Issue Position: Foreign Policy

Issue Position

I was fortunate to have lived in the Philippines and traveled in the Far East and Europe while in the Navy. For the most part, people like Americans, but sometimes not our government. We have given lots of aid, but we have been a bully sometimes and supported bad governments.

I have just finished reading "Plowshares into Swords" (From Zionism to Israel) by Arno J. Mayer, a Jew with strong ties to Israel, and now a professor at Princeton. I have long felt that Israel mistreats the Palestinians, and has provoked them into terrorist acts as their only means of protest. I think that the image of Lucy pulling the ball away as Charlie Brown approaches the ball is a good example of Israel's commitment to peace. This book confirms that, and it is at the library.

I am inspired by companies like Coca Cola and Procter & Gamble, which have gone all over the world, even to some dangerous places, to build productive profitable relationships based on fair dealing with the local people and governments.

Israel has not done that, and as a result it has provoked terrorism in the Middle East. This terrorism has spilled over to us beginning in 1992 in New York City. Except for the U.S., most countries in the world despise Israel. After the attack by Israel in 1967 on the USS Liberty, I have long felt that we may be Israel's ally, but Israel is no ally of the U.S. It is clearly out for itself. Many Israelis agree, and want a real peace with the Palestinians. I don't understand why so many Americans want to give Israel a blank check to do whatever they want. Maybe they just don't know what is going on over there.

I fear that Israel will go to war with Iran, and that we will get dragged in, at a price we cannot afford. Iran is a huge country, bigger than Texas. It used to be our friend. It used to be called Persia, whose King Cyrus freed the Jews in Babylon. Most Iranians today are Shiite Muslims. They live far from Israel, but they don't like the way that the Israeli government led by some extreme Zionists now is treating the Palestinians and its own Arab citizens. Some extreme Zionists want to expel all non-Jews even people whose families have lived there for two millenia. Did you know that less than 50,000 Jews lived in Palestine including Jerusalem and Haifa in 1900. That was less than 10% of the Arab population at the time. It's about 6 million each today. Over a million Palestinians have been forced from their homes since 1940 by threats and attacks by Jews.

I will be a fair, but tough observer of Israel in Congress. Let the truth prevail.

During this season of thanksgiving and peace, I am hopeful that reason will prevail in Tehran and Jerusalem. These are not stupid people bent on destroying each other, despite some rash remarks by the Iranian leader. He was referring to the Israeli government, not the people, many of whom want to get rid of that same government, just like we do here at times. The Likud government is extreme and unreasonable.

I think a deal could be made where 1. Israel would give up its nuclear weapons, 2. We would make the entire Middle East (eventually including India and Pakistan) a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone with strict onsite inspections, and 3. Guaranteed security for Israel with fair borders, removal of most of the Israeli settlements, and some kind of financial settlement. At least that should be our goal. And yes, we should talk with appropriate diplomatic pre-conditions.

Do you know what I and many Israelis really fear? We fear that the American people will wake up and discover the Truth, and then Turn on Israel.

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