# If there wasnt so many American Jews... **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 2, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301 "2002-04-02T00:13:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/1 "2002-04-02T00:13:24Z")
Would America have aided Israel over the years as much as it has done? ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/2 "2002-04-02T00:16:50Z")
If Hitler hadn’t killed most of the Jews in Europe, would the European countries give more support to Israel today? Yes, to both questions. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/3 "2002-04-02T00:18:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by december \* > \*\*If Hitler hadn’t killed most of the Jews in Europe, would the European countries give more support to Israel today? > > Yes, to both questions. \*\* To both questions? Seems a bit contradictory. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/4 "2002-04-02T00:19:44Z")
Here’s another question: If so many of the surrounding Arab lands didn’t contain vast amounts of oil, would the U.S. have been supporting Israel _even more_? ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/5 "2002-04-02T00:28:44Z")
No, because that would make the Arab world even more pissed off with America. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/6 "2002-04-02T00:32:15Z")
Seeing as how Jews only make up 2-3% of the whole population, do ya’ll really think they are the main reason why the US is so pro-Israel? I’m thinking it’s a combination of Israel being more “Western” than the surrounding countries and the perception that having a Western influence there will ensure the stability of our oil supplies. I don’t doubt that our stance as a country would be different if there weren’t Jews here, but I don’t think it would be _much_ different. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/7 "2002-04-02T00:36:01Z")
In New York the Jewish population is a lot more than 2-3% ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/8 "2002-04-02T00:37:43Z")
What is the Arab pop? ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/9 "2002-04-02T00:39:47Z")
No idea. Does anyone have figures? ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/10 "2002-04-02T00:40:53Z")
I had asked: > [@](#): > > If so many of the surrounding Arab lands didn’t contain vast amounts of oil, would the U.S. have been supporting Israel even more? Niobium responded: > [@](#): > > No, because that would make the Arab world even more pissed off with America. Er, and we would care about this **why?** It would just be another bunch of tyrannical dictatorships mad at us – we have those all over the world. The difference is that these particular dictatorships have **OIL**. That’s pretty much the only reason we care if they like us or not. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/11 "2002-04-02T00:42:45Z")
Niobium said: > [@](#): > > In New York the Jewish population is a lot more than 2-3% So what? I didn’t realize that New Yorkers elected all of our local and national politicians and made policy all by themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/12 "2002-04-02T00:43:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > \*\*Niobium said: > So what? I didn’t realize that New Yorkers elected all of our local and national politicians and made policy all by themselves. \*\* They dont. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/13 "2002-04-02T00:51:02Z")
Then why did you bring up the Jewish population of New York as if it had some bearing on this discussion? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/14 "2002-04-02T00:53:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Niobium Knight \* > \*\*In New York the Jewish population is a lot more than 2-3% \*\* Well, yeah, but most Americans don’t live in New York. And there are some dense Arab American populations too, although not as long-established or powerful or visible. I wonder if most Americans really don’t have an independent opinion one way or the other, but lean towards Israel’s side because our president keeps comparing the Palestinians to thousands of Osama Bin Ladins. My throat tightens every time he uses the word “terrorist”. Talk about buzz word of the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/15 "2002-04-02T00:53:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Niobium Knight \* > If there wasn’t so many American Jews, would America have aided Israel over the years as much as it has done? To the same extent that it has? No, probably not. To some extent almost certainly, there being other commonalities bewteen the U.S. and Israel than varying percentages of Jewish populations. So? I don’t really see the significance of the point. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/16 "2002-04-02T00:53:32Z")
**Niobium Knight** come on. The USA wouldn’t give a damn about the Arab world, if it wern’t about oil. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/17 "2002-04-02T00:56:06Z")
monstro said: > [@](#): > > I wonder if most Americans really don’t have an independent opinion one way or the other, but lean towards Israel’s side because our president keeps comparing the Palestinians to thousands of Osama Bin Ladins. My throat tightens every time he uses the word “terrorist”. Talk about buzz word of the 21st century. Well, it’s kind of hard to call 'em anything else. What do _you_ call somebody who straps on plastic explosives and blows him/herself up in a crowded restaurant with the goal of murdering as many civilians as possible? ---
**Author:** ![Efrem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@Efrem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Efrem)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/18 "2002-04-02T01:02:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > \*\*monstro said: > Well, it’s kind of hard to call 'em anything else. What do _you_ call somebody who straps on plastic explosives and blows him/herself up in a crowded restaurant with the goal of murdering as many civilians as possible? \*\* A terrorist. What I call a Palestinian? A Palestinian ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/19 "2002-04-02T01:04:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by David B \* > \*\*monstro said: > Well, it’s kind of hard to call 'em anything else. What do _you_ call somebody who straps on plastic explosives and blows him/herself up in a crowded restaurant with the goal of murdering as many civilians as possible? \*\* I’m not participating in yet another “If the Palestinians Aren’t Terrorists, What Are They?” thread. So I apologize for causing you to ask that question. ---
**Author:** ![David\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@David\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_B)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2002, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301/20 "2002-04-02T01:23:53Z")
To both efrem and monstro: I’m not saying that _all_ Palestinians are terrorists. However, monstro clearly said: > [@](#): > > My throat tightens every time he uses the word “terrorist”. So I just wanted to know what you would call somebody like that if not “terrorist.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-there-wasnt-so-many-american-jews/101301.md?page=2)