How do Israelis view americans ? You mentioned red/blue israeli… how do they view the US and americans differently.
Do they view the US as a protector… or a useful big guy ? Are americans seen as naive and to be taken advantage for Israel’s benefit ? I’d think they probably see americans as suckers to be used and manipulated.
To an almost universal extent, not so. Israelis realize that the support (political and economic) that we get from the US is very, very important to us. We may not disappear overnight if the US turns away from us, but it will be very, very hard on us indeed. People know that and respect that.
On the flip side, we are generally proud to be a part of the free world, and an asset to it, especially the US, in this part of the world. And make no mistake, at $3 billion a year, most of which is turned around and pumped back into American industry, and no (as in zero) American troops required on the ground, we provide the US and the Free World a really inexpensive (economically as well as in terms of human life) toe-hold in the ME. I wish more Americans and Europeans realized that, just as we realize how much we are indebted to the US for its support.
Dani
That you owe much to the US is a given… but how do you view the Americans themselves ?
FWIW, Americans for the most part are pretty happy to have you guys as friends too. 
I live in a city with more Jews than Jerusalem, most of them not Israeli of course, but a great many of my friends (not all Jews) have visited or spent time there. While of course there’s political differences and all of us wish the whole Palestinian issue could be settled (and there’s lots of sympathy for innocent civilians on both sides), I get the sense that Israelis are simpatico with Americans in a lot of ways–friendly yet no-nonsense folks, hardworking, productive, not afraid to flex muscle when needed, and mostly immigrants. Plus, the sympathy still extent from the Holocaust cannot be discounted either–that’s very strong, as American kids are taught a great deal about it esp. in NY. You’re the only people in the Middle East most of us feel we can sit down and talk with and share most of our values, and that’s why we give y’all such grief when we feel you’re falling short of them (I think some Americans see embarassing parallels to the way we treated the Indians). But it’s between friends, and we never forget that. This Christian girl has felt exasperated at times with the country but certainly never taken advantage of, and I feel an emotional bond with the place and its people and wish things were easier for all of them.
Although I’ve heard that you’re not the politest people in the world when it comes to yakking loudly on cellphones. 
Let me lob one at you: I have not been to Israel, but I have been to neighboring countries, and the one thing that really strikes me is the landscape that you find in many places in the region: mostly hard, dry scrabble, punctuated with strewn rocks, and the occasional rugged mountain. To put it bluntly, I find this type of terrain hostile and unattractive.
However, different strokes for different folks. I remember taking a friend to Northern California one time, in the area of the Sierra foothills, in which rolling hills are pretty much covered in dry, yellow grass. I think it’s beautiful, my friend thought that grassy hills must ALWAYS be green, and the yellow was downright ugly to him.
Anyway, my question: do folks hold some time of romantic attraction for this type of hardscrabble landscape? I’m fully aware that there is geographical diversity, but do folks in your part of the world have a fondness for this type of terrain?
Not true. American air defense troops rotate through Israel quite regularly with Patriots. The tempo goes up in times of tension. Further US Marines train against Israeli troops fairly routinely.
The idea of ‘strong Jewish arms’ is a very basic part of Israeli national pride, but it is not completely true.
I’ve heard horrible stories about Israelis being VERY RUDE… are they true ? I’ve heard stories from people being bumped out of the way in order to use a public phone first… to the idea that they don’t have the word “please”.
Umm, I’m willing to look it up and admit it if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure that the Patriot SAMs are manned by our own personnel nowadays, and have been for quite some time now.
You are correct that they were (briefly) manned by joint crews in 1991 when they were rushed here to try and assist in defending Israel from the Iraqi Scuds.
As for joint manouvers – the US does those with many other friendly militaries; sometimes Stateside and sometimes in the partners’ country.I see nothing different here; certainly those marines (or other branch) are not here for anything resembling wartime duty. They’re training, not fighting.
Dani
This issue is NOTHING like the old American south!!.
(warning: GD territory ahead. I dont want to spoil this IMHO thread. If my comments draw too many replies, let’s move 'em to a new thread in GD)
American whites segregated blacks no good reason–it was totally immoral. Blacks are perfectly loyal Americans, and southern whites had no reason to fear them.
If an American, black or white, overhears his neighbors planning the next Sept 11 style attack, he would notify the FBI. But when Arab citizens of Israel hear their neighbors planning a terrorist attack, they almost never notify the police.
My point here (this ain’t GD!) is not to discuss the reasons for terrorism, or get into a “both sides do it” argument. My point is to show how incredibly complex the issue is , and why so many well-intentioned Americans fail to understand the Middle East. Even Paul-in-Saudi,(who lives there,in a segregated conclave) can make a statement like “southern-style segregation in Israel bugs me”
Americans hear “segregated neighborhoods” and think only of terrible injustice.
Israelis hear “separation from Arabs” and think “this may be what saves my life”
[/ end of GD. And now back to our regularly scheduled IMHO thread]
What do you think is the best way to solve the Arab-Israeli conflict? This is open to everyone living there, and please tell me what you really think, not what you think is appropriate, PC, etc. This is IMHO afterall… you can’t get into too much trouble
Here’s a few more answers; I’ll catch up withe the rest later.
Basically, as decent, honest, nice people, who are unfortunately also a bit “square.” Americans have a tendancy to get overly excited about things - once they get something in their head, it’ll take forever for it to get out. But besides that, stand-up folk.
Rich, too. “America” in Israel is synonimous with luxury. Literally - I think it’s in the dictionary.
Israel has the largest amount of cell phones per capita of any nation on the planet. The only person I know who doesn’t have one is my son, who’s three months old. Unless they’re talking where they shouldn’t - like a movie theater - cell phone users aren’t even noticed. People just blank out others’ conversations.
We’re not rude, exactly, we’re just blunt speakers, with little patience and without an ounce of deference towards anyone. A lot like New Yorkers, actually, which is why so many Israelis feel at home there.
I hear Israeli women are among the most beautiful in the world, all perfect stunners. Is this true?
What do other Israelis think of the wall? You say they support it and I can’t blame them but from what I’ve learned in the media its not the wall or the idea of a wall itself that offends and angers the UN, palestinains, US leadership, etc but the fact that the wall doesn’t go along the the green line and instead cuts into the west bank, putting alot of palestinains at a disadvantage. What are some of the views in Israel on this subject? Is there pressure to rebuild the wall along the green line, do people feel even if the wall was built in the green line that the world would still be mad about it?
Golda Meir
Let me summerize the Israeli attitude in a few points.
Security comes first.
We just want the bombings to stop, OK? Stop bugging us with minutae.
It’s not as if it’ll be a permanant border (It will be, though. Everybody knows that).
What, we should put ourselves at a disadvantage?
Up until a few years ago, we ruled the entire West Bank. We could take it back tomorrow if we wanted to. They should be perfectly happy with 90%.
It’s not as is reservours of sympathy towards the Palestinians are at an all-time high.
In the end, we’ll have peace. Isn’t that what’s important?
It’s not as if this sn’t a huge compromise on our behalf to begin with.
The whole world’s against us anyway (except America). There’s nothing we can do right in their eyes, so why bother?
Let’s face it - we’re a bunch of contrary bastards.
Jokes aside, this is where Left and Right diverge. Most of both sides - the entire political center - support the wall, but the former want it on the Green Line, and the latter don’t really care where it runs. The current plan, incidentally, has been shifted much closer to the Line then the original one, barring a few enclaves. Certain sections of the wall have actually been torn down and rebuilt to the west.
Remeber - grand strategies are foreign to the Israeli mind. We like to improvise, play things by ear, make things up as we go along. You know… muddle along.
The Left wants to redivide Jerusalem?
I will respect the desire to keep this in IMHO, and not move into The Dreaded Pit. Still, I must admit that the more I hear about the segregation in Israel, the more it distresses me.
I will let the subject drop now. If anyone wants to continue it, I would ask them to start a new thread.
Are Israelis rude? No, that is a very broad generalization. Still, I do recall a friend answering the phone in TA. It was a wrong number. The caller began complaining that it was my friend’s fault for picking up the phone! One of my all-time favorite stories.
You better believe it And it gets hot in the summer, so it isn’t cough practical cough to wear too many clothes…
Well, first define “left”… Very few Israelis want to divide Jerusalem (or, indeed, want to make any of the other [IMHO] necessary territorial sacrifices) Many Israelis, yours truly included, don’t see any way out of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict without making sacrifices. And while I (personally) think that Israel will ultimately have to retreat from nearly all the Occupies Territories, this doesn’t mean that I: [ol]
[li]Have to like the idea [/li][li]Think it’s sound political sense to broadcast this willingness as our entry position into negotiations and [/li][li]Am not at all certain I’m willing to give the Old City of Jerusalem (The Palestinian State can have Abu-Dis and all the rest of the outlying Arab towns and villages currently incorporated into the City of Jerusalem)[/li][li](Is it OK to put “Hi Opal!” at #4 for a change?)[/li][/ol]
Basicly, all but the most rabid fringes on the left (and, actually, on the right as well – they care more about “Jewish” than about “Israeli”) are following an “Israel first” thought pattern. Where we diverge strongly is on our various thoughts on what is good for Israel in the long run, and how this should be achieved – I started a rundown, but deleted it; I’ll leave it to a GD thread if anyone wants to get into this again.
You’re right about not going into it here, but I’d just like to make a single point: no matter whether or not you think segragation here exists (formally) or not, the (implicit or explicit) comparison to White-Black relations in the US is absurd – the Arab minority here is culturally and ethnically part of a large Real-life enemy surrounding us.
You mis-spelled understatement 
:eek:
Dani
One last note on “segregation” - when we speak about Jews and Arabs in Israel, we’re not talking about one society divided in twain; we’re talking about two seperate societies in close proximity who don’t like each other, and want to have as little to do with each other as possible. Considering the ways thing work in the Middle East, it’s probably for the best.
As to rudeness, you’re example is pretty extreme, but not unheard of; I’ve encountered similar assholes myself. You have to know two things about my countrymen to understand where it’s coming from - Israelis hate to be at a disadvantage, and loathe to admit that they don’t know something. That’s why people will occasionally give you wrong driving directions: otherwise, they’ll have to admit they don’t know the way.
Most Israelis are unwilling to give up the Old City, but according to a poll from this week’s Maariv 57% of the population is willling to make a compromise on having Palestinians sovreignity over part of the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, at some point in the future. It doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually a very surprising result, a major shift to the left.
Natalie Portman. Ha!
Seriously, though, although we have our share of dogs, Israeli women are gorgeous (especially the ones I happen to be married to). It’s a mainly because of self confidence, intermixture of a broad range of genes, and lots of sunlight.
Something that’s very important to keep in mind is that what’s polite for one culture is impolite in another.
I saw recently a study indicating that, while interruptions are considered impolite everywhere, Northern European cultures expect people to stay silent all the time someone else is talking, whereas Southern European speakers expect to hear Ihearyou noises from the audience. It matches my own experience; I’m from Spain and I always get nervous when I’m talking to a room full of people and they all Just Stare, since I’m used to nods and not-so-softly-voiced yeses. When I was in Latin America, as part of a team where everybody else was North American, I had to explain to the “yankis” that when people talk to each other during an explanation, it means they are paying attention (you should ask them to comment out loud, since their remarks may be useful for others) and when they are silent it means they are not paying attention.