Time for an end to uncritical American support of Israel

Roger Cohen has a thoughtful piece entitled, "Time for boldness on Israel and Palestine" in today's NY Times [behind subscription wall]. Here are some excerpts:

Israel was a supporter of the Iraq war because it believed the overthrow of Saddam Hussein would remove an implacable enemy, an important financial backer of Palestinian terror, and an obstacle to transforming the Middle East in a favorable direction.

All that is understandable, but four years later it looks like time for the United States to call in the chips and say: If you're serious about a different post-Saddam Middle East, show us that you're also serious about resolving the nexus of the region's problems, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

... Two central players - Israelis and Palestinians, Jews and Arabs - have been replaced by three: Jews, Sunnis and Shiites. Or, to put it another way: Israel, Arabs and Iran.

The Iraq war has bolstered Iran and the Shiites in exponential fashion and brought Iranian surrogates like Hezbollah to center stage.

That is menacing to Israel. But in a neighborhood where the enemy of my enemy is my friend, a triangle is an interesting shape. It is one charged with diplomatic possibilities. Moderate Arab states are alarmed by Iran's rise and its nuclear ambitions; they may see peace with Israel as a way to undercut the Iranian mullahs.

That is why the Saudis brokered a deal between Hamas and Fatah to install a new coalition Palestinian government that will "respect" previous agreements with Israel. That is why Saudi Arabia's departing ambassador to the United States showed up recently at an event sponsored by American Jewish organizations.

That is also why other Gulf states, including Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, are putting out feelers to Israel.

None of these stirrings will produce significant change without strong American involvement. Condoleezza Rice, the secretary of state, has recently shown signs of greater engagement; the Gulf moves followed her recent visit to the region. She is trying to shore up Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority, before talks next week with him and Olmert.

Those three-way discussions will have a greater chance of leading somewhere if Rice recalls Israel's backing of the Iraq war to Olmert in these terms: You wanted a more fluid Middle East, O.K., now let's make something decent of it.

That means an end to uncritical American support of Israel, a real push to persuade Olmert to engage with Abbas, enough boldness to reach beyond the details to a vision of what is needed to bring a Palestinian state into being.

Not least, it requires the breaking of the post-9/11 American taboos that have lowered debate of Israel to the scurrilous (and paralyzing) if-you- back-Palestinians-you-back-terrorists level.