An opportunity for strategic reassessment for Israel.

Submitted by Jon, a Brit in Euroland (France), Jun 4, 2009 at 06:04

I think one should start out by thanking the US for its strong support of Israel during the first 60 yeras of the State's existence.

Now that this new, strategically challenged US Presidential Administration is taking another position, a position based on fundamental US weakness after the Bush years of imperial overreach, Israel will have to rethink it's position as the permanent US aircraft carrier force in the Mid East.

Of course the American people will still be strongly behind Israel, but with the financial crisis they will have other issues to deal with in the next 2 years.

Israel will have to think of other potentially useful alliances, but alliances where the Israeli end of the partnership will be more equal than it ever has been with the US.

Candidates for such relationships are numerous: India, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South Korea and perhaps Egypt spring to mind: those countries where the ebb tide of American empire will be felt strongly, or where there are common enemies, or potential vulnerabilities to near nuke states. (China might just be interested as it becomes more worried by US censorious comments, and its extreme overinvestment in US securities.)

Of course Israel will also seek to build even stronger relationship with the US people and Congress, and will reasonably make major investment in this direction.

This is a time of opportunity for developing a multiple reorientation of Israel's external positions.

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