# 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:** 5
**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 26, 2012, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/81 "2012-10-26T11:11:58Z")
I don’t think the OP will be back. After all, someone might accuse him of engaging with Zionists. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/82 "2012-10-26T15:54:09Z")
> [@Noone\_Special](#): > > Actually, I would like for (Asian) Georgia to apply for statehood. The confusion hijinx would surpass anything ever supplied by the two Washingtons! 😃 In Asian Georgia, Georgia goes down to YOU! ---
**Author:** ![JellyBeanz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed8c4c/32.png) [@JellyBeanz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JellyBeanz)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/83 "2012-10-26T15:58:24Z")
Yes brilliant idea, let’s all paint a big red target on our backs… :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Cheshire\_Human](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Cheshire\_Human](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheshire_Human)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/84 "2012-10-26T19:40:54Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > No, no, just the Bubbes. Hold the Grandmothers hostage. > Of course, there might be a rising in the USA for lack of latkes… I can make latkes, and I’m not a Grandmother, a woman, or even Jewish. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/85 "2012-10-26T20:14:05Z")
I’ve always thought it would be a great idea. Not by force though. It’d have to be by invitation and willing. We give them Idaho or Wyoming or Montana. Or all three. I think that land is underutilized as it is, and Israelis would liven it up. ---
**Author:** ![drew870mitchell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drew870mitchell/32/3946_2.png) [@drew870mitchell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drew870mitchell)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/86 "2012-10-26T20:36:52Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > I’ve always thought it would be a great idea. Not by force though. It’d have to be by invitation and willing. We give them Idaho or Wyoming or Montana. Or all three. I think that land is underutilized as it is, and Israelis would liven it up. IIRC there was a little talk of this in ~1930-1950 in the US; it’s a plot point of _The Yiddish Policemen’s Union_ (alt-universe where a Jewish homeland was given in Alaska); the Japanese invited Jews to live in their conquests in East Asia (see the Fugu Plan); and Stalin set up a potential homeland in the eastern USSR called the Jewish Autonomous Oblast. The Japanese and Soviet attempts ended up only taking on a few 10,000s of Jews. The Fugu Plan is one of my favorite historical factoids - and I do believe I’m using factoid correctly since this is half documented and half wishful filling in the gaps - leaders in imperial Japan didn’t quite “get” the West’s anti-semitism, and thought they could get a leg up by inviting all these supposedly rich, powerful Jews into Japan. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/87 "2012-10-28T20:58:19Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > . Israeli equipment is as good as ours, its training is arguably as good or better, and we would have to reduce it to rubble to take it over. Speaking as a neutral, non Jewish, Brit, there is no arguably. Their training is much, much better. As an ex soldier myself, I believe that they have one of the best armies in the world. Unfortunately for them, size DOES matter. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/88 "2012-10-28T23:22:46Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Speaking as a neutral, non Jewish, Brit, there is no arguably. > > Their training is much, much better. > > As an ex soldier myself, I believe that they have one of the best armies in the world. > > Unfortunately for them, size DOES matter. I agree, but invading Israel would not be some walk in the park like the Iraqi invasions were. I think there would be very heavy casualties on both sides. ---
**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 29, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/89 "2012-10-29T00:35:08Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Speaking as a neutral, non Jewish, Brit, there is no arguably. > > Their training is much, much better. > > As an ex soldier myself, I believe that they have one of the best armies in the world. > > Unfortunately for them, size DOES matter. To be honest I think both the IDF and the Mossad are over-rated, but have fought against incompetent enemies and have really good PR departments. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/90 "2012-10-29T19:36:34Z")
I’m sure you do. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/91 "2012-10-29T20:08:34Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > I’m sure you do. It’s indisputably the fact that Israel has never faced a Western opponent. They may, in fact, have a fantastic army, but they haven’t really fought a major league opponent. Until you play in the big leagues, you don’t know if you’re really all that good, do you? ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/92 "2012-10-29T20:29:48Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It’s indisputably the fact that Israel has never faced a Western opponent. > > They may, in fact, have a fantastic army, but they haven’t really fought a major league opponent. Until you play in the big leagues, you don’t know if you’re really all that good, do you? Fair enough, but when since mid last century have “major league” military opponents actually faced off against each other? The US has not faced a major league opponent since Korea - and even then, the Chinese were a massive army, not really a top-ranked one in terms of tech, training, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/93 "2012-10-29T21:48:06Z")
Well then, England should invade Israel. Whoever wins can move up in the rankings to take on the number one seed US Army. Actually, that would give the Israelis an unfair advantage of being on the defense. They should have a meeting engagement in the midst of a big … say, desert. The Saudis are hardly using their’s, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind! ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/94 "2012-10-29T21:54:48Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Well then, England should invade Israel. Whoever wins can move up in the rankings to take on the number one seed US Army. > > Actually, that would give the Israelis an unfair advantage of being on the defense. They should have a meeting engagement in the midst of a big … say, desert. The Saudis are hardly using their’s, I’m sure they wouldn’t mind! The Israelis went half a round with England before they were even a country. Does that count? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2012, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/95 "2012-10-29T23:08:02Z")
Yes they did. We were always ever the nice guys. Try bragging about it if the Germans had been doing the same job. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/96 "2012-10-30T00:03:59Z")
The IDF isn’t a "fantastic"army, but it doesn’t have to be. It just has to be better than it’s neighbors. ---
**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 30, 2012, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/97 "2012-10-30T01:47:03Z")
Okay, let’s put Alessan and one of you USA vet guys in speedos, give them baseball bats, put them in a room and see who comes out alive. 🙂 ---
**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 30, 2012, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/98 "2012-10-30T01:53:12Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Yes they did. > > We were always ever the nice guys. I’m reminded of people who squeal about the US losing in Vietnam because it wasn’t as ruthless as the Viet Cong. Anyway, the British were more than willing to get their hands dirty during their war against various Jewish guerilla/terrorist groups. ---
**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 30, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/99 "2012-10-30T02:37:19Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’m reminded of people who squeal about the US losing in Vietnam because it wasn’t as ruthless as the Viet Cong. I think it was more likely because LBJ didn’t bomb Hanoi. He did say of Ho Chi Minh, “If I could just get that boy in a room…” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695/100 "2012-10-30T03:05:57Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > The IDF isn’t a "fantastic"army, but it doesn’t have to be. It just has to be better than it’s neighbors. I’d be fine if our military was just good enough to take on Canada’s and Mexico’s. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-declare-israel-the-51st-state/638695.md?page=4)