Israel vs.

[sen_no_ongaku]

This doesn't really constitute any sort of considered position, but here are some thoughts about the Israel/Lebanon war.

I guess the first question I have is, why does the US have so much invested in Israel, financially? We soak tons of money into Israel's military (and general infrastructure), far more such aid than we give anybody else, I believe. Obviously, Israel can function as a surrogate for U.S. policy in the Middle East...but I imagine only to a limited extent, as Israel seems pretty assertive about supporting its own interests as well, regardless of what their biggest patron might prefer. Also, presumably, Israel would serve as a well-fortified forward military base should a really serious U.S. presence be deemed necessary. But, as the recipient of so much aid, Israel and the U.S. are probably more or less synonymous to the Middle East, and whatever they do is likely seen as directed -- or at least sanctioned -- by the U.S.

What's odd to me is how many Americans have so much invested in Israel personally. As for me, whenever I hear about shit that Israel's pulling, I basically think, "Goddamit, there those assholes go again." Maybe they've had little choice but to be the Middle East's own personal Harlan Ellison, given the circumstances of their inception, but I think they've pretty much established that they're not going away anytime soon. While their belligerence has certainly been instrumental to their survival, I think they've reached the point of diminishing returns; their stance is now galvanizing rather than intimidating their neighbors, and maybe it's time for an approach more nuanced than, "Fuck shit up wholesale."

A la Archduke Ferdinand, I get the impression that the kidnapped soldier was more a pretext than a cause. Israel's basically looking for any excuse to put the smack down on somebody out there, and Hezbollah gave Lebanon the shaft. It's like they're playing Civilization: war isn't a tragedy -- it's an opportunity for expansion!

By attacking civilian targets and Lebanon's infrastructure, I figure Israel has done exactly what Hezbollah wants. What with 1) Israel's willingness to kill the innocent along with the guilty pissing everybody off, 2) a young population that -- seeing as how Lebanon's infrastructure is being levelled -- will now grow up with no path to agency other than learning the tools of violence, and 3) Hezbollah having established itself as the Microsoft of Lebanese anti-Israel sentiment, H. will have recruits lining up around the block for generations.

The solution? I don't know. Israel already denied itself the best possible solution by responding with prejudice to Hezbollah's provocation, and it's now a lesser-evil situation. Israel's already lost face and ensured decades more of hatred and antagonism for decades; prolonging this action will just deepen the hole they dug with the shovel Hezbollah handed them.

EDIT: Well, maybe this is sort of a position. I see Israel as a country whose first solution to any problem is violence -- maybe even a country who sees any problem as an opportunity for violence. While that doesn't make them worse than any other sovereign nation in the Middle East, it certainly ensures that they're no better. Yes, Hezbollah's a bunch of bloodthirsty freaks without whom the world would be a better place. That doesn't mean that any and all means of getting rid of them are acceptable. If I had my way, Israel would be on their own on this.

Comments

The whole situation sucks....

[(Anonymous)]

...but it does come down to this:

1) There currently exists a country called Israel, a Jewish nation.
2) This nation does not recognize the separation of church and state, so there is great inequality within the borders.
3) The land has been occupied by many many different people, all of which claim it for religious reasons and will not compromise on ownership of Jerusalem.
4) Outside the borders, one of the few things murderous fanatics can agree on is that the people currently in Israel should be pushed into the ocean.

As long as it's endorsed by folks with money, extremists will attack with rocks, suicide bombs, missiles, and everything they can get their hands on. And as long as each and every fragile peace is broken by another attack, peace will not last. The vast majority wants peace. The violent minority is unstoppable by peaceful means. So they kill, on both sides.

[archaica.livejournal.com]

Israel is not really an egalitarian, representative democracy in the mode that the U.S. wants to encourage; it's a nationalist state fixated on one cultural identity, which is running scared from its own "demographic problem" ( to see echoes of that in America, just watch Fox News ).

I agree with you that at this point Israel's willingness to use overwhelming force in *all* circumstances is less of a necessary defensive posture and more of a case of terminal overreaction. Yes, Israel faces enemies from without, including Hezbollah to the north. Yes, Hezbollah is a terrorist organization designed to destabilize the region. However, it takes two to fuck up a region.

[archaica.livejournal.com]

(Ironically, the closest thing to a representative democracy in the Middle East is Lebanon)

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

Your entry seem related to a comment I made on samtheeagle's LJ. I think America's investment in Israel might have a lot to do with religion. Also the roots of the whole thing in WWII. Your thoughts?

[sen-no-ongaku.livejournal.com]

The post is locked, so I can't read your comment; but I am wary of your apparent tendency to blame any problem you see on religion.

nadyezhda's suggestion that the closeness of U.S.-Israel relations are a result of the Cold War seems more likely.

[wavyarms.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to deny I may be a bit bitter about religion lately, and I certainly didn't mean to imply that religion is entirely responsible for American/Israeli relations...but do you seriously think that religion has nothing to do with the fact that Americans identify with and support Israel more than any of the surrounding countries? I cite this article as evidence. There's a perception that Judaism bears more relation to Christianity than Islam (I don't have enough knowledge to know whether or not that's true, although I would buy it) and that affects the popular attitude towards Israel. Your entry above expressed more confusion at Americans' personal investment towards Israel, not the political decisions.

[sigerson.livejournal.com]

I believe that there is *popular* support among Dominionists et al for the support of Israel--I'm totally with you there. However, I'm less certain that the political figures responsible for setting up the early ties between US/Israel were strong Dominionists.

Plus, I need to figure out the difference between Dominionists, Premillenarians, Postmillenarians, Rapture...or maybe it'll just get me upset.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

I have major problems with Israel. If it were any other country, I would be happy to say, "what a bunch of idiots, they deserve whatever they get." However, being Jewish, I feel more like one might about that one relative who keeps getting thrown into jail. Yes, he deserves it, but there is still a lot of family pressure to keep bailing him out.

Yes, the majority of Israeli people, like the majority of Lebonese people, don't want war and don't want to kill civilians. The difference is that the Israelis have a lot more resources available to put a stop to their terrorists, since they work for the government.

The sad thing is that for every step that Israel takes towards peace, it is goaded into taking two steps backwards. All of its neighbors hate Israel and want it eradicated. That's a hard situation to live in and normalize. I can understand the kind of mentality that would build up over time.

But the fact is that I have basically disowned Israel. It's not my country, America is. When America kills civilians with impunity, I can work to stop them and that's my responsibility. All I can do with respect to Israel is to tell my country to forcefully condemn the same actions.

[laobscuridad.livejournal.com]

All of its neighbors hate Israel and want it eradicated. That's a hard situation to live in and normalize. I can understand the kind of mentality that would build up over time.

Precisely what I was thinking.   While I don't actively practice my Judaism, I was brought up Jewish, and I have trouble reconciling what I was taught with the violence I see Israel perpetuating.   Then I remember that a fair portion of the Middle East has hated it and wanted to wipe it off the map more or less since its founding, and it starts to make more sense. Not that it's a good thing, but I think it's a mentality that is a little hard for us to understand.

[sen-no-ongaku.livejournal.com]

I think, though, the difficulty of their situation doesn't mean that we don't have the right to criticize them. Understanding why they react the way they do is not the same as forgiving what they do.

[nadyezhda.livejournal.com]

no one answered your question about why the US and Israel have had such close relations. A lot goes back to early US-Soviet relations. The Soviet Union maintained close ties with many of the Arab states in the Middle East, and the US- which had been rather neutral to the formation of the state of Israel- saw it as an opportunity to counter Soviet influence in the region. This precipitated a sort of back-and-forth over the years that followed, with increased belligerence and resentment by the USSR (especially in light of their immigration policies toward their Jewish citizens who wanted to leave).

Hope that helps. there are detailed records about the first back and forth killings between jewish settlers and the local arab/palestinian populations dating to the mid 1920s... the bloodshed began even before the state existed.

[ethicsgradient.livejournal.com]

I have stuff to say, but no time. Later, perhaps, maybe even an entry of my own....