(Jerusalem Post) Jonathan S. Tobin - A consensus of Americans across party-lines and religious affiliation identify with Israel not because they do the bidding of the Elders of Zion, but because they see it as a democratic state in a sea of Arab tyranny with its roots in a common Judeo-Christian civilization. No one has to bribe or hornswoggle ordinary Americans to back Israel. Whether they base their support on the Bible or on sympathy with a fellow democracy afflicted by terrorists, the American love affair with the Jewish state has withstood the assaults of a biased media (another point Mearsheimer and Walt get completely wrong) and demagogic attacks from the extreme left and right. Though the U.S. is Israel's only real ally, it is far from obsequious in its dealings with Jerusalem. For decades, Washington has placed constant pressure on Israel to make concessions for the sake of an ephemeral peace process. Unlike our European "allies," Israel has not required America to deploy massive armies in its defense. The writer is executive editor of the Jewish Exponent in Philadelphia.
2006-04-07 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive