Who do you trust?

Submitted by Sigmund Derman (United States), Jul 30, 2012 at 23:11

Mitt Romney has a long history of saying whatever he thinks will appeal to his supporters at the moment. But his etch-a-sketch mentality allows him to change his opinion instantly with little acknowledgement that he ever believed differently. What he says sounds good superficially. But I doubt that the substance of his support would be any more beneficial to Israel than Obama's. Probably it would amount to less.

There is little that the United States can do anyway unless we are willing to send in troops and forcibly remove the Palestinians and deposit them in Jordan, the real "Palestinian" state. Because we won't do that (and can't), the problem will remain unless Israeli leaders find a creative solution beyond anything that has already been tried.

America's ability to help at all is highly dependent on our economic strength. If Romney wins, it is likely we will go back to the Republican policies which gave us the worst recession in decades. Unless we are very lucky, a Romney President would channel that of Herbert Hoover--a well meaning business man, even more successful in business than Romney--who managed to make all the wrong economic moves and help plunge us into the worst depression in our history. Though slowly, at least we are rebuilding our economic strength under Obama and, thus, our ability to help our allies is gradually being replenished.

In the long run, Israel's dependence on the United States is no better than ancient Israel's hope that chariots and other assistance from Egypt could save it from the Babylonians. Israel has to rely on its strength from within, its faith in G_d, and find newer and better solutions to its problems. If foreign alliances can help, they should be multi-dimensional and include other countries such as Russia, India, and China (as well as the United States)---countries with large populations that can be effective counterweights to the multitude of Muslims who seek Israel's destruction.

If the United States is really to help, it should help Israel frame the issues in a larger way so as to include multinational alliances and partnerships. Repeating the old platitudes, such as Romney as done, may play well to the Jewish, Mormon, and conservative choirs, but they offer no hope of progress.

To answer my own question, I trust Obama far more than I do Romney. I trust that he actually believes the "crabbed" praise that he has given to Israel and that he will fulfill on the little that he has offered. Romney's promises have all the substance of smoke.

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