MAZELTOV: SEN. WALLOP FORCES FIRST SENATE DEBATE ON GOLAN DEPLOYMENT; VOTE WILL PROVE A PYRRHIC VICTORY FOR AIPAC

(Washington, D.C.): Despite the
combined and concerted efforts of the
American-Israel Public Affairs Committee
(AIPAC), the Clinton Administration and
the Israeli government, a courageous U.S.
Senator compelled his colleagues to begin
to address an issue most are determined
to ignore for the moment — the
Administration’s impending commitment to
deploy U.S. troops on the Golan Heights.
The Center for Security Policy commends Senator
Malcolm Wallop (R-WY) — a
distinguished member of its Board of
Advisors and 1992 recipient of the
Center’s prestigious “Keeper of the
Flame” award — for his leadership
and characteristic fortitude in seeking
an informed debate on a Golan deployment before
the United States becomes formally
obliged to undertake it.

Yes Virginia, There is a
Golan Deployment in the Works

Such a commitment is in the offing,
official representations to the contrary
notwithstanding. One oft-cited example of
the latter was contained in a 25 May 1994
letter from President Clinton to Senator
Alfonse D’Amato. In it, Mr. Clinton
declared: “…No discussions
on…[U.S.] participation [in a Golan
peacekeeping mission] have yet taken
place. With respect to possible future
negotiations, we would consult fully with
Congress prior to any formal commitment
to the parties.” (Emphasis added.)

In fact, there have been
intensive — and ongoing — discussions
between the United States and Israel
concerning, for example, the placement of
U.S. observers or monitors and the
materiel they would need to perform their
mission. Preparations for a package of
military, intelligence and other
assistance to Israel intended to reduce
somewhat the risks to Israel of
surrendering the Golan Heights to Syria
are likewise well advanced. This package
is said to be worth over $5 billion and
presumes the involvement of U.S.
peacekeeping forces. Some leading members
of Congress have received official
briefings on these initiatives.

The majority of the Senate last night,
nonetheless, chose to pretend that it is
“premature” to consider the
merits and the risks of a U.S. deployment
on the Golan Heights. With nearly a third
of its members already on vacation, it
defeated by a 3-67 vote an amendment
offered by Sen. Wallop that would have
required a Pentagon analysis and
congressional debate before the President
committed the United States to such a
deployment.

A Marker is Laid Down

Still, Sen. Wallop rendered an
invaluable service by putting his
colleagues, the Clinton Administration
and the Israeli government on notice: There
are real dangers for the U.S.-Israeli
relationship and for the “peace
process” inherent in postponing
congressional deliberation on an American
deployment on the Golan until after it is
made an integral part of an
Israeli-Syrian “peace
agreement.”

After all, doing so invites a
repetition of the debacles that ensued in
Beirut and Somalia — instances in which
the American people’s willingness to
support the exposure of their sons and
daughters in uniform to possibly mortal
dangers was only tested after the damage
was done. At that point, public pressure
inevitably compels Congress to become
engaged on the issue, often emotionally
and precipitously. No one is
doing the “peace process” any
favors by ensuring that the hard
questions about such a deployment are
only asked and answered at a similar
juncture in a Golan deployment, rather
than now.

Senator Wallop — and Sens.
Strom Thurmond (R-SC) and Don Nickles
(R-OK) who joined him in seeking an a
priori study of a Golan Heights
deployment — deserve the heartfelt
thanks of all those committed to a secure
Israel and robust U.S.-Israeli ties.
The latter should, if anything, feel an
even greater sense of urgency about the
need to ensure that the relevant
questions are posed at once, before it
becomes even more politically
difficult to evaluate dispassionately the
risks, costs and implications of putting
U.S. forces on the Golan.⁽¹⁾

For its part, the Center for Security
Policy will shortly help prepare an
authoritative, independent analysis of
the dangers inherent in a Golan
deployment. It is to be hoped that such a
study will serve to stimulate and inform
the needed debate before it is too late
to spare both Israel and the United
States the repercussions of a
ill-considered and unsustainable
commitment of American troops to those
Heights.

– 30 –

1. Indeed, if
comments a number of Senators made to
Sen. Wallop as they voted against his
amendment are any guide — to the effect
that he was right, but they were
under intense pressure not to support him
— the outcome on this amendment is not
necessarily going to be replicated in the
future.