Israel Analysis
Bad faith negotiators
By Jim Fletcher
It’s a given that diplomacy requires decisions that often don’t taste very good. In the Middle East, it’s almost impossible. The neighborhood is so nasty and disingenuous, each person’s ability to operate is severely strained. It’s made worse because many of the U.S. players have been so mediocre. From secretaries of state like James Baker and Warren Christopher, to lower-level diplomats in a pro-Arab State Department, we have been played too often by Muslim countries.
Sadly, that looks to continue. (Even though we currently have a deluxe, pro-Israel Secretary in Marco Rubio.)
Word comes this week that the U.S. is holding talks with Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Israel. Three of those countries are radicalized Muslim tribal groups. Officially, nation states.
According to The Times of Israel:
“The issue of Iran is likely to loom large in the discussions. Iraq has been under pressure to disarm a network of Iran-backed militias operating in the country, some of which launched attacks on US bases and diplomatic facilities after the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in February. Officially, the Iraqi government has given non-state armed groups until the end of September to disarm, but some of the most powerful militias have said they have no intention of doing so.”
First of all, they have no intention of disarming, because the U.S.’s inconsistent policy hasn’t followed through. Case in point: Trump demanding that Hamas disarm.
So far they haven’t.
These Arab terrorists are like children: they learn that bad behavior that goes unpunished gets to skate. No accountability.
I concede that President Trump is trying to put together an impossible puzzle. All previous presidents have failed. Even Harry Truman’s monumental recognition of Israel was hampered by the Arabist State Department. If you ever read the story of Truman’s difficulties with advisors regarding recognition of the new Jewish state, expect to be stunned by the nastiness of men like George Marshall. The iconic general and rebuilder of Europe should have been fired for his confrontational attitude toward the president of the United States. Marshall actually told Truman that if he recognized Israel, he—Marshall—would not vote for Truman in the fall. Now, in his position, Marshall did not align himself publicly with a political party, but in my view, he crossed the line with Truman.
So, taking all these things into consideration, we are always behind the eight ball with the Middle East diplomacy.
Trump speaking with the Iraqis…what is that supposed to accomplish? Again, they’ve already learned there will be no real repercussions. Iraq is quagmire of terror groups and the leadership is deeply anti-Semitic. Lebanon is unable or unwilling to uproot Hezbollah. Jordan is perhaps the most disingenuous state in the region. As I’ve written, King Abdullah is constantly undermining Israel in public.
As part of these talks, Rome will see a meeting between Israel and Lebanon, in which the latter will look to move into areas the IDF vacates. Wow. In other words, we’ll try the same failed policy we’ve used for almost 50 years. Does anyone actually believe Lebanon will be strong in this area? Hezbollah runs Lebanon. You see what’s going on here, don’t you? The U.S. is still in the mode of George H.W. Bush in 1990: we will force Israel to enter meaningless talks that go nowhere. The policy should be to give them a greenlight to do what is necessary in the region. Finish Hamas. Finish Hezbollah. But we live far from there, so I absolutely question whether American leadership really cares about the Israelis. More conferences and more talks serve only to provide elite locales for our diplomats…on the taxpayer’s dime.
The last year has shown us that right at the moment we have a lethal enemy on the ropes, we let him up. It’s astonishing. If people like Richard Kemp were in charge, I have no doubt we could solve some of these problems. But we are stuck with plenty of people that hate Israel.
More of a reminder that we aren’t smart enough or wise enough to finish the job.
That role will only be filled by the coming of the Messiah.