Israel Israel Israelst, they are not a dire threat to vital U.S. interests, except inasmuch as they

[Churchill]

Israel is the largest total recipient since World War II" of U.S. aid. Total direct U.S. aid to Israel for this period amounts to well over $140 billion since World War II. Israel receives about $3 billion in direct foreign assistance each year, which is about one-fifth of America’s foreign aid budget. This largesse is especially striking when one realizes that Israel is now a wealthy industrial state with a per capita income roughly equal to South Korea or Spain.

Israel is the only recipient of U.S. aid that does not have to account for how the aid is spent. This makes it virtually impossible to prevent the money from being used for purposes the United States opposes.

Since 1982, the United States has vetoed 32 United Nations Security Council resolutions that were critical of Israel, a number greater than the combined total of vetoes cast by all the other Security Council members together.

The U.S. also blocks Arab states’ efforts to put Israel’s nuclear arsenal on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s agenda.

Strategic Asset

* Backing Israel is not cheap, however, and it complicates America's relations with the Arab World.
* The first Gulf War revealed the extent to which Israel was becoming a strategic burden.
* In fact, Israel is a liability in the war on terror and the broader effort to deal with rogue states.
* More important, saying that Israel and the U.S. are united by a shared terrorist threat has the causal relationship backwards; the U.S. has a terrorism problem because it is so closely aligned with Israel, not the other way around.
* As for the so-called rogue states in the Middle East, they are not a dire threat to vital U.S. interests, except inasmuch as they are a threat to Israel.
* A final reason to question Israel's strategic value is that it does not behave like a loyal ally.

The Moral Case for Support

* There is a strong moral case for supporting Israel's continued existence, but that is not in jeopardy.
* Today Israel is the strongest military power in the Middle East. Its conventional forces are far superior to those of its neighbors and it is the only state in the region with nuclear weapons.
* That Israel is a fellow democracy surrounded by hostile dictatorships cannot account for the current level of aid.
* The country's creation was undoubtedly an appropriate response to the long record of crimes against Jews but it also brought about fresh crimes against a largely innocent third party: the Palestinians.
* Yet on this ground (seeking peace), Israel's record is not distinguishable from that of its opponents.
* ... Yitzhak Shamir, once a terrorist and responsible for the deaths of Count Folke Bernadotte, UN mediator and British official Lord Moyne. Shamir,would later would become prime minister of Israel, declared that 'neither Jewish ethics nor Jewish tradition can disqualify terrorism as a means of combat.

EDIT: I fucked the title up

[Souj]

but we gotta be on the jews good side when Jesus comes back, or he'll blow up the United States.

[Tradition]

Clearly it's all part of a Zionist plot for world domination.

[Churchill]

Clearly it's all part of a Zionist plot for world domination.

Yes.

[guartz]

Clearly it's all part of a Zionist plot for world domination.

I noticed he didn't mention jews or zionists in his post,

but obligatory wacko dismissal when criticizing israel is not unexpected.

[Beckwin]

More important, saying that Israel and the U.S. are united by a shared terrorist threat has the causal relationship backwards; the U.S. has a terrorism problem because it is so closely aligned with Israel, not the other way around.

agree hugely here, best point to be made on the subject of Israel.

[guartz]

I just have to add something,

although this should be an interesting topic, you are pretty much wasting your breathe. The reason I say this, is because the way israeli PR efforts aligned things, questioning israel is like questioning jewish faith itself. And we all know how questioning religion works, that is, it doesn't. Which makes it very easy for politicians to just go along and shut up, even here in US, nevermind the overwhelming lobbying Israel does in U.S. It's not even needed anymore, it's political death to critique israel, though I guess lining politician's pockets helps them feel better about it, that is, if there are a few who had passing thoughts to question status quo.

I guess it never helps to point out certain hypocrisy, say like, for example, jews living in America who are "pro-israel" whatever that means, are always exclusively anti extremist republican right, which is ideologically equivalent if not worse.

or how this religion puts emphasis on how jews are a race of people, while, majority of them are white fair skinned, which means they are not the original 12 tribes descendants.

or Israel, land of peace. lawl

or how israel claims to be a democracy.

[Demosthenes11]

israel is there to stay, get over it, yada yada
does this mean we need to keep pouring money into them? no

the middle east needs to get over it, suicide bombing over it won't do shit

[Lee]

The majority of the Foreign Aid is in military equipment btw, not actual cash/currency. But nonetheless, I don't support the fact that America keeps giving Israel freebies, as it threatens both parties.

[pohibaba]

israel is there to stay, get over it, yada yada
does this mean we need to keep pouring money into them? no

the middle east needs to get over it, suicide bombing over it won't do shit

You think Israel would remain a state for long if we pulled all of our support (troops) out? I honestly don't think that would be possible.

[Demosthenes11]

I've wondered the same thing, and I think for now our aid is needed

just not to the extent that it is given

[Lee]

Israel would definitely still exist without our troops... you're forgetting that USA isn't the only country supporting them. Besides, this is the reason why they have nukes, as a deterrent from pushing them to the edge of destruction.

[Meat]

or how this religion puts emphasis on how jews are a race of people, while, majority of them are white fair skinned, which means they are not the original 12 tribes descendants.

The majority of Israelis are brownies

[Rivero]

You think Israel would remain a state for long if we pulled all of our support (troops) out? I honestly don't think that would be possible.

Israel could easily sustain itself with its own proper army and air force. Despite its small stature its technologically one of the most advanced countries in Asia let alone the world and has enough more than enough military power to "defend" itself, but rather as a peace-loving country they try not to force
threats onto their neighboring enemies although they easily could.

[Kuya]

Israel could easily sustain itself with its own proper army and air force. Despite its small stature its technologically one of the most advanced countries in Asia let alone the world and has enough more than enough military power to "defend" itself, but rather as a peace-loving country they try not to force
threats onto their neighboring enemies although they easily could.

?

Anyway, as always, oh you "white" men and your burdens.

[Septimus]

The sad part is that the majority of Conservative support for Israel in the US is probably because of the role that the country plays in the Book of Revelations. You can't have a proper Apocalypse without Israel, so the right-wing insures that they are kept around since they believe these are the end-of-days. (Even though people have believed that it was the end of days for all of recorded history...)

[Churchill]

I've wondered the same thing, and I think for now our aid is needed

just not to the extent that it is given

You seem to be missing some of the facts presented here...our aid to Israel is our number one foreign threat.

[Churchill]

Israel could easily sustain itself with its own proper army and air force. Despite its small stature its technologically one of the most advanced countries in Asia let alone the world and has enough more than enough military power to "defend" itself, but rather as a peace-loving country they try not to force
threats onto their neighboring enemies although they easily could.

What?

Israel is one of the most volatile, hate inciting countries in the middle east. They have no qualms of resorting to the same "terrorism" their so called foes use, and only have military/technological power due to US aid.

[Demosthenes11]

The sad part is that the majority of Conservative support for Israel in the US is probably because of the role that the country plays in the Book of Revelations. You can't have a proper Apocalypse without Israel, so the right-wing insures that they are kept around since they believe these are the end-of-days. (Even though people have believed that it was the end of days for all of recorded history...)

That's one hell of a claim, not to mention I've never even heard of this

[Mizango]

The sad part is that the majority of Conservative support for Israel in the US is probably because of the role that the country plays in the Book of Revelations. You can't have a proper Apocalypse without Israel, so the right-wing insures that they are kept around since they believe these are the end-of-days. (Even though people have believed that it was the end of days for all of recorded history...)

^
Dis.