Why, WHY, does America so strongly support Isreal?

There have already been several in-depth discussions about this. There are too many links to copy and paste, but if you look at the Siblings over there >>>>>> you will find hundreds of points of view on this issue.

It’s not a stupid excuse, it’s just one you don’t agree with.

Good advice, Tali. :)

Research these names : Abraham, Hagar, Sarah, Ishmael, Isaac

oh well, i guess we can’t discuss that because that’s anti-semitism….

Money and power—the only two reasons our government does anything.

I think it is a great question…..and timely, in light of recent events.

There are new people to fluther all the time….and people change their opinions.

I see nothing wrong w/ syz asking this question or people responding.

The sibling questions listed at the side >>> have less than 100 responses. Likely many are from the same people so the acutal number of people who have responded is far less.

I hope people respond and share their views.

I think it’s a great question also and I also agree that the whole “God’s Land” arguement is completely idiotic. I’m sick of people killing other people over bullshit dogma.

Anyway, I don’t think there will ever be peace in the region as long as the US continues to prop up Israel – they essentially have no motivation to negotiate. Palistine has nothing, Israel has everything, and when they get pissed off or if Palistinianes start feeling too comfortable, they launch another air strike. I think it is a crime how one-sided the reporting is in the US. America has a lot of blood on it’s hands at the moment, and Israel just threw a few more buckets on.

I wrote this a few months ago in reply to a similar question. (My linked answer has citations, whereas my pasted answer below does not, in case anyone is looking for support for my comments).

All through the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, Israel was the only democracy in the Middle East, and a bulwark against the Soviet Union in the region. In fact, the Soviets actively supplied the Syrians, Jordanians and Egyptians with weapons and intelligence, while the US supplied the Israelis. Multiple wars (56, 67, 73) were fought with American vs Soviet equipment. The region was essentially the front line of the Cold War (in fact, the Soviets may have actively precipitated the war in 67 by suggesting to the Syrians that war was imminent). Israel provided much needed intelligence and material support to the US throughout that period (and vise versa). Likewise, during the first Gulf War, Israel sat idly by (at the “request” of the US) while Saddam shot Scuds into Israel to try to provoke a response. So, even though there are many anti-Semites who try to promote a conspiracy of Israeli control over US interests, the truth is closer to the fact that Israel (in general) follows American “suggestions” (the main difference being Israel’s behavior in the West Bank and Gaza).

Part of the answer is the extremely effective lobbying organization,AIPAC that represents Israel’s interests in Washington.

There’s also America’s interest in maintaining a military toehold in a highly strategic (and otherwise not very friendly) region. The presence of a highly armed pro-American power effectively allows the US to project its power into the Middle East through a surrogate state. Israel can, for example take out a nuclear facility in Syria with a stealth air strike; the US would have loved to do this, but all diplomatic hell would have broken loose. Israel acts as America’s “bad cop” in this rough neighborhood.

To maintain this relationship, the US avoids official criticism of Israel’s actions toward its neighbors.

Thank you Shilolo & Harp. Very interesting.

@snoopy, I never said there was anything wrong with asking the question, I was just directing syz’s attention to the fact that various forms of this question have been asked several times. And there may not be 100 responses in those >>> siblings, but once you click on one of the sibling q’s, there are more, different sibling q’s for that question, and so on.

Read the original paper by scholars Walt and Mearsheimer about the Israel Lobby.

http://ksgnotes1.harvard.edu/research/wpaper.nsf/rwp/rwp06-011

Kay, those two aren’t exactly objective. They have been rightly accused of anti-Semitism and distortion of facts.

I think many people educated and uneducated simply dislike the Arabs and do like the Jews. Many don’t have to have reasons or facts, it just the way it is with them.

@syz; Religion means everything to a heck of a lot of people, certainly in the middle east. Like has been said a million time this goes back to Abraham, 1000’s of years ago. These folks have long memories and will not forgive and forget.

All this week it has been one story after another about the suffering Palestinians. I haven’t seen a word about the Israelis that died from the 100’s of rockets the Hamas launched into Israel. I think the Palesitienans put the Hamas into office knowing full well what they thought of America and Israel. They are dumber then I thought if they didn’t have some idea what may happen when they started killing the Jews indiscriminately. The Jews are going after the Arabs like a tigers into a herd of farm animals.

To quote Clancy (queenzboulevard ) “Sir, you’d better not kick a tiger in the ass unless you have a plan for dealing with his teeth.”

4 Israelis were killed by the Hamas rocket attacks. In response, over 300 Palestinians have been killed. Sounds like a fair fight.

Funny, I don’t remember America carpet bombing Montana after the Oklahoma bombing. Somehow, I think most people would have thought that was an excessive reaction to a few nutjobs. But when Montana is Palistine isn’t of funny how Americans think that’s Ok.

I knew this would be a contentious discussion, and my intent was in no way to insult or outrage anyone. But I can’t get beyond the fact that the death and desolation are both horrendous and unbalanced.

(Shilolo, I found your discussion very helpful in explaining how we got into this situation, but do those conditions still exist and support the same “blinders on” support?)

If God meant for his people to have that land, did God intend for people to slaughter each other for decades over it?

Does anyone truly have hope for a peaceful resolution under the conditions that have existed for all these years?

@shilolo
Having just read through the Walt-Mearsheimer article, I’m curious to know what you find anti-Semitic about it. It does argue that US support for Israel is disproportional to Israel’s strategic value as an ally, and that this in some ways seriously weakens our diplomatic and national security interests. There are criticisms of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians, but only by way of countering the argument that Israel occupies the high moral ground in the conflict. It further describes the efficacy of the pro-Israel lobby (noting at the same time that its actions are no more nefarious or conspiratorial than other major lobbies), and argues that the lobby has powerfully influenced US policy in ways that may be counter to our own national interests..

I can understand how issue might be taken with some of the supporting evidence that they cite, but I don’t see in any of this a criticism, overt or implied, of the Jewish people. Surely Israel can be criticized without Jews as a people being considered the target. Frankly, I don’t see the article so much an attack on Israel as an argument that the US/Israel relationship is simply too close for our own interests. Whether or not one agrees with that argument, I don’t see how the charge of “anti-Semitism” is called for.

Syz—I am with you. America will end her own empire over Israel’s conflicts with her neighbors. It makes no sense to me, they are lousy allies (Google USS Liberty), and our loss of treasure and life cannot be worth it.

Maybe it is our Military Industrial Complex likes to test our weapons on Palistinian women and children stone throwing civilians. Civilians of a Democracy who’s elections we facilitated.

@syz, I want to respond to your question: “Does anyone truly have hope for a peaceful resolution under the conditions that have existed for all these years?”

I do. I spent a summer in Israel 10 years ago. One thing that struck me is that it is a TINY country. Not so many people, about 7 million+ in Israel. That’s less than New Jersey.

Certainly, violence can be a vicious cycle. “You killed my brother/mother/father, I will make you pay.” But there are more and more examples of those who know that will just beget more violence.

One particularly inspiring example: The Parents Circle – Families Forum. It’s a place for those who have lost family members to come together to grieve and talk – both Israeli and Palestinian. That is the beginning of peace. If families can grieve with “the enemy,” the ones who killed their brother/mother/father, peace is possible.

Here is their official response to the current violence.

For those “keeping score”:

Palestinians: 821 dead
3,300 injured

Israelis: 15 dead
(5 by friendly fire)

@ syz

Worse than numbers are also the heart-tearing scenes of the bodies of innocent babies buried beneath the ruins of the place they once called “home”. They would keep you awake at night.

—- End of my comment on what Syz said—-

And, I just can’t believe how stupid some people can be when it comes to Israel committing all these merciless crimes. Some examples of stupid statements I keep reading all around the internet include:

1. “Israel has the right to defend itself” -> By killing 10000 innocent Palestinians for ever 1 Israeli killed??? How’s this fair?

2. “Hamas has slaughtered more 100 Israelis in the past five months..”—> Wait a minute, where the heck did you get that peace of information from again? The CNN? the BBC?? Oh okay, that pretty much explains how completely misinformed you are. And by the way, even if that was true, can’t you see nearly 1000 innocent people were fried right inside their houses in the last week ONLY???

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And the list goes on..

Is it possible that Israel actually controls the United States?

The alliance between US and Israel is based on us protecting them. What do we get out of the deal? An annual $40 Billion dollar bill? A tarnished world image? Blood on our hands? Massive recruitment of a billion Muslims against us?

All for a crusade? Please someone tell me, WTF we get from this?

@ Mizuki

Imho, you get nothing but all those you said, and maybe more.

I’m not sure why the US unilaterally supports Israel.
However if not for US aid, Israel would not be able to support itself as a nation financially. Plus the US gives them weapons which they use to in aggression toward their neighbors.

This is something that Israel’s enemies, which are essentially the rest of the middle eastern nations, is not happy about. This is a major cause of anti-US sentiment in the region.