Nadene Goldfoot
"I see that Israel has been making the news lately. I hope things turn out well. I see in today's paper that the USA is having second thoughts about stopping Israel from getting rid of the Syrian rockets right away. We follow the news in the newspaper, "Jerusalem Post."
I just read these words in my own book, LETTERS FROM ISRAEL on May 20, 1981! So I am looking up facts about the period. This shows that Israel has not only been suffering from rocket attacks since the 1980s, but that the USA was this hesitant about standing with us and committing themselves to aiding Israel ! It's still sad to me.
"From 1981 onward, the Reagan administration (Republicans) feared that conflict between Lebanese factions backed by Syria and Israel, along with clashes between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), clashes ? I'd call it bloody attacks) could escalate into an Arab-Israeli war. "
This was 43 years ago! For the past 43 years, we have had to tread carefully with the USA and other countries about being the target of many rocket attacks from our neighbors ! What a lot of years to put up with the changing possibilities of our friends as to whether or not we're considered a friend when trying to defend ourselves from this group hatred of us, this glorified anti-Semitism. Will it ever stop; both the rocket attacks or the changing attitudes towards our warranting their aid?
"Yet American policymakers differed over how to prevent such a conflict, especially over whether to commit troops for that purpose. Following Israel’s 1982 invasion of Lebanon, the advocates of military intervention won out. But by 1984, terrorist attacks, a lack of diplomatic progress, and congressional opposition led President Ronald Reagan to withdraw U.S. forces from Lebanon."
What was going on during this period in Israel? A lot. The United States was involved in Lebanon in 1981 to broker a ceasefire between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to prevent an escalation of conflict in the region:
Yesterday's PLO is today's Hamas.
Egypt and Israel sign a peace treaty, the first between Israel and one of its Arab neighbors. The treaty commits Israel to withdraw from the Sinai Peninsula and evacuate its settlements there. The termination of the state of war between Egypt and Israel leads to the normalization of diplomatic and commercial relations between the two countries. Israel’s prime minister and Egypt’s president exchange letters reaffirming their commitment—outlined in the Camp David Accords—to negotiate the disposition of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
Today we have a situation where our only friend, USA's Biden, is calling the shots and not being listened to as Israel is a nation deciding what needs they have. We have Harris saying she's not a copy of Biden but she will decide which way to go, and then we have Trump. Less than 2 weeks from now will give us an answer as to what President we are dealing with.
Resource:
Letters From Israel, book, copyright 2003, 1st Books
https://history.state.gov/milestones/1981-1988/lebanon
https://education.cfr.org/learn/timeline/israeli-palestinian-conflict-timeline
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