US and Israel: The historic love affair

Were often told that international relations are not bound by any morality or values, may it be a relationship of friendship or animosity, and they ought to be based on either of the actors personal and selfish interest. Amazingly enough, in the same world, we have witnessed the most captivating and unparallel friendship of all times; the friendship of the US and Israel. The more apparently opposing their sizes, religions and cultural values are, the more similar happen to be their international system perspectives. Not even within each others regional proximity, let alone sharing the same culture or religion, what, then, is the source of this intimacy between these two, an intimacy whose example cannot be witnessed in any other case in the contemporary world? While US holds the position of the supreme leader of the democratic world without question since over a century, initially depending much on its isolation policy put forward by the famous Monroe Doctrine, Israel is rather an infant in world history, and managed to become a legal state (which is still a controversial subject to many) only after it managed to kick a few hundred thousand Muslim off the land of Israel. What they claimed to be their 'religious heritage, only became so, ironically, after they were pushed out of Russia and Germany in early 20th century. They, without question, have been one of the very few civilisations, alongside the blacks of Africa for instance, who have suffered indefinitely at the hands of racist leaders; but today, its more like the entire world, specifically the Muslim nations, are suffering indefinitely at the hands of the rather notoriously quoted 'US-Israel Lobby. At several occasions it is wondered that what truly was lacking in the international system perspective of the Americans that brought about the wrath of the recent Global War on Terror, particularly upon the Muslim world, whose economic ties the Americans should not have risked under the most crucial circumstances. Not only that, one would find humour in wastage of billions of dollars on a war that presented a picture of a dog trying to catch his own tail. What became more fascinating was how Israel had been the only state that could dictate its own terms to the great super power by merely speaking rudely to the government of US. The Israel-US intimacy became more and more obvious in the Clinton era, Joe Lieberman being a great example when Israelis took the frontline positions in US politics. Assumingly enough, in all truth, this affair wasnt a new ne to international politics. In fact the Americans of the 1776 revolution and the Jews of the 1940s holocaust shared the same sentiments; foreign dominance. The holocaust being a much worse version of the sufferings of the Americans in the 18th century, the Jews were literally eliminated and thrown out of the lands of Europe and the Soviets. Similarly, America being the land that inhabited immigrants and welcomed them as their own nationals, the Jews found peace and settlement in the region of Middle East which they claimed to be their religious rights, much clearly as a place granted by God to them. Although having extremely different geostrategic locations, both US and Israel shared the same political insight for survival, i.e. isolation. It is deeply analysed, considered and concluded, the fact that national traits and ancestral behaviours of nations often define how they develop and progress over passages of time. For instance where a few states are displaying 'crab mentalities, those like Israel have displayed great fortitude, endurance and shrewdness in order to claim what they consider is theirs, whether by hook or by crook. It is hard to believe how the scanty population and the lack of proper political grounds could reap such determined diplomats who now rule the greatest nation of the world, at least metaphorically. Such success cannot be possible without the sincere practice of politics. Politics, in its all true sense has been practiced whole heartedly by the Israelis sees no morality, which may be one of the reasons why the Jews find nothing morally wrong with displacing thousands of Muslims off their lands to ensure their own survival. Their lack of morality has been so outstanding that they, at several occasions, have managed to alter American academics only to ensure their political image on the situation of Palestinians did not become too immoral for example, at the UC Hastings School of Law and the UC Berkeley. That being said, the US-Israel lobby has been all time famous in political literature, and is too awe inspiring to be ignored. US support for the state of Israel, its recognition within days of the end of 1948 war, the inestimable moral, financial, military and political support of the state and the well known support for the de facto nuclear capability of Israel are known to almost every person on the globe. Israels support was not just a sympathy vote bestowed by the great lovers of democracy, but it is seen as a gateway for the US in the oil rich and strategically important Middle East. The Muslim world has always held their self esteem high and their independent statuses higher, only to refute any sort of foreign interference in their lands, for they are well aware of their potential attractiveness to the entire world. However, equally understandable is the hard work and political insight granted by the Israelis to the US, for the support of the super power is the only reason they have survived several wars and a never ending Arab-Israel conflict since their controversial inception in the middle east. In all honesty, this apparently unconditional love does not come without reciprocation of needs on either one of the sides. However, the decision of bestowing the wrath of the Global War on Terror upon the Muslim world did not happen overnight. The absence of any Israeli employee in World Trade Centre on the day of 9/11, the deep rooted relationship between the Bin Laden and the Bush families, the animosity between Saddam Hussain and GW Bush, the economic interest of the US in the Middle East, with several other conspiracy theories raised by the very Americans who suffered the blow, leaves several questions unanswered even after a decade of wars, virtual destruction of Afghanistan and Iraq and the suffering of Pakistan itself. The Israeli lobby has for long, specifically worked under the US government against the interest of its own enemy, the Muslim world, and its interests have luckily or very thoughtfully in fact, coincided with the interest of US in the Muslim world as well. So much having said already, its logical to assume that states sometimes act like an ordinary person; while massacres in Darfur or other places such as Palestine are political issues, America ironically finds the legitimacy and survival of the Israelis as a 'moral imperative or so stated Jimmy Carter. Israelis and Americans are in much uncomplicated terms, know too much about each others, and either of the sides have too much at stake to bear a crack in their friendship. The relationship the US has with Iran in the contemporary era is a display of their affection for the state of Israel; Israel is currently facing the greatest threat from Iran, and in case of an attack would not stand much of a chance given that the US shows limited support in lieu of its already weak position in the Global War on Terror. Knowing well enough that Iran cannot possibly pose a threat to the land of the Americans, it does not possess the technology or the capability to even think on those lines. This I realized while I was working on a case study of Iran and US relationship and struck to me very clearly that the only reason, besides US claiming its self prophesied duty of promoting democracy (despite its famous support for the dictators of middle east and their innocent economic interests), there seemed less of a reason for the political heat they displayed against Iran. In Irans case specifically, several intelligence leakages have clarified how strongly Israel would support a middle east without Iran in it, much fearing from the rigidity and confidence of the Iranians. Case studies like those of Iran or Palestine are mere examples of how deep the US Israel relation in truth is. Both have too much at risk to bother either one; their intelligence ties are exemplary and their unparallel love for 'democracy has cast them in this 'love affair. This in turn poses too big a threat to the Muslim nations, who for a change should now unite together to defend themselves towards the wicked ideas of the US-Israeli lobby. Turning a blind eye at things that are only going to be more apparent in the coming future is a foolish thing to do. However, the Romeo and Juliet of our times are too strongly in love to be separated, and will only grow closer with the passage of time, causing more pain than pleasure to the world in the coming decades. The author is a student of Defence and Diplomatic Studies at Fatima Jinnah Womens University.

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