Are we REALLY allied with Israel because, as the spin goes, they are America’s “Only Democratic Ally in
the Middle East”?
Or is it (and I’m not trying to be anti-Semitic here, just trying to get to the heart of the matter) because of the Jewish vote in the U.S.? I say this because of how much Rick Lazio and Hillary Clinton are falling over each other to criticize the U.N. condemnation of Israel in the latest crisis there. (I actually can understand that since New York City has more Jewish people than Israel).
I also bring this up becuase I don’t see any candidates tryibng to trump up votes with Arab-Americans. This group of people seem to be pariahs, especially in NY.
There’s a huge black population here- I don’t see us getting involved in peace summits every time there is a war in Africa.
It seems the U.S. gets into a awful amount of hot water with the Arab world because of our Israel policy.
With a potential of war in the Middle East, I think this is an important issue to discuss.
I think it has to do with them being the only democracy, plus the Jewish vote, plus the Christian vote. Some of the biggest supporters of Israel in Congress are those often associated with the “Religious Right.” Don’t forget that Israel contains Christian holy sites as well as Jewish ones (and Muslim ones, for that matter).
I think it is partially a remnant of the cold war. That is a crucial area of the world and the US needed an ally. Many of the Arab states were sympathetic to the Russians so the US needed a counterbalance in that region.
Israel is the only democracy in the region. America’s world-view is dedicated to promoting democracy, and as such, it behooves America to promote Israel. (Let’s not get into the issue of the US supporting dictators in certain countries…in those cases, it was usually supporting one dictator over another, not a dictatorship against a democracy).
Also, America has the world’s largest population of Jews…heck, there are more Jews in America than in Israel! As such, Jewish voters tend to back elected officials who will back Israel, and with no serious bloc of Muslim votes, it’s pretty much a no-lose situation for elected officials to back Israel, even if they come from states that are practically devoid of Jews.
In addition, don’t forget that there are many Christian holy sites in Israel, and the Arab countries are not very inclined to allow Christians to tour them either. So Christian voters in America tend to back Israel over the Arab nations as well.
Geography: Suez Canal, oil fields, a foothold in a non-aligned Muslim world
History: : Not aligned to or sympathetic with Communism, aftermath of Holocaust, Democratic, inability of Arabs to present a united political and / or military front to push their cause.
Influence:: ‘Sympathy’ (money and power) in Congress, in the Federal Government, in the Intelligence community, Industry, Commerce, and media.
Primary Foreign Policy goal post-WW2: (along with combating Communism) Keep the Arabs disunited and the oil thing is a whole lot less problematic – sweet talk Egypt, invade Lebanon, kiss up with Jordan, keep Syria seething over the Golan Heights and generally run hot n’ cold over Jerusalem / West Bank / Gaza. Sell any old military hardware to Iraq and Iran, sell same to the Gulf States to protect them from other Arabs you armed (but arm the fundies first)– and kill anyone who looks like a threat to Arafat (if he doesn’t do it first). 10 out of 10 for the boys at Langley.
Plus, penetrate the closed Muslim world by creating and making them partially dependent on an economic ‘sphere of influence’ in the midst (that is also, in turn, dependent on you).
It goes beyond cynical political expediency at this point. Even for non-Jews in the United States, supporting Israel at this point is simple practical. The strong Israeli-US Jewish connection ensures that Israel will never turn hostile towards the US–a guarantee much less obtainable from Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon.
Plus, we’ve literally given Israel billions of dollars in aid and top-notch military hardware. It would take an extreme circumstance to convince the US to counter its own investment.
Granted, we did exactly that with Iran/Iraq: we gave weapons to Irag to fight the evil Iranians only to have those weapons fired at us during the Gulf War. But that was an example of shifting priorities between two countries that we were never close to anyway.
The existence of Israel is tantamount to having a US military base in the Middle East. And with several countries openly declaring Saudi Arabia traitors to the Muslim cause, we want all the military presence we can get there. I suspect that ultimately the protection of Saudi Arabia is worth more to (non-Jewish) Americans than the advancement of any Israeli-specific cause.
Don’t underestimate American feelings of guilt over the Holocaust as a factor in our alliance with Israel.
To put it generously, the USA didn’t do nearly as much as it could have to help Jews fleeing Nazi oppression (the film “Voyage of the Damned” chronicles one famous incident in which the U.S. Coast Guard turned away a ship filled with Jews attempting to escape from Nazi Germany). Even during the war, the U.S. did little to shut down the death camps (that was only PARTLY because the top brass believed winning the war was a higher priority).
Once the true nature and scale of the Holocaust became known, it was only right and natural that Americans should rally to the side of people who’d faced near-extinction, and supported their right to a homeland.
Astorian: Get with it. You have been listening to the holocaust crap too long! It is because the Jews have so much influence in US politics. Check out who controls most $$$$,Banks, and Industry in the US. They also control the politicians making decisions. I am so sick of hearing about the fucking holocaust I could just scream. Some where in the media or TV(Jewish controlled) someone again is driving it down your throat! People are starting to say enough is enough!That is history, the past, we have forgotten the Alamo, letting in all the illegal aliens in from Mexico.(Give gore the job and he will makem all citizens)We have forgotten Pearl Harbor coveting to japan. You have forgiven hanoi jane giving her the Braves and indian chop! So lets forget the fucking jewish holocaust,Bad people caused it NOT ME not US or my generation! Lets concentrate on NOW, TODAY, To dwell on the past just slows progress!
Astorian, Furthermore,who the hell do you think made “Voyage of the damned”? Perhaps you have some strange guilt for what happened. Perhaps it is in your family tree who inslaved the Blacks too. Not mine. I plede NOT GUILTY!
Just tired of poor poor me gimmie, gimmie, gimmie, until I have it all. Tired, Tired, Tired!
I’m sure the U.S.-Israel bias is historical and political, as well as resulting from the relatively low visibility of Arab presence in the U.S.
What I wanted to add is that our media seems entirely skewed this way too. I’m in Canada. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has a distinguished reputation as the leading national network whose middle name is integrity.
Yesterday, a national news report on the middle east situation lead off with the words “3 Israeli soldiers were killed today”. The report continued with details, blah, blah, blah, blah … and at the very end like an afterthought: “5 Palestinians were killed earlier that day”.
I have no vested interest in Israeli affairs, but as a human being I can’t stomach how a whole culture is treated like second class people.
A tip I would pass on for getting to the bottom of questionable U.S. historical records is to read or listen to Howard Zinn, particularly ‘Peoples History of America’.
letting jews control the most $$$$,banks and indutry, forgetting the alamo, and coveting to japan (?) are bad enough, but how sick has this country gotten if we have forgiven hanoi jane giving her the braves and indian chop?
wait, who’s hanoi jane? how does a society go about giving away a whole baseball team, particularly a racial caricature like the braves? i want a baseball team. i call dibs!
do you think, in an alternate universe, thousands of native americans are sitting around watching a team named the crackers and moronically imitating barbarella while humming a country and western victory chant?
The Arab presence in the U.S., though small still, is growing rapidly. I think there will come a day when it is more profitable for politicians to go for the Moslem vote than the Jewish vote, and Israel will quickly lose us as an ally - and I don’t think Israel would have lasted as long as it did without our help.
Oh, I wouldn’t be that sure. U.S. aid only started around 1970 - mainly to counter massive Soviet support for the Arabs - and Israel did just fine before that (although the standard of living easn’t as good as today). Anyway, the U.S. won’t always be the world’s sole superpower.
(That last statement should not be misinterperated as critical of the United States - Israel is possibly the most pro-American country in the world. It just meant that international politics are never a simple equasion).