Opinion

Sheesh: A conservative response to the special relationship

(The following was written by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. This piece has my byline because I agree, and I’ll steal anything that isn’t nailed down.)

The Israeli newssite Ynet carried an interesting report last week. The Israelis are preparing to accept the Iran deal the P5+1 have forged, but they will extract some giant favors from the U.S. to do so.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could either continue to fight the deal or he could swallow the deal, asking in return far-reaching benefits from the US, the sources said…

A high-ranking government official told Ynet’s sister publication Yedioth Ahronoth that “The White House is willing to pay a hefty price to get some quiet from the Israelis at this point. We are surprised the demand has not been made.”

… the White House is willing to seriously consider substantial compensation to Israel so long as it does not provoke strong protest against the agreement until the deal is signed in July.

Sheesh. We gotta bribe the Israelis not to fight the deal. What could that mean?

According to these sources, at a meeting between the Pentagon and State Department, various possibilities that could meet Israeli demands were discussed – with the most reasonable option thought to be an increase in the amount of F-35 fighter jets given to Israel.

Much of the criticism of Israel in the west is based on a humanitarian concern for the Palestinians. Any person in the world can legitimately share that concern.

But the Israeli attitude conveyed above is a reason why Americans can be justified in simply disliking Israel, regardless of whatever it does or doesn’t do to the Palestinians. It’s the ingratitude and the sense of entitlement. America has spent a ton of money and diplomatic capital on Israel over the decades. Umpteen UN Security Council vetoes, 10’s of billions, a war or two against its enemies. And this is how it’s going to repay that friendship?

George Lakoff
George Lakoff

There is a line of argument here that could really confound U.S. “conservative” support for Israel. According to George Lakoff, the moral frame of the conservative is that a strict father needs to impose discipline on the unruly child:

“The strict father provides nurturance and expresses his devotion to his family by supporting and protecting them, but just as importantly by setting and enforcing strict moral bounds and by inculcating self-discipline and self-reliance through hard work and self-denial. This builds character. For the strict father, strictness is a form of nurturance and love — tough love.”

Israel gets some support from U.S. conservatives because it appears to be tough and strict. Shoot rockets at us and we will give you a walloping. The more folks on the left complain that Israel is too tough on the Palestinians, the more U.S. conservatives think, Hey that is just how you have to deal with those ill-behaved subjects.

But the Ynet article above portrays a different aspect of Israeli behavior: Israel as the spoiled child. It wanted daddy to go to war with Iran and now because it didn’t get its way it’s going to throw a tantrum until daddy gives it some goodies.

Portray Israel this way and you will seriously challenge the worldview of conservative Israel supporters. Every conservative knows that you don’t give in to a child’s tantrum. Daddy should impose a bit of discipline.

 

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With all the problems the F-35 has (Business Insider has called it a “historic $1 trillion disaster”) Israel may get just what it deserves by asking for more of these lead anchors. Ain’t the irony grand.

We can now add extortion to the latest Israeli insult to the American taxpayers.Will Americans ever get tired of being used and abused by this miscreant toddler.

It reminds me of a small child who wants mommy to buy a toy and refuses to stop screaming until mommy gives in.

Just when you thought you had heard it all.

Btw, will Israel use the F35,s to do some lawn mowing.

Every conservative knows that you don’t give in to a child’s tantrum.

I’ve seen way many self-proclaimed “tough” conservatives turning into ludicrously caricatural hippies as soon as their kids were the ones throwing the tantrum.

This also demonstrates that all the screeching about Iran by Netanyahu et al was only Zionist screeching. Now the screechers plan on extorting the US taxpayer by getting more killing machines.

Iran never posed a threat to Israel nor the US. You wrote that “Daddy should impose a bit of discipline.” I think that “Daddy” should slam exacting sanctions on Israel asap while speaking loud and clear about the threat to humankind that comes from Tel Aviv and the US’ complicity in it.

Thanks for covering this, Phil and ‘friend’.

Geo Lakoff is confused, at least as far as applying his strict-father theory to “conservative” politicians.

The latter strongly (how strongly? Let me count the ways!) support giveaways to entities they approve of, usually successful corporations, but in this case, a successful nasty pipsqueak regime, Israel. These strict-father folks — although more than adequately skinflinty and denying and strict to the poor, the sick, the workers, the old, and all other human needy — actually like to dole out favors, profitable contracts, tax breaks, regulatory relief, even the opportunity to draft legislation (such as the Cheney energy statute drafted in secret by big-energy honchos) and to draft treaties (such as the draft TPP protection-of-international-investors treaty misleadingly called a “free trade treaty”) for submission to Congress. These “conservatives” believe in the use of extra-large shovels to shovel out treasure from the federal fisc for the benefit of these sorts of “deserving rich” and require no work or anything else from them in exchange, not even much in the way of paying taxes.

(Liberals are also contradictory: although they support the sick, the lame, the poor, the old, etc., they also support the big-banks, big-energy, big-defense, etc. And, of course, big-Zion.)