Ok, so please tell us..... what in your opinion should be the right amount “pro-Israel” attitude to have?
” Britain was stuck with the thankless task of juggling the rival ambitions of Jew and Arab in the Palestine Mandate, and inevitably not every decision went the Israelis way.”
Yes Britain always found itself burdened with thankless job of juggling the rival ambitions of Jew and Arab, Indians and Pakistanis. And of course Britain never had any of their own machination in how they played their political cards in all of this, right?
Exactly the same attitude as we have with any other democratic nation whose immediate interests do not directly coincide with our own, in other words, we give them the benefit of the doubt against the corrupt and the dictatorial. I support Israel, because I think their claims to statehood have far more legal validity than the vague claims the Arabs have to destroy them. But at the same time, if they do something I think is wrong, I'm going to call them on it. I don't care if people think that is "antisemitic". That phrase is not some magic wand that makes them immune to all criticism. And, at the same time, if Britain chooses to sell weapon systems to a third party, thats our business. If Israel doesn't like it, they can raise an objection. Similarly, we would like to buy an Israeli weapon system - for hard cash. If they don't want to sell it, or we can't agree on terms, then they don't have to do it. We will go elsewhere.
Yes Britain always found itself burdened with thankless job of juggling the rival ambitions of Jew and Arab, Indians and Pakistanis. And of course Britain never had any of their own machination in how they played their political cards in all of this, right?
On the contrary! Britain had plenty of their own machinations in all this! Absolutely! Damn right we did! Guilty as charged 100%! I elect my representatives to primarily look after MY interests, not the interests of Jews and Arabs, Indians and Pakistanis - or Americans for that matter. I'm not saying ethics and morality and fair play and right and wrong don't come into the decision making process - I'm sure they do - but primarily the British government is (and should be) looking out for Britain. That is, after all, what they are elected to do. Their effectiveness in doing that is certainly how they are going to be judged come next election.