Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> writes
"I'm not entirely convinced this [the theory that the war against the Palestinians is a ploy to hold down oil prices] is true; oil prices may well be set by markets and are therefore beyond political control."
I agree. Doubtless somewhere in the distant past the importance of Israel to the West was to do with its demonstrative role in policing Arab nationalism, but that can explain little today.
First, Arab nationalism is a spent force. Arab elites are on their hands and knees begging the West for support and sponsorship. Even Gadaffi is sucking up to the West (hence his offering up the Lockerbie suspects to UK). Saddam Hussein would willingly have prostrated himself before the US in 1991 - but they refused him, preferring a war policy. Popular mobilisations are few and far between, and more often religious than political.
Second, Israel is more disruptive of good relations with Arab states than it is productive of them. Following the closure of the alternative of a pro-Soviet policy by Arab states, most make peace directly with the US, and Israel is redundant to that.
The reasons why the conflict goes on are different from those as to why it started.
First the Arab states sponsor Palestinian nationalism and its struggle against Israel as a substitute for fighting the West. The struggle in Palestine satisfies their radicals' desire for confrontation, leaving the elites free to make business with American and Europe.
Second, Israel's special hold on Western affections is related not to its strategic but its ideological status as the exemplar victim state. If anyone finds this to unbelievably ideological an explanation, just try to imagine how an Arab victory would look on an American television screen: you know, men in uniform leading off Hasidim at gun point; Jews being herded into trains and detention camps; doubtless some summary executions.
How the holocaust came to be the adamantine core of post-war ideological orientation is a story in itself. But once it did so, Israel was effectively put outside of any rational judgement on its actions towards the Arabs. -- James Heartfield Sustaining Architecture in the Anti-Machine Age is available at GBP19.99, plus GBP5.01 p&p from Publications, audacity.org, 8 College Close, Hackney, London, E9 6ER. Make cheques payable to 'Audacity Ltd'. www.audacity.org