The faulty pleasant approach

THE FAULTY PLEASANT APPROACH

By Uzi Benziman

27/08/2008

Underwear was among the many things the United States supplied Israel during the Yom Kippur War. This urgent shipment was somewhat ironic: It completely contradicted the dominant ethos of the previous 15 years and found expression in Haim Hefer's song "Cannons instead of socks." Hefer's lyrics, sung by the Nahal troupe, were part empathy and part criticism of the soldier's willingness to give up comfort and clothing for another gun and another tank. The war came and showed that the state did neither: It did not procure the necessary war materiel and did not ensure that there was enough underwear in stock. Since the United States came to Israel's rescue from the dire situation of October 1973 - through a dramatic airlift that provided the Israel Defense Forces with everything from Phantom fighters to T-shirts - the two countries have maintained a patron-client relationship that has not worked sufficiently during George W. Bush's eight-year tenure at the White House.

For yet another time, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Jerusalem and Ramallah yesterday, holding the ritual meetings with the Israeli leadership and the heads of the Palestinian Authority. A look back at the Bush presidency leads to the conclusion that despite his genuine wish to further Israeli-Palestinian dialogue, he has failed. From January 2001 the conflict has undergone many upheavals, but the American contribution to settling it has been minimal in practice.

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