Why is Israel so important?

Why do we worry about Israel so much? Is it because it is the Holy City? It seems like the United States takes it up the tailpipe for everything they do. We are like Israel’s older brother defending them when someone picks on them. Should we just stop helping them? It seems like we could avoid so much conflict by just leaving them alone. Osama Bin Laden said that our support for Israel was one of his key motivations for September 11. Curious to know what everyone else thinks.

I think its possible Israel my be somehow blackmailing us into total support.

it's the only logical conclusion i can draw up really... Jerusalem is an international city, not an Israeli city, and should not be claimed as such.

Yes, let's get rid of an ally for nothing

Why stop at Isreal, let's add Britian and France to the list. We're always saving their hide.

Originally posted by ThatsJustWeird
Why stop at Isreal, let's add Britian and France to the list. We're always saving their hide.

We are not always vetoing UN resolutions against England or France, now are we?

Edit: More info here -> /4qzc7

[edit on 18-2-2005 by negativenihil]

[edit on 18-2-2005 by negativenihil]

I think one of the main reasons is because we need a strong ally in that area of the world.

I'm not thrilled with our involvement with Israel but I also wouldn't want to sever ties with them just because UBL used that as an excuse to attack us. UBL has cited many problems that he has with the U.S., Israel is just one in a long line of them.

Jemison

Originally posted by negativenihil

Originally posted by ThatsJustWeird
Why stop at Isreal, let's add Britian and France to the list. We're always saving their hide.

We are not always vetoing UN resolutions against England or France, now are we?

Edit: More info here -> /4qzc7

[edit on 18-2-2005 by negativenihil]

[edit on 18-2-2005 by negativenihil]

Sure you are not, because the UN is not filled with UK-haters or something similar to that.

As for the "blackmailing" conclusion - I'm not even sure how you can write something like that considering the fact Israel can't do about 90 percent of what it wants to do only because the USA doesn't agrees to it. If anyone is blackmailing someone - its all the other way around.

About the benefits US gets for supporting Israel: Israel's military support alone is enough to make US support is basically FOREVER. Its a key access point to the middle east, The whole US army can be deployed in Israel without much trouble, not to mention the intelligence support (and potential)...

Jerusalem, BTW, is the capital of Israel. Saying its not an Israeli city but an "international" (huh?) one is nothing but ignorance.

Its not so much a strong ally. Its a good place for the US to help control the Middle-East,Think, America has "loved" Israel since the idea was first thought out from the UNSCOP. Your president went against all the advice from his fellow adminstation and backed Israel fully, They all told him it would end in lots of wars....and they where right.

Personaly I think Israel had some what a right to be there but they didnt have to launch Operation Dalet or try and capture villages OUTSIDE there given area.
They already had all the best land, Major cities and ports. Ill stop now dont want this to turn into Arab-Israeli debate but it all stems from the UNSCOP, The British Peel-Plan(I think or white paper) was oppessed greatly and they come to the conclusion that it would be stupid to slit the land.

American has given Israel LOTS of support and in return Im sure Israel would let the US use it as a base of operations.

Originally posted by Transc3ndent
Jerusalem, BTW, is the capital of Israel. Saying its not an Israeli city but an "international" (huh?) one is nothing but ignorance.

No, you are incorrect.

UN GA Resolution 303, Dec 9, 1949

UN General Assembly resolution 303 reiterated the UN commitment to internationalization of Jerusalem, and designated it a "corpus separatum" - separate body. Under the original partition plan of 1947 (GA resolution 181), Jerusalem was to have been administered under UN sovereignty as an international city. The outbreak of hostilities immediately following the publication of the partition plan, led to division of Jerusalem into an eastern half controlled by Jordan and a western half under Israeli sovereignty. The Arabs initially rejected the internationalization of Jerusalem, and the Jewish side accepted it. By the end of the war of independence (1948 war) after the Jews had been expelled from the old city of Jerusalem, the Israeli government rejected internationalization. The UN had made virtually no effort to establish an international regime or to safeguard Arab and Jewish inhabitants. The area allotted by the UN for this international city of Jerusalem covered Jerusalem, Bethlehem and environs. Jerusalem was conquered and reunified by Israel in the 6-day war. Despite the reality of the actual situation, the UN has never ceased to officially regard Jerusalem as a "corpus separatum." The United States does not recognize any part of Jerusalem as part of Israel, despite congressional resolutions. Both the United States and Great Britain, among others, consider that the status of Jerusalem is to be resolved by the parties to the dispute in final settlement negotiations, and in practice, ignore the UN corpus separatum resolutions.

www.mideastweb.org...

They are important because they own the US.

US gives money for financial aid to Israel every year and is included in our military budget. The last president to sign the this Mr.Bush.

www.washington-report.org...

Foreign Aid: $3 billion, Loan Guarantees (normally): $2 billion (Note: the U.S. Congress has forgiven ALL loans to Israel in the past), private tax deductible donations: $1 billion, Israeli bonds: $500 million, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which guarantees all Israel's oil needs in the event of a crisis: $3 billion (The Oil funding is camouflaged in the Defense budget) = Total $9.5 billion.

Originally posted by ThatsJustWeird
Yes, let's get rid of an ally for nothing

Come on now that’s not what I said. I was just was wondering if we toned it down a bit in Israel if relations would improve with other nations.

Originally posted by Jemison
I think one of the main reasons is because we need a strong ally in that area of the world.

Yes, I agree.

Originally posted by marg6043
They are important because they own the US.

US gives money for financial aid to Israel every year and is included in our military budget. The last president to sign the this Mr.Bush.

www.washington-report.org...

Foreign Aid: $3 billion, Loan Guarantees (normally): $2 billion (Note: the U.S. Congress has forgiven ALL loans to Israel in the past), private tax deductible donations: $1 billion, Israeli bonds: $500 million, Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which guarantees all Israel's oil needs in the event of a crisis: $3 billion (The Oil funding is camouflaged in the Defense budget) = Total $9.5 billion.

How good of an ally are they though? We basically finance there military operation and who knows what else. They don’t have good relations with the Middle East. We guarantee there oil? Is that because oil producing countries such as Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia don’t like them? That doesn’t sound like a very good ally but I see your point. I understand that it is a great staging area if we want to have a war with someone in the Middle East.

Originally posted by Vowles
Its not so much a strong ally. It’s a good place for the US to help control the Middle-East; Think, America has "loved" Israel since the idea was first thought out from the UNSCOP. Your president went against all the advice from his fellow administration and backed Israel fully, they all told him it would end in lots of wars....and they where right.

I agree with you. In the event of a war in the Middle East it would be nice to have a good ally there.

There definitely is a reason why the US is interested in Israel. But the benefits do not outweigh the costs.


[edit on 18-2-2005 by Event Horizon]

Yes they do control the U.S. look at some of the evedenceS that show this www.joevialls.co.uk...

This is what Sharon thinks about American.

"Every time we do something you tell me America will do this and will do that . . . I want to tell you something very clear: Don't worry about American pressure on Israel. We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it."

Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3rd, 2001, as reported on Kol Yisrael

As an American I kind of find that very interesting, will it be the truth?

Offcorse it's the truth, you've heard of all this jew conspirosy all these years, well now you've seen it from Sharown's own mouth

Originally posted by SiberianTiger
Yes they do control the U.S. look at some of the evedenceS that show this www.joevialls.co.uk...

Oh wow a V on a tank thats some powerful evidence

People seem to confuse the Puppet with the Puppet Master so often. Perhaps you should consider thats what they want you to think.

Israel in itself is a spiritual thing happening since day 1 on its own, human intervension is a mere waste of time.

Originally posted by marg6043

We, the Jewish people, control America, and the Americans know it."

Ariel Sharon to Shimon Peres, October 3rd, 2001, as reported on Kol Yisrael

Marg,


This hoax originated with an October 3, 2001 press release from the pro-HAMAS group, the Islamic Association for Palestine.
IAP's alleged source, a report on Israel radio, is apparently fictional.

Kol Yisrael denied to CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) that it had ever broadcast any such report.

The Kol Yisrael reporter assigned to cover the Israeli Cabinet [where the Sharon statement was alleged to have been made] denied Sharon had made the attributed comment

CAMERA: Fabricated Sharon Quote


Rebekka

Thanks for the tip but after all this is a conspiracy site

The link you provided said that he indeed mention "controlling American" but it was change for "Jews controlling American"

So it seems that somebody indeed made a comment about America. Right?

I think Jemison is on key here. Though in saying that 911 was one time Israeli people were not to be found in NY,NY TT area at all.

Just postulation, could be wrong..
Dallas

Originally posted by Dallas
I think Jemison is on key here. Though in saying that 911 was one time Israeli people were not to be found in NY,NY TT area at all.

Just postulation, could be wrong..
Dallas

Its well documented that scores of Jews died in New York.

The theory that Jews were forewarned and that 4000 Jews called in sick that day has to be one of the weakest 9-11 Hoaxes. Its really sad it has even been reported as fact in some media accounts abroad.

Thanks for the correction that many Israelis died in NY on 911 and even more importantly you say its documented.. please elaborate on this..
Thanks
Dallas