As If Mitt Romney is Israel’s President!

 July 29, 2012

By Saeed Qureshi

Even Israel’s hawkish Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would not dare such drastic things what the Republican nominee Mitt Romney, in his overflowing exuberance, has spewed out in Tel Aviv. He is currently on a visit to Israel. Is he trying to look more loyal than the king? He talked less about safeguarding the American national interests than those of Israel. As a Republican nominee, he has made a total and unqualified commitment to side with Israel against her enemies by every conceivable means including that of military.

Perhaps it is for the first time that an American candidate for the presidency has been unequivocal and unabashed in doling out partisan assurance to the state of Israel as if that was the only paramount issue to be addressed post haste by the only super power in the world. After all prudence and discretion is the better part of politics and in running state affairs.

So with his absolute negation and mention even in passing of the Palestinians as the other party in conflict with Israel for an independent state, he has alienated himself from the Muslims both within and without the United States. How come Mitt Romney would mention only Israel's rights and security and evade and preclude Palestinians undergoing unspeakable sufferings all these 7 decades.

It may be noted that the United Nations General Assembly Resolution 181 (II) recommended the partition of land of Palestine into two states: one Jewish and one Arab, with the Jerusalem-Bethlehem area being under special international protection, administered by the United Nations. In clear violation of the UNO resolution, the uprooted Palestinians were never given this right.

Even within United States, the sober, saner and   rational circles would not laud or approve the kind of cronyism demonstrated by Romney and by waxing eloquence and flattering Israel beyond decency and balanced contours. If the Muslim population in the United States does not vote for him, they would be having a legitimate grouse and reason for doing so.

The State of Israel has a right to exist and prosper but to deny such a right to other human beings in the same region and even not to mention the historic and festering Palestinian dispute is downright dishonesty. It is brazen attempt at obfuscating the stark realities that have kept at bay the much sought after and coveted goal of peace and friendship between Israel and the Palestinians.

In the same vein of currying favor with Israel, he has threatened and reprimanded Iran in the most virile and scathing words. He has profiled Iran as an evil state and has pledged to use force if needed to destroy Iran’s nuclear capability which is yet at an infancy stage. His rhetoric to fix Iran was more lethal and bellicose than even that of Netanyahu and other hard-liners both within Israel and the United States.

 If Mitt Romney assumes the presidency of United States, this marvelous country would be poised to declare war on Iran, plunging the Middle East into another horrendous turmoil and frightening holocaust.  That might entail the destruction of both Iran and Israel. Israel cannot prosper and exist on the ashes of a defeated and devastated Iran. One would wonder if the saner and discerning members of the pro-Israel lobbies including the Republic Party echelons would not endorse in totality the goofy rhetoric of Romney whipped up in Tel Aviv.

The opportunism of Mitt Romney is glaringly manifest if seen in the light of his own belief. He is a Mormon that is deemed and decreed as a kind of heretic and breakaway sect within the fold of Christianity. The Mormons suffered monstrous oppression, sectarian brutalization and extermination by the orthodox Christians in the early and mid 18th century. Presently Mormons’ total population is around 14 million in and out of the United States.

It would be doubtful if the Catholics or orthodox Christian population would like to vote for a Mormon whose faith intrinsically runs counter or is in conflict with the pristine Christian theology. In America the secularism, liberty and freedom of religion apart, the fact cannot be obviated that for Christians a Christian president would be a more preferable choice.

Like Muslims and Jews, there might be very slim chance for a candidate from Mormon and similar denominations to be the president of the United States. Even a convert to Christianity might not be acceptable to the Christian population that goes in huge number to the churches every week for service and to listen to the Christian clergy and priests.

President Obama is also embarked upon a parallel campaign and   mission to woo and cultivate the Jewish community both within the United States and in Israel. But there seems to be a modicum of objectivity and non-partisanship in his approach towards the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

In a counter-wailing resounding  measure to the blind support of Romney to Israel, president Obama signed on July 27, the "United States-Israel Enhanced Security Cooperation Act of 2012," paving way for  Israel to purchase American KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft for the first time.  Besides he released $70 million for Israel's “Iron Dome” rocket defense system.

It is quite obvious that president Obama and Romney are bending over backward and frantically trying to win the crucial support of powerful Israeli lobbies in America in order to influence the presidential elections in their favor.