By Arnold Flick
 LA JOLLA, California--While listening to Fox News on Sept 29, I heard former Congressman James Trafficant, Democrat of Ohio, stating that the US Jewish lobby has “total control” over US Mid-East Foreign Policy, and that as a result of this control, US policy moves contrary to the US interest. That is, Trafficant stated, in effect, that American Jews directed US policy in favor of Israel and against what would be a policy of fairness to the Arabs, and to Palestinians in particular. In this line of thought, Trafficant continued with the suggestion that the 9/11 attacks were, at least in part, motivated by hatred toward the US deriving from this one-sided support for Israel.
This argument does not, of course, only come from the former Congressman who spent years in prison following a conviction on bribery. It has been around for a long time, beginning with UN Ambassador William Scranton’s call, in 1968, for a more “even-handed” US policy toward Israel. The implication of this call is that even then the US was favoring Israel. The argument continues into the present culminating with the allegedly scholarly documentation by Professors Walt and Mearsheimer in their book The Israel Lobby. Jimmy Carter, drawing on his prestige as a US President and as a Nobel Peace Prize winner, bolsters this argument with his writings and speeches contending that Israel is the primary opponent to ending the 100 year War with the Arabs.
I find that even many who support Israel accept the contention that the US has strongly favored Israel over the Arabs, and also accept the explanation that this supposed US position is the result of American Jews pressuring Washington to act against US interests.
Instead, a timeline from 1948 shows that, until the administration of George W. Bush, US actions have, on balance, favored the Arab side. Prior to 1948, the US basically backed the British Foreign Office in its opposition against an enlarged Jewish presence in the Mandate (see the 1939 White Paper). I have not listed the many UN resolutions on Israel that the US has approved, abstained, and vetoed if I think they have not been meaningful in an operative sense. The numerical “score” attached to the actions is my own; others are welcome to weigh them differently.
This timeline and scoring documents that actual US actions, as distinct from words, have strongly favored the Arab/Palestinian side.
| Year(s) |
Event |
Score Israel |
Score Arabs |
| 1948 |
President Truman recognizes Israel |
2 |
x |
| 1948 |
U.S. embargoes arms to Israel |
x |
1 |
| 1948 |
U.S. forces a final cease fire as Israel gains strength |
x |
1 |
| 1948-56 |
U.S. insists on Israeli restraint despite numerous Arab raids |
x |
1 |
| 1956 |
President Eisenhower demands and obtains Israeli withdrawal from Sinai without an Arab peace treaty |
x |
2 |
| 1967 |
Arabs evict the UN and block the Gulf of Aqaba; President Johnson turns down Abba Eban's plea for help. |
x |
1 |
| 1967 |
U.S. continues the embargo and insists on a cease fire without a treaty |
x |
1 |
| 1968 |
UN Ambassador Scanton calls for an "even-handed" U.S. policy toward Israel. "Even-handed" is code for less support for Israel |
x |
1 |
| 1969 |
Egypt launches War of Attrition; U.S. stands by and urges Israeli restraint |
x |
1 |
| 1973 |
U.S. restrains Israel prior to Yom Kippur War outbreak and sustains an embargo in early weeks |
x |
1 |
| 1973 |
President Nixon arms Israel as Israel weakens in Yom Kippur War |
2 |
x |
| 1974 |
Conclusion of Yom Kippur War-U.S. demands Israeli release of trapped Egyptian armies, forces retreat of Israel away from positions on the Suez Canal, obtains return of Kuneitra to Syria - does not force a peace treaty |
x |
2 |
| 1979 |
President Carter secures all of the Sinai for Egypt in exchange for a peace treaty with Israel. Israel evacuates its Sinai air base at Sharm el Sheikh, as well as Yamit and oil wells in the Gulf of Aqaba |
1 |
2 |
| 1979 |
U.S. initiates massive aid to Israel and Egypt |
1 |
1 |
| 1983 |
U.S. under President Reagan secures rescue of Arafat and his army from Lebanon and escorts them to Tunisia |
x |
3 |
| 1993 |
U.S. under President Clinton sponsors Oslo agreements that bring Arafat and his army to Gaza and give Israel a hope for a peace agreement |
1 |
3 |
| 1993-2000 |
U.S. does not restrain resurgent Arab terror and incitement against Israel |
x |
1 |
| 2002 |
U.S. under George W. Bush recognizes Arafat as untrustworthy and says eventual borders will have to recognize some Israeli settlements |
2 |
x |
| TOTAL |
|
9 |
22 |
The timeline and scoring document that actual U.S. actions, as distinct from words, have strongly favored the Arab/ Palestinian side. Moreover, this bias is despite the murder of the U.S. Ambassador in the Sudan by Arafat's people in 1973 and the bombing of the Marines in Lebanon in 1981 when they were there to protect Arabs in the aftermath of the Israeli invasion.
Perhaps some reader wants to challenge the above table of events, or change the scoring. Please let me know. I can be reached via editor@sandiegojewishworld.com |
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