Word: israelity
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Adam M. Butensky '13 was in Israel with his classmates when he got a fateful phone call. “I actually thought it was a prank," he said. "So I told this admissions officer to "stop [expletive] with me.” The admissions officer, who was undoubtedly prepared for such naughty language, politely assured Butensky that he was indeed not being [expletive] with." Butensky told us that he "was just amazed that they somehow got my Israeli phone number," since he was using an international phone. "But yeah," he said, "that's how I found...
...another political misstep. But as weeks have passed, and with a chilly Israeli state visit to the White House, tensions have grown rather than decreased. We oppose the original construction of the settlements, and believe this incident provides an important opportunity for the U.S. to consider its relationship with Israel. It is time for the U.S. to reexamine its alliance with the country based on its national security and geopolitical realities. To do so, the U.S. should create diplomatic distance between the two nations. The U.S. should also make the degree of aid it provides to Israel contingent on Israel?...
...important to remember that the geopolitical universe has changed dramatically since our alliance began. When the U.S. began its support of Israel, it was a newborn, tiny state. Today, it has grown into an economic powerhouse with numerous technological advancements to its credit. Likewise, in the wars of ’67 and ’73, Israel demonstrated conclusively its ability to defend itself and strike outward, even against much larger coalitions. When Israel declared independence, the primary U.S. concern was a comprehensive oil embargo by the Arab states, supported by the Soviet Union. Given the modern relationship between...
...other hand, there are compelling reasons to maintain the alliance into the future. Israel’s growth into a military and economic power makes it less dependent on American aid, but a more valuable ally. Likewise, Israel remains the most democratic nation in the Middle East, and is far more committed to women’s rights, gay rights, and other civil liberties than its neighbors. Finally, the common history of aid shared by the U.S. and Israel cannot be disregarded. A similarly valuable alliance could not appear overnight...
America should keep these considerations in mind as it moves forward in its relationship with Israel and the other nations of the Middle East. But it also needs to remember a more abstract set of important principles. In general, it is prudent not to consider alliances permanent, but instead to reassess them regularly. While the U.S. is a far greater presence on the world stage than our founders envisioned, there is still wisdom in George Washington’s admonition to “steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world...