04 August 2006
Everything a Surprise
Christopher Hitchens presented a pretty good list of considerations to keep in mind when assessing the unwisdom of the policy of the Bush Administration vis-à-vis Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, he left out one crucial factor: the precarious state of Republican control of the U.S. Congress.
Perhaps uncritical support for Israel is a play to the Republican base among fundamentalist Christian voters. This sop to “red state” citizens is more important to the bumbling Neoconservative strategists than a real resolution to the constant conflict in the Middle East. A forceful international intervention in the region is the only way to impose an equitable settlement of long-festering Palestinian resentment of the results of the creation of Israel. Until that happens, at the risk of offending the Religious Right in the U.S., the Middle East will continue to be a thorny bush in the global garden.
Christopher Hitchens presented a pretty good list of considerations to keep in mind when assessing the unwisdom of the policy of the Bush Administration vis-à-vis Israel’s retaliation against Hezbollah in Lebanon. However, he left out one crucial factor: the precarious state of Republican control of the U.S. Congress.
Perhaps uncritical support for Israel is a play to the Republican base among fundamentalist Christian voters. This sop to “red state” citizens is more important to the bumbling Neoconservative strategists than a real resolution to the constant conflict in the Middle East. A forceful international intervention in the region is the only way to impose an equitable settlement of long-festering Palestinian resentment of the results of the creation of Israel. Until that happens, at the risk of offending the Religious Right in the U.S., the Middle East will continue to be a thorny bush in the global garden.
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