"No one wants to abandon the Israelis. But I think the perception is, and I think it's probably an accurate perception, that the tail is leading the dog - that we are giving the Israelis carte blanche ability to exercise whatever they want to do in their area"

This quote by Michael Scheuer recommends that the United States is enabling Israel to have excessive control over its own affairs. The expression "tail is leading the pet dog" indicates that the United States is following Israel's lead, instead of the other way around. This recommends that the United States is not taking a proactive role in the area, however rather is allowing Israel to dictate the regards to its own actions. This might be viewed as a sign of weak point on the part of the United States, as it is not taking a strong stance in the region. It could likewise be seen as a sign of favoritism towards Israel, as the United States is allowing it to have more control than other nations in the area. Eventually, this quote indicates that the United States is not taking a strong enough position in the region, and is allowing Israel to have too much control.