Why Is Israel So Important to the United States?

[Horhey]

Everyone in the region have various civil right violations.

Turkey is a US ally in the region and have a horrible history of committing genocide (Greeks, Armenians, Assyrians, and Kurds) but few non Greek liberals bash them.

Israel has been under constant attack since 1948. Hamas hasn't exactly stopped their attacks. I agree that there are some serious issues but to give 100% blame to the Israelis is foolish.

Just recently has Jordan because a reliable US ally in the region. Israel has been one since 1948.

How would we, in the West, react if were brutally occupied and oppressed by a foreign power? If Tel Aviv really cared about undermining support for Hamas and reducing the threat of terror they would end their "collective punishment" policies and withdraw to the 1967 borders, as required by international law. But they don't. For the government, the threat of terror is a useful pretext for their annexation programs, all under the guise of "national security".

Its the institutional pathology of governments in general to exploit fear of real or imagined threats to increase state power.

 

[Midnyte_Sun]

It's a very deep rooted relationship that has ties in all facets of American government and society.

They spy for us, they train their military with us, they attack countries for us, they murder for us. They are imbedded in our security apparatus and our technology and military industry. They lobby our congressmen and our Jewish citizens by giving them free trips to Israel, and they train our police on how to brutalize protesters; the NYPD even has an office in Tel Aviv. US congressman who criticize Israel are under tremendous pressure to apologize or face risk of a short political career and are even offerred re-education trips to Israel to get them to change their mind.

Pro-Zionist groups have been linked to American hate groups targeting Muslims and also neocons who advocated for the invasion of Iraq, Iran, and all of their strategic enemies. It's not above them to even spy on the US government.

On top of all that, they have a giant legal network that threatens lawsuits against the media, universities, and a paid group of online trolls known as the 'hasbarah' who are paid to rove social media and post comments in support or defense of Israel. They take their public opinion very serious. Anyone who is critical of Israel either through online activism, journalism, or simply speaking out publicly will be barred ever entering Israel. Those critical of Israel that somehow make it in, have been murdered, beaten, verbally assaulted, and sometimes jailed. Furthermore, they even murdered 34 US Navy crew members in a false flag attack when they sank the USS Liberty. It was suspected it was a false flag attack to get America (Who was trying to say neutral) in the 6 day war and attack Egypt.

This is the same country that supported the Apartheid in South Africa, illegally obtained Nuclear Weapons, trained Burmese military that recently was cited for ethnic cleansing of Muslims, and has now is working hard to infiltrate the EU.

 

[Taarna]

I hate this talking point, England or Canada might disagree(and unlike Israel they don't beg us for money). I can probably list a bunch of other countries in Europe as well, hell I'll probably even add Mexico

To me the "Israel is America's #1 Ally" is nothing more then a Fox News/Republican talking point, hell even Netanyahu realizes this and makes sure he says #1 ally in the Middle East

It's very arguable. Canada and the UK are well aligned with the USA too, but I believe the USA and Isreal more in common. The weapons and aid the USA gives to Isreal speak volumes. Many Israelis can pass for Arabs, which makes them ideal spies for the area.

Isreal is the USA's hedge in a hot spot area. The UK has no such hot spots, and neither does Canada. This is why I think Isreal would back the USA the most.

It is thought the two nations share much intelligence, and Isreal has 20-40 nuclear weapons for a counter strike if attacked by nuclear weapons.

 

[Kelly]

The so-called Christian Right believes Israel needs to exist for Armageddon to happen.

Which leads churches across America to support Israel no matter what, with complete and utter moral indifference to its apartheid treatment of the Palestinians.

They are missing, however, a very big KEY POINT....it is "Peace in Jerusalem" not "Jews in Jerusalem". They seem to have missed that point.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Short of nuclear war obliterating everything, there will never be peace in Jerusalem. Though I don't think a smoldering radioactive crater is quite what they had in mind when they wrote the Bible.

 

[Smashlilman]

Short of nuclear war obliterating everything, there will never be peace in Jerusalem. Though I don't think a smoldering radioactive crater is quite what they had in mind when they wrote the Bible.

That depends on how you interpret some passages of the Bible. lol

http://www.openbible.info/topics/nuclear_war
What does the Bible say about Nuclear War

Zechariah 14:12 ESV / 70 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful
And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem: their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Matthew 24:22 ESV / 20 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Isaiah 24:19-20 ESV / 15 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

The earth is utterly broken, the earth is split apart, the earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man; it sways like a hut; its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls, and will not rise again.

2 Peter 3:10-13 ESV / 14 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Revelation 8:10-11 ESV / 10 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

The third angel blew his trumpet, and a great star fell from heaven, blazing like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the water, because it had been made bitter.

Isaiah 2:19 ESV / 10 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And people shall enter the caves of the rocks and the holes of the ground, from before the terror of the Lord, and from the splendor of his majesty, when he rises to terrify the earth.

Zechariah 5:1-11 ESV / 8 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. I will send it out, declares the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.” Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.” ...

Micah 1:3-4 ESV / 8 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

For behold, the Lord is coming out of his place, and will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will melt under him, and the valleys will split open, like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a steep place.

Joel 2:3 ESV / 8 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

Fire devours before them, and behind them a flame burns. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them.

Matthew 24:44 ESV / 7 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

Matthew 24:6-7 ESV / 7 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.

Isaiah 17:14 ESV / 7 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

At evening time, behold, terror! Before morning, they are no more! This is the portion of those who loot us, and the lot of those who plunder us.

Isaiah 13:6-13 ESV / 7 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; as destruction from the Almighty it will come! Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will melt. They will be dismayed: pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labor. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. Behold, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. ...

Luke 12:49 ESV / 6 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

“I came to cast fire on the earth, and would that it were already kindled!

Matthew 24:21-22 ESV / 6 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

Matthew 9:12 ESV / 6 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.

Psalm 9:15 ESV / 6 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid, their own foot has been caught.

Revelation 16:16 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

Matthew 24:42 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Matthew 24:13 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Amos 6:10 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And when one's relative, the one who anoints him for burial, shall take him up to bring the bones out of the house, and shall say to him who is in the innermost parts of the house, “Is there still anyone with you?” he shall say, “No”; and he shall say, “Silence! We must not mention the name of the Lord.”

Ezekiel 38:23 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

So I will show my greatness and my holiness and make myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.

Isaiah 66:15-16 ESV / 5 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

“For behold, the Lord will come in fire, and his chariots like the whirlwind, to render his anger in fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For by fire will the Lord enter into judgment, and by his sword, with all flesh; and those slain by the Lord shall be many.

Matthew 24:6-8 ESV / 4 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

Amos 6:11 ESV / 4 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

For behold, the Lord commands, and the great house shall be struck down into fragments, and the little house into bits.

Ezekiel 38:1-23 ESV / 4 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; ...

Jeremiah 25:31-33 ESV / 4 helpful votes HelpfulNot Helpful

The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth, for the Lord has an indictment against the nations; he is entering into judgment with all flesh, and the wicked he will put to the sword, declares the Lord.’ “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Behold, disaster is going forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirring from the farthest parts of the earth! “And those pierced by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall be dung on the surface of the ground.

 

[Kelly]

Oh boy.....

 

[hippie_hunter]

It's very arguable. Canada and the UK are well aligned with the USA too, but I believe the USA and Isreal more in common.

Yet again, I seriously question your logic. The US and Israel have a lot more in common than the US does with Canada and the UK? Seriously? Where does that even come from? Language wise, Canada and the UK speak the exact same language as the US. They share a common prevalent Anglo-based heritage, with the US and Canada having a diverse immigrant history on top of it. Economically the US and Canada are intrinsically tied together by being each others largest trading partner, having a free trade zone, and corporations basically treat US/Canada as the same market; and the UK is also one of the US's biggest trading partners as well. We share a common legal system which was developed over the centuries in England. We share the same common liberal values. The US, UK, and Canada share the same Protestant based religious culture. Culturally it's very easy for the US, UK, and Canada to share their arts and media with one another

The weapons and aid the USA gives to Isreal speak volumes.

It really does. And it's really sad if you think about it considering that Israel contributes very little to the US.

Also the US is in formal military alliances with the UK and Canada through organizations NATO and NORAD. The Canadian and British militaries are far more integrated with the American military and cooperate on a much higher level than the American military does with the IDF. The relationship between the American and Israeli militaries are more based on mutual logistical support, as opposed to a full on alliance.

Many Israelis can pass for Arabs, which makes them ideal spies for the area.

That's probably because many Israelis are Arabs.

Isreal is the USA's hedge in a hot spot area. The UK has no such hot spots, and neither does Canada.

There is this hot spot called the Arctic Circle where there is a scramble for resources that Canada and the UK give us a hedge in.

This is why I think Isreal would back the USA the most.

Despite the fact that history has proven that Canada and the UK back the United States the most and despite the fact that Israel is a coward of an ally for the United States. While Israel has stayed on the sidelines in operations that have Israel's interests involved such as the Persian Gulf War, the Iraq War, and the attacks on ISIL, the UK and Canada have not only supported us, but have fought and bled with us. We fought side by side with the Canadians and British in the beaches of Normandy. The UK and Canada fought with us in Afghanistan. The UK fought with us in Iraq. The UK and Canada are key players in attacking ISIL.

It is thought the two nations share much intelligence,

We share a lot of intelligence with Canada and the UK more so with the Five Eyes agreement. Also, unlike what Israel does to us, the UK and Canada don't spy on us because the UK and Canada are, as the intelligence community states, part of "the inner circle of our very closest allies, who don’t need to spy on each other." In addition, thanks to Five Eyes, Australia and New Zealand are also more connected and more vital to US intelligence than Israel.

and Isreal has 20-40 nuclear weapons for a counter strike if attacked by nuclear weapons.

Any country having nuclear weapons in such a volatile region is not a good thing.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Culturally it's very easy for the US, UK, and Canada to share their arts and media with one another

We're still waiting for that thank-you note for Nickelback, Loverboy and Justin Bieber.

 

[hippie_hunter]

We're still waiting for that thank-you note for Nickelback, Loverboy and Justin Bieber.

I wouldn't hold my breath for that one

 

[Taarna]

hippie_hunter

It really does. And it's really sad if you think about it considering that Israel contributes very little to the US.

The USA gives billions to Pakistan ( 4 billion ) who harbored bin laden. Isreal, at least, is an ally. Please explain what you meant by the word contributes. Which nation contributes to us? Isreal in terms of terrorism, defense, and political support is very pro-USA.

Any country having nuclear weapons in such a volatile region is not a good thing.

The USA gave Isreal Nukes. Did we do this for any other nation Hippe? This to me underscores a great deal of trusts between two nations.

 

[Slushy]

because The Bible said so.

 

[Thundercrack85]

The USA gives billions to Pakistan ( 4 billion ) who harbored bin laden. Isreal, at least, is an ally. Please explain what you meant by the word contributes. Which nation contributes to us? Isreal in terms of terrorism, defense, and political support is very pro-USA.




The USA gave Isreal Nukes. Did we do this for any other nation Hippe? This to me underscores a great deal of trusts between two nations.

Oh, Taarna. The US was actually strongly opposed to Israel getting nukes. Anyone with a brain knew that Israel with nukes was a recipe for nuclear war. And the Israelis weren't given nukes by anyone. They acquired the materials - or I should say the matériel from France (and to a lesser extent the UK and Argentina).

JFK was particularly pissed. The Israelis used their secret weapons project as leverage to get more weapons from the US in the 60's. The CIA even believed that Israel stole uranium from the US.

But you were talking about trust?

 

[Taarna]

Oh, Taarna. The US was actually strongly opposed to Israel getting nukes. Anyone with a brain knew that Israel with nukes was a recipe for nuclear war. And the Israelis weren't given nukes by anyone. They acquired the materials - or I should say the matériel from France (and to a lesser extent the UK and Argentina).

JFK was particularly pissed. The Israelis used their secret weapons project as leverage to get more weapons from the US in the 60's. The CIA even believed that Israel stole uranium from the US.

But you were talking about trust?

Crazy stuff. Where is a link with credibility to prove what you are saying? Politicians can say one thing, but nothing happens by accident.

"The list of nations that secretly sold Israel the material and expertise to make nuclear warheads, or who turned a blind eye to its theft, include today's staunchest campaigners against proliferation: the US, France, Germany, Britain and even Norway."

http://www.americanthinker.com/arti...tists_helped_america_build_the_atom_bomb.html

The jews pretty much invented the weapon as I understand it No one says they aren't a smart lot.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/truth-israels-secret-nuclear-arsenal

 

[Thundercrack85]

Crazy stuff. Where is a link with credibility to prove what you are saying? Politicians can say one thing, but nothing happens by accident.

"The list of nations that secretly sold Israel the material and expertise to make nuclear warheads, or who turned a blind eye to its theft, include today's staunchest campaigners against proliferation: the US, France, Germany, Britain and even Norway."

http://www.americanthinker.com/arti...tists_helped_america_build_the_atom_bomb.html

The jews pretty much invented the weapon as I understand it No one says they aren't a smart lot.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/truth-israels-secret-nuclear-arsenal

I'm not sure I follow you here.

 

[Taarna]

I'm not sure I follow you here.

Okay, summed up quickly

Nuclear material doesn't get shipped to other nations by accident. The USA helped Isreal obtain Nukes. Only a close ally of the USA would get this type of help.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Don't worry Thundercrack, I got this.

The USA gives billions to Pakistan ( 4 billion ) who harbored bin laden.

One can certainly question the logic behind our assistance to Pakistan given the instability in that country. But their government didn't harbor bin Laden. There are rogue elements within the Pakistani government, particularly within the military, that harbored bin Laden, but it wasn't like the President of Pakistan intentionally harbored bin Laden.

Isreal, at least, is an ally.

At least spell Israel correctly.

Please explain what you meant by the word contributes.

I mean what do we get out of our relationship with Israel? For example out Israel gets military and technical assistance from the United States. The United States government protects Israel in the United Nations. And whatnot.

Which nation contributes to us?

The countries of NATO contribute to the defense of the United States. Nations like Canada contribute vital resources to the US. Nations like Japan and Germany contribute bases to our military.

Isreal in terms of terrorism, defense, and political support is very pro-USA.

Let's see. When it comes to operations like Afghanistan, Israel has been non-existent and when it comes to the fight against ISIL, Israel has been a minor player. So when it comes to terrorism, Israel really hasn't contributed. When it comes to defense, our policies towards Israel have actually made us less safer because they have contributed to groups like Hamas, al-Qaeda, ISIL, Hezbollah, etc. hating us even more. When it comes to political support, you have the Netanyahu government deliberately undermining US policy. And they have spied on us. So you're very wrong in that aspect.

So let's take a look at how important Israel is. They're not even in the Top 20 of our trading partners. Culturally, Israel has contributed very little to our film, music, etc. They are not a part of organizations like NATO to contribute to our defense. They are not one of our largest intelligence partners.

The USA gave Isreal Nukes. Did we do this for any other nation Hippe? This to me underscores a great deal of trusts between two nations.

Except we did not do that. The United States has never been supportive of Israel's nuclear project for various reasons. We have been forced to keep quiet and turn a blind eye, but we've never supported it. Thundercrack is right in that most of the assistance Israel received in regards to their nuclear program, came from France. The United States on the other hand opposed it because they didn't want a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and didn't want to undermine the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

But by giving, do you mean stole? Because Israel stole nuclear material from us.

Crazy stuff. Where is a link with credibility to prove what you are saying? Politicians can say one thing, but nothing happens by accident.

"The list of nations that secretly sold Israel the material and expertise to make nuclear warheads, or who turned a blind eye to its theft, include today's staunchest campaigners against proliferation: the US, France, Germany, Britain and even Norway."

http://www.americanthinker.com/arti...tists_helped_america_build_the_atom_bomb.html

The jews pretty much invented the weapon as I understand it No one says they aren't a smart lot.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/15/truth-israels-secret-nuclear-arsenal

And this post is just full of stupid.

First of all, just because a person is Jewish, doesn't mean that they're Israeli. Jews like Robert Oppenheimer were American Jews and were loyal to the United States, not Israel, which didn't exist at the time. And bringing up their Jewish heritage has nothing to do with the argument as to why Israel should have a bomb or not.

Second, your articles literally state everything that Thundercrack and I have been saying. Thundercrack doesn't need to look up articles, you did his job for him:

"CIA deputy director Carl Duckett informed a dozen officials from the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission that the agency suspected some of the fissile fuel in Israel's bombs was weapons-grade uranium stolen under America's nose from a processing plant in Pennsylvania."

"Israel refused to countenance visits by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), so in the early 1960s President Kennedy demanded they accept American inspectors."

"The timing could not have been worse. The NPT, intended to prevent too many nuclear genies from escaping from their bottles, had just been drawn up and if news broke that one of the supposedly non-nuclear-weapons states had secretly made its own bomb, it would have become a dead letter that many countries, especially Arab states, would refuse to sign."

"In Dimona, French engineers poured in to help build Israel a nuclear reactor and a far more secret reprocessing plant capable of separating plutonium from spent reactor fuel. This was the real giveaway that Israel's nuclear programme was aimed at producing weapons."

How about you actually read before you post articles to "help" you.

 

[Horhey]

In his own words at the UN General Assembly:

Obama rejects Palestinian statehood bid at UN. Promises a Veto

[YT]efH4OlpyWvo[/YT]

Obama: No shortcut to peace in Middle East, AP

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — President Barack Obama declared Wednesday that there could be no shortcut to peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as he sought to head off a United Nations showdown over Palestinian statehood that's becoming a thorny diplomatic problem for his administration.

I cringe when the corporate media uses the term "peace process". There is no such thing. Never has been. Its a charade. They call it a peace process because Washington always seeks peace, by definition.

 

[Clark-Kent]

 

[hippie_hunter]

Not really. I would say the Cold War is a far bigger reason than oil.

 

[Destructus86]

People who use the Bible to support supporting a country like Israel seriously needs to recheck their beliefs.

 

[herakles]

People who use the Bible to support supporting a country like Israel seriously needs to recheck their beliefs.

Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Iran have done FAR worse things than Israel and the US either has a existing relationship or are trying rebuild that relationship.

 

[Horhey]

Expired...

 

[hippie_hunter]

But what you posted also confirms what I said. Yeah, oil is a factor, but Israel was a crucial part in America's Cold War strategy. Israel itself really isn't an energy superpower like North America, Russia, and the Gulf States are. Arab Nationalism tended to lean towards the socialist side of ideology and many Arab states were sympathetic to the Soviet Union after enduring decades of Western imperialism. Israel on the other hand was very pro-West due to Western support for the creation of Israel, the Soviets supporting the Arab states, a history of antisemitism in Russia, etc.

For the United States simply being anti-Commie was good enough during the Cold War and Israel was the most anti-Communist regime in the Middle East. It's the same reason why we had baffling alliances with Latin American dictators, South Vietnam, Zaire, Gaullist France, Taiwan, etc., even though such alliances often ran counter to our ideals and interests.

And then there's the fact that like other allies of ours, such as the United Kingdom and France, Israel has a powerful military that could make significant contributions in a region that most likely would have sided with the Soviet Union.

 

[Two-Face=Badass]

What Hippie says is right. People love to scream oil until I want noting more than to make them drink it, but America's neo-imperialist ambitions have always treasured Israel as a stable ally in the Middle East to affect change in the region, coupled with some of the more evangelical and nigh-apocalyptic religious views held by some important figures such as George Bush and others that view Israel as necessary to preserve.