Warning Signs from Annapolis By Mark Silverberg

Truth is, an Israeli-Palestinian peace is not on anyone's agenda at Annapolis, and that's why Annapolis represents a grave threat to Israel. The real American motive for the Conference is to solidify America's anti-Shiite alliance against Iranian expansionism, stabilize Iraq, shore up Arab support for a pending coalition air-strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, and secure American oil interests in the Middle East. And in this game of high-stakes political poker, despite all the rhetoric to the contrary, Israel's national security interests are of secondary importance.

In the world of realpolitik, Israel is viewed by Foggy Bottom as more of a bargaining chip than a strategic asset so the guiding philosophy there is that all disputes and world problems can be resolved through negotiations even if, as in this case, only one side is being asked to make any real concessions. With the U.S. experiment in Middle East nation-building something less than a resounding success, other priorities have taken precedence. Simply stated, if the Saudis and Syrians show up at Annapolis, pressure will be applied on Israel to make significant one-sided concessions for getting them there. For Syria, that means Israel will be forced to make concessions on the Golan Heights. For the Saudis, it means American protection, either delaying or killing the recently submitted Saudi Arabia Accountability Act of 2007* and a continuing American blind eye to the Saudi's global propagation of Wahhabism/Salafism.

Warning Signs from Annapolis ...

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