A brief historical perspective: US’ evolving relationships with Jewish people, state

This is a toughie – both sides of the current divide can take umbrage. The current Israel/GAZA war has suspended rational thinking. In times of war “TRUTH IS THE FIRST CASULITY”.

The current conflict was inevitable. The fast-tracked “Abraham awards” (the Abraham Accords) forgot to get input from the second party—the Palestinians. This was a massive blunder, to say the least.

Eventually, the overlooked and neglected party (and their supporters) responded.

The result is a deadly genocidal deadlock.

The first rule of diplomacy is “get both antagonists to sit at the top of the table”. Niccolo Machiavelli would not have approved. It is crunch time for the US and some of its partners. A few European countries have already shown independent judgement.

If US goes “all in” for Israel, the balance of power in the Middle East/Europe would be altered dramatically.

In historical terms, the US was never an absolute supporter of the Jewish issue. After the US civil war ended in 1876 and the confederates lost, the big European financiers took note. They were flushed with capital and wanted to branch out, but were waiting for the results of the US civil war.

The industrialization in the US began in earnest. The big industrialists (also known as robber barons) needed capital which was scarce in the US at that time. The US’ westward expansion, the factories, the railways, the canals, roads, oil were partly financed by Jewish money from Europe.

In the early 20th century, Pierpont Morgan, the most eminent banker on the Wall Street was fronting for the Rothschilds and other Jewish groups.

Along with capital flow came Jewish bankers, artists, academics, professionals. They settled in the US and carved out a niche for themselves.

In December 1917, Britain gave its full support to the Jews in establishing a permanent National Homeland in Palestine, which a very few among the Jewry viewed as a ploy to push them out of Europe.

A Declaration of Intent was drafted by Arthur Balfour, Foreign secretary and former PM, was communicated to Baron Rothschild as the Zionist representative.

The text clearly declares that the Arab residents of Palestine shall not be disturbed or marginalized.

The British war cabinet, at that time, was more interested in winning WWI. They believed that the declaration will encourage Zionists to throw their weight behind the allied effort. It was realpolitik at its best or worst.

By 1939, Hitler and the Nazi party had assumed power in Germany. Hitler held a hypnotic sway over the German people. His fundamental ideology was the superiority of the Aryan race, the lesser races (Jews, Roma) and the ills done to Germany after WW1.

Hitler and his cohorts came up with the final solution: wipe out the Jews completely or, in other words, carry out ethnic cleansing. When some powers (the US and European) questioned the Nazi strategy, Hitler retorted “so what’s new? European colonial powers have been carrying out genocides and ethnic cleansing for centuries.

Spain and Portugal did in South America, Britain all over the world, Dutch in Indonesia and Belgium in Congo.“ To the US, Hitler said, “our blueprint on ethnic cleansing and territorial expansion is based on the American playbook. How the US wiped out the Native American community and took over their land and resources.

How the US subjected their African slaves to bondage and every conceivable horror.“ Hitler’s emphasis that what the Nazi party was doing to the Jews and other races was pretty routine stuff.

The only difference was that it was the first time it was happening within the European continent.

And the ethnic cleansing was being done on an industrial scale with advance technology. This argument kept the detractors quiet. The allies won WWII only because of two strategy blunders, one each by Germany and Japan.

After WWII the US and the allied partners were confronted what to do about the Jewish problem. They were concerned because their countries did not want an influx of Jewish refugees. The US had already extracted the professional and technical talent.

The creation of Israel was an ideal solution. It suited all powers—US, European and the then Soviet Union— and provided them an ideal excuse to ship off most of the Jews out of Europe. In 1956, when the British/ French/Israeli forces invaded the Suez Canal, it did not go down well with the US and the United Nations (UN). After a short stay, they had to exit. After the 1971 Arab/Israel war, the strategic planners in the US were impressed by Israel’s defensive/offensive capabilities.

The US became a patron of Israel. It had found a proxy state in the middle of a hostile, unpredictable region a reliable partner and a military superstar to support the US’ penchant for regime change or regime status quo. The relationship blossomed. Then GAZA happened.

What now? Who knows? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024