It's been said that nations don't have friends, just interests. That's mostly true. But then again, there are special relationships. For the U.S. of A., think Great Britain. Think Canada. Think Israel.
Once again, Israel has proven that it's a true friend of the United States. Reportedly, our president let drop some sensitive information to the Russians the other day, information that might could compromise a source of intelligence. Word has it that the intel came from the Israelis. True to form, they aren't about to confirm or deny anything specific when it comes to their intelligence or where it ends up.
Instead, some leaders in the Israeli government have come out to reassure Americans that they still have our back in their part of the unsteady world:
"The security relationship between Israel and our great ally the United States is deep, meaningful and unprecedented . . . ." said Israel's defense minister. "That is how it has been and that is how it will continue to be."
A lawmaker in the ruling Likud Party put it this way: "The current president has been serving for slightly over 100 days. This is not enough time to accumulate experience [and the breach isn't] as bad as it is described by the media."
That's what friends do. When you make a mistake, they pat you on the back, tell you it's not as bad as you think, and promise to stand by your side. Considering everything else going on in the world, we'll take our friends--or even special relationships--wherever we can find them.
Editorial on 05/19/2017