Position Paper on US-Israel Relations

By Greg Raths

My US/Israel position

Iran's Nuclear Ambitions and the Use of Sanctions to Prevent Them

No rational person could argue in favor of Iran gaining the capability of building and delivering nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, they already have delivery systems and are working on more sophisticated, more accurate ones. I suspect that they are proceeding swiftly with development of nuclear warheads regardless of their protestations to the contrary. How confident the Iranian leadership must feel to pursue the development of nuclear weapons despite almost universal condemnation. The problem with sanctions is that they are rarely backed with universal support. For every barrel of Iranian oil by which one nation may reduce their consumption, another nation will purchase two. If Iran is denied access to strategic materials and processes in the United States, another ally will fill the need. One need look no further back in history than to the Oil-for-Food program instituted to control Iraq to see the futility of such programs. Sanctions also require a firm hand on a big stick so that offenders will fear consequences if caught violating them. Obviously, in light of the failure of sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and its European allies, Iran knows full well that President Obama is not the man for that job, nor is any European leaders. If sanctions against Iran fail, as I fear they must in view of the foregoing, what then can our nations do to prevent the rise of a nuclear-armed Iran? This question will press more immediately on Israel than on the United States. America has stealth bombers and bunker-busting bombs that it may employ at the last minute to thwart an attack that may emanate from Iran. Thus, our leaders might be inclined to delay acting. Israel has no such ability and may thus be forced to act before it obtains concurrence from its allies in the United States. It will be devastated if Israel is forced to act unilaterally. For as much as Israel would be castigated in the court of world opinion, I would be ashamed at my nation's failure to act decisively. Ultimately, I fear that we may be forced to suffer the slings and arrows of our misfortune and retire to nurse our wounds comforted only by the reality that Iran was denied the weapons that they sought regardless of whether Israel acts unilaterally or with an American blessing.

US-Israeli Relationship

A member of my campaign staff was serving in Vietnam at the time of the Yom Kippur War in 1967. He tells me that, to a man, American troops would have happily volunteered to transfer operations to the Sinai and fight for Israel. It seems that they regarded the Israelis as underdogs and America has long sided with oppressed peoples. Unfortunately, the Palestinians are more likely to be regarded as the underdogs these days. Some might argue that this change in attitude has arisen from Israel's success in defending itself. I believe that it is more the result of a concentrated war of propaganda promulgated by our mutual enemies, and abetted by certain political factions in the United States and their allies in the popular news media. Take for example the recent episode of the Administration chiding the Israeli government for continuing to build apartments in Jerusalem at the site of the Shepherd Hotel where Haj Amin Al- Husseini lived following World War II. The Administration's excuse was purportedly based on the assertion that the site should remain a shrine to a great Arab scholar when, indeed, Al-Husseini was nothing of the sort. He was Hitler's favorite Arab having traveled to Nazi Germany and lobbied for the extermination of the Jews in Palestine as the logical extension of The Final Solution. The degradation of US-Israeli relations has accelerated in recent years as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), a purported agent of the Muslim Brotherhood, has become firmly entrenched across America. Chapters have sprung up on American campuses. Fortunately, members of Congress have more than votes to wield in this battle. As leaders of their communities, they can stand before their constituents and point out these agents of propaganda and expose their lies. They can conduct hearings for this purpose. This is especially important when the popular news media fail in their mission to perform this vital service. I fully intend to wield this sword in the battle against the propagandists. Indeed, I have already begun the battle during my campaign.

Security Assistance to Israel

Many people bemoan America's continued foreign aid program as an extravagance that we can no longer afford. I can see their point if I look at it as they do, as simple generosity. It appears especially egregious when one considers the wealth being sent to peoples who turn about and openly excoriate America, defile its flag, and act against the vital interests of the United States. However, well-spent foreign aid is an investment that has paid off many times over. The Marshall Plan is the most famous example whereby former enemies were transformed into allies and bastions of democracy as well as lucrative markets for American goods and services. Likewise, every dollar ever spent in Israel has been returned in technological contributions and unwavering loyalty. Unfortunately, the U.S. foreign aid program has been misrepresented to the American people for political reasons. For example, opinion leaders in the American Jewish community have given great credit to President Obama for supporting the development and deployment of the Iron Dome, Israel's anti-missile defense system. They rarely mention Brigadier General Daniel Gold, who conceived of it, and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who championed it, or countless other Israelis who contributed to it. Likewise, they don't mention the members of the U.S. Congress who helped provide funding. No, all credit is attributed to President Obama much as he is credited with killing Osama bin Laden as though he had fired the bullet. Such is politics. Inasmuch as I fear the threat of attack on Israel will only become greater, I cannot conceive of any rational by which we may now cut off or reduce funding for this and other vital defense programs. I am inspired by my visit to Masada with President Clinton and well appreciate the battle cry that still echo from that lofty height: "No more Masadas!"

The Two-State Solution

The unrelenting animus of the Arab world towards Israel and its Jewish population confirms that the partition of Palestine into Arab and Jewish states was the only possible solution. These two peoples could never have existed peacefully in a single state unless the Jews voluntarily subjugated themselves to their Arab masters. The obvious truth of this argument beggars any further discussion. Unfortunately, Israel is forced to remain open to every prospect of "peace" no matter how hair-brained. If they ever refused a meeting or an initiative, they would be branded warmongers. However, worse than futile, every attempt to negotiate peace only serves to encourage enemies to continue to make war. They mistake any hand of peace as a sign of weakness. Thus, I am sympathetic to Israel's plight in this regard yet cannot see any end to it. As Golda Meir famously said, "Peace will come when Arabs love their children more than they hate us."