This is truly unbelievable.The United States may be committed to supporting Israel, but that commitment comes with strings attached, National Security Adviser Susan Rice said during a talk in Washington, DC on Wednesday evening.
“America will always maintain our iron-clad commitment to the security of Israel, ensuring that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge and can protect its territory and people,” Rice told attendees at the Center for a New American Security’s annual conference in Washington DC. “Equally, we consistently defend Israel’s legitimacy and security in the UN and other international fora. In turn, we expect Israel to stand and be counted with the US and other partners on core matters of international law and principle, such as Ukraine.”
Do you think that Susan Rice says this to any other country? Perhaps that the US supports Canada or Great Britain or Australia but demands that in return they support US policy?
The answer is obviously no. Because outside of Micronesia, no country votes with the US in the UN more than Israel.
Why would the US talk to its most supportive ally in such a disparaging way?
Here are the top ten nations' UN voting records from 2013 as a percentage of coincident votes with the US:
| COUNTRY | SAME | OPPOSITE | ABSTAIN | ABSENT | VOTES |
| ONLY | |||||
| Micronesia | 61 | 1 | 4 | 17 | 98.40% |
| Israel | 71 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 94.70% |
| Palau | 67 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 94.40% |
| Canada | 71 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 89.90% |
| Australia | 55 | 13 | 15 | 0 | 80.90% |
| France | 53 | 15 | 15 | 0 | 77.90% |
| Marshall Islands | 55 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 77.50% |
| United Kingdom | 55 | 16 | 11 | 1 | 77.50% |
And other American allies:
| COUNTRY | SAME | OPPOSITE | ABSTAIN | ABSENT | VOTES |
| ONLY | |||||
| Italy | 50 | 21 | 12 | 0 | 70.40% |
| Belgium | 49 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 70.00% |
| Bulgaria | 49 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 70.00% |
| Denmark | 49 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 70.00% |
| Germany | 49 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 70.00% |
| Spain | 48 | 21 | 14 | 0 | 69.60% |
| Japan | 45 | 22 | 16 | 0 | 67.20% |
| Ireland | 45 | 24 | 13 | 1 | 65.20% |
| New Zealand | 46 | 26 | 11 | 0 | 63.90% |
| Switzerland | 46 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 63.00% |
| Turkey | 45 | 28 | 6 | 4 | 61.60% |
| Mexico | 35 | 42 | 6 | 0 | 45.50% |
| Philippines | 34 | 46 | 3 | 0 | 42.50% |
| Singapore | 34 | 47 | 2 | 0 | 42.00% |
| Jordan | 26 | 45 | 12 | 0 | 36.60% |
| Pakistan | 24 | 44 | 13 | 2 | 35.30% |
| United Arab Emirates | 25 | 46 | 12 | 0 | 35.20% |
| Indonesia | 26 | 48 | 9 | 0 | 35.10% |
| Bahrain | 24 | 45 | 14 | 0 | 34.80% |
| Tunisia | 25 | 47 | 10 | 1 | 34.70% |
| Iraq | 24 | 46 | 13 | 0 | 34.30% |
| Kuwait | 21 | 46 | 16 | 0 | 31.30% |
| Qatar | 21 | 46 | 16 | 0 | 31.30% |
| Oman | 21 | 47 | 15 | 0 | 30.90% |
| Mauritania | 20 | 45 | 16 | 2 | 30.80% |
| Yemen | 20 | 45 | 16 | 2 | 30.80% |
| Nicaragua | 22 | 50 | 10 | 1 | 30.60% |
| Saudi Arabia | 20 | 47 | 16 | 0 | 29.90% |
| Egypt | 16 | 48 | 19 | 0 | 25.00% |
Of course, there were 18 anti-Israel resolutions in the UNGA in 2013. The US often stands almost alone with Israel on those votes. But not completely: Canada voted with the US on every one, and still has a lower coincident rating than Israel does.
Does the US publicly attach strings to its support of any other country that votes more often against the US position than Israel does? Has Rice ever told Egypt or Jordan that billions in US aid are dependent on its supporting US policies? Has the US ever upbraided Britain for voting against the US in the UN? Can you even imagine Rice saying this about Canada or Australia?
If you can find an example where US support for any other ally was considered quid pro quo for that ally supporting US foreign policy, I'd love to see it.
If you can find an example where US support for any other ally was considered quid pro quo for that ally supporting US foreign policy, I'd love to see it.