Israel's security

There are no limits, it seems, to how far the United States will go to defend Israel and its interests. The U.S. government's decision to ban American satellite-imaging companies from taking high-resolution pictures of Israel sharply illustrates the U.S. commitment to protecting the Jewish state.

What is perplexing about the American decision is that no country neighboring Israel has any intention, declared or otherwise, to attack the Jewish state.

This bias in favor of Israel, which already has spy satellites in space, will only lead to a race of a different nature in the region, a space race. The countries of the region who formerly purchased their images from American companies will now resort to putting their own satellites into orbit.

The U.S. should realize by now that Israel's security will not be improved by ensuring it has a military edge over all of its neighbors, nor by preventing those neighbors from acquiring all of the sophisticated equipment that Israel has.

Israel's security can only be guaranteed if it is accepted in the region. It will not be accepted and nor will it live in peace for as long as it denies the Palestinians their national right. Nor will it live in peace for as long as it occupies Arab land.

-- The Jordan Times, Amman