The Neocon Dilemma

A brilliantly colorful full-page advertisement in The New York Times 11/10/08 features flags of over 50 countries which have endorsed the Arab Peace Initiative calling for Israel to end the occupation of Palestine in return for peace and normalization of relations with all these countries. Like Hamas, many countries do not recognize Israel because of its brutal racist apartheid occupation, which is in defiance of UN Security Council Resolution 242, etc.

Since the Israel Lobby/neocons have no intention of ending this occupation, their dilemma is: which country do we go to war with next? Or better still, which country do we pressure America into fighting next?

Of course, it appears that what the Israel Lobby/neocons really want is a world-wide conflagration pitting Israel, the US, India, Georgia and whatever other countries they can enlist against the Arab/Muslim world, especially Pakistan, Syria, and Iran, plus Russia and whoever else dares defy this neocon alliance.

This is why the neocons are so excited at the prospect of re-starting the Cold War with Russia: the US and Israel armed Georgia who complied by firing missiles into South Ossetia, where there are internationally sanctioned Russian peace keepers, on August 7, 2008. The Russians responded as expected. Now the neocons are pushing for Georgia to join NATO and for the US to further provoke Russia with missiles and missile shields at Russia's doorstep. The US and Israel have also grandstanded relations with India, including highly publicized nuclear deals, along with flamboyant Indian investment in Afghanistan, which is highly unsettling to Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that the recent Mumbai attacks included targeting a Jewish center. The surviving terrorist, Azam Amir Kasab, said the attack on the Chabad House was to avenge Israeli atrocities in Palestine.

Rather than promoting peace between India and Pakistan and between Israel and the Arab/Muslim world, the Israel Lobby/neocons clearly prefer endless war.