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Is a crushed Israel in America's best interest?
By Ari Shavit, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags: Benjamin Netanyahu, U.S. 

Seven months after Barack Obama's victory in the presidential election, it is still not clear what the United States' new strategic goal is: halting Iran's nuclear program, or learning to live with a nuclear Iran? It is also not clear what the new U.S. vision for the Middle East is: a partial but realistic peace, or a full but fictitious peace? It is not clear whether Obama's United States plans to isolate Middle Eastern extremists or encourage them. It is not clear what its attitude toward Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria and Iran will be. Nor is it clear whether it will leave Iraq victorious or defeated. But, on one issue, there is no doubt. In everything related to Israel, Obama's United States has adopted a tough-love strategy.

"Tough love" is a loaded phrase. It has educational, emotional and sometimes even sexual connotations. It encompasses the paternalistic belief that the educator knows what's better for the pupil's welfare than the pupil does. Therefore, it has traditionally been associated with reform schools and patronizing conservatism.

Recently, however, "tough love" has become the rage in liberal circles in Washington and New York. Democratic opinion leaders - many of them Jewish - have begun to speak with shining eyes about the need to administer a dose of tough love to Israel: to train it, wean it, set boundaries for it. To force it against its will to do what is good for it.
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Israel, for its part, has done quite a bit to bolster the tough-love advocates. The pampered Israeli-American princess abused its status as the apple of Uncle Sam's eye. For years, it made a mockery of the U.S. administration and embarked on a spree of settlements, checkpoints and illegal outposts. With reckless abandon, it threw off every yoke and waved a red flag at the good and the great in America's capital.

Therefore, when Barack Obama and Rahm Emanuel entered the White House, many people advised them to tame the rebel. And the president and his chief of staff received the advice enthusiastically. To the two tough guys from Chicago, the idea of loving Israel in a strong, painful manner sounded cool.

The results can be seen almost every day on television screens throughout the world: an American policy taken straight out of a British public school. A diplomacy comprised of public reprimands. The new United States is trying to wean Israel from its bad habits by means of the teacher's ruler. Even as it bows and scrapes to Saudi Arabia and is scrupulously careful of Iran's honor, it humiliates Israel. The president's feet on the table were a message. The goal is a well-trained, obedient Israel.

The United States is a superpower. If the United States wants a broken, battered Israel, it will get a broken, battered Israel. This is a collision between a tank and an ATV, between a stealth bomber and a glider. But the question the White House ought to be asking itself is whether riding roughshod over Israel serves its goals - whether a crushed Israel is an American interest.

The answer is unequivocal: no. Already, Israel's public humiliation is hurting America. It is making even moderate Arabs unwilling to contribute anything to advancing the diplomatic process. And without a significant Arab contribution, there will be no diplomatic process.

But a continued tough love policy toward Israel is liable to do damage that is far more serious - and irreversible. Without a strong Israel, a Middle East peace can neither be established nor survive. Without a strong Israel, the Middle East will go up in flames.

Therefore, instead of playing games taken out of a basic training manual, Americans and Israelis must work in harmony. They must think outside the box and come up with a creative solution, based on listening to each other and mutual respect. They must jointly advance a genuine regional peace.

The hour is late. Both Obama's government and Benjamin Netanyahu's government have made serious mistakes the last few months. But ultimately, both Obama and Netanyahu are worthy leaders who want to do the right thing. Therefore, the two must stop the dangerous game they are playing. The time has come to replace tough love with sensible, grown-up love.

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      1.   It`s Simple: Follow Int`l Law Then No Humiliation 05:23  |  Alaska 02/07/09
      2.   yeah right... 05:25  |  lool 02/07/09
      3.   Israel has had it too easy, too long 05:28  |  melissa 02/07/09
      4.   Israel hasn`t behaved like a friend of the USA 05:30  |  Yesh Prabhu 02/07/09
      5.   Ari Shavit: So shrill so soon? We have hardly begun. 05:39  |  Natallie Durson 02/07/09
      6.   Obama`s tough love is missing one thing: love 05:46  |  McQueen 02/07/09
      7.   "Without a strong Israel ME will go up in flames" 05:47  |  Amana Khardous 02/07/09
      8.   Obama and Israel 05:54  |  As`ad Abukhalil 02/07/09
      9.   Here is Obama`s plan for Israel... 06:02  |  Betty Bardon 02/07/09
      10.   "crushed" Israel. 06:16  |  Fortuna Benmayor 02/07/09
      11.   Arab money rules 06:27  |  a Jew 02/07/09
      12.   freezing settlements is not humiliating 06:30  |  arik 02/07/09
      13.   Election Payback? 06:34  |  Arik Silverman 02/07/09
      14.   Stop the whining 06:39  |  Ed 02/07/09
      15.   Not everyone is interpreting things this way... 06:48  |  Smadar 02/07/09
      16.   TOUGH LOVE 06:50  |  Ed 02/07/09
      17.   Masquerade 06:50  |  Mark of Lewiston 02/07/09
      18.   Israel is learning that there are prize tags for everything 07:18  |  Kris Lazar 02/07/09
      19.   A more appropriate question is 07:28  |  Jose 02/07/09
      20.   A more appropriate question is 07:28  |  Jose 02/07/09
      21.   Israel is not being crushed by the US 07:48  |  Manny Goldstein 02/07/09
      22.   ENOUGH! YOU Did This To YOURSELVES. DON`T Blame OBAMA/Others!!! 08:02  |  U.S. Pal Defender 02/07/09
      23.   Mr. Shavit 08:03  |  zeev 02/07/09
      24.   Israel has never dealt with the US `with mutual respect` 08:07  |  Bob Rabrek 02/07/09
      25.   "Tough love" = Rape 08:08  |  neighbour 02/07/09
      26.   The hour is late [localized version] 08:23  |  un2here 02/07/09
      27.   The dependency of the U.S.A. on Arab oil. 08:24  |  Lane 02/07/09
      28.   Lala Land 08:28  |  Jeff 02/07/09
      29.   Israel is NOT crushed by America but by itself - ..... 09:40  |  S 02/07/09
      30.   alaska 10:04  |  scallywag 02/07/09
      31.   natallie durson 10:07  |  scallywag 02/07/09
      32.   kris lazar 10:12  |  scallywag 02/07/09
      33.   Obama has lost me. 10:15  |  Andrew 02/07/09
      34.   s. 10:20  |  scallywag 02/07/09
      35.   0bama and Israel 10:24  |  Kuntz Hermann 02/07/09
      36.   The answer is a qualified Yes. 10:26  |  Solow 02/07/09
      37.   Israel...Read the Worlds Lips 10:32  |  Iain 02/07/09
      38.   crushed Israel 10:33  |  rm 02/07/09
      39.   Middle East peace and israel 11:33  |  Uetliberg 02/07/09
      40.   Actually the Obama`s policy towards Iran is very clear 11:51  |  Chris Linthwaite 02/07/09
      41.   Obama is out of focus and so is Shavit 12:13  |  Alicia 02/07/09
      42.   Israel should not be crushed 12:24  |  Shimon Cleopas 02/07/09
      43.   Kris Lazar and price tags 12:28  |  ChanahS 02/07/09
      44.   "A partial...peace" - is no peace at all 14:52  |  Hank N Tennessee 02/07/09
      45.   Kuntz 14:53  |  oz 02/07/09
      46.   Channah S You dont get to keep land you took in a war 15:02  |  Llabhras 02/07/09
      47.   #33 andrew I did not know Chamberlin was black 15:08  |  Labhras 02/07/09
      48.   Stop yer whining fer cryin` out loud... 19:07  |  BBSNews 02/07/09
      49.   Fortuna Benmayor 20:19  |  TonyL 02/07/09
      50.   and I thought Shavit was a Zionist 21:32  |  avramele 02/07/09
      51.   `Is a crushed Israel in America`s best interest? ` 22:58  |  Colin Wright 02/07/09
      52.   Of course, you see ari they see you as infidel 23:01  |  no mongrel 02/07/09
      53.   Shavit. Analyze this. 23:47  |  Roo 02/07/09
      54.   # 45 oz 23:51  |  Axel 02/07/09
      55.   Don`t be paranoid, Obama cannot "crush" Israel 01:10  |  Tao Te Ching 03/07/09
      56.   To scallywah, Arab countries will do much more when Israel 02:14  |  justis 03/07/09
      57.   TonyL # 49 on imperialism and arms-twisting. 02:28  |  Fortuna Benmayor 03/07/09
      58.   Llabhras on inadmissably ... 03:37  |  Jasper 03/07/09
      59.   Crushing Success? 04:10  |  Jasper 03/07/09
      60.   Avri your propagandic twisting of realities leaves one speechless 04:20  |  jim the mechanic 03/07/09
      61.   Obama and the Middle East 05:30  |  abraham cohen 03/07/09
      62.   Obama and the Middle East 05:30  |  abraham cohen 03/07/09
      63.   You are quick to condemn 06:48  |  sdafss 03/07/09
      64.   Self-indulgence 07:03  |  Nick Ferriman 03/07/09
      65.   "Without a strong Israel ME will go up in flames". How so??? 09:24  |  Hanna 03/07/09
      66.   Shavit. Analyze this. 10:56  |  Roo 03/07/09
      67.   Wow, Mr. Shavit, what a wake-up Article?! 13:45  |  Abecassis 03/07/09
      68.   touch love 14:49  |  bill 03/07/09
      69.   Meaningless speck of land 15:30  |  Robert Norman 03/07/09
      70.   If a broken Israel... 17:11  |  Pablo Luis 03/07/09
      71.   #34 scallywag (6th try) 18:24  |  S 03/07/09
      72.   Get off it.. 18:26  |  American 03/07/09
      73.   Not in America`s Interest 06:23  |  Steve Grumman 05/07/09
      74.   The single greatest propaganda victory of the 21st century... 04:12  |  Tom 06/07/09
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