June 08, 2009 ... A wooden nickel.

It is bitterly ironic that adherents to international law, are also hostage to international law. Such is the case for Israel.

As of this week--and ahead of yet to be announced developments out of Jerusalem, deemed acceptable to Washington--Israel is in peril of having its democratically elected government overthrown in the immediate term, or over the next two years, by its avowed ally, the US.

Now there would be some scope for compromise if the US could cite a single success, as per its actions since 2001 and/or since 1991. Yes, there has been a regime change in Afghanistan and Iraq. But the killings, corruption and divided loyalties are still in play. Somalia is a disaster zone, rife with piracy and vicious, Islamist insurrection. Pakistan is technically bankrupt and must be propped up from total implosion with billions of dollars. The Middle East and former Central Asian republics are under dire threat from an almost nuclear armed Iran, in collaboration with North Korea. And Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Jordan owe their existence to the continuance of external security measures--including from Israel--yet have no qualms about threatening Israel.

Since there is inherently no peace to be had in the region, with or without Israel, it now falls upon Israel to accept that its existence is Israel's responsibility. This is nothing new, as the history of a thousand years and less, has demonstrated for all nation states of consequence, irrespective of recognition of sovereignty or treaties. So the propagated wisdom, that Arab state recognition of Israel is vital for peace and/or security in the region, is about as valid as a wooden nickel.

When President Obama visited Buchenwald on his way to Caen, France, for the D-Day commemoration, he expressed his outrage at the Nazi atrocities towards European Jews. But the 6-million Israeli Jews, can hardly accept the outrage of being held to political and econmomic ransom.