# What's American interest in alliance with Israel? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 17, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038 "2012-10-17T18:09:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/1 "2012-10-17T18:09:47Z")
Situation of Israel in Middle East is saying it lightly pretty problematic… Why USA is giving all that military support to Israel? What is it getting in return? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/2 "2012-10-17T18:19:24Z")
It’s getting a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/3 "2012-10-17T18:21:36Z")
This was done just a few weeks ago: > **[What does the U.S. get out of its alliance with Israel?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=626135)** > > It’s supposed to be of some value to have at least one pro-Western democracy in the MENA, and I suppose it is. But I cannot think of any particular instance or manner in which our alliance with/patronage of Israel has been of any strategic or... ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/4 "2012-10-17T18:24:01Z")
This should surely be in GD. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/5 "2012-10-17T18:56:47Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > This should surely be in GD. Surely the question can be matter of the debate but still can be answered factually for example with official statements of US government… ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/6 "2012-10-17T19:01:42Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Surely the question can be matter of the debate but still can be answered factually for example with official statements of US government… No, it can’t. The value of **ALL** government expenditures are subjective. Clearly, the current (and past) US adminstrations feel that it’s in the country’s best interest to support the only true democracy in the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/7 "2012-10-17T19:07:46Z")
Well, it would at least answer the question from government’s point of view. “getting a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East.” isn’t a real answer because it only raises another question - what’s American interest in having a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East? ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/8 "2012-10-17T19:11:04Z")
[http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/134987.pdf](http://fpc.state.gov/documents/organization/134987.pdf) Remarkable document. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/9 "2012-10-17T19:11:10Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Well, it would at least answer the question from government’s point of view. “getting a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East.” isn’t a real answer because it only raises another question - what’s American interest in having a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East? It makes it a lot easier to keep tabs on the unstable, non-democracies in the Middle East, which are often a pain in the ass. It is also a great strategic asset for conducting military and intelligence operations in that part of the world. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/10 "2012-10-17T19:11:36Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > Well, it would at least answer the question from government’s point of view. “getting a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East.” isn’t a real answer because it only raises another question - what’s American interest in having a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East? The US feels that promoting democracy around the world makes the world a better (and safer) place. It’s as simple as that. Presidents have famously said that [Democracies don’t fight Democracies.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_peace_theory) ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/11 "2012-10-17T19:13:05Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > No, it can’t. > > The value of **ALL** government expenditures are subjective. Clearly, the current (and past) US adminstrations feel that it’s in the country’s best interest to support the only true democracy in the Middle East. 1st 😃 then :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/12 "2012-10-17T19:14:26Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > The US feels that promoting democracy around the world makes the world a better (and safer) place. It’s as simple as that. Presidents have famously said that [Democracies don’t fight Democracies.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_peace_theory) How many times does “promoting democracy” have to fail before it is stopped being used as an argument? Again 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/13 "2012-10-17T19:16:59Z")
Moved to Great Debates. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/14 "2012-10-17T19:41:19Z")
> [@newcomer](#): > > How many times does “promoting democracy” have to fail before it is stopped being used as an argument? Nobody is “promoting” democracy\*. Israel already _ **is** _ a democracy. A fully modern, western democracy. It just happens to be the only western democracy on the planet which faces the realistic danger of being wiped off the map. So far, each person who has held the office of Leader-of-the-western-world-and-commander-in-chief has decided that allowing a democracy to be wiped off the face of the earth is a bad precedent to allow. Sometimes they reach that decision because of fears of political backlash. But sometimes they reach that decision because of they have a decent moral compass. * * * \*(which can’t be done, anyway. Unless the culture is already socially stable enough that democracy will take hold without much American help. But that’s a different thread, methinks. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/15 "2012-10-17T19:41:37Z")
> [@Qwertol](#): > > what’s American interest in having a stable, capitalist democracy in the Middle East? Oil, I would presume. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/16 "2012-10-17T19:43:03Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > No, it can’t. > > The value of **ALL** government expenditures are subjective. Clearly, the current (and past) US adminstrations feel that it’s in the country’s best interest to support\*\* the only true democracy in the Middle East\*\*. The Turks and the Lebanese would disagree. For that matter, anyone familiar with the region would challenge the idea that Israel is “the only true democracy in the Middle East.” ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/17 "2012-10-17T19:44:26Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Oil, I would presume. > 🙂 Which Israel has loads of. In truth, if “oil” dictated US foreign policy towards Israel, the US would have abandoned it decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/18 "2012-10-17T19:48:16Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Which Israel has loads of. No, but it’s nice to have a friend in the area. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertol](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Qwertol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertol)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/19 "2012-10-17T20:24:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > No, but it’s nice to have a friend in the area. Yeah, a friend that countries with oil hate… ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2012, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038/20 "2012-10-17T20:26:38Z")
N/M. Ninja’ed. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-american-interest-in-alliance-with-israel/638038.md?page=2)