K A H A N E
The magazine of the authentic Jewish Idea
September-October 1987 Elul – Tishrei 5748
THE SAVIOR
“He who removes from himself the yoke of Torah is given in its place the yoke of kingdom: (Avot 3)
It is an axiom that no rational Jew dare even contemplate questioning: Without the United States, Israel could not survive. It is an axiom that is repeated so often by Jewish shepherds and sheep alike, that it has succeeded brilliantly in inviting the worst kind of American pressure on the Jewish state and turning us if not into the 51st state, certainly into a pliant protectorate. The concept of the American savior has begun its inevitable metamorphosis into American extortionist – and enforcer.
And could it be different? It is only natural that an American President, hearing from the Mouths of Jewish leaders that Israel is dependent on the Unites States, sees in it a tempting door to enter and to pressure and use the leverage that this shtetl mentality gives him. And so, littler wonder that a United States that sees in Israel more and more, a vassal that cannot say “no” leans heavily and more arrogantly on it than ever.
This year alone, there were a number of outrageous, insulting infringements of Israeli sovereignty by Washington and its High Commissioner (a.k.a. Ambassador) Thomas Pickering. Any normal country with a modicum of self-respect (say, Togo or Zimbabwe) would have given Mr. Pickering his walking Pickering papers and warned the United States never again to dare use either the tone or the substance in dealing with the Jewish State. But the State of Israel, the supposed last of the ghetto and first of the new, proud Hebrews, in reality, is merely the largest of the shtels, comprised of an entire host of leaders who would put the shtetl beggar and shtadlan to shame. No ghetto Jew ever absorbed more humiliations and desecrations with greater smiling countenance, with greater ability to turn all his cheeks. No ghetto Jew ever could have performed better than the Odd Couple government in absorbing humiliation without missing a fawning beat.
First there were the tourists. On the one hand Arab-Americans and on the other the Black Hebrews. Both shared little in common except for the fact that they were American citizens who hate Israel and the Jews. Both believe that the land does not belong to the Jews. Both worked assiduously to guarantee that it will be taken away from the Jews. Both are deadly enemies of the Jewish people and the state
Little wonder that Israel looks upon every such tourist arriving in the country with deep suspicion. Little wonder that each is questioned at length and with greater care than the ordinary tourist. And so, they screamed, did these Jew-haters, screamed in protest to the American government. And Thomas Pickering’s employers ordered him to issue a stiff and outrageously arrogant protest to the Israeli government. Protest? Say, rather, an ultimatum. An affront to any government with a modicum of self-respect. Ah, but we are speaking of the Odd Couple… In a matter of days, the New Hebrews had properly groveled and announced a new set of regulations guaranteeing that Jewish enemies would no longer be harassed, would be allowed to enter the country as all others.
But then there was the question of drilling for water near Bethlehem. Israel, whose existence depends on dwindling water resources, had planned to drill just outside Jerusalem in what the Americans, Alexander Schindler, the New Jewish Agenda, Yossi Sarid and Yasir Arafat called the “occupied territories.” The Arabs set up a howl and could the Americans be far behind? Along came Pickering with yet another vigorous protest and down went Israel without even a parting shot at the High Commissioner. The drilling will not be. The cavity will continue to pain.
And with this glorious roll call of protestations, it was only a matter of time for the turn of the Lavi. A project of years into which Israel poured a billion of its own dollars (aside from U.S. ones); in which were involved some of the finest engineers and minds in Israel; which was well on its way to producing the finest plane in the world; which would, in turn, have freed Israel from its agonizing dependency on American largesse and threats (every time there is an Israeli action that particularly displeases the Americans they threaten to cut off spare parts for F-14s) - was cancelled.
Forget all the “reasons” given. Forget the nonsense and lies. Israel gave up the finest plane in the world; gave up on a billion dollars that went down the drain; gave up on hundreds of engineers who will now leave the country to find work in Italy, South Africa and the West; gave up on military independence – only because it gave in to American pressure. Only because it showed how far it has gone down the road to being a vassal-state, a protectorate, a country that cannot, in its little secular and unfaithful mind, ever say “no” to the United States on any vital issue.
And the United States, which saw in the Lavi a dangerous competitor for its own aircraft industry, understood more clearly than ever before how dependent and suppliant the state of confusion and this is how the State of Israel sees itself. It is a lesson that, one may be assured has been learned well in Washington, and the conclusions will be rapidly drawn.
The scrapping of the Lavi by the hapless government of Israel is a tragedy for Israel in every way. It deepens the terrible dependency on the gentile; it opens Israel up to many worse pressure, and above all, it shows more clearly than every before the gentilization of the Jewish state. For only a state that lost its faith in G-d and that ripped from its neck the yoke of Torah could ever have opened itself up to willingly accepting – like some dumb ox – the yoke of the gentile kingdom. A nation of faith, a government of deep belief in G-d, would have sent Pickering packing; would have turned to the Jewish people throughout the world for support and would have completed the finest plane in the world. And, of course, G-d would have helped. He always helps those who turn to Him and say: I believe, I believe.
All of which leads us directly to the subject of:
THE ANNUAL FIX (Excerpts)
If the citizens of the United States do not feel that their interests are being served by Israel, then their obligation is to stop this economic aid. If, on the other hand, they believe that Israel serves a vital interest of the US, they should then put an end to their whining and deal with Israel as one would an equal partner who gives as he gets.
Of course, the nonsense about helping Israel because it is “the only democracy in the Middle East,” has to be stopped. Nations do not help other states because they are “democracies” or “progressive” states, or “good”. Nations have self-interests that lead them to ally themselves with other states. Those self-interests and not “morality” of the state are what determine foreign policy decisions.
It is Israel alone that gives the United States a guaranteed and safe base whenever needed. It is the Haifa naval harbor that is open to the US Sixth fleet regularly. It is in the Negev that the US stores tons of military equipment for use when needed. It is Israel that provides the Voice of America an area in which to build new, powerful transmitters. It is Israel that works hand in hand with the US to actively crush terrorism. It is Israel that flies US F-16 planes in real combat, to tell the Americans what defects exist. It is Israel that puts out of commission Soviet missiles given to the Syrians and then explains to Washington how it was done. It is Israel that captures a Soviet T-72 tank and shows it to the CIA for the first time. It is Israel whose Jericho missile makes Moscow nervous enough to protest a weapon that can reach its territory. It is Israel that has the brains, the technology, the ability to create; things that no other nation in the region has. And it is Israel that has the innate common hostility to the Soviet and other anti-western totalitarian states, shared by America.
If that is not worth the money – then stop it. Indeed the Administration has an obligation to stop “wasting” American money. But, if all that ads up to a priceless asset, then let the weepers and wailers shut up and pay for what they are getting and count themselves fortunate.
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