4. Honor thy friends more than thy foes.
Here in the Levant, the ability to identify allies and enemies -- and reward and punish in kind -- is a time-honored talent admired by Jews and Arabs alike. "Today you have humiliated all your followers," bewails King David's army chief as the monarch weeps over his rebellious son's murder, "by showing love for those who hate you and hate for those who love you." More recently (a thousand years ago, give or take), the fabled Muslim ethicist Ibn Hazm observed, "He who befriends and advances friend and foe alike will only arouse distaste for his friendship and contempt for his enmity." Israel -- its public and leadership -- remain unshakably pro-American. Among its neighbors, anti-Americanism is both widespread and resilient, and has increased from the George W. Bush era to Obama's. Israelis know that Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood and Iran's ruling theocracy are anti-American in their marrow. They remember, on 9/11, Palestinians celebrating in the street. They struggle to grasp why it's them on the receiving end of Obama's ire while the rest of the region's actors seem to get a free pass.
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