Bush
Is Herding Cats In
The American Jewish community
By William Fisher
09 March, 2006
Countercurrents.org
On the heels
of the surprise victory of Hamas in the Palestinian parliamentary elections,
President George W. Bush is discovering just how difficult it is to
try to herd a bunch of cats. Some members of his ordinarily supportive
Jewish-American pro-Israel constituency are distinctly unhappy that
Bush insisted on holding elections on time in the Palestinian territories,
producing what they consider to be disastrous results. Others are suspicious
that, despite the president's rhetorical assurances that his administration
would not have anything to do with terrorists, he has left the door
ajar and may be pressured by his European and Arab allies into somehow
dealing with Hamas. Mirroring the sentiments of the Israeli right-wing,
powerful groups like the American Israel Public Affairs Committee want
that door slammed shut until Hamas recognizes Israel's right to exist
and renounces violence.
American Christian fundamentalist
groups, meanwhile, which have been strong supporters of Israel of late,
take much the same view as their more hawkish Jewish-American counterparts.
Both these groups are vital constituencies for Bush, and have influence
in the White House and in the House and Senate, particularly with congressional
elections next November. Indeed, they could make the president's life
almost as complicated as dealing with Hamas.
A further complication is
that the American Jewish community is far from homogenous. As in Israel,
American Jewry has a smaller, less well-financed, but also increasingly
vocal, left wing. Emblematic of this faction is the Jewish Alliance
for Justice and Peace. This national organization of American Jews is
headed by Marcia Freedman, a former member of Israel's Knesset. It is
committed to a negotiated two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict. The alliance says many American Jews share its perspective,
but are reluctant to express themselves for fear they may bring harm
to Israel and the Jewish people.
While saying it is "deeply
troubled" by the Hamas victory because the movement's charter calls
for the destruction of Israel, the alliance is urging the Bush administration
"to maintain a cautious approach to the new Palestinian government,
so as to preserve the future possibility of bringing Israelis and Palestinians
back to the negotiating table."
In a letter to Bush signed
by (at last count) 100 prominent rabbis, the alliance points out that
the Palestinians conducted a free, fair and democratic election, "something
that is still too rare in this region." It calls on Hamas to "recognize
Israel, disarm, reject terrorism, and work for lasting peace";
but it also calls on Bush to embark upon "constructive engagement"
with the new Palestinian government, to encourage "moderates such
as President Mahmoud Abbas and sustain the cease-fire that has allowed
for relative calm over the past year."
The rabbis caution that deterioration
in the plight of Palestinians "only increases support for extremism,
which, in turn, endangers Israel." They urge "continued funding
for indirect assistance to the Palestinian people via NGOs, with the
appropriate conditions to ensure that it does not reach the hands of
terrorists." They exhort Bush "to leave open the door for
those Palestinians who are committed to working for a negotiated, two-state
resolution of this conflict."
The nightmare scenario for
this branch of American Jewry is that if the United States and the European
Union shut off funding for the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian
Authority (PA) will turn to Iran and to other Muslim states hostile
to Israel for resources. At a time when Bush is preparing to start broadcasting
into Iran, reaching out to Iranian students to come to the U.S., and
planning financial support for Iranian pro-democracy NGOs, Iran's playing
Palestinian politics looms as a major migraine.
The Bush administration is
also concerned that rejecting a freely elected Hamas government will
confirm a widely held perception that the U.S. is all for elections,
providing they produce the results it wants. That would do further damage
to the credibility of America's crusade to promote freedom and democracy
in the Middle East - already in dangerously uncertain condition in Iraq
and elsewhere in the region. It is also likely to enhance the influence
of Islamist political movements throughout the region and constrain
America's allies in the "global war on terror."
The administration, along
with the even more generous European supporters of "a new, improved"
Palestinian Authority, clearly misread the temperature of Palestinian
voters. But whether Palestinians voted for "terror" or for
"change" is now irrelevant. The West is stuck with the facts
on the ground. The election of Hamas was another stick in the eye of
the Bush agenda. Now, the so-called "Quartet" (the U.S., the
EU, Russia and the United Nations) can move cautiously toward engagement,
or it can open the door for Iran to plant its flag deeply into Palestinian
consciousness.
This leaves the U.S. and
the EU with no good options at all. To implement a policy of "trust
but verify," Bush desperately needs all of American Jewry, plus
pro-Israel fundamentalist Christians, to offer a supportive united front.
This constituency is a major influence on Israel. But, given the signs
of rivalry between these groups, it is not certain Bush will get such
a front.
William Fisher has managed economic development programs
in the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia for the U.S. State
Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development. He wrote
this commentary for THE DAILY STAR.