Why do we support militaristic Israel?
A subject that has bothered me for years is the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. And equally bothersome, the billions we send to Israel year after year regardless of who is our president. This has bothered me for two reasons: (1) Our supporting of a very belligerent and combative nation. (2) The extremely unfair balance between the mighty military power of Israel over the feeble military power of Palestine.
The space in this letter does not give me the freedom to cover much background information, but if you are interested I suggest a couple of things. First, go on YouTube and type in “The General’s Son” and listen to the son’s comments. Then there is his book “The General’s Son: Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” by Miko Peled. The general was in the Israeli army.
Now, what opened my eyes and ears was information which never is talked about in America. It is never debated. We just continue supporting Israel as if it were the most logical thing to do with one of our best democratic friends on earth. Well, if being democratic means attacking with massive military forces and using that military might to intimidate and control, then Israel is certainly a functioning democracy. And they constantly and loudly justify all their actions.
Speaking of democracies, consider our own huge and powerful military forces. Listening to the general’s son, Miko Peled, and reading some of his writings caused me to make the logical comparison between the U.S. and Israel’s military approach to many problems. Is this what democracy stands for? Are Israel’s actions against Palestine justified and in keeping with the principles of our two nations? And how does this all fit with the Vietnam War or our invasion of Iraq? These are important questions to me. Are they to you? Are these things even to be questioned? Or are we so imbued with fealty to our military that they are not questioned?
Miko Peled’s lectures and book open us to information not talked about in this country; compelling information we need to know about, in my view. —Bob McClellan, Polson