Palaestinian Issue

With respect to the developed Western societies, Israel faces a somewhat different "favorable world order" problem. The West is the historic home of antiSemitism. This traditional antiSemitism is opposed primarily by liberal elements of society, and endorsed by the Far Right. Yet Israeli conduct has tended to alienate liberals, while Israel has entered into tactical alliance with rightist elements, particularly the Religious Right in the United States. An alignment with the right, and alienation of liberals, is a narrow basis for support of Israel in the West. With respect to the United States in particular, Israelis must be concerned about the gradual but steady erosion of American public support and esteem for Israel, an erosion which has accelerated since the beginning of the intifada, and which is unlikely to be restored by the Haram alSharif episode. This erosion will ultimately be reflected in weakened support for the positions of the Israel lobby, and greater resentment of that lobby's influence. Although the recent U.S. vote in favor of condemning Israel for the Haram alSharif shootings occured under the special conditions of the Arabian Gulf crisis and the coalition of the U.S. and Arab powers there, it represe

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is conquest, either by Israel or by an ambitious warlord using Israel as a pretext for conquest. The last of these cases is, of course, roughly the situation underlying the current Arabian Gulf crisis; Saddam Hussein's sole claim to general Arab legitimacy (but a powerful one) is his selfproclaimed status as the one Arab leader willing to take on Israel and its Western supporters. So long as the Israel/Palestine problem festers, it will be a continuing invitation to ambitious militarists in the Arab world. The possibility of an Israeli attempt to found an empire over much of the Arab world may seem outlandish to Americans, accustomed as they are to the Israel lobby's portrayal of a "tiny, besieged Israel." But Israeli armies have at various times approached Damascus and Cairo, and actually occupied Beirut. Realistic Israelis would surely draw from the invasion of Lebanon and the intifada the conclusion that more extensive domination over Arab lands is no solution to Israel's nationalsecurity problem. However, they could in the future be overridden by extremists, religious and military, especially if U.S. support were fading and Masada psychology took hold. To many Israelis, the simple certitudes of the je
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Bank Gaza, Third World, Israelis Palestinians, Israel Palestine, Middle East, Israel Obviously, Arab Arab, Jewish Christian, Realistic Israelis, United Nations, occupied territories, west bank, middle east, peace settlement, west bank gaza, bank gaza, arab world, israelis palestinians, settlement policy, arab peoples, israel palestine, middle east internal, survival national community, traditional jewish values, palestinians peace settlement,
Approximate Word count = 4148
Approximate Pages = 17 (250 words per page)