Ok, I'm expecting that the anonymous 14% of "experts" who came up with this answer will outed in short order. Hoping, anyway. Let's get a look at their faces.
A survey by a respected journal showing that 15 of 108 foreign policy elites in the US believe Israel does not serve US national security interests has raised eyebrows in Jerusalem. It precedes the publication in early September of a book by two US professors slamming the Israel-US alliance.
The journal, Foreign Policy, on Monday published its "terrorism index," asking a bipartisan group of former "secretaries of state, national security advisors, senior White House aides, top commanders in the US military, seasoned intelligence professionals, and distinguished academics" a variety of questions having to do with US national security issues.
And so the Walt&Mearsheimer contagion spreads. The thing about this disease is that, like other irrational, baseless beliefs that are founded in prejudice and laziness, it finds comfort and safety in numbers. Well, good. Let's break down those PC barriers and find out what our "elites" are really thinking. No masks, no pretense, just brutal honesty. But, again, let's see their faces.
When given a list of US allies and asked to choose the one country that least serves US national security interests, 14 percent of the respondents picked Israel. Russia led the list, with 34% saying it least served US interests, followed by 22% who said Pakistan, 17% who selected Saudi Arabia, and 5% each for Egypt and Mexico.
The journal billed the respondents, whose names were not supplied, as America's "top foreign-policy experts." Forty-five of the respondents described themselves as Democrats, 24 as Republicans, and the rest as Independents.
Interesting mix. 42% Democrats, 22% Republicans, 36% Independents. And still, only 14% came up with this ridiculous conclusion. I'd say that's pretty good news. Not good enough.
One diplomatic official in Jerusalem, while acknowledging that 14% is a considerable minority, said he was still worried by the trend.
"Considering the closeness and importance of our ties with Washington, this is something we need to watch," he said.
The official said that while in the past the notion that the US alliance with Israel harmed US interests was a belief relegated to individuals on the far right, such as Pat Buchanan, and the far left, like Noam Chomsky, this survey indicated that the idea was gaining prominence among the elites.
Yes, I'd say that's cause for concern. Concern for Israel, but concern for America, too. The country needs to understand who its real allies are. Confusion on that score does not bode well for our success in the war that, like it or not, is being waged against us.
And there's more.
Regarding Hamas, a majority of the respondents came out against the current US policy of isolating Hamas, with 53% saying that engaging moderates inside Hams would be in the US's best interests, and only 17% backing the current Bush administration policy of isolation.
The respondents' replies to a question about what Iran would do with a nuclear capability were also somewhat surprising. Sixty-seven percent said it was either "somewhat unlikely" or "very unlikely" that Iran would build weapons to "wipe Israel off the map."
Clueless elites, guiding our foreign policy. Just what this country needs. Not.
