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Dr. Aaron Lerner is co-founder of , Independent Media Review and Analysis, an Israel-based news organization which provides an extensive digest of media, polls and significant interviews and events relating to the Israeli-Arab conflict.
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By Dr. Aaron Lerner
July 25, 2008
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It is a mistake to attribute the dismal performance of Israel's leadership to limits set by America.
Yes, there is pressure from America. But it mostly excuses, rather than drives, policy.
Consider our recent past.
Israeli diplomatic initiatives have been almost without exception carried out with American approval only ex-post:
Oslo, talks with Syria, even the idea of a sovereign Palestinian State were Israeli initiatives carried out without prior American approval.
Shimon Peres flew to California to try to convince US secretary of state, Warren Christopher to take "credit" for Oslo so that he could then argue that Israel had no choice but to approve it in the face of "American pressure" - but Christopher refused to play along.
President Bush only talked of a sovereign Palestinian State well after Ariel Sharon went very public with this stand.
When Israel's leadership was determined that action had to be taken it acted even if America was cool to the idea:
The bombing of the Iraqi nuclear facility was criticized by Washington, and even the decision to take out the Syrian nuclear facility faced considerable opposition from significant elements in D.C. Nevertheless, these operations - as well as many others America was cool to - were carried out because Israel felt it had to.
When Israel's leadership was determined to act in "fact creating" - be it in Jerusalem or Judea and Samaria - American displeasure didn't stop it.
Again, that doesn't mean that American pressure doesn't exist.
And it also doesn't mean that Israel shouldn't strive to reduce, to the extent that it is possible, whatever dependence it may have.
But let's not be so easy on our leaders.
Let's not let them off the hook.
They can do the right thing now even if that means ruffling an American President's feathers.
Views expressed by the author do not
necessarily reflect those of israelinsider.
 
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