By engaging in peace talks with Palestinians since the 1980s, Israel got itself a reputation for democracy and decency on the world stage and benefitted in its trade, but its democracy led to it violating the agreements from which it benefitted. It changed leaders and these leaders did not all keep its agreements. Democracy in the West and even in Russia can be a matter of posturing when in reality the changes of leadership which sometimes can be frequent (Russia excepted) can mean the posturing is only that. Trade benefits can therefore be on a basis of reputation based on agreements that probably cannot be fulfilled. Israel has maybe been most obviously guilty of it but is not the only one. Now the eagle is overhead against all of us.
