A few days ago, a reader wrote me with what I thought was an excellent point. It went like this: There has been a great shift in U.S. policy, and a great shift in the world. Today — early summer of 2010 — Israelis feel relieved and maybe even grateful when the U.S. is merely neutral as between Israel and those who wish the state harm. That is new, very new.
Wouldn’t the Hondurans have liked a merely neutral America, several months ago!
As I understand it, Israel is the only U.N. member-state — the only one of the 192 nations represented there — that is unable to sit on the Security Council. The only one. All the other states have a shot. And who has been Israel’s friend and protector on the Security Council? I’ll give you a hint: not France (although Sarko has been better than any French premier in memory). If Israel has not the U.S. . . . it has itself, and — many, many Americans and others whose understanding of the Middle East is much different from, and better than, President Obama’s.
I smile at two little facts: Sarah Palin, in her governor’s office, had an Israeli flag. Siv Jensen, leader of a party in Norway called the Progress party, has an Israeli flag in her office. No, those women are not in power. But they represent a lot of people, who count.