The Kerry Plan: Contradictions in American support
Recently I had the opportunity to discuss the ‘peace process’ with an American friend who belongs to the left of center camp. We get on well despite vastly divergent political stances and opinions.
As a dual citizen myself (not American) I have always felt that my allegiance is first and foremost to the Jewish people. For one of my friends, and likely many American Jews as he claims, he is first and foremost an American. When discussing the Kerry led ‘peace process’ some of the sentiments he expressed were less shocking, while others that he claimed represented widespread feelings among US Jews and US academia in general were more astounding.
My friend’s first propositions centered on the US’s relationship with Israel. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 were in part a direct result of the unique relationship between the US and Israel, namely US support for Israel both politically and militarily. This premise is backed up by the fact that Osama bin Laden himself cited the relationship as part of Al Qaeda’s motivation for the attack. Government representatives have expressed similar feelings in the past too. In fact, as recently as October 2013 former CIA analyst Prof. Michael Scheuer expressed his ardent belief in such positions before congress.
This was the easiest to digest and from this point things became a little bit more obscure. The attacks on US forces in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere in the Middle East are apparently more frequent and pronounced due to the US-Israeli relationship. By this way of thinking, if the relationship was less than what it was and is, there would have been fewer deaths amongst US troops. While I cannot begin to point out the flawed logic here as that would require an essay in and of itself, it boggles my mind as to why people with such beliefs would support John Kerry’s ‘plan’ for Israeli-Palestinian ‘peace’, specifically his Jordan Valley security arrangements.
Following some google searches and delving into some popular internet forums it becomes apparent that those Americans who share such beliefs also tend to have two more beliefs in common. 1) US troops should be brought home and the US should stay out of more wars in the Middle East 2) A ‘two state solution’ will bring a utopian peace to the Middle East and thereby lessen the Islamic terrorist threat facing the US at home and abroad. This grouping is for the most part democrats, and both generally and overwhelmingly they stand behind Obama’s diplomacy vis-à-vis Iran too.
Based on these widely held beliefs it should be impossible for such Americans to support Kerry’s plans. Kerry’s plans make provision for the deployment of international forces in the Jordan Valley and elsewhere. Indeed Mahmoud Abbas — leader of the PA — has stated that he would accept US led NATO forces to control the Eastern front as well as Jerusalem.
Like the December 2013 UNSC decision to increase foreign troop presence in South Sudan, this international force will also mean that US troops are not merely a part of an international force but that they make for the bulk of said forces. On 21 December 2013 four US servicemen were injured when their plane came under attack in South Sudan from ground based fire. That same week a number of UN forces personnel were killed, mainly from the Indian contingent. The fighting is non-stop now, in this bastion of an example of a “successful two state solution”.
The PRC Palestinian terrorist umbrella organization made sure to not ignore Kerry’s plan. They quickly released a statement following such revelations that they would treat any foreign force in the area as if they were the ‘Zionist enemy’. In fact the language used may indicate that such forces would be treated with even more hostility than their Israeli counterparts.
To make sure that their threat was solidified, the PRC claimed responsibility for a 24 December 2013 terrorist sniper attack at the Gaza border only the following day on 25 December 2013. The victim was a Muslim, a Bedouin, an Israeli citizen. There was no distinction made when he was targeted and subsequently killed. This was a widely ignored warning. More recently Hamas has also announced its ill-intentions towards any foreign forces in the area, especially American.
The involvement of the US in the ‘two state solution’, which has included but not been limited to a forceful attitude towards Israel and to a lesser extent the PA, puts the US in the exact same position that many Americans are afraid of. Despite the contradiction in beliefs, many Americans support Kerry’s plans simply because they believe they can lead to a Palestinian state; and that is apparently a good thing not to be questioned.
The presence of international forces in the Jordan Valley will make the US more of a target, including on US soil. Of course the Israeli intelligence capabilities that could help the US in such a scenario will be severely diminished if they are unable to operate in the Judean and Samarian territories.
Americans must be exposed to a few hard truths. If Kerry has his way it will mean that Islamic Jihadists will target the US even more so. No matter what the US will be viewed as helping Israel and oppressing the Palestinians. Foreign forces, comprised mainly of US troops will be stuck in a narrow valley (the Jordan Valley, the type of terrain that Israel has taught the US forces so much about), surrounded by well-armed terrorist groups. Neighboring jihadist groups in Syria — especially those affiliated with Al Qaeda — will see their wet dreams come to life, being able to hit the ‘Zionists’ and the US in a single hit. In fact there have been many statements released by nearby terror groups that the global Jihad will soon refocus on Jerusalem, including those made by the PLO themselves; where Kerry hopes and plans US troops will be running the show.
The creation of a Palestinian state will not reduce instances of terrorism in the Middle East or make the US less of a target; in fact the opposite is more likely. A ‘deal’ between Israel and the PA will not end the atrocities and unrest in Syria, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia, and elsewhere in the Middle East. Support for the Kerry plan by Americans who identify themselves as being similar to those above are a walking contradiction. Of course the first American death in the Jordan Valley will be Israel’s fault…naturally.