EDITORIAL
On Israel, Lingle must exercise diplomacy

As an individual, Gov. Linda Lingle has every right to travel to Israel to demonstrate her support for the Jewish state that she yearned to visit as a young girl donating dimes toward the planting of trees in the Holy Land.

But her recent trip with a 27-member delegation, which included a half-dozen Cabinet members, suggested to the world that Hawai'i as a state supports a nation whose policies are at the core of conflict in the Middle East.

And that's not the most prudent message to send out.

Well intended or not, Lingle's Israel trip comes at a volatile juncture in the war on terrorism.

Lingle said she made the trip to promote agricultural cooperation between the two, and "to raise Hawai'i awareness" among potential Israeli visitors. With security concerns and financial woes, we suspect most of them have closer and less expensive vacation destinations in mind.

Moreover, Lingle has insisted that her visit, which was financed by the Israeli government, is not an endorsement of anything except that it's "America's greatest ally in the Middle East."

As Hawai'i's leader, Lingle would be wise to temper her official support for Israel with an acknowledgment that occupation, the demolition of homes, the expansion of settlements and the failure to withdraw from occupied territories are not the greatest examples of democracy.

As much as Lingle cares about Israel, she might want to blend her support with constructive criticism. Meanwhile, she should take care not to imply that she's speaking for the state as a whole.