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New York Magazine Letter

Following is (i) the letter I sent to New York Magazine and (ii) the letter as it was published in the October 20 issue. The latter is a poor and sloppy rewrite of my original:

In his article about evangelical Christian support for Israel (“Israel’s Christian Soldiers,” September 29, 2003), Craig Horowitz notes that when in 1980 Menachem Begin presented an award to Jerry Falwell, liberal Jews were outraged, but today support from the Christian right is embraced, because “Israel's situation has worsened.”

Horowitz's assumption that "Israel's situation has worsened" since 1980 is commonly held, but largely inaccurate. Palestinian terror is certainly worse than ever, and Israel faces demographic problems and the possibility of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Overall, however, Israel’s strategic situation is far better than it was in 1980.

Then, Saddam Hussein was developing the Osirak nuclear facility, which a year later was destroyed by Israel, and today Iraq is not a military threat at all. The threat from Israel's east has also been reduced as a result of Israel’s 1994 peace treaty with Jordan. In 1980, the Soviets were supplying weapons to Syria. Following the demise of the Soviet Union, Syria ceased to pose an existential threat to Israel, and Israel now possesses vast military superiority over the Arabs. The demise of the USSR also resulted in hundreds of thousands of Russian immigrants to Israel, alleviating (at least temporarily) the demographic problems. Finally, the Arab boycott of companies doing business in Israel was in full force in 1980, but is dormant today. While Israel is now in a deep recession, its per capita income is far higher today than it was in 1980, even as many other Middle Eastern states remain mired in Third World economic conditions.

The letter as published stated:

Craig Horowitz claims that some Israelis welcome support from the Christian right because "Israel's situation has worsened" since 1980. I disagree. Though Palestinian terror is certainly worse than ever, overall Israel's strategic situation is far better than it was then. At that time, Saddam Hussein was developing the Osirak nuclear facility (destroyed by Israel a year later), and today Iraq poses no military threat at all. And the threat from Syria, Israel's other main enemy, has also been reduced, as Syria no longer receives significant military aid from Russia. In any event, Israel now possesses vast military superiority over the Arabs. And while Israel is now in a deep recession, its per capita income is far higher today than it was in 1980, even as many other Middle Eastern states remain mired in Third World economic conditions.
posted on 10/27/2003