Israel, America's greatest ally?

[DanieltheDragon]

PM Netanyahu has repeatedly stated that America and Israel are indivisible as allies and that Israel is America's greatest ally.

Question for debate is Israel America's greatest ally?

If so why? If not why not?

While strategically Israel is a valuable asset in the region it is not the most valuable asset in the region. It's airspace is limited and it is limited geographically speaking with its port access. Egypt and Turkey both have larger airspace and greater access to ports. Yemen and Somalia strategically are much more valuable as they control the access to the red sea.

A significant portion of Israel's military budget comes from the US, most of which primarily goes directly into Israel's defenses.

There are some less tangible benefits no doubt. Israel through our help has become a stable and influential country. Israel also represents a potent military presence in the area.

However, when it came to the Iraq war Israel was no where to be seen. Certainly Israel wanted us to invade. Netanyahu was an ardent supporter of the Iraq war. Yet 0 troops where committed to the cause. In the Afghanistan war again Israel committed no military aid to our cause. Turkey proved to be a more valuable ally in this instance.

When it comes to allies our relationship with Israel is a one way street. We give considerably to the nation both through military support and financial support. However, we get very little in return.

Israel represents an ally that we have in the middle east. Perhaps our most stable ally in the region. However, Israel needs us more than we need Israel. An ally yes I will not disregard that. Should we keep up and maintain our alliance? Yes it would be silly to throw things aside.

Our greatest ally, appears to be Great Britain. Economically we share a stronger more robust relationship, militarily they are independent of our support. Great Britain's navy is stronger and more widespread than Israel. More importantly they have stood by us in nearly every war this past century.

Our greatest ally is Great Britain not Israel. Israel is a strategically valuable asset not an ally.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 9 by Beans]

By strongest foothold you are joking right? perhaps maybe during the cold war but that is not the case now.


I see a lot of US military bases on this map but not a single one in Israel. I would venture to guess that we have a stronger military presence in the Middle East than Israel.

Saudi Arabia has more US military bases than Israel and has a larger airspace. Saudi Arabia and its Oil Reserves have also helped deal with Russia. By increasing exports in oil it plummeted the price of oil. This in turn broke the Russian economy. I don't think Israel is half as capable....

[Beans]

[Replying to post 9 by Beans]

By strongest foothold you are joking right? perhaps maybe during the cold war but that is not the case now.


I see a lot of US military bases on this map but not a single one in Israel. I would venture to guess that we have a stronger military presence in the Middle East than Israel.

Saudi Arabia has more US military bases than Israel and has a larger airspace. Saudi Arabia and its Oil Reserves have also helped deal with Russia. By increasing exports in oil it plummeted the price of oil. This in turn broke the Russian economy. I don't think Israel is half as capable....

No, not joking at all but perhaps not spoken clearly.

Simply see the word "foothold" as I used it, to mean, "propaganda foothold."

You see, with the model Israel provides the U.S. by way of those who resist Israel's presence, the U.S. is enabled to point to something tangible in support of the U.S. allegations that the middle Eastern nations need U.S. intervention to mediate their disputes. That provides the U.S. opportunity to have a little influence as to how things shape up in that region of the world. For that same reason the U.S. needs no military presence in Israel. To have a military presence in Israel would in fact obscure ability to use Israel as proof of the regions need for U.S. mediation. But the reality is that Israel's military is actually born of U.S. funding.

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 12 by Beans]

Yeah I read that wrong.



Having a foothold in a region to me always has kind of a military intent, so I read that entirely the wrong way.

I think Israel for the purposes of propaganda was a useful tool during the cold war. Currently though I think it hurts us more than it helps us. It could have been particularly useful if we could have reached a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But that never turned out.

Israel was supposed to be a bastion for democracy and equal rights. Over time this has proven not to be the case. Especially in the recent election when a sitting PM incited race to get people to vote.

[Wootah]

[Replying to DanieltheDragon]

So you view the only democracy in the middle east as subversive and Iran as?

Actually it's quite bullying to believe that others not doing what you want are subversive.

[Wootah]

Especially in the recent election when a sitting PM incited race to get people to vote.

Any other sitting leaders that come to mind that do that?

[DanieltheDragon]

Especially in the recent election when a sitting PM incited race to get people to vote.

Any other sitting leaders that come to mind that do that?

Sure but trying to be a model of democracy in a predominantly Arab region, baiting race against Arabs doesn't really help does it?

So please tell me how Israel is figuratively our greatest ally that we currently are allied with?

[Beans]

[Replying to post 12 by Beans]

Yeah I read that wrong.



Having a foothold in a region to me always has kind of a military intent, so I read that entirely the wrong way.

I think Israel for the purposes of propaganda was a useful tool during the cold war. Currently though I think it hurts us more than it helps us. It could have been particularly useful if we could have reached a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. But that never turned out.

Israel was supposed to be a bastion for democracy and equal rights. Over time this has proven not to be the case. Especially in the recent election when a sitting PM incited race to get people to vote.

See, there is another unclear place I spoke: "But the reality is that Israel's military is actually born of U.S. funding." That should have been,, "But the reality is that Israel's military strength as it is today is actually born of U.S. funding."

The U.S. did not bring about the re-establishment of Israel in that region nor did we create their military for them. We have merely supported them through funding and presentation after they became re-established.

Some seem to think the U.S. used it's power to re-establish Israel but there is no truth to that.

As far as propaganda value goes, it seems we would learn that propaganda has never proven to be a genuine win for anyone. It always comes at the expense of a new set of problems, as history well shows.
Added: The real power that brought about the re-establishment of Israel was and is the power of belief.

How to illustrate the power of belief?

If I decide I would like to be a doctor I must believe that I have what it takes to be a doctor. I must believe that I will be capable of managing the necessary learning and I must maintain my belief so that I never give up along the way to my goal.

The belief that the Nation of Israel is the chosen nation of God and a special people to him acts within a Jew’s mind that very same way. That is why the idea is held so dear to them that they never quit trying to re-establish their nation until they realized that belief.

And that belief continues to hold them together. Not only that, but the sincerity of that belief puts them on the defensive when they perceive anything threatens it, even knowledge which might be raised up to show that their belief is not true. Thus we have the clash even among Jews themselves with some anti-Zionist Jews sighting Zionism as the main cause for antisemitism, prejudice against Jews in general.

The anti-Zionist Jew would be content to live peacefully wherever he and his family resides, as he has no motive for rocking the boat.

[Excubis]

No, Canada is. Lol

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 17 by Excubis]

No you gave us Bieber!!!! that is nearly an act of war.

[Excubis]

[Replying to post 17 by Excubis]

No you gave us Bieber!!!! that is nearly an act of war.

Actually guess that is proof of God answering my prayers. The fact Americans haven't deported him back yet.