Israel Iron Dome Can be Their Asian Diplomat

 

China is spreading their wings blanketing much of Asia in the shadow staring up the claws and talons of the Chinese dragons armed with missiles covering every corner of her neighbors. South Korea, Japan and the Philippines face the combined threat of an expansive reach, possibly overreach from China and the growing ballistic and nuclear potential from North Korea and all from shorter ranged ballistic missiles, just the ones the Iron Dome is so proficient at intercepting. Israel has good relations with much of the Asian nations such as India and also China and could always use a few more friends. The recent test by North Korea of a nuclear device which had the highest yield of any device thus far tested by the secluded and often surly in their relations with the neighboring nations, especially South Korea and Japan , has led to a troubled area with furrowed brows. Israel has the perfect solution for addressing potential threats from North Korea and their rockets, missiles, mortars and even artillery rounds with a highly successful interception rate in the neighborhood of ninety percent. The Iron Dome systems have proven their effectiveness against actual war time footing in the last Gaza conflict. Israel could offer the Iron Dome to these nations in a very affordable and mutually beneficial exchange where for every so many units purchased the nations also finance the production of an additional Iron Dome system for Israeli use. Such an arrangement would be of obvious benefit to all the nations involved in such an arrangement. The United States who had been assisting with the production of the Iron Dome in exchange for access to some of the research and operational data of the system and the production of some of the system’s units by the American company Raytheon has already taken their pound of flesh. Such an arrangement would benefit all involved and would provide Raytheon business in the production of their section of the systems thus also benefitting the United States.

 

Why would Israel seek to offer their most proficient indirect weapons fire interception system to foreign Asian nations when there are presumably agreements with the United States for further production of additional units? The recently signed defense agreement signed between Israel and the United States set into motion a steady reduction in monies reserved for Israeli defense industries. This may reflect on further financing the Iron Dome systems in Israel independent of influences in Washington D.C. Whether Israel will continue to have a friend in Washington D.C. will be heavily dependent upon the results of the coming elections for President as well as for Congress. Israel needs to hope for the best but prepare for the worst. These last eight years have placed relation between the White House and Jerusalem in the most parched regions of the driest and hottest desert known to man and depending on the election the next four years could just as easily be more of the same. Neither candidate for the Presidency has made foreign policy the main theme of their campaigns which is understandable with the American public more focused on the economy and jobs caring little about the rest of the world beyond reducing legal and ending illegal immigration until the economy warrants the need for foreign workers. Both candidates will necessarily concentrate on the economy first and foremost and foreign relations will be a back burner issue unless events cause the American public to sit up and take notice and keep their attentions. The American public has a remarkable ability to look up and see beyond their borders only if the noise is loud enough but even when they do look up, they return to their daily concerns with unfathomable speed continuing as if their attention had never been diverted. The resilience of their ability to focus on everyday life and only passing attention beyond their drive to and from work, their job or finding one, and their family, disregarding the remainder of the world as if it was a bothersome mosquito whose droning wings are but an aggravation is their best coping method and the world’s bane.

 

 

This may be to the detriment of Israel as well as other nations who may depend on the United States government and particularly the White House actually looking beyond their borders when the most pressing problems echoed by the media is jobs, jobs, jobs and the economy and in an extreme situation, immigration. Terrorism, well, only if there are a series of devastating attacks within the United States itself with potential for momentary interruption if there is striking news from abroad, but such news passes from the news and the attention span of the busy Americans is brief for anything not immediately on their view screens. The news networks in the United States spend more time on the weather and even more on sports with little room for international news which they run through as quickly as possible avoiding it altogether when possible as their advertisers know the public and the public cares more about the cat rescued for the little girl from a tree or some viral video than they want hard news. It is no wonder why the United States Congress and the White House are hard pressed to tune into the international front when they are rewarded almost uniquely for taking care of the home front leaving the world to do as it will. The American citizens believe that the two great oceans protect the United States just as much if not more effectively than the military. One would think that the terrorist strikes they have suffered would have disabused them of this notion, but like any normal person, the average American prefers to believe that they are safe and comfortable within their little cocoons with the remainder of the world locked out. Granted the United States is the size of a continent and reach from ocean to ocean and are bordered largely by Canada and by Mexico for a far shorter southern border which most Americans simply would love to see it closed but unless pressed mostly do not place that concern at the top of their to worry list.

 

What does this have to do with Israel? Well, their future has been tied to the United States in the defense area since they terminated the Lavi fighter project and went with American aircraft and have remained dependent on the United States for their aircraft ever since. The future of this relationship has been harshly affected for the worse under President Obama and the fear is should Hillary Clinton be elected in November that relations will not improve under her leadership. As far as Donald Trump is concerned, many claim relations would be improved under a Trump Presidency but still there are many unanswered question as Donald Trump is still largely an unknown. The current aircraft Israel is expected to receive from the United States is the F-35 JSF which has been experiencing serious delays and problems. There has been serious concern that the F-35 JSF will not be truly combat ready until sometime in the early to mid-2020’s with 2025 not an unreliable prediction. Israel’s main enemies are able to purchase superior Russian aircraft which are combat ready today such as the SU-35 or any of the newest Chinese aircraft which are also combat ready. This could be a detrimental situation which Israel can ill afford as she is extremely dependent on air superiority. Iran is currently sitting with the ability to purchase entire fleets of these aircraft with the monies they received from the United States from the Iran Deal and the loosening of sanctions, the payments for the release of hostages or repayment for nondelivered arms after the Shah was overthrown in 1979. There have been rumored further cash payments to Iran for undetermined reasons by the Obama administration. How much additional payment Iran has or may receive is unknown and probably the full amounts granted to Iran may never be fully understood. This has created further concerns for Israel as has the recent delivery by Russia of the S-300 anti-aircraft missile and tracking systems to Iran which have seriously upgraded the Iranian air defenses around their nuclear sites.

 

Sukhoi Su-35

 

Israel could seriously upgrade their defenses against rockets fired from their neighboring threats such as Gaza and Hamas and Lebanon and Hezballah who between them have easily over one-hundred-fifty-thousand rockets and missiles. Such numbers are the very serious reason why Israel would be very pressed to increase the numbers of Iron Dome systems and further develop their other systems and deploy them in order to be capable of defending against any missiles fired from Iran or potentially other enemies. This means the manufacture of David’s Sling and the Arrow II systems and further developing of these systems to improve them seeking the impossible, perfection of interception of all range of missiles and other armaments fired at her people, that is what Israel could gain from such deals. Further, Israel could strengthen her relations and perhaps develop closer relations with new nations. Israel recently made inroads sharing a visit with Japan and has good relations with the Philippines after assisting them with their recovery after the horrific typhoon which struck that nation. Israel could also seek to have improved relations with South Korea and with the troubling developments and concerns over North Korean sabre rattling and their close relations with Iran with the two nations sharing scientific and military research developments Israel has more in common with these nations than many might see at first glance. Israel could develop these relations using military trade as an inroad and develop further trade relations as time and relations develop. One can never have too many or too varied friends and with systems such as the Iron Dome Israel has a very enticing calling card.

 

Beyond the Cusp 

 

The Usual Defense Aid Message Couching the Big Lie

 

Once more the time is upon the Israeli political and military leadership to figure the most beneficial path forward and what role they wish for the presumed eternal friendship and joining at the hip of the United States and Israel. At the top of the discussion is that connection at the hip which is a three-billion dollar military aid package which needs reviewing. Rumored in the deal presented by President Obama is the demand that the twenty-six percent of those funds permitted to be used by Israel domestically be phased out and that all aid be approved by the President before being shipped even during times of duress such as in a conflict with Hamas, Hezballah or other entity, not exactly an unusual enough occurrence. The difficulty this could present was driven home when President Obama using the State Department held up the scheduled resupply of Hellfire missiles during the 2014 Hamas conflict forcing a rethinking of plans to operate without that strategically vital and important weapons system. Many are looking at the plan and seeing it as a poison pill which Israel should refuse to swallow while others point to the fact that Israel, until President Obama, had almost never had any difficulties and they claim that the American people or Congress could mediate any difficulties despite the wording of the new arms aid proposal that Congress must have no recourse, council or affect upon any decision made by the President and their administration in such military matters concerning Israel. This places an irreversible veto to all military aid in the hands of a single person, the President of the United States, and contrary to seeming popular memory, this was not the first time that an American administration attempted to change the course of a war when the Nixon administration under the advice of Secretary of State Kissinger delayed resupply to Israel during the Yom Kippur War where it was rumored that the missile silos were opened to persuade the Americans that Israel desperately needed the weapons to avoid an escalation neither side desired. That is rumored to have been a very persuasive argument and the arms were released. That led to some of the arms set aside for Israel to be stored in Israel such that Israel never face that predicament again, but obviously that arms cache cannot hold every type and number which may become required or there would be no need for negotiations on a new deal.

 

F35 JSF

 

There is a second side to the deal which has developed some serious problems and newly found difficulties, the F35 JSF aircraft. The persisting software problems which are delaying delivery to United States frontline air units, the overheating of an aircraft whose electronics are currently cooled by opening all the weapons bays for one minute every ten to fifteen minutes as necessary which compromises every stealth design of the airframe giving enemy radars a fully obvious aircraft for prolonged times otherwise the electronics start to fail, other stealth problems which were unanticipated in the computer modeling (there is something to say for clay and full-scale modeling and test chambers over computer theories), and the necessity to download all information after each flight, the uploading via military network of flight plans before each mission, the ability of the United States to ground all F35 JSF including those given Israel or just the Israeli aircraft, the ability to take charge of the plane mid mission under certain limitations and a plethora of problems some of which will likely not be known until it is too late which makes this aircraft too reliant on American assistance and goodwill to use as the primary fighter in the IAF. Some of these shortcomings have been covered by Caroline Glick and others in their recent articles as well.

 

Apart from our hopes that the delays and other difficulties cause Israel to never take delivery beyond their initial flight of F35 JSF fighters, the truth is this aircraft fails all standards of measure due to the facts that the aircraft is undeployable as configured, lacks independent missioning of the aircraft free of United States approval, impossible strictly dependent repair as the only method for troubleshooting of the system software and other electronics is by using diagnostics kept within computers in the United States via “secure” downloads and upload of repairs and updates (think Obamacare software or early versions of Windows), and a host of other problems of accepting and basing your nation’s air capabilities on an aircraft not ready for prime time or even airshows without numerous upgrades and some probable system rebuilds which would require returning the fleet to the United States in too many situations. Then there are the negotiations for a new defense treaty which holds a number of points which are equally, some even more so, troubling with the cancellation of the funds available for Israel use at home being just an average of the problems being demanded by the Obama White House. Some even work to the detriment of the United States as well, but even that sacrifice is nothing when one is working to cripple Israeli future defense capabilities independent from White House whims of the moment. Dropping the Israelis ability to use around quarter of the funding on Israeli military spending which will slow both nation’s research in vital areas as the Americans, due to the assistance received from Israeli research in areas such as drones and anti-missile research and development, are dependent on Israeli research to direct their developments in these areas. But this is all about forcing Israeli military research and ability to be strangled making them further dependent upon the United States for any and all advanced weapons systems and greater dependence upon American weapons systems thus placing Israeli defense under control from the White House and, unfortunately, also the State Department.

 

So, if this is looking like such a stifling deal for the Israelis, then why is there even the slightest consideration given this deal instead of just walking away until the deal returns to something more beneficial for Israel or otherwise prepares to go their own way. The reason for the United States to like this deal are obvious as they would receive all the aid money remaining in the United States spent to strengthen their military and related industries. Further, any surviving Israel research and development would mostly be reliant on United States direct funding, control and benefit from all advances while Israel would be denied similar developments from integration of such discoveries as they will likely no longer be a part of the development team. With time the Israeli defense industries will suffer atrophied funding with many eventually being absorbed by their American counterparts. This in and of itself should make the entire deal a nonstarter. Still, the Israelis are attempting to find the right lipstick which they can put on this pig and make it presentable to the Knesset, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and the Israeli public.

 

Still, the political class and some in higher IDF circles are actually going through makeup kits seeking to find the exact shade of lipstick as to sell this deal claiming waiting until the new President is sworn in and then reach a better deal as there are no guarantees on who the new President will turn out to be or their actual feelings regarding Israel. They claim that despite the obvious problems, this treaty can be worked under and improved with time which should allay any Israeli fears. They try to sell this agreement using fear melded with claims that the deal is not as bad as being reported. The real reason that so many top military personnel and politicians are so willing to take this deal is their fear of not possessing the F35 JSF, the aircraft for the next fifty years for the Israeli Air Force. They claim there should be no worries over any early on difficulties as fixes will be forthcoming. We are less optimistic and believe the F35 will be full of difficulties finally seeing limited use in the United States. The deal’s future demands it be completely accepted as is and cannot be altered by Israel, Congress or even a future President. With these clauses the entire deal becomes a poison pill.

 

The reason any deal has these supporters within the government and the military, especially fairly high up, is these people seek an external source upon which any refusal of action or other distasteful or unacceptable decision could now be passed along and blamed on matters at levels the people are unaware of and pressing interests of an essential ally were involved in the decision. So any deal is a reusable ‘get out of the dog house’ card with which all unpopularity is due to agreements and pressures and such are beyond their control and the people will need to just understand and the media will drop the issue as the fix is in. Yes, obviously there may be such pressures, but that is simply another reason not to accept any deal, contract or treaty in which Israel surrenders her free ability to act to another nations or, as in this case, any foreign individual thus compromising Israel’s ability to act when Israel deems the necessity and not when it is convenient for some foreign head of state whose people are not generally hurt or otherwise compromised by Israeli inaction. Israelis have seen sufficient friends, relatives and even family die after checkpoints were removed to satisfy an unsatisfiable, unfeeling foreign leader whose only problem is Israel and her defense or loss of lives is not their number one problem, the fact Israel exists has become that problem. Such power must not be surrendered unto any foreign decider, especially a position whose track record has been, when it came to Israel and the peace process, to demand from Israel every surrender, sacrifice, concession and other acts of denial or risks taken while ignoring even the broken agreements, treaties and promises from Israel’s enemies simply because, as Israelis too often hear, we are the civil partner of the United States and as such more is demanded from Israel. Perhaps the Israelis would be best served by refusing any deal and manufacturing and designing Israeli first equipment as this would bring building all Israeli defense and military capability home and employ Israeli engineers and manufacturers within our borders and then if the Israeli government were to buy American armaments we can do so as an equal nation and not one dependent on the good will of any foreign power. The Israeli economic benefit from producing our own defense equipment and servicing Israeli designed, built, and software developed domestically would offset any loss of foreign funds. Such systems desired from the United States or any other provider would now be made as an equal and not as the beggar using daddy’s money with limitations which must be accepted as a beggar depends on the alms giver. As an equal, Israel will not be dependent on any foreign power for upgrades and installation of codes or flight permissions even to fly training exercises as now exists. One need wonder why only Israel is kept on such a short leash while other receptors remain independent and do not need sign away sovereignty just for a few pieces of copper. Perhaps Israel needs not the alms which indebts Israel to any foreign influence leaving Israel compromised. Perhaps Israel need rely more on Israel.

 

Complete freedom to make all Israeli decisions free and unfettered by foreign influences is easily worth every Agora, even three-billion dollars’ worth because Israel must no longer be dependent on others and be constantly looking over their shoulders every step of the way in almost every matter to see if their minder was pleased or distressed after every decision or speech or anything when it comes to Israeli security or military actions. No nation should continue to permit such compromise in their freedoms and decisions as allowing for such control makes one a vassal state and no longer a free nation. The funds received need be put in perspective. They are approximately equal to one percent, that’s 1% of Israeli GDP and as such not an impossible asset which need be bought at such cost. Israel will gain far more international respect and support even at the United Nations if every leader understood that Israel is not and will not be dependent upon any foreign entanglement or restriction in her actions and will act according to the will of the Israeli public in all things concerning sovereignty including militarily. Such independence and freedom to act will more than repay the aid monies from the United States and if such aid becomes direly necessary, then Israel will rely on the good will of the American people and their representatives in their Congress to answer any plea. Israel must refuse to any longer play the beggar in any international forum or venue, even if it means going forward completely alone as Israel had done in the past. That was when Israel received the respect she deserved and Israel desperately needs to regain her freedom to act in her own interest and no other and then wait for the anticipated respect leading to the support of true friends and allies with which Israel will interact without needing ask any foreigner for permission to act in the best interests of the Israeli people. That road should beacon so loudly as to overshadow the cacophonic noises demanding Israeli restraint when it comes to her defense and actions. Imagine how Abbas would tread knowing that the State Department in Washington D.C. no longer had any veto power over Israel to restrict or otherwise mitigate any Israeli actions concerning the Arabs and their incitement to terror and other acts disrespecting Israel leaning on the staff of the State Department and the Secretary of State who would always have Mahmoud Abbas and company’s back. That too has been a steep price which Israel had paid over the last twenty to thirty years and enough is enough with the selling of Israeli independence upon Israel without being dictated to on what Israel is allowed to do and where Israel must only tread with great trepidations of disappointing anybody who holds the President’s ear. Avoiding such entanglements is also a distinct and necessary component of ‘Never Again’ as it were these very same actors who refused Jews any route to safety and would do so again should the prospect once again present itself. When your numbers are but 0.02% of the world’s population, then you hold exactly zero influence in the world except if you have a homeland and then you can act like an equal on the stage of world affairs. As for the dependency of other’s approval we say, “Never Again!”

 

Beyond the Cusp

 

Palestinians and Israeli Arabist Jihadist War

 

Mahmoud Abbas has two faces, one that screams ‘peace, peace but there is no peace’ to the West and they dutifully blame Israel for not simply giving Abbas all the lands he desires. Nobody ever attempts to discover the land Abbas demands as if they did they might soon catch their first glimpse of his other face. That is the face that demands ‘jihad, jihad, kill the Jews’ and take all the land from the river to the sea, Palestine will kill until free. That face is easy to find if one just translates his speeches from Arabic to English, French, whatever language the Western politicians need to understand what more and more Israelis have learned. There is a reason nobody from Europe or the United States translate Abbas speeches and the lessons taught using the textbooks dripping with Jew hatred that the Western nations are paying to provide and poison another generation and guarantee there will be no peace as long as the Jews are alive. There are those who believe that the reason nothing is ever demanded of Abbas is because all too many of the political class agree with what Abbas is instigating and know that as long as they berate Israelis and blame only Israel for the lack of peace then Abbas will kill some more Jews for them. One hopes that such is not the reality and that peace is actually what all sides desire and ignorance is the only reason that no demands are made of Abbas and the West actually does not know that the Charter never was altered and still calls for the death of all Israelis and the liberation from the river to the sea and nothing less is acceptable to Abbas or the Palestinians as they are assured by the lack of any real actions demanding both sides compromise and that all demands for concessions have and apparently always will be demanded solely of Israel. As long as they are never called upon to compromise and continue to vocally demand every inch of land with the erasure of Israel and her Jewish population then all must be on their side. One can only be confused that the Israelis have never bolted and rejected this status quo. Perhaps that time is way overdue.

 

 

 

Perhaps the United States will finally elect a President who understands the lies upon which all previous Presidents have followed and finally break this fatal trend and strike out on a more realistic and fair path which demands both sides meet in the middle and that the Palestinians at long last actually change their charter such that it no longer demands the death of the Jews and the complete destruction of Israel replacing it with Palestine. That would require that the United States elect the candidate who would break with the past and actually seek a real peace and if Abbas refuses to compromise to simply walk away and free Israel to do that which removes the jihadi threat that Abbas poses and end the cycle of violence which is always initiated by Abbas and his band of jihadists. That would mean the removal of Abbas, Fatah, the PLO and the entire alphabet soup of terror mongers and allow those Arabs who would desire to live in peace to remain and those who act against Israel be deported and never permitted to return. This would also allow for replacing the texts and the hate that they teach and instead teach academics which would train the Arabs for gainful employment and a future of freedom and productivity. This would finally give the Arabs in Judea and Samaria to improve their lives and have something to live for which would have to be better than training them such that they only know how to die for Abbas and his war which he will never fight as he demands of them and he will not throw his life away attacking soldiers as he has the youth who he indoctrinates on hatred and chasing the afterlife as if that is the best future these youth can desire, it is criminal and is enough of a reason to rid the Arab society of his poisonous hate. But which of the four leading Presidential candidates would best walk that new path?

 

Since the Israeli leadership feels with good reason that Israel is dependent on the United States for too much to make a go without United States aid at this time, there is a sense of indentured servitude. One of the main reasons that this is so dates back to the deal where Israel accepted the United States promise to provide air superiority for Israel in the Middle East and bought Israel subservience with F15s and F16s if Israel gave up their designing and production of the Lavi fighter which was similar to the F16 but did not have the F15 strike capabilities. The F15s made that deal near impossible to pass up and Israel fell into the trap of dependence on the United States for their fighter and most other aircraft and the Israeli aircraft industry retooled to research, design and produce other military and civilian products. Now it would likely take Israel five to ten years to retool, design and start to produce her own fifth generation or even sixth generation, whatever capabilities and design features those airframes might entail. Likely the sixth generation fighters would be such that one pilot and gunner would control five other birds as well as their own and fly their own cover, and thus a dozen airmen would control thirty-six attack aircraft and with 360o helmets as the canopies of all the aircraft would be solid carbon fiber and Kevlar composite formed under aluminum skin making the aircraft bullet resistant and that much more difficult to shoot down. These aircraft would also have laser intercept such as the Elbit Systems C-MUSIC anti-missile Protection retooled and upgraded to divert and destroy all versions of antiaircraft missiles, heat seeking and radar lacking as well as ground-to-air and air-to-air thus removing much of the need for aircraft to need to use avoidance maneuvers as their inboard systems would remove the necessity. This could be just one of the systems incorporated along with stealth and low frequency anti-radar systems making the aircraft ultimately improbable to intercept or shoot down. But such designing and resting would take likely a dozen years to design and put into production and in the meantime Israel would need to depend on the F35JSF fighters she has already contracted for with the United States.

 

Meanwhile, what would the future most likely be like depending on each of the four Presidential frontrunners? First off, let’s take Donald Trump. He is the most difficult to gauge. Would we get the debate Donald Trump who distanced himself placing wiggle room between his foreign policies and Israel or would we get the AIPAC Donald Trump who proclaimed the United States had no closer friend and to whom he pledged his unfaltering support. The truth probably lies somewhere in between and just might be better on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays while colder on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, who knows. One thing likely is whatever the relations, they would constantly be fluid which would mean that no might not always mean no, it might mean ask again next week and remember which are your good days. So, Donald is what he will be on many issues, a puzzle which will develop and change with time and mood, not necessarily a great thing.

 

 

Then we have Hillary Clinton. We got a good measure of her approach when she lectured Prime Minister Netanyahu for close to an hour if not more about how when President Obama or herself told him to jump the only response they want to hear was, “How high?” Hillary did pay Israel some lip service when she was running, or should we say buying and collecting her consolation prize of Senator from New York. That was supposed to give her the Presidency in 2008 but apparently somebody was not in on that arrangement so she got another consolation prize instead, Secretary of State, which again was supposed to prepare her for a cakewalk to the Presidency but apparently somebody did not get the memo again, imagine that. So, Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation now being a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi Arabia and the rest of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will not exactly be all that enamored with Israel or Egypt and there will be more contribution likely coming from Iran just to complicate matters. Israel can expect tire tracks up and down the Prime Minister’s back with a Hillary Presidency along with more telephone berating demanding he toe the line and know his place. Should there be an election in Israel we can also expect the entire Democrat election machinery to set up camp in Tel Aviv and work diligently to elect whoever a coalition backing either the Labor Party or Yair Lapid’s Yesh Atid Party depending upon who promises to be the best little soldier doing whatever they are bid to do.

 

 

Next we will discuss Ted Cruz. Ted is the easiest of the candidates to predict only rivaled by Bernie Sanders. Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders are polar opposites when it comes to Israel. Ted Cruz has stated and can be believed that he will invite Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House as his first act after being sworn in. The next item on Ted Cruz’s list will be setting in motion a grand White House dinner and possibly grand black tie ball. The meal will be Kosher and the prayer before eating will be performed by a Rabbi of note and probably recommended by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA). Ted Cruz might just be the President who breaks with the past and ignores the State Department and might even clean out the State department which has often acted as the main functionary for America’s enemies. They appeared to back the Soviet Union and once it collapsed, they quickly swung over to support the Arabist and jihadists. Ted will be the first President to completely ignore Mahmoud Abbas and his litany of complaints and back Israel in their fight against the same Jihadist enemies the United States and the free world are facing. There is little if any difference between Hamas and Islamic State, Hezballah and the IRGC (Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps), Fatah and the PLO (Palestinian Liberation Organization), Islamic Jihad and al Qaeda. These are all either Sunni or Shiite jihadist movements all of which desire an entire world under the boot of Islam; they just differ over which flavor of Islam, rocky road or peanut butter fudge ripple. Ted Cruz fully understands this and if he is smart and can get Allen West for either Secretary of Defense or, if cleaning out the State department is on the to do list, Secretary of State. With Col. West Israel will have another friend in high places.

 

 

This leaves Bernie Sanders. Bernie Sanders was born Jewish, or at least into what was a Jewish family. Bernie Sanders himself is not all that caught up in the Jewish thing; actually he appears to run from it as fast and far as he is able. On Israel Bernie Sanders is the one candidate who makes Hillary appear friendly to Israel. Bernie while in the Senate voted to defund Israel. He would quite possibly decide to save money by cancelling the Israeli order for F35JSF fifth generation fighters. He would then likely cut all aid to Israel as well as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Turkey and the rest of the Middle East right before he slashed the Defense budget seeing it all as unnecessary and monies which could be better used correcting income inequality. Bernie would possibly cut all aid to the Palestinians until the leftist and his friends from the socialist camp demanded he continue or possibly increase the aid to these people as they deserved every penny and were not getting sufficient because if the United States supported them half as well as they had Israel all these years the Arab-Palestinian Israel conflict would have been resolved and Palestine would be freed from the river to the sea as it deserves. Bernie Sanders would be a disaster initially for Israel making them potentially endangered for the immediate future but fortunately Hezballah is quite preoccupied and Hamas is nowhere near strong enough to take on Israel and the Islamic State has sufficient problems holding what they have gained and also are in no position to attack Israel. Should Bernie Sanders walk away from supporting Israel it would take Israel less than a year to reinforce their position and be ready for any challenge and could then work on designing their next generation fighter. In the long run Israel would be ahead and more self-reliant and would actually owe Bernie a thank you visit where the Israelis could give him a demonstration of the new Israeli fighter which was going to make many decide to purchase from Israel and forgo the limitations and the leash which the F15JSF has connecting them permanently to the United States which requires regular uploads and downloads feeding the United States every bit of information on how the fighter was used, where it flew, when it flew and any other data including weapons loads that it carried on each mission and if they were deployed and any of the armaments fired and if so at what and whether they hit target or missed. Surely nobody could be concerned about the F35JSF relating such data during maintenance which it would require regularly. So, by cutting Israel off, Bernie Sanders might actually be providing Israel with the incentive to become self-reliant and self-sufficient for her own defense for the immediate and longer future.

 

 

The one thing which was obvious from the start of the American primary elections, the only party which had any chance of offering a candidate who would back Israel even slightly was the Republicans. This stands in stark contrast to elections past where supporting Israel was a guaranteed given in word even if action was less convincing. Things have turned in the United States and we are witnessing the slow but inevitable erosion of the American Israeli love affair. The marriage is without a doubt heading for a divorce and Israel had best get their arms around this inevitability and begin to make whatever adjustments will become necessary and required. The first is get prepared to at the least make their own aircraft as American jets may not be forthcoming after the F35JSF, and that is a fact, not conjecture. We know not how much longer the Republicans will be able to be trusted to support Israel, but once they slide the end will be in sight.

 

Beyond the Cusp