Watching the many standing ovations Ehud Olmert received when he addressed a joint session of the American Congress and spoke of his so-called Realignment Plan—which would dispossess and displace 50 to 100 thousand Jews in Judea and Samaria—it occurred to me that those standing ovations were living proof that American Zionist organizations have no significant impact on U.S. foreign policy regarding the Israel-Arab conflict.
The leaders of these Zionist organizations must surely realize that all their noble efforts have not diminished the American government’s commitment to a Palestinian state, hence, to a tortured future for the Jewish people.
Surely the leaders of these Zionist organizations, which have labored so long and so hard on Israel’s behalf, raising and spending considerable sums for lobbying missions to Washington, for trips to Israel to boost the morale of depressed settlers, and for publishing reams of articles critical of Israel’s insane policy of “territory for nothing”—surely they must realize that none of their brave and tireless efforts has made the people of Israel more secure, or Israel’s government more Zionist toward Eretz Yisrael.
Gaza has become the Mecca of international terrorism, and arsenals of weapons are being shipped from Gaza to Judea and Samaria such that every city of Israel will soon be threatened by missile attacks. Nevertheless, senators and congressmen and other public officials gave Ehud Olmert standing ovations for his Realignment Plan to forcibly dispossess countless Jews from their homes to facilitate the establishment of a Palestinian state.
Those standing ovations make a mockery of American Zionist organizations. Surely the leaders of these organizations ought to engage is serious soul-searching. They should try to understand why, despite all their lobbying in Washington, congressmen continue to respect and applaud Israel’s paltry and perfidious politicians so anxious to give away the birthright of their people to appease the Palestinian Authority—a consortium of thugs and terrorists.
The leaders of these Zionist organizations should try to understand why, despite all their efforts in America and despite all their missions to Israel, they have failed to have the slightest impact on the course of the Jewish state.
They should try to understand that regardless of the evil consequences already experienced by retreat from Gaza—a policy criticized by Israel’s highest military and intelligence officials—Prime Minister Olmert received standing ovations by asking the United States to play the role of Dr. Kevorkian and help Israel commit national suicide.
What is there about Israel or about its reputation that fosters this madness?
