The news is not that Israel is an actor in the war in Syria. That has been clear from the outset.
Rather, the news is that Israel is acting with what can only be regarded as explicit American disapproval, although Israel is doing so in alliance with Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which are also distancing themselves from the United States.
Backed as Assad was and is by Russia, China and Iran, the Islamist insurrection in and invasion of Syria could never have succeeded without Western intervention.
But, on reflection, such intervention was always impossible, backed as Assad was and is by Russia, China and Iran. Such a war was unconscionable.
Yet Israel has embarked on such a war. Therefore, from her north and west rather than from her south and east, she is now on her own. From her north and west rather than from her south and east, Israel had better get used to being on her own.
But she's not "on her own"-she has the fawning support of President Obama, the man who funded Israel's destruction of Gaza in 2009-aptly described by Pat Buchanan as "an Israeli concentration camp".
ReplyDeleteThe US President who recently boasted how many people his drones kill, and who couldn't even get Netanyahu to stop spending US taxpayers money building illegal settlements during a ceasefire.
Israel knows that it can do whatever it likes to Syria-Obama will always come running back into its arms.
Israel was the main reason that the Democrats-Kerry and Obama-were pushing for war with Syria in the first place.
Now they haven't got their war, they'll find another way of helping Israel out.
There has been a genuine shift over this.
ReplyDeleteThe fact of the Israeli strike would have done the rounds anyway, but having it leaked, and thus effectively announced, by the American Administration meant that it was reported by absolutely everyone.
The message could not have been clearer. The reason for having sent it remains altogether a different matter.
I don't believe a word of it, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteUS Congress has been described as "Israeli-occupied territory" by Pat Buchanan.
How can any US administration ever stand up to Israel when they depend on the lobby for their election war-chests?
Buchanan said that a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteThe absence of any American intervention in Syria, and now the manner of the American reaction to Israel's action there, indicate that things are not as they were.
We can only hope.
ReplyDeleteUp until now, Obama hasn't stopped a single Israeli settlement or a single Israeli bomb.
Both of which America pays for.