# Why not declare Israel the 51st state? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 24, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695 "2012-10-24T03:26:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Sheikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Sheikh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Sheikh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/1 "2012-10-24T03:26:35Z")
Being civilized and intelligent should have made it difficult for Americans to believe that America’s security is somehow dependent on Israel’s security. It would be much easier if the two countries decided to have a church marriage - make it official. ---
**Author:** ![Chen019](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f19dbf/32.png) [@Chen019](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chen019)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/2 "2012-10-24T03:31:10Z")
I think Matt Yglesias tweeted or re-tweeted that in the final debate _Israel: 22 mentions. Japan, Europe, India: 0._ ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/3 "2012-10-24T03:32:57Z")
This will end well. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/4 "2012-10-24T03:44:11Z")
And Palestine can be the 52nd. Wow, all the region’s problems, solved, just like that! ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/5 "2012-10-24T03:49:55Z")
While we’re at it, let’s pick up India, Pakistan and Malaysia, so we can forget all that silly “offshoring” kerfluffle. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Sheikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Sheikh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Sheikh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/6 "2012-10-24T03:53:07Z")
> [@](#): > > In Egypt we stood on the side of democracy. In Libya we stood on the side of the people. And as a consequence there is no doubt that attitudes about Americans have changed. > > **But there are always going to be elements in these countries that potentially threaten the United States**. > [Barack Obama](http://app1.kuhf.org/articles/npr1350963004-Transcript-3rd-Obama-Romney-Presidential-Debate.html) The question is why? What keeps these elements alive? Religion? Or is it that they don’t like being given the choice to determine their own destiny (democracy)? Or because they are thirsty for Jews’ blood and you are holding them back? ---
**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 24, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/7 "2012-10-24T04:23:20Z")
> [@The\_Sheikh](#): > > The question is why? What keeps these elements alive? Religion? Or is it that they don’t like being given the choice to determine their own destiny (democracy)? Or because they are thirsty for Jews’ blood and you are holding them back? Well, you know the answer. Religion. Fundamentalist Muslims are opposed to Western-style democracies the same way Fundamentalist Christians are opposed to Muslim theocracies. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Sheikh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Sheikh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Sheikh)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/8 "2012-10-24T04:51:11Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Well, you know the answer. > Religion. > Fundamentalist Muslims are opposed to Western-style democracies the same way Fundamentalist Christians are opposed to Muslim theocracies. I live among fundamentalists. Most people are for democracy - Muslim-style. You won’t give gays the right of marriage, and we won’t allow blasphemy among other things. We don’t have the right to call for Sharia law in western countries, and you shouldn’t have the right to dictate your laws upon us. Religion is not the problem, Jews and Christians live safely in every Muslim countries. The problem is sponsored terrorism; the one sponsored by the us: Israel and Arab dictatorships. ---
**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 24, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/9 "2012-10-24T05:10:22Z")
> [@The\_Sheikh](#): > > I live among fundamentalists. Most people are for democracy - Muslim-style. You won’t give gays the right of marriage, and we won’t allow blasphemy among other things. We don’t have the right to call for Sharia law in western countries, and you shouldn’t have the right to dictate your laws upon us. > > Religion is not the problem, Jews and Christians live safely in every Muslim countries. The problem is sponsored terrorism; the one sponsored by the us: Israel and Arab dictatorships. Where do you live? Not meant as an accusation, but an honest question. BTW, Muslims are allowed to call for Sharia law in the West and do in fact do so. If you think they can’t, you’ve been misinformed. In fact, at least one western nation practices Sharia law as well as having Arabic as an official language. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/10 "2012-10-24T05:29:54Z")
> [@FinnAgain](#): > > This will end well. That would imply that it started well. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/11 "2012-10-24T05:45:10Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > In fact, at least one western nation practices Sharia law as well as having Arabic as an official language. I see what you did there… ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/12 "2012-10-24T05:53:37Z")
Hell, why not just declare ourselves rulers of the entire world and have done with it? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/13 "2012-10-24T06:04:38Z")
Isn’t there already a Manifest Destiny thread? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/14 "2012-10-24T06:35:11Z")
From a practical standpoint, the sudden enfranchisement of 8 million new citizens, almost all of whom are non-Caucasian and non-Christian, would throw off the politial status quo. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/15 "2012-10-24T06:39:34Z")
> [@Dissonance](#): > > That would imply that it started well. No it wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/16 "2012-10-24T06:40:57Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > From a practical standpoint, the sudden enfranchisement of 8 million new citizens, almost all of whom are non-Caucasian and non-Christian, would throw off the politial status quo. Oy, now we’ll have brown states. ---
**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 24, 2012, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/17 "2012-10-24T06:55:07Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > From a practical standpoint, the sudden enfranchisement of 8 million new citizens, almost all of whom are non-Caucasian and non-Christian, would throw off the politial status quo. Please define “non-Caucasian”. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/18 "2012-10-24T07:05:15Z")
To answer the OP in the most literal sense, the reason why Israel shouldn’t be the 51st state is that Israelis don’t want it to be. We like the U.S. a lot - you guys rock! - but we value our independence more. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/19 "2012-10-24T07:20:38Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > Where do you live? > > Not meant as an accusation, but an honest question. Based on his previous posts, Saudi Arabia. ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2012, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/20 "2012-10-24T08:32:15Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > To answer the OP in the most literal sense, the reason why Israel shouldn’t be the 51st state is that Israelis don’t want it to be. We like the U.S. a lot - you guys rock! - but we value our independence more. I came in to post exactly this - “Because we don’t want to!” – but, as usual, got beaten to it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695.md?page=2)