What Are Friends For?

I'm not in 100 percent agreement with Jeffrey Goldberg's op-ed yesterday on "Israel's 'America Problem'", but I think it's pretty darn good. Especially as he says that "what Israel needs is an American president who not only helps defend it against the existential threat posed by Iran and Islamic fundamentalism, but helps it to come to grips with the existential threat from within" -- the threat posed by the West Bank settlements.

I think that gets it exactly right. A good friend doesn't just back his buddies up in whatever they happen to be doing at the moment, a good friend helps a friend pull back from mistakes and make difficult choices and that's what's needed. He concludes that "this won’t happen until Aipac and the leadership of the American Jewish community allow it to happen." Perhaps so, but if not I'd recommend J Street as an antidote.