"My number one priority in foreign policy is to protect Israel."-
-Former House Speaker Richard Armey-
Rocky was a boyhood friend. He was as big and as strong as his name. In his wild days, Rocky hung out with a runt whose obnoxious mouth regularly got my friend into serious bar fights. One night Rocky was beaten senseless when he stepped between the runt and someone with dangerous friends. I never understood his irrational defense of a guy with obvious "needs."-
But then""K Street realpolitik notwithstanding""I have difficulty understanding America's irrational defense of Israel, a country whose "needs"- are as much at odds with the security of my country as were the runt's "needs"- at odds with the health of my friend.
Earlier this month 7,000 activists and politicians attended the America Israel Public Forum Committee's 2008 Policy Conference in Washington D.C. This was AIPAC's premier pro-Israel event, which attracted a bipartisan who's who of Congressional sycophants. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's keynote address drew nearly half the members of Congress.
Along with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, both presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential candidates bent a knee and lowered their head in supplication, pledging an unwavering fealty along with an additional 30 billion taxpayer dollars in military aid to Israel.
John McCain told attendees, "The threats to Israel's security are large and growing and America's commitment must grow as well. I strongly support the increase in military aid to Israel . . . our shared interests and values are too great for us to follow any other policy."-
Barak Obama dittoed, "Israel's security is sacrosanct. It is non-negotiable . . . Our alliance is based on shared interests and shared values. Those who threaten Israel threaten us . . . as president I will never compromise when it comes to Israel's security."-
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