Only a few hours before the fatal Palestinian terror attack against the Americans today, the U.S. vetoed an anti-Israel UN Security Council resolution regarding the partition fence. Although the Arabs strongly object to the fence, US Ambassador to the UN John Negroponte told the UN council that the partition must be seen in the context of the security and terrorism problems plaguing Israel.
American support for Israel has also been expressed in other ways of late. Defense Department spokesman Richard Boucher has defended Israel's ongoing anti-tunnels offensive in Rafiach, and he also said that the U.S. does not accept the left-wing agreement formulated by Yossi Beilin and other Labor Party members and the PA's Yasser Abed Rabbo. Furthermore, after Israel attacked deep inside Syrian territory ten days ago following the terror massacre in Haifa's Maxim Restaurant, President Bush strongly defended Israel's right to defend "its homeland."
In light of the above, Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane asked Yoram Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to the U.S. Congress, how today's attack will affect Israeli-American relations. Ettinger's response:
"This tragic attack is definitely a clear manifestation of the unique common denominator between the U.S. and Israel - the mutual threat, the common interests and values, and also the sorrow... However, it's also very likely that what happened here will be understood to be a result of certain negative things, such as... Israel's low-intensity war against terrorism.
"In addition, some Americans will say that their involvement in the Middle East leads to Americans being sent here to supposedly defend and bring peace to Israel, and they will therefore ask why they have to send their sons over here to get killed? Today's attack, of course, was very clearly perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists; but what will we do in the event that CIA personnel get caught in crossfire between Israel and PA? An investigation will be held to ascertain whether it was us or the Palestinians who hit them, and [all sorts of complications will arise]...
"For Israel, the clearest lesson of today's attack is that the American involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict must end immediately, as it adds health neither to the Israelis nor the Americans, and in the long run, it damages the relations between the two countries."
American support for Israel has also been expressed in other ways of late. Defense Department spokesman Richard Boucher has defended Israel's ongoing anti-tunnels offensive in Rafiach, and he also said that the U.S. does not accept the left-wing agreement formulated by Yossi Beilin and other Labor Party members and the PA's Yasser Abed Rabbo. Furthermore, after Israel attacked deep inside Syrian territory ten days ago following the terror massacre in Haifa's Maxim Restaurant, President Bush strongly defended Israel's right to defend "its homeland."
In light of the above, Arutz-7's Ariel Kahane asked Yoram Ettinger, Israel's former liaison to the U.S. Congress, how today's attack will affect Israeli-American relations. Ettinger's response:
"This tragic attack is definitely a clear manifestation of the unique common denominator between the U.S. and Israel - the mutual threat, the common interests and values, and also the sorrow... However, it's also very likely that what happened here will be understood to be a result of certain negative things, such as... Israel's low-intensity war against terrorism.
"In addition, some Americans will say that their involvement in the Middle East leads to Americans being sent here to supposedly defend and bring peace to Israel, and they will therefore ask why they have to send their sons over here to get killed? Today's attack, of course, was very clearly perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists; but what will we do in the event that CIA personnel get caught in crossfire between Israel and PA? An investigation will be held to ascertain whether it was us or the Palestinians who hit them, and [all sorts of complications will arise]...
"For Israel, the clearest lesson of today's attack is that the American involvement in the Arab-Israeli conflict must end immediately, as it adds health neither to the Israelis nor the Americans, and in the long run, it damages the relations between the two countries."