Democratic Palestine : 6 (ص 32)
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- Democratic Palestine : 6 (ص 32)
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Shortly after the agreement was signed, Al-Hamishmar
(December 29,1981) commented: «Israeli officials claim that
one of the advantages Israel will gain from the new strategic
accord with the United States will be a greater role in the Third
World. The leaders of pro-Western regimes in the Third World,
especially those of countries that have unpopular, authorita-
rian regimes and a negative image in Washington, would like to
make use of Israel’s «American connection», according to the
same source. They seem to hope that Israel will be able to help
them through her influence and efforts in Washington to obtain
direct U.S. political,military and economic aid and perhaps also
an increase in indirect military assistance. »7°°
The United States has full knowledge of Israeli arms sales
and has never objected, with a single exception, even to arms
sales to Argentina (so long as they did not travel via New York)
or Iran (once the hostages were released) or other violations of
U.S. law which are supposed to terminate U.S. aid.78' The
single exception was a Carter administration objection to sales
of advanced Kfir fighter planes with U.S. produced engines to
Ecuador which introduced a new level of military technology to
the region.”®? In December 1979, while presenting his letter of
accreditation to Israeli President Yitzhak Navon, Ecuadorian
Ambassador Wilson Vela Hervas announced Ecuador was
ready to increase oil exports to Israel. Later the same month,
Israeli Defense Minister Ezer Weizman insisted the ban be
lifted.2 Under extreme pressure, Carter caved in and allowed
the sale. The Reagan administration has raised no such bar-
riers.
In fact, the Reagan administration feels a certain envy
toward the Israelis. Time magazine quotes an American expert
based in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa: «Israel oper-
ates without the restrictions imposed on us in this part of the
world. It doesn't have to explore the abuse of human rights. It
has arms to sell, and the governments in this region need
them». An Israeli weapons dealer puts it more bluntly: «Just
about anyone who shows any interest in buying arms from us
can have them» .284
An irony of history finds Israel working on both the left and
right of the U.S. This article focuses on Israel's help to rightist
regimes, too distasteful to the people of the United States for
sufficient military assistance from the U.S. government. In
Africa, especially prior to 1973, when distrust of the European
colonial heritage made it difficult for the United States to penet-
rate young African regimes, Israel was welcomed and was not
recognized itself as an outpost of European colonialism. It was
no accident that Israel had the plans for Entebbe airport;
Israelis built it. Idi Amin, Mobutu, and a long list of prominent
Africans went to Israel for training.
Lest anyone rely on a Labor government to end Israel's
arms Sales to dictators, note that it was the previous Labor gov-
ernment which initiated Israel’s role as an arms supplier.?® In
fact, Israeli collaboration with right-wing and fascist forces is
always justified by Zionist arguments, holding the creation and
preservation of the Zionist state above all principles, political or
moral. Zionism, since its inception, has correctly identified
imperialism British, French or U.S. as its strategic ally.
Even today, Labor and other so-called left Zionist Israeli
parties play a role for the United States in penetrating the inter-
national left, labor, and cooperative movements, especially in
Latin America, and particularly in Mexico, a huge subject
beyond the scope of this article. Israeli newspaper ads seek
Spanish speaking Israelis for work abroad. Consider that
Israeli parties have direct relations with parties in the Socialist
International, that the Histadrut works actively in Latin
America, and that the Israelis use their supposedly socialist
kibbutzim as a basis to work with Latin American cooperatives.
Summary
Israel in the Context of the Movement against Intervention in Central America
Across the United States, a huge movement is growing
to oppose U.S. intervention, in any form, in the popular upris-
ings of Central America. Recent Gallup polls show massive
opposition to U.S. military aid to the regimes in El Salvador,
Guatemala, and Honduras. It is conceivable that this move-
ment could succeed in diminishing or even cutting off U.S.
military aid. But it is clear that the Reagan administration is pre-
pared to follow its predecessors in using Israel, in the words of
Ernesto Cardenal, minister of culture in Nicaragua, «as an
intermediary to channel arms» .286
The Reagan administration obviously has no interest in
violations of the Monroe Doctrine, the 19th century U.S. decla-
ration of hegemony over Central and South America and the
Caribbean, when a close ally violates it to help preserve U.S.
hegemony. Let no one delude themselves: Israel operates in
the western hemisphere, in Asia, and in Africa with close U.S.
32
supervision and approval. The U.S. government is using Israel
to circumvent U.S. popular support and congressional opinion.
The New York Times reported: «American officials said that
the Reagan administration, concerned about Congressional
limitation of involvement in Central America, had encouraged
the Israeli activities as a means of supplementing American
security assistance to friendly governments. In addition, the
officials said, the administration wanted to establish new lines
of support to Nicaraguan rebels in case Congress approved
legislation that would cut off covert support for the insur-
gents.(emphasis added)?°’
Israel's importance to the United States thus cannot be
measured only by its invaluable role in repressing the Palesti-
nian people and blocking revolutionary developments through-
out the Arab countries. And because Israel performs its
assigned tasks internationally, the United States allows the - هو جزء من
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