America’s Hypocrisy About Democracy Illustrated By Ties To Authoritarian Leaders In India–And Israel

By Mel Gurtov\PeaceVoice Photos: Facebook\Wikimedia Commons India is hailed as the world’s biggest democracy, and Israel as the only democracy in the Middle East. Yet both are led by authoritarian rulers who are far more interested in crushing opponents than in promoting democracy.  This reality should be sobering for US presidents who, whether Democrats or Republicans, have consistently given both countries full support: India, as a bulwark against China, and Israel, as a deterrent against Iran. But the challenge comes when democracy is receding in India and Israel, and human rights are under attack. The US has failed to meet the challenge, instead finding ways to justify what cannot be justified. Speaking of aid to Israel recently, Secretary of State Antony Blinken was classically disingenuous: “As we’re looking at human rights and the condition of human rights around the world, we apply the same standard to everyone. That doesn’t change whether the country in question is an adversary or competitor, a friend or an ally.” He also said we can count on Israel to investigate its own violations: “This is what separates democracies from other countries — the ability, the willingness, the determination to look at themselves,” he said. To...