American Bashing of Israel Must Cease

By: Aaron Igdalsky

Posted: 10/2/07

Israel is a small nation with big enemies. Established as a Jewish state in 1948, Israel has been fighting for its survival since its inception. Less than a week after declaring independence, Israel was invaded by its Arab neighbors in an attempt to destroy the sovereign country. The Arabs failed in that attempt, but that has not thwarted attempts to derail Israeli success that continue to this day. Lately, anti-Israeli endeavors have been spearheaded not just by Israel's Muslim neighbors, but by Americans as well.

Americans commonly make the false claim that Israel stole land that rightfully belongs to the Arabs and therefore Hezbollah's terrorist attacks against Israel are justified. Calling Hezbollah guerilla fighters is a dangerous euphemism that minimizes the severity of Hezbollah's extremism. The lie that Israel occupies land that rightfully belongs to the Arabs is just one of many absurd claims that are becoming all too common in American society - lies that misrepresent Israel.

Israel and the United States are very publicly allied in the war on terror. Israel's support of America has alienated it among many liberals in the United States who staunchly oppose the American presence in Iraq. However, despite varying opinions on the war in Iraq, one fact remains indisputable: Israel is America's best friend and strongest ally in the Middle East. Despite its small size, Israel provides stability in an otherwise tumultuous region.

Unfortunately, the tremendous service that Israel provides the United States is going largely unrecognized by many Americans who believe everything they hear from the liberal media. A wide range of news sources, including The New York Times, CNN and National Public Radio - half-jokingly referred to by some as National Palestinian Radio - consistently run anti-Israel stories which excite anti-Israeli and anti-Semitic sentiment. For some reason, these media outlets are knowingly disseminating misleading information that detail half-truths and outright lies about purported Israeli wrongdoings.

That is not to say Israel is perfect. They have made many questionable judgment calls. But for some reason, the media at large - and in turn many Americans - have decided to ignore the positive things Israel does accomplish. Just a week ago, Israeli intelligence, gained from interrogation of suspected terrorists, allowed Israeli police to stop a terrorist plot in Tel Aviv. Bombers had planned a suicide attack at a synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish year. Fortunately, this despicable act was never able to occur, thanks to strong anti-terrorist measures undertaken by the state of Israel.

Israel's military is indeed quite strong, but acts completely within its limits based on international diplomatic standards. This is demonstrated by fact, not propaganda like that of Al-Jazeera, the BBC and the Hartford Courant. These outlets regularly describe Israel as some kind of massive barbarian regime that rules with an iron fist. This could not be further from the truth. To begin with, Israel is a small nation of just over six million people, roughly the size of New Jersey. Israel is surrounded by much bigger, much angrier enemy states that pay big money to fund anti-Israeli and anti-American terrorism. Israel enforces stringent security rules that are necessary to maintain the security that benefits Jews and Arab-Israelis alike. To describe the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) as anything less than honorable is inaccurate. They serve their country as best they can given the extremely difficult circumstances in Israel.

Stability and the Middle East are not often grouped in the same sentence. Chaos in Iraq, suicide bombings in Afghanistan, and nuclear development and anti-American threats from Iran are just a few of the examples of how wild the Middle East truly is. There is a great deal of disorder, which is why all democracy lovers bank on Israel's support. They are one of the only bulwarks of sanity left in the region. Unlike Iran, where homosexuals have been sentenced to death under the current Ahmedinejad administration, or Egypt, where four newspaper editors were recently sent to prison for publishing stories critical of the Egyptian president, Israel provides its citizens with basic human and civil rights. That is unique and unprecedented in the Middle East. There is freedom of religion - contrary to common misconception. Any religion may be practiced in Israel, as is evidenced by the large Muslim and Christian populations in the country. There is freedom of the press. One can regularly find anti-government and anti-military editorials in the major newspapers. Most importantly, there is freedom of speech. In Israel, one can speak critically of the government or an elected official without fear of imprisonment.

Israel is a good friend to freedom lovers across the globe. They support America in its quest to fight terrorism. They have a military that honorably protects the citizens of Israel. Additionally, Israel provides more basic rights to its people than any other nation in the region. The growing anti-Israeli sentiment present in America today is disturbing because it demonstrates how effective dishonest media can really be. Americans must decipher fact from fiction when learning about Israel, a task that is made difficult when news organizations print lies about how Hezbollah is a guerilla group. Hezbollah is a despicable organization that sets the cause of rational Muslims back, and describing it as anything less is simply false. A look at the facts shows Israel is a great ally in the extremely volatile Middle East and we should respect it rather than reproach it.

Weekly Columnist Aaron Igdalsky is a 5th-semester political science major. His column appears on Tuesdays. He can be contacted at Aaron.Igdalsky@UConn.edu