Maybe you noticed that Mitt Romney was campaigning in Israel the other day. Yeah, that's right, Israel. That's the Israel next to the country of Jordan in the Middle East, on the shores of the Mediterranean.
While in Israel, Mitt picked up a million dollars in campaign contributions from Israelis to apply to his run for president here in the United States.
Now, I don't know how that strikes you, but I think it's very inappropriate. Not that I have anything against Israelis, but I think that they should keep their money out of our election. I don't think that they should have or should attempt to purchase any special influence on our election or on our possible President.
When you discuss the Israelis, people always remind you that they have been our long-time allies. But I think that it's really the other way around. In fact, when it comes to the importance of the relationship, I think it's more accurate to say that we're their long-time allies. Is there any doubt that if we had not supported Israel or if we withdrew our support, Israel would cease to exist?
I am not suggesting that we withdraw our support. But sometimes, with the Israelis, it seems the tail wags the dog. Who is really in charge?
Look at the Iraq war, a war that ultimately made us look less powerful in the eyes of our Middle-Eastern foes, especially the Iranians. They saw how we became bogged down in Iraq. And it was also a war that, in its outcome, enhanced the power and influence of Iran in the region.
The question is why did we go to war in Iraq? Were we Israel's cat's paw? After all, even if Saddam Hussein had actually possessed weapons of mass destruction, he would probably not have been able to deliver them against the United States successfully. But Israel is another matter. Israel was extremely vulnerable to attack by Iraq. Is that the real reason we went to war?
Now, we have Mitt Romney threatening military action against Iran. It is good he has told us this before the election. I certainly don't want another war. Do you?
Whose interests are we protecting with such war action? Are we, in the person of Mitt Romney, setting ourselves up once again to be the cat's paw of Israel? Should we go to war once again for Israel?
I don't hear any discussion of this very important question as Romney continues to threaten war.
L. P. McGovern
Williamstown
