Obama claims the U.S. and Israel have an 'eternal alliance.'
President Obama, speaking in Israel today:
'â??So as I begin this visit, let me say as clearly as I can â??the United States of America stands with the State of Israel because it is in our fundamental national security interest to stand with Israel. It makes us both stronger. It makes us both more prosperous. And it makes the world a better place. Thatâ??s why the United States was the very first nation to recognize the State of Israel 65 years ago. Thatâ??s why the Star of David and the Stars and Stripes fly together today. And that is why Iâ??m confident in declaring that our alliance is eternal, it is forever â?? lanetzach.â?Â'
While President Obama credits "strong national security interests" with the initial U.S. recognition of Israel, the reality was more complicated. In fact, President Truman's State Department and Defense Department, his key national security advisers, objected to the move. (Allis and Ronald Radosh have a nice background on Truman's recognition of Israel here.)
What's important about the president's remarks today, though, is less the strategic history than his assertion that the U.S. and Israel have an "eternal alliance."
I suspect we're going to see a lot of debate centered around that phrase in the coming days.
Andrew Sullivan, for instance, contrasts Obama's rhetoric with George Washington's famed warning to avoid entangling alliances:
'The concept of an â??eternalâ?Â, and â??unbreakableâ? alliance with any other single country is a statement George Washington would have regarded as deeply corrosive of foreign policy and domestic governance. To declare it in the language of the foreign country has even deeper resonance. It is now the governing principle of both political parties â?? and the primary reason we may once again be headed to war with unforeseeable consequences in the Middle East.'
Rick Moran, meanwhile, doubts Obama's sincerity:
'If Iran gives him half a chance, he will sell out Netanyahu and the Jewish state.'
Uri Friedman sees more subtle language at work:
'See what he did there? Change "your" to "our" and a host of furious no-stronger-allies would be knocking on Washington's door. But, as Obama's speechwriters are well aware, it's probably fair to say that Israel received a visit from its closest partner today.'
(AP Photo)