There are those in
Israel who stress out over the hysterical, enraged comments made by the
U.S. State Department in response to Defense Minister Moshe (Bogie)
Ya'alon's remarks. But precisely the outrage tells me that something
else is going on and that this isn't about being offended but a
strategic, calculated response.
Whoever looks at
Ya'alon's remarks on U.S. policy in the Middle East and particularly in
Iran, does not understand what exactly upset the State Department and
what so angered the Americans they demanded an explicit apology from the
defense minister. After all, Ya'alon's comments perfectly reflect the
State Department's policies, one by one.
If people in the State
Department think there's a problem, the problem is not what Ya'alon said
but with whoever formed the negligent, out-of-touch foreign policy. It
seems the U.S. State Department truly believes their competent,
calculated foreign policy succeeded in preventing the chaos in Egypt in
recent years, succeeded in thwarting the ongoing slaughter in Syria,
stopped Iran's nuclear arms race, and deterred Russia from annexing the
Crimean peninsula. According to the Americans, only Ya'alon is unaware
of their great success and sees it as a failure.
Even if the State
Department (whether under the current or previous administrations)
wanted to bring peace and prosperity in the spirit of the American
democratic vision -- they prove, time and again, that they cannot form
policies or lead global reforms. Yet this does diminish the department's
confidence in its abilities. It is confidant it has the key to solving
the Israeli-Arab conflict. Here and now. Even if that means one side is
forced to conform to their plans (its no secret that usually that means
Israel). After all, these are the rules of the game. Under the pretense
of friendship and cooperation, Israel is expected to agree to America's
demands.
Ya'alon is one of the
most significant and successful professionals that has risen in the
field of security. His professional analysis on security issues field
have been proven to be free of an agenda, and therefore not slanted.
That is why he has accurately predicted events and warned against them.
However, the State
Department seems to view Ya'alon as an obstacle to forming the framework
peace agreement. They fear he might reveal the flaws and dangers,
hidden within the document. Perhaps the hysterical response to his
comments was meant to deter him from saying what he really thinks, a
kind of way to put him in line.
If that's the case, we
must stand behind him and encourage him to express his professional
opinion, without fear. For us, this is a life or death situation, so it
is crucial we allow him to reveal the true meaning of every plan
regarding our future, secretly brewing behind closed doors
The State Department
should know that Israeli society stands behind its defense minister and
from that perspective, we are all Bogie Ya'alon.
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