Opinion: The Significance of Israel for the United States

One of the United States' most pronounced grievances in recent years has been its accusation against China and Russia of attempting to disrupt the so-called rules-based international order.

This order, as it names it, is one where it sets the rules but doesn't always adhere to them. The second country granted this 'luxury' is Israel, which has a reputation for flouting international order, ignoring international law, and sidestepping the resolutions of the United Nations.

But how does Israel manage to circumvent these rules? The answer lies in the support of the US imperialism. That raises the question: Why does the United States extend such a privilege to Israel? The answer lies in Israel's value to the US.

Israel: Imperialism's Outpost

A name that encapsulates this value is that of the US President Joe Biden. Back in 1986, Biden made a statement that still reverberates today: "If Israel didn't exist, the US would have to create an Israel to safeguard its interests in the region. I emphasize the US would have to create an Israel in the region!"

Indeed, for the US, Israel served as an outpost for safeguarding imperialist interests. The construction of Israel as such an 'outpost' is a feat on a historical scale.

British Prime Minister Lloyd George argued in favour of a Jewish state in Palestine for British interests. British Foreign Secretary Arthur James Balfour, in his renowned letter to Walter Rothschild, a financier of Zionism, dated November 2, 1917, revealed this stance of his country: "His Majesty's government supports the creation of a national homeland for the Jewish people in Palestine and will utilize all means at its disposal to achieve this objective." (Jonathan Schneer, The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict).

Moreover, Theodor Herzl, the 'founding father' of Israel, had already declared the mission of the Jewish state as an 'outpost'. In his famous book "Der Judenstaat" (The Jewish State), he said: "For Europe, we can be there (Palestine) a part of the wall of protection against Asia, the outpost of civilization against barbarism." (Walter Hollstein, Palestine Question).

Significance of the US Aircraft carrier

I revisit this 'outpost' assessment in light of a current debate:

The US dispatching two aircraft carrier fleets to support Israel is viewed as a signal that the US-Israel tandem is gearing up to confront Iran, advancing the Greater Middle East Project, redrawing maps in the Middle East, and establishing a new order!

I beg to differ. Even at the height of its power, the US only managed to advance the Greater Middle East Project to a certain extent. Conversely, as its hegemony waned, the US fell short of its goals.

The US dispatching two fleets of aircraft carriers isn't to usher in a new order in the Middle East. On the contrary, it is aimed at fortifying the old order and its 'outpost' against the emerging new order, which runs counter to its interests. Because:

1. The US couldn't establish its second outpost, Kurdistan, which would have bolstered Israel; Barzanistan failed to gain independence, and the YPG's statehood attempt in Syria was curtailed.
2. The US is losing the Gulf countries: Saudi Arabia is forging global energy partnerships with China and Russia, irrespective of US interests.
3. The US attempt to forge a united front against Iran floundered: Saudi Arabia normalized relations with Iran under China's mediation, followed by other Gulf nations.

In summary, the US isn't in a position to redraw maps; instead, it's striving to preserve the existing status quo.