Posted by Helen on: 08.11.2006 /
Interesting article in this week’s Economist:
To Israel with love: Why America gives Israel its unconditional support
The article begins this way:
ANYBODY who doubts the size of the transatlantic divide over Israel should try discussing the Middle East conflagration in Britain and then doing the same in America. Everybody watches much the same grisly footage. But, by and large, people draw very different conclusions. The emphasis in Britain is overwhelmingly on the disproportionate scale of the response. Americans are much more inclined to give Israel the benefit of the doubt—and to blame Hizbullah. Some Jewish organisations are so confident of support for Israel that they even take out slots during news programmes, pleading for donations.
Comment by: Bruce
1I have grossly ambivalent feelings about this. On the one hand, I want to say to Hezbollah, “If you start lobbing missles into Israel, don’t be surprised if they attack back.” How stupid is that?
On the other hand, I hate that we have a foreign policy based largely on what I think is a misapplication of scripture. Evangelicals think that Jesus is coming back to establish a literal 1000 year reign in Israel. So protecting Israel is a no brainer. “We’re helping Jesus out.”
I don’t think God needs our help. If there is going to be a 1000 year reign (which I doubt) God and Jesus can pretty much take care of it without our help.
I think that this has made the U.S. blind to the excesses and injustices of Israel.
I’d like to see a foreign policy that was based on human rights, fairness, and compassion. I think that would help to clarify a lot of the issues as well as win the respect of a world that sees us and Israel as being blind to human suffering and human rights.
Comment by: Rachel
2Here is a link to an article published on Christianity Today Online from a Lebanese Christian: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/129/42.0.html
An open letter in response from a Christianity Today writer: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/129/53.0.html
And the original writer’s response to the open letter: ttp://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/130/22.0.html
Comment by: Rachel
3Arrrgh. Here is that last link again: http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2006/130/22.0.html
Comment by: Eliza
4Those are both good articles – thanks, Rachel.
It has long seemed to me that it’s politically (and socially) unacceptable in the U.S. to question Israel and our support for Israel. The only basis I can see for the untouchable status of Israel is religious – Christianity, mostly, but also Judaism. It sometimes feels like someone who questions our support of Israel would be seen as a bad person, a hateful uncaring person, maybe even a heretic.
Related to that, it’s interesting to me how quickly and solidly the term “terrorism” has been attached to the Palestinian resistance and Hezbollah. Wasn’t it our own Revolutionaries who instigated acts against the British that turned into the war that gave us our independence? We celebrate that independence every year. In our own history, and in places in the world where we want the underdog to win, we don’t use the term “terrorists” – instead, we call them “Freedom Fighters.”
Of course, the scale of killing is greater now, given the increased firepower and longer range of available weapons – and, there may be more inclination to allow or accept civilian casualties than there was in the 1770′s in the colonies. That seems like a sign of the times – “progress”, if you will. :(
Comment by: Timothy Wright
5Hi,
As an American Christian I support Israel 100% in defending their right to defend themselves. It seems to me that the media always talks about how many people Israel kills compared to what Hez. kills. It seems to me that they are upset that Israel is more efficient at killing people than Hez.
I think Europe blindly supports the PLO and the ARABS. I would encourage anyone who is interested in understanding the relationship to read ” Eurabia” by Bat Yeor. She is an Egyptian and writes about Isalms goal of taking over Europe.
Tim
Comment by: Helen
6Thanks for your comment, Tim.
If you don’t mind me asking: do you support Israel partly because of what the Bible says?
Comment by: Eliza
7Wikipedia gives additional details on Bat Ye’or:
While pertinent, her background and viewpoint are probably not “neutral” in this conflict or from a formerly Islamic base (as her “Egyptian” background at first seemed to suggest).
Lebanon and Lebanese civilians are, of course, bearing the brunt of the current fighting. From an AP report published yesterday on deaths so far in the current Israel-Hezbollah conflict:
Confirmed dead:
at least 667 Lebanese civilians
96 Israeli soldiers
65 Hezbollah guerillas (Israel says 165-415 Hezbollah)
38 Israeli civilians
31 Lebanese soldiers
4 U.N. military observers
2 Nigerian civilians (with U.N. military observers)
1 member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine
I’ve heard people say it’s the Lebanese people’s fault for tolerating Hezbollah’s presence in southern Lebanon. As is often the case, the whole situation seems to be more complicated than that.
And, not that their religion should matter in this whole debacle, but there are Christians in Lebanon being displaced from their homes, and becoming victims of the violence. This Washington Post article from today tells of the effects on one Christian Lebanese town.
Comment by: Rachel
8And let’s remember that these are noncombatants who are in no way responsible for or involved in the actions of Hezbollah. They are civilians who do not pose any threat to Israel and cannot defend themselves against these attacks.