Disloyalty In A Quickie
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It is American law that foreign service in a foreign military is prohibited. But there is one exception: Israel.
The United States has longstanding and genuine allies all over Europe. And America's best friend is Great Britain. No nation shares the same intertwined history with the United States as Britain does, but if you ever wanted to volunteer for service in the British army that would be grounds for loss of citizenship. The Netherlands as well. Ditto France.
And I agree with that law. I do not believe that everyone who goes to serve in a foreign army is disloyal to the United States. Unless that nation is a sworn enemy or adversary of the United States (like, say, Iran or China), it should not necessarily be an offense to do some service in a foreign army. People may want to serve in foreign armies for a whole host of reasons: The opportunities that service abroad offers, they are enamored by the French foreign legion, or, say, they find the Dutch army cool for some reason. Maybe because European armies represent the old court culture in their emblems.
But the U.S. government will prohibit you. I do not find that necessarily objectionable. Citizenship in a nation means swearing loyalty to the state. And serving in a foreign army entails swearing another oath to another nation. Two conflicting oaths. It makes sense for a nation to thus prohibit such oath swearing by barring foreign military service.
But Israel is exempt from this. And now in commodity fashion:
"Friends of the Israel Defense Forces offers Americans who share an affinity for Israeli military and have some time on their hands a chance to undergo a quickie IDF boot camp for a $10,000 donation."
Not everyone who serves in the IDF is disloyal to America. And maybe there is nothing wrong with it from a legal perspective (to say nothing of the moral perspective of serving in a brutal occupation army). But why should Israel be the exemption when nations that are far better allies to America are not given the same exemption?
Somehow it is decent to serve in the IDF, an occupation army, but an affront to serve in the British navy? What bullshit!
Blame it on the Israel lobby: The best exemption campaign contributions can buy.
