At a very critical moment of Israel's war against terror the American
administration is abandoning us. This is not an isolated incidence but a
repetition of American actions at almost every critical junction in
Israel's history:
* In March 1948, while Israel was fighting for its life, America suggested
that the UN cancel its decision to establish a Jewish state and opt for a
"UN trusteeship" instead.
* In May 1948, America tried to prevent the declaration of a Jewish state
and slapped an arms embargo on Israel.
     These two actions signaled to the Arab states around Israel that they
are free to attack Israel. This at a time when all experts believed that
Arab victory and annihilation of Israel is a foregone conclusion.
* America supported "in its entirety" the plan of UN mediator Bernadott to
cede Jerusalem and the Negev to the Arabs.
* When Gen. Allon and his troops entered Sinai peninsula chasing the beaten
Egyptian invasion army, the USA supported Britain in their threat to go to
war with Israel. (Nobody threatened Egypt when they invaded Israel on May
15, 1948.)
* In the early 50s, Secretary of State Foster Dulles suggested that Israel
cede parts of the Negev to Egypt.
* In 1956, after Israel's Sinai war together with France and Great Britain,
the Soviet Union threatened to send "volunteers" against all three
countries. President Eisenhower said that America will protect French and
British troops, pointedly leaving out Israel. This amounted practically to
throwing Israel out of Sinai.
* America signed an agreement with Israel, declaring it will open the
straits of Tiran in case Egypt closes them again. In May 1967 Nasser closed
them, but the USA said it could not act, due to unwillingness of the
European partners. This caused the Six Day war, which was generally
expected to annihilate Israel.
* UN decision 242 did not demand Israel to return to the previous borders
(the "Green Line"). But this is what America is pressuring us to do.
* During the 1973 ("Yom Kippur") war, America held back arms supply by two
weeks, while the Soviets operated an air lift to Egypt from day one.
Finally America forced Israel to let an encircled Egyptian army leave
unmolested. Gen. Moshe Dayan said "America robed us of the fruits of
victory". Henry Kissinger forced Israel in the armistice talks to yield
parts of Sinai to the Egyptians and said unabashed that this will "improve
Americas standing in Cairo".
* President Carter kept from Prime Minister Begin important facts and
virtually forced him to sign a "peace treaty" with Egypt, which was not
favorable to Israel.
* America started in 1989 dialog with PLO. This and finally forced Israel
to talk and deal with them.
* America forced Israel during the Gulf War in 1991 not to respond to Iraqi
missiles, promising that a third of all air sorties during the war will be
directed to Western Iraq, from where the missiles were shot at Israel. In
fact, only 3000 of 118.000 sorties went to Western Iraq, less than 3
percent.
* In all negotiations of Israel with the Arabs in which America took part,
it always supported the Arabs. President Bush promised before the Madrid
meeting in 1992 not to present America's views, but at the opening session
he said "Land for Peace". Israel has no land, the Arabs no peace.
        And abandonment now too.
* On September 11, America finally understood that terror endangers the
world and must be fought. Their only real ally in this war is Israel. This
is well known by the Administration. But again they are trying to establish
a worthless Arab coalition. To obtain the Arabs agreement, of questionable
value, they are dropping Israel like a hot potato, interrupting Israel's
fight against terror and leaving Israel open to blood shed - as America did
so often before. They know very well that Arafat is in no way better than
Ben-Laden, but they cannot resist the temptation to pay in Israeli currency
and to sacrifice again Israeli and Jewish life.
     The American administration knows very well that America does not have
a more loyal ally than Israel. They know, as President Reagan said during
the cold war that "were it not for Israel, the Soviets would be sitting on
the Saudi oil". They know that the Six Day war was a turning point in the
cold war. They know that the military services rendered by Israel to
America during the Cold War, a more or less equivalent in dollar-value to
the American Aid Israel received. But they do no think that they have to be
loyal to their allies, especially if they are not numerous and maybe also
if they are Jewish.
     It is time to say "enough". It is time that Israel's prime minister
gets up and enumerates in public what various American Administrations did
to us. How much blood did we spill because of them and how often were we
prevented to keep the fruits of military victory. The American people and
Congress are supporting Israel. And public opinion counts very much in
America. It is time to tell President Bush that we want to live, it is our
right to live. We shall not let you deliver us to Araft and his band of
terrorists. War on terror - yes, war on terror on the expense of our lives
- no.
[Adapted from Ezra Sohar, "Concubine in the Middle East", 1999, Gefen Pub.
and "Ariel Center for Policy Research", (792-03-9063920), pp. 246.]