Eitan Haber
Photo: Shalom Bar Tal
West’s decline threatens us
Only fools fail to understand that a weak Western world is disastrous for Israel
History is taking shape right before our eyes; we can even call it a tragedy. The Western world, which Israel is a part of, is losing its political, military, and economic power. Even though it is still strong, the direction it is going in is one of collapse and disintegration.
George W. Bush will be leaving the White House in January, and he would do well not to meet with historians in the near future. They will fry him.
Under the current circumstances, we can say that for the time being at least there is an end to the debate on what shapes history – reality or people. In this case, there is almost no doubt: The people, and mostly the leader of the Western and Free World, who deserves much praise for his vigorous support for Israel, will enter the annals of history as a fool.
We can rub our eyes in disbelief: Not too long ago, America was at the zenith of its political, military, and economic power. The US was the queen of the world in the face of a crumbling Soviet empire, whose military officials were selling missiles in exchange for food and cigarettes. The great Europe was being torn apart, and the countries of East Asia were mocking the Russian giant, which repressed them for generations.
Meanwhile, the American economy was taking off. Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, and others were taking the place of the Temples. Yet where is everyone today? And more importantly, where are we?
Jews are doing well these days: The world is in turmoil, the gentiles are fighting each other, and we are living quite well in our small corner of the world. The security situation has improved, the diplomatic situation remains untouched, and we even had a choice between Tzipi, Shaul, Avi, and Meir. How lovely.
Merciless world
Years ago, in the early 1990s, we had some leaders who said that a “window of opportunity” had opened up for us: The Soviet Union (do you even remember it?) was down, America was up in the clouds, and we were the world’s Popeye. We felt we could do whatever we want.
Yet only a deaf fool would fail to notice the typhoon approaching us, and fail to understand that a weak and beaten Western world is a recipe for disaster for a state like Israel, which relies on America’s shared values and sympathy.
In a weak Western world, a Venezuelan president (that psycho, you say,) can afford to disparage an American president, Putin dispatches his planes to South America, China violates every business world custom – yet some people still believe that we will be the only ones to take advantage of this opportunity and do whatever we want?
Those who think that way are wrong – oh so wrong. A day shall come, and it is not far off apparently, where we shall become part of the world’s process of self-reflection. And as we know, this world shows no mercy.
