Appeasement GW Bush Style

Like cheap wine, President Bush does not travel well. His recent trip to the Middle East is a case in point. His speech to the Israeli knesset is a glaring example. By accusing those who engage enemies of Israel and the US in dialogue as appeasers similar to Neville Chamberlain, he set up himself and his party as advocates of a diplomatic stalemate. He implied that Obama's policy of negotiation is flawed. He inadvertently opened himself to direct assault by the Democrats and hopelessly linked himself to Bomb Bomb McCain in this year’s presidential election. Bush did receive a standing ovation from the knesset which adored what he said. However, back home GW Bush stirred up a hornets nest of disapproval.

Israelis loved Bush's speech because it gave them carte blanche to control negotiations – at the same time it ties the US hands as well US allies seeking solutions to the impasse without Israeli approval. If there was any appeasement floating around as a result of Bush's speech, it was the appeasement of Israel by the US. Israelis were over wrought by Carter's recent visit to the region; GW Bush tried to mollify these elements.

It is time Americans question the subservience of US national interests to those of Israel. Israel is, in general, despised on the world stage for stealing Arab land and ruthless suppression of human rights – their policies have fueled the development of Hamas and Hezbollah; militant groups not friendly to the US, but important in political stabilization of the region. The US provides 3-4 billion in military aid with first class weapons systems and insures development loans for Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem. It cynically sends Jewish American envoys to negotiate with the Arabs and Palestinians. All this makes a farce of US even handedness in the Middle East.

President Jimmy Carter was the only American president in 60 years who succeeded in brokering a peace deal with the Arabs and Israelis. Likud elements in Israel still resent this and viciously fly at Carter with or without provocation. Carter's recent visit with Hamas, the Syrians and Hezbollah inflamed the right wing in Israel as it saw power slipping away controlling negotiations.

Bush's Knesset speech sought to placate these elements by reassuring them that they were still in charge, but backfired in the US. Bush seems to follow a policy of ready fire aim. He was aiming at Carter in Israel, but pathetically struck at Obama's policy and prematurely raised the issue of negotiations in campaign ‘08. Kinda like VEEP Chaney firing at a hunting partner, but aiming at quail. Bomb Bomb McCain robotically supported Bush in Israel and prematurely opened the general campaign much to Obama's joy. Bet there are Republicans who want to get a refund on Bomb Bomb as his tail spin persists.

We know Israel has launched at least five espionage operations against the US; yet the US considers it an ally – can you name other allies caught spying on the US? Though Obama pays lip service to US/Israeli friendship, there is uncertainty where Obama's head really is on the issue... Clintons, Bushes and McCains are in the Israeli pocket for sure. The Israeli lobby is in a dither over Obama and will do its best to fix his compass in their direction; if unable, it will attempt to destroy him politically.

There is no question the Bush Administration has appeased Israel on key issues, i.e.: on the West Bank, Golan Heights, Lebanon, Gaza, and Jerusalem. All this is in addition to extensive economic and military aid. The invasion of Iraq was partially aimed at improving Israeli security. Not only was the disastrous invasion overtly supported by Israel, but their neocon stooges in the US, a majority of whom are Jewish Americans, lobbied strongly for the invasion.

Whether one can call all this dreadful pandering to Israel as appeasement is a question of semantics, for appeasement implies you receive something in return – nothing comes as return. Intelligence sharing? Even Israeli intelligence stinks; Israelis still cannot secure their POWS from the recent Lebanese war, and could not stop the Katyushas that fell on their lands. Maybe that is why they spy on the US – the last three spys they sent were targeted on US information on Iran.


Israel is a socialist democracy in an area where that form of government has difficulty taking root – you have to ask Arabs living there how it really extends to them. It has held on bravely for 60 years; Israel must not expect America to risk life and gold so it can continue. As a sovereign nation, it must either find a modus vivendi with its neighbors through negotiation or live in a state of permanent war; which in the end, out numbered, would spell doom, disarray and dissolution. There is an important role for US to act as a broker, but it cannot be effective if it is perceived by the Islamic parties as an extension of the Jewish state – today under Bush/McCain, Israel has been made a dangerous trip wire for WWIII. Recently Bin Laden, more alive than dead, announced that the Israeli Palestinian conflict will become a focus of his attention. Nice going Mr. Bush. Colonel Robert E Bartos USA Ret.