Enemies and friends

In an interview on IBA News, Michael Oren, author of a book on the Six Day War of 1967 and a recent history of US policy in the Middle East, said that although there remain threats to Israel, notably Hizbollah, Syria and Iran, in general terms Israel is far better off than it has ever been. He noted that we no longer live under threat from the Soviet Union, we have diplomatic and trade relations with China and India, and the Palestinians are so intransigent that basically everyone has given up on Gaza and the Hamas-dominated Government of the PA. Even the Arab States are showing some interest in negotiating with us, although their position is inflexible. Also, our economy is strong and most importantly we have a mutual defense relationship with the powerful USA, as demonstrated by the current visit here of the new Defense Secretary Robert Gates. So things have been a lot worse than Israel faces at 59 years of age.
The Arab League has formed a Committee of Jordan and Egypt, both of which already have a peace treaty with us, to approach Israel about the Arab/Saudi Plan. The rest of the Arab countries are afraid to commit themselves to actual peace, so they are sending King Abdullah of Jordan to Israel with the message, accept our terms (withdraw to the pre-1967 borders, accept the "right of return of the refugees," etc.) and maybe then we'll recognize your right to exist. Surely they can't be serious (this is the McEnroe response).
Similarly the National Union of Journalists in England has made itself a laughing stock ("a bunch of loony leftists") by adopting a boycott of Israeli goods. Not only do they call for Israel to relinquish its occupation of Gaza (which it did two years ago) and not only do they accuse Israel of deliberately planning the attack on Lebanon (when it was Hizbollah that attacked us and kidnapped our soldiers), but they choose to do this when other journalists are demonstrating for Allen Johnston who was kidnapped in Gaza and has been held for over a month. What idiots! The fact that they only select Israel for this kind of boycott, as if all other countries in the world are pure and blameless, proves their bias and hatred. The Foreign Press Association of Israel/Palestine crticized this resolution on the grounds of its obvious lack of balance.
So with enemies like these who needs friends. But, luckily we have a friend in Washington, and until now in London, and maybe if Sarkozy wins the Presidential election in France tomorrow, maybe we'll also have a friend for a change in Paris. If Iran continues on its current path we'll need all the friends we can get.