"I don't think anything that will postpone, or interfere, with the timetable or orderly manner of carrying out disengagement would be viewed favorably in Washington." -- Israel's Ambassador to the US, Danny Ayalon



"Our hope is that, whatever happens, that there will be no delay in the disengagement plan and the withdrawal from Gaza, because the United States has made very clear that we believe very strongly that this is a very positive step." -- US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice



"The US is a true friend of Israel.... But the notion that the US will sit by and be accepting as Israel decides to dump the disengagement plan or to delay it indefinitely is a serious mistake. It will lead to a major crisis with the US." -- Rabbi Eric Yoffie, president of America's Union for Reform Judaism



[The above quotes are from the Jerusalem Post of February 11, 2005.]



Back in 1993, I wasn't a writer, I was a cartoonist. I began to articulate my ideas into words when a no-longer-funny situation became increasingly tragic and complex, and I felt things warranted further explanation. It's now 2005, and the circumstances, although strikingly similar, are more severe and beyond words. Perhaps blatant illustrations and black humor are needed again. So, picture this scene (it's kind of a cross between the work of Federico Fellini, Walt Disney and Rube Goldberg):



Shimon Peres (whose last name means "vulture" in Hebrew) is happily circling the darkening globalized sky above the geopolitical arena, where the old-security hawk turned mad politician, Ariel Sharon, has had his right wing clipped by a flock of mutant doves under the direction of some American eagles. The wounded hawk is trying to waltz to Wagner, on two left feet, with Abu Mazen - a wolf in sheep's clothing who has excellent taste in suits. This cacophony is accompanied by a slick, yet elegant, bird named Condoleezza Rice, who knows her way around political mine fields, global oil fields and who plays a mean piano.



The approving crowd of spectators is made up of Americans, Europeans, Arabs, the United Nations, a lot of Diaspora Jews and a good number of post-Zionist, secular Israelis.



The rest of us want to know why we're still dancing to "been there and done that" at an ever maddening pace and increasing volume. Some of us still can't quite figure out how we got into this mess, but there's a general consensus that we want, and desperately need, to get out of it. Now!



I don't think that G-d created the historical/political or personal deja vu experience in order to keep parapsychologists in La-La Land. I believe that, in His mercy, He gives people and nations a second (sometimes third, fourth, fifth, etc.) time around, in order that they have the opportunity to correct their past mistakes.



We Jews may be a fairly intelligent people, but we're also largely naive, which is why we keep falling into these classic set-ups. And it's no wonder why so many of us are exceedingly numb and fatigued after having played in or viewed the re-runs for the umpteenth time. However, it's uncanny that most of us still can't follow the plot, derive the moral or understand the conclusion. But boy, do we fall for the leading man and his smooth talk. He gets us every time.



A good part of the Free World and, I imagine, a significant part of the Jewish nation was impressed with President George Bush's oratory over the last few weeks, which was fortified with lavish sprinklings of the words "freedom", "democracy" and "liberty". "There is no justice without freedom" does have a nice ring to it, but in today's terror-run-rampant atmosphere, it seems that the president should have said that there is no freedom without justice.



Israel is being pressured to negotiate with and release murderers in the name of peace, to uproot productive communities as a capitulation to terror, and to endanger her very existence by surrendering strategic land and assisting in the creation of a rogue state. The very underpinnings and foundations of any moral society must be based on truth, justice, law and order. But those pillars of substance have crumbled and given way to empty rhetoric, dangerous double standards and overt hypocrisy. And, it seems, like the song says, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose...." So, when Bush announces, as he did last Saturday in preparation for his trip to Europe, that, "America and Europe are the pillars of the free world," those sitting in the bleachers and enjoying the show should at least be warned that the infrastructure of the arena is severely corrupted and in danger of collapse.



I often question the intentions and meaning of our relationship with America. I wonder whether or not our "friendship" needs reassessment. Many will tell me to shut-up and watch, listen and learn, as America pounds our enemies and does the dirty work for us. What does it matter to us if they're doing it in the name of justice or for economic hegemony in the region? Let them run the show and go after Iraq, Syria and Iran, regardless of whether it be for oil, a war on terror or for liberating the region from tyranny.



The above worldview keeps the Diaspora Jew sitting in comfortable, complacent exile. It suits the post-Zionist Israeli just fine, as they have no real conception of their past or future. And the religious Jew sitting outside of the national Zionist camp nods in approval under the assumption that perhaps, out of mercy, G-d has sent American troops to squash and handle our enemies for us. Maybe. But there remain a few problems.



There's usually a massive price to pay when you rely on somebody else to do your fighting for you. It's not always a terrific bargain. I'm not sure if Israel has the resources to handle her enemies in the same "shock and awe" kind of way that America can, but we best be aware of the costs involved when we turn to others. More often than not, and ironically, one ends up paying the price of such services with their personal freedom, national independence or life. I am absolutely certain that we as a nation would have been able to efficiently and effectively protect our citizens and borders from an onslaught of Palestinian terrorism had we not chosen to succumb to the pressures of an international community with a dubious agenda, or endorsed American-brokered accords and treaties of questionable design and origin.



I also believe that had we taken the initiative, the world would be a lot safer today.



But now, under the guise of liberty, Israel has assumed the position of serf to a very "noble" America, and, if Europe gets her way, we may have to serve as the welcoming committee for a lot of foreign and UN peacekeeping forces (and we've already seen how friendly and effective those guys can be). As I write this, CNN is reporting that President Bush is heading to Europe with an ambitious agenda for patching relations with "old Europe". I'm not sure what the term "old Europe" means, but it does send chills up this Jewish spine. Israel wasn't invited for dinner, but we are being served up on a platter.



So we can let freedom ring, or we can get smart and ask ourselves for just whom does this bell toll? Maybe when the toll gets so loud and large that we can't take it anymore, a wise leader will step forward and help us to navigate our way out of a very unstable and violent arena. And we shouldn't be afraid to stand or to dance alone.



But in the meantime, some nameless nudnik on the geopolitical dance floor has just made the request, "Play It Again, Uncle Sam".