon.
This, linkage is also a major concern for Israel as Obama puts pressure on
Netanyahu to offer more concessions to the Palestinians.
These are just some of the indicators of how sensitive a
time it is for Israel – especially in its relationship with America. What Bible-believers
do not often understand is that Israel’s foreign policy decisions are almost
always based on what is good for the security and survival of the Jewish
State. As a small island in the midst of a violent
aggressive sea of enemies, Israel has to look after its own. The citizens of
this nation trust that their prime minister, his security cabinet, and his
military advisors are focused on trying to keep Israelis safe and secure. If Israel has to fight wars on its own,
without American or Western assistance, it will do so. Netanyahu’s foreign
policy is simple: Stay out of the way until attacked or threatened with
annihilation. Then, go to war. Israel
can no longer rely on others to defend the only Jewish State in the Middle
East.
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars,
but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is
still to come.”
Matthew 24:6