Why is U.S. Foreign Policy Hostage to Israel?

Dr. S. Amjad Hussain, editorial writer for The Blade, is indeed a brave man for penning this article this morning.  Several months ago he was verbally assaulted and harassed by a right-wing nut over another of his columns.  And here we go again.  Dr. Hussain begins:

Why is U.S. foreign policy hostage to Israel?

THE ongoing carnage in Gaza raises some disturbing and sobering questions for the people of conscious everywhere, and that includes Toledo. At the time of this writing, close to 700 Palestinian men, women, and children had died and three times as many had been injured.

The pivotal question is why Hamas, the ruling Palestinian faction in Gaza, resumed firing rockets into Israel after six months of relative calm following a cease-fire put in place in June.

A cease-fire requires a lack of hostilities between the parties. On Nov. 4, Israel, in clear violation of the cease-fire, went into Gaza and killed six Palestinians who Israel declared were terrorists. That incident and an ongoing siege and blockade of Gaza were enough reasons for Hamas to resume hostilities against Israel. It was retaliation plain and simple. Israel has been preparing for this onslaught for the last six months and chose this time because George W. Bush is still president.

After detailing more history of the conflict, Dr. Hussein says:

Why is American foreign policy hostage to Israeli whims? It is for historians and writers such as John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, former Congressman Paul Findlay, former President Jimmy Carter, writer Norman Finkelstein, etc., to analyze the phenomenon, which they have done at their peril. The question, however, begs for an answer. Why does an Israeli cause become an American cause? And why does a Congress elected by the people of this country become beholden to the interests of a foreign country?

Indeed, why?   A good question for American Jews to answer as well.  Along with this column in today's Blade, two pro-Israel letters to the editor were published.  Quite interesting was the conclusion of one of them penned by Stephen A. Rothschild.  He concluded:

Until American Muslims take the lead to stop the violence and hate of non-American Muslims that is directed at the rest of the Western world, the world will have no peace.When will American Muslims take that lead?

When?  Perhaps after following the lead of American Jews.