Our core interests in the Middle East are as follows:
- Keep the oil flowing; and
- Prevent terrorist attacks on us and our allies.
Our values must inevitably take a back seat to our interests when the two conflict, as they sometimes do (think of our support for the governments in Bahrain and Egypt), but should be observed in other circumstances. They are:
- Prevent human rights violations in the area; and
- Encourage the growth of liberal democratic principles (respect for property rights; freedom of the press, religion, and association; truly free elections, etc.) Please note that these two items are related, but not identical; while it is unlikely that a truly democratic state will engage in human rights violations, many authoritarian governments respect some or even most civil rights, and may be better than any plausible alternative.
That’s it. It isn’t any more complicated than that.
Some of the items that are not included on the list are as follows:
- Unconditional support for Israel when it acts in a way that is inconsistent with our interests. For example, when the Israeli government tried to use its clout in Congress to force us to go to war against Iran for no obvious American benefit, the President was wise to resist.
- Supporting the interests of either side in a religious civil war.
- Providing military support for Saudi efforts to establish hegemony over the area. Our relationship with the Saudis should be based solely on Interest #1 above; it is not premised on any commonality of values.
- Refusing to do business with Iran. Heaven knows we are dealing with decades of bad history, but as long as the Iranians are willing to act in a manner consistent with our interests and values, there is no reason to treat them as pariahs.
In short, it is a mistake for us to act as if we have some sort of moral obligation to “cut the grass” for Israel, or to serve as the tip of the Saudi spear, just because we have had common interests and enemies in the past.