What's Good For The Goose...

In this part of the world, one gets used to living with inexplicable double standards... especially as they relate to Israel's conduct vs the conduct of, well, pretty much everyone else.

For instance, we are about to find ourselves in the dock at the Hague (before the International Criminal Court), for war crimes the IDF allegedly committed during last summer's war in Gaza.  This despite the fact that the IDF's civilian-to-combatant casualty rate was an astoundingly and unprecedentedly low 1:1, while the US-led 'coalition' civilian-to-combatant casualty rate in Iraq and Afghanistan was more than 2:1.

But I have to admit that I am having trouble swallowing demands from the US that Israel blindly negotiate /finalize an agreement with the Palestinians, while reserving for themselves the right to walk away from a bad Iranian deal if it doesn't "provide assurances" and " allow verification" of the terms of the agreement.

The Palestinians have never lived up to their past commitments (to disarm terror organizations, renounce 'armed resistance', recognize Israel, stop incitement, refrain from making unilateral moves such as joining UN bodies, remove calls for Israel's destruction from their Charter, etc.).  

So why is it that Israel is the one faced with threats of isolation and sanctions when we walk away from a bad deal for the simple reason that we have no way of verifying that the entity which with we are negotiating (the Palestinian Authority / Fatah), will be in power - or even exist - the day after a 'land-for-peace' deal would be implemented?

Given that Hamas overthrew the PA/Fatah government in Gaza in a violent coup immediately after Israel withdrew and handed over the keys, it is not unreasonable to assume the same thing would happen in the West Bank.

Add to that the fact that ISIS is now threatening to topple Hamas, and we are faced with the specter of an even more dangerous and intractable enemy within easy missile and artillery of Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion airport, immediately after an Israeli withdrawal from part or all of the West Bank. 

In the following video, the President of the United States makes a perfectly reasonable statement regarding his right and intention to walk away from a bad deal with the Iranians.  But leaves unanswered the question of why he denies Israel the same right.  

Apparently, what's good for the goose isn't good for the gander.