Question re: Israel and US relationship

[Doc Safari]

Well POTUS did say Islam was a fundamental thread in the birth of America essentially.

I'd hate to ever accuse a president of taking hits on the crack pipe, but sometimes evidence just speaks for itself...

[Renegade]

I think at a fundamental level they represent our only real ally in the region. They have shared intelligence with us in the past. They also have done our "dirty work" on occasion like when they attacked Iraq's nuclear facilities back in the day.

They also kill our people, spy on us, and steal our technology.

It is one of the most bizarre political relationships I have ever seen.

ETA

and we threaten to shoot their planes down.....

[Campbell]

When the Soviets got involved in the region, they did so by supplying Israel's enemies in Syria, Iraq, and Egypt (which together were supposed to form the United Arab Republic - the reason for the similar flags flown by all three countries). Domino theory required the US to intervene in the region to prevent the spread of Soviet influence and communism. The US already had a bit of a history supporting Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan. But Israel wasn't noted for being particularly fond of communism, making them a natural US ally in checking Soviet influence in the region.

The rest, as they say, is history. (With few exceptions we still support many of the countries that we supported during the Cold War and who we primarily supported as a result of our desire to check Soviet global influence. And the Russians and Chinese do much the same.)

Which is not to say that there wasn't a natural inclination for the US to support Israel based off of non-semitic guilt over the holocaust or among rabid American Christians who want to support the state of Israel for religious reasons. They were just things that helped push the US into it.

"rabid American Christians" = religious reasons. Good stuff.

[SteyrAUG]

First of all I'm Christian so this is from a purely political stance I ask this. What do they provide or have, that we have vested interest in? I don't know historically or politically so I'm asking - but it seems we are tighter with them and outside of religious implications, which I doubt the office care about, what is our need to protect, reconcile, be allies? The Leviathan gas fields?


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Of all the fanatically insane crazy people of the desert, they seem to be the least insane.

If I had to give a nuke to either Israel or Iran, it would be an easy choice, even with the knowledge that they sometimes whack their own prime ministers.

Personally I'd rather just pull back and let them sort their shit out, but for some reason nobody seems to be willing to let that happen.

[MountainRaven]

"rabid American Christians" = religious reasons. Good stuff.

Explaining the millenarianist desires of some of those who want to be friendly with Israel wasn't something that I wanted to get into.

[Campbell]

Explaining the millenarianist desires of some of those who want to be friendly with Israel wasn't something that I wanted to get into.

Roger that... one has to be careful when painting with the big brush...

[Dienekes]

I wonder if Bibi would take me home with him if I donated half of my guns and ammo to the cause. I don't think I can handle much more of our homegrown weasels.

[Business_Casual]

Genesis 12:3 is a good start "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you" -- though you did say "from a purely political stance."

So theology aside, yes, they are the only democracy in the region.

If one rejects, as many now do, that the USA was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, then it is hard to convincingly argue for alignment with Israel.

So you contend that the Abrahamic Covenant is still in effect and there have been no events/covenants to replace it... oh, say about 2000 years ago?

I think the USA supported Israel out naked self interest, the same way politicians show up at APAC while not showing up for Bibi.

[jpmuscle]

Any pro Palestine supporters in this group?

[OH58D]

I trained with some IDF rotor pilots back in the mid '90s here in the US, then spent some time in Israel visiting one of their bases. Nice guys and gals. Many have ties to the US thru grandparents, cousins, and are probably the most pro-American people you could ever meet wearing the uniform of another nation. They love anything American.

Not too hard to figure out why the relationship between the President and the State of Israel is so bad right now. POTUS is an anti-Colonial Marxist, Islam sympathising, Anti-Semite.