Is Bush chasing the Jewish vote early? [Archives:2002/11/Focus]

COMMON SENSE
Hassan Al-Haifi
The American policy in the Middle East is dictated for the most part by domestic American political factors. This policy was almost never drawn up with some thought to the feelings of the people who live in the region and on the basis of the underlying moral implications involved.
However, never has any American administration been so openly and obstinately pro-Zionist as the Bush administration has proven to be. This observer never really expected Mr. Bush to deviate from the standard US policy of support to the Zionist state. It has become common knowledge that anyone wishing to be elected to any meaningful office in the United States must wear a yarmulke on any stopover to any of the Jewish communities, and attend at least three Anti-Defamation League fund-raising (for Israel, of course) dinners a year,while proclaiming that Israel is more important to the United States than Alaska and Hawaii combined.
Safe to walk to school?
To this day, however, no president has appeared so openly biased in the defense of the Jewish State. Most likely, Mr. Bush is convinced, after the September 11 calamity of New York and Washington DC, of the Sharon philosophy that “the only good Arab is a dead Arab”. Thats why Bush insists Israelis are “defending themselves”, when they are killing Palestinian children, intentionally or not, on their way to their homes, on the few days these kids feel it might be safe to walk to school.
That is why the US president believes that Israel is chasing “terrorists”, when it is target practicing at a visiting envoy from the European Union to the Palestinian Authority. It does not matter that this envoy was exploring for a peaceful way out of the bloodbath in the Holy Land.
The United States should not overlook the incontrovertible fact that this bloodbath and vicious cycle of violence in the Holy Land was, unequivocally, started by no other than Mr. Bush’s “good friend”, Ariel Sharon.
Yes, Ariel Sharon, who even Mr. Bush’s Secretary of State could not stomach any longer, notwithstanding his boss’ poor taste in choosing his “friends”. But then, Colin Powell is not seeking an elected office in the foreseeable future.
American hardware
Did Mr. Bush’s slim margin of victory for his first term of office get him to start soliciting the important vote and support of the American Jewish constituency early? Some observers also suggest this strong support of the Israelis by President Bus is linked to his pride in knowing that it is the state-of-the-art American hardware that is doing the killing of the Palestinians.
One must feel regret that the White House is occupied at present by a president with an obvious lack of concern when it comes to the killing of Arabs, in particular Muslims. The Arabs of the West Bank and Gaza are free from any responsibility for September 11 and absolutely condemn the crime, as is the case with almost all the Arabs and Muslims elsewhere.
Mr. Bush does not even weigh the fact that the Arab leaders have even forgotten themselves, and their nationalist and revolutionary platforms, by coming out openly, disrespecting the feelings of their constituencies, to declare their recognition of Israel, or erasing the name of “Palestine”. Many observers postulate that these Arab leaders, are thus hoping Uncle Sam does not turn his anger towards them.
Even if all the Arab leaders sign in blood, that they are now ready for a love affair with Israel, the majority of the Arab people will never recognize Israel unless justice is done first. There are still 200 million Arabs, backed by some 800 million Muslims, who value their dignity and honor as a nation, and who have a clear perception of justice, which is more than can be said for a lot of their leaders, and who also know that the latter have ignored them again.

——
[archive-e:11-v:2002-y:2002-d:2002-03-11-p:./2002/iss11/focus.htm]