Arutz-7's Haggai Segal asked Yoram Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to the U.S. Congress and an expert on Israeli-U.S. relations, if it is true that Bush is the best American president for Israel. Ettinger: "There is no doubt that at present this is true. I emphasize 'at present' because this window of opportunity may become smaller or even close altogether after the war with Iraq.
A-7: "What happened? You usually sound much more optimistic!"
Ettinger: "I am always optimistic, as long as we make the right choices… I still say that essentially and from a strategic standpoint, Bush is the most positive president for Israel. His Vice President and his Defense Minister are extremely pro-Israel… but the upcoming war with Iraq, which will be very short and destructive of Iraq, will effect great changes, and could force the US to show pro-Arab tendencies - the price of which may fall on Israel."
A-7: "What, then, would you recommend that Sharon do to take advantage of this window of opportunity?"
Ettinger: "He should listen very carefully to Bush. Bush presented two alternatives yesterday, the 'blessing' and the 'curse:' the 'blessing' of support for Israel's economy and Israel's right to self-defense, but also the 'curse' of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Sharon must take careful advantage to utilize this pre-war period to actualize Israel's right to self-defense - for Bush wasn't only talking about self-defense against Saddam, but also against the terrorist authority and the PLO and Hamas. If he does not do so, he is likely to find himself facing a Palestinian state."
A-7: "But Bush has been urging Sharon to employ self-restraint during this pre-war period?"
Ettinger: "Bush says different things at different times, because he must maneuver himself politically… But he has hinted many times that Israel has a right to self-defense... He is probably wondering why we interpret his 'green light' as a yellow or even a red light. His talk of a Palestinian state is based on the influence of the State Department and of top Israeli leaders themselves who say that such a state is inevitable. But Bush himself expects that we should act against terror and against those who don't fulfill agreements, the same way the US does."
A-7: "But he condemned Israel for its recent operation in Khan Yunis?"
Ettinger: "Even his condemnations are just words, not actions. They are nothing like when his father withheld 10 billion dollars from Shamir, or when Ronald Reagan withheld planes and arms from Menachem Begin… If you recall, our bombing of Iraq's nuclear reactor was actually a fantastic deal for us: six months of very unpleasant relations with the U.S., in exchange for many years of improved national security and strategic appreciation on the part of the U.S. for Israel.
"I would like to add that Bush, very significantly, expressed strong admiration for our economy - but here again, the question is whether we will settle for these words, or will we try to act on them. By saying that he has confidence in our economy, Bush is saying that, if we ask, he will also give us 4 or 5 billion dollars in loan guarantees for our infrastructure programs which will help solve a major part of our unemployment and small-business collapses. But whoever settles for the American verbiage, and repeats that Bush is "the best president for Israel" but doesn't try to actualize it, will be making the same mistake once again; just as he is not liquidating the problem of Palestinian terrorism once and for all, he will not get rid of the unemployment problem."
A-7: "What happened? You usually sound much more optimistic!"
Ettinger: "I am always optimistic, as long as we make the right choices… I still say that essentially and from a strategic standpoint, Bush is the most positive president for Israel. His Vice President and his Defense Minister are extremely pro-Israel… but the upcoming war with Iraq, which will be very short and destructive of Iraq, will effect great changes, and could force the US to show pro-Arab tendencies - the price of which may fall on Israel."
A-7: "What, then, would you recommend that Sharon do to take advantage of this window of opportunity?"
Ettinger: "He should listen very carefully to Bush. Bush presented two alternatives yesterday, the 'blessing' and the 'curse:' the 'blessing' of support for Israel's economy and Israel's right to self-defense, but also the 'curse' of the establishment of a Palestinian state. Sharon must take careful advantage to utilize this pre-war period to actualize Israel's right to self-defense - for Bush wasn't only talking about self-defense against Saddam, but also against the terrorist authority and the PLO and Hamas. If he does not do so, he is likely to find himself facing a Palestinian state."
A-7: "But Bush has been urging Sharon to employ self-restraint during this pre-war period?"
Ettinger: "Bush says different things at different times, because he must maneuver himself politically… But he has hinted many times that Israel has a right to self-defense... He is probably wondering why we interpret his 'green light' as a yellow or even a red light. His talk of a Palestinian state is based on the influence of the State Department and of top Israeli leaders themselves who say that such a state is inevitable. But Bush himself expects that we should act against terror and against those who don't fulfill agreements, the same way the US does."
A-7: "But he condemned Israel for its recent operation in Khan Yunis?"
Ettinger: "Even his condemnations are just words, not actions. They are nothing like when his father withheld 10 billion dollars from Shamir, or when Ronald Reagan withheld planes and arms from Menachem Begin… If you recall, our bombing of Iraq's nuclear reactor was actually a fantastic deal for us: six months of very unpleasant relations with the U.S., in exchange for many years of improved national security and strategic appreciation on the part of the U.S. for Israel.
"I would like to add that Bush, very significantly, expressed strong admiration for our economy - but here again, the question is whether we will settle for these words, or will we try to act on them. By saying that he has confidence in our economy, Bush is saying that, if we ask, he will also give us 4 or 5 billion dollars in loan guarantees for our infrastructure programs which will help solve a major part of our unemployment and small-business collapses. But whoever settles for the American verbiage, and repeats that Bush is "the best president for Israel" but doesn't try to actualize it, will be making the same mistake once again; just as he is not liquidating the problem of Palestinian terrorism once and for all, he will not get rid of the unemployment problem."