Friday, October 22, 2004

Chosen People: While most of the world would vote for a Kerry presidency if they could, Bush does have at least one ally left -- Israel. An opinion poll found that most Israelis strongly support Bush for a second term. Conversely, Palestinians back Kerry.

While Bush has backed up his vocal support for Israel with strong actions, some people have openly questioned Kerry's commitment to the Jewish state. Much of this is unfounded Republican accusation, but even The Washington Post ran a column (thanks Centerfield) saying Israel may be a President Kerry's bargaining chip to get more allies involved in Iraq. The column comes across as wildly speculative, and Kerry has consistently says he supports Israel.

But it's a reminder that no matter what we do, good or bad, a large segment of the Middle East will hate us because of our sponsorship of Israel's right to exist. Of course, that's not Israel's fault, that's the fault of our enemies and their anti-Semitism. While it's a difficult balance to address the concerns of Arab leaders without neglecting Israel, that country is a stronger ally than a liability. It's also the most successful democracy in the Middle East at a time when we need freedom to flourish there in order to defeat terrorism.