In theory, you are correct about the US having "zero responsibility" for actions of Israel. In reality, however, the US gets a ton of flak for supporting Israel, despite some of their questionable practices. Most of Israel's antagonists effectively equate Israel to the US. Is such a sentiment unfounded? Not entirely, considering that our politicians bend over backwards for Israel.
I respect Israel, and I see the value in a healthy relationship with it. However, the US should be looking out for the best interests of Israel, which are _not_ the continued oppression of the Palestinian people. Many Israelis understand that a two-state solution is the only sustainable solution...unfortunately, Netanyahu does not realize that. The US needs to push Israel in the right direction, for the sake of our shared relationship (and Israel itself).
Does the US have close economic/military relationships with Israel-bashing Arab countries? It does. Although they are not the best possible alliances (not ideological similarity), they are convenient. So theory holds out in practice, doesn't it? ;)
There was a time in the 70s when Arab governments did the whole embargo thing, but they quickly realized that its not in their best interest. And the US-Israel relationship has only improved, hasn't it? I don't think back then there was a deep military relationship between the countries.
As for the push in the right direction - I think there are some limits to what you can practically do in this relationship as in any. You don't want to risk the favorable strategic terms of the status quo in any way and you want some changes. It gets tougher when your job as a politician is to win votes. Maybe this special relationship is the barrier to solution and not an endless limbo. This is a question too deep of foreign policy, too many books on the subject. I like those from Fareed Zakaria, because he deals in much more broader terms than local issues.
Remember that with constant escalation coming from the Balkans, the world entered World War I. Just the same, is the question of who is right and wrong and what is doing locally that important in the much larger , global scope? And then again, what credibility does a 'global concert' have if it cannot resolve a given issue for 60 years?
Exactly what is stopping the Palestinians from having a functional state? They have been left to their own devices for quite a while now ... and what have they come up with? A militant party sworn to the destruction of their neighbor and another party so weak, it has no choice but to support the militant one. Yup! There's a recipe for peace!
There is nothing Israel/US/UN/Europe/etc. can do to make the Palestinians create a decent government. Only the Palestinians can do that.
While I won't bother bringing this topic onto the forum, you should be intelligent enough to know that this is an exaggeration and slanted view of the more complex reality.
I'm intelligent enough to know that if it there was a "more complex reality", you would have astutely pointed it out. The truth is that the situation is very simple and that those who try to veil reality in complex sophistry are simply parasites who wish to benefit through the misery of others. Shame on you!
HN is no place to discuss emotionally charged questions of nationality and history. Your reply illustrates the reason why.
Keeping aside the possibility that you are a troll, it simply makes no sense to bring up issues related to the Palestinian / Israeli conflict. This is not a thread about it, and I have no time to go into detail about historical grievances of either party in the conflict.
It is easy and pat to make simple, childish judgments based on one's race, religion or prejudices. If you want to stick to that level, it is your loss. The idea that the conflict is one side of monsters and one side of tragic heroes is comedic, regardless of which 'side' one chooses.
> HN is no place to discuss emotionally charged questions of nationality and history. Your reply illustrates the reason why.
Uhhmmm no, the original post to which I was replying illustrates why. You did read it, right?
> The idea that the conflict is one side of monsters and one side of tragic heroes is comedic, regardless of which 'side' one chooses.
Thanks for the moral relativism drivel. When you find the time to "go into detail about historical grievances of either party in the conflict" instead of wasting time writing gibberish, feel free to reply.
Nobody else is reading this thread anymore. It'll just be the two of us.
I respect Israel, and I see the value in a healthy relationship with it. However, the US should be looking out for the best interests of Israel, which are _not_ the continued oppression of the Palestinian people. Many Israelis understand that a two-state solution is the only sustainable solution...unfortunately, Netanyahu does not realize that. The US needs to push Israel in the right direction, for the sake of our shared relationship (and Israel itself).