For the US it's a domestic issue. That's the key to this "strategic alliance". And that's why Biden or anybody cannot push Netanyahu around. Heck, he'll just voice his concerns to the both parties and it's hell for the US president. — ssu
If the question is about “ Israel has done ANYTHING to help it's ally US”, I gave you the examples:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_rocket_attacks_on_Israel — neomac
I think I already mentioned that it was the US that deployed it's own forces to protect Israel. Not the other way around. — ssu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_in_the_Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War — neomac
HAH HAH!!!
Well, I cannot fathom just what that supposed to be of an example of the "strategic alliance" that Israel had covert arms deals with Iran. For the US similar weapons deliveries was the Iran-Contra scandal, that shook Reagan's administration. So Israel makes shady deals with it's neighbors that vow to destroy it.
And the Osirak strike? Well, again here (just as with similar strike in Libya) Israel had first and foremost it's own agenda in having nuclear dominance in the region. Heaven forbid any kind of parity!!! Again read just how suspicious JFK was about the Israeli nuclear weapons program, but then that was before 1967. — ssu
I would claim instead that the American support for Israel is solid, longstanding and bipartisan so that’s for me enough — neomac
But that's my whole point. This "solid" relationship happened only after 1967 and yes, there's bipartisan support. As I stated, the whole reason is that the US is the staunch ally of Israel is because both parties want to get votes and win elections. That's it. For the US it's a domestic issue. That's the key to this "strategic alliance". And that's why Biden or anybody cannot push Netanyahu around. Heck, he'll just voice his concerns to the both parties and it's hell for the US president. — ssu
Yes you claimed that it is a domestic issue. But what is that supposed that to mean? First of all, that doesn’t exclude strategic concerns: indeed, all costly strategic foreign policies can have domestic impact in a democracy. Second, your explanation seemed to rely on the role of the Evangelical Christians supporting Zionism (which is not bipartisan as the support for Israel is). Now if your point is that Biden supports Israel because he will have greater chance to win the elections by pleasing Evangelical Christians, I countered: “Evangelicals support Trump not Biden, even if Biden decides to support Israel. If Biden wanted to compact his democratic front, assuming the anti-Israel front was significantly stronger among democrats, then it would be more convenient for Biden to not support Israel. ” (and BTW Biden is also catholic, nor the ideal candidate for Evangelicals). — neomac
...which is the delusional raving of lunatics, to put it mildly. But these kinds of delusions fit perfectly the minds of religious zealots like the muslim extremists. They live in their fantasy World where the true Caliphate of the Ummah is just around the corner and they are the glorious few of the vanguard of it. Or perhaps in the case of Hamas, they are just the glorious few martyrs who will cause the destruction of Israel. And Palestinians that now get killed can thank them for rising to martyrdom going straight to heaven.There is a sort of "liberation theology" in Islamist strains of politics that would like nothing more than pushing Jews to the sea... — schopenhauer1
Look no further than the Armenians of Nagorno Karabakh, @schopenhauer1. You don't have to go to history to the fall of the Zoroastrian Persians to Islam. You can only go back to last September.You want to see real ethnic cleansing? Talk to the Yazidis, Assyrians, Manichaeans, and especially the Zoroastrians. — schopenhauer1
Yes, but does being the most staunch ally of Israel help here?My premise is that strategic interest of the US in the Middle East is to prevent the emergence of regional powers that challenge the American hegemony. — neomac
Ok,Before I respond, how about the post before about Sykes-Picot, it’s goals, it’s failure, etc. — schopenhauer1
Let's remember that Sykes-Picot, just like nearly all of the imperialist border drawing competitions were drawn to please first and foremost the parties that drew the lines on the map. And some effort was also drawn with the old idea of divide et impera. It's similar to the Durand Line, which separates one people to be living in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which has caused problems even to this day.
Under no circumstances have the Europeans thought of when drawing the borders that "lets make large nation states that unify people". The Kurds are a prime example of this. — ssu
...which is the delusional raving of lunatics, to put it mildly. But these kinds of delusions fit perfectly the minds of religious zealots like the muslim extremists. They live in their fantasy World where the true Caliphate of the Ummah is just around the corner and they are the glorious few of the vanguard of it. Or perhaps in the case of Hamas, they are just the glorious few martyrs who will cause the destruction of Israel. And Palestinians that now get killed can thank them for rising to martyrdom going straight to heaven.
But then there is reality. — ssu
But that's simple: it's about here and now!Why does it seem like Britain, France, and Western Europe etc downplay their hand in this and colonialism in general and just are content putting the onus on the US and Israel for problems they generally caused in their imperialism? I don’t see much ownership here.
Where are the mustache men with their tea and maps?
For some reason, I'm reminded of this :lol: — schopenhauer1
They really liked to draw those maps, didn't they. And you are correct: they did have moustaches. Fine moustaches.
(Mr Sykes and Mr Picot) — ssu
Why do I picture a bunch of men in mustaches sipping their tea, thinking they are civilizing the world drawing arbitrary lines on maps? Why is this connection to colonialism downplayed in Britain nowadays and shoved onto Israel and the US? — schopenhauer1
Yet I don't think the orders are for the IDF to perform genocide. However, with unrestrained bombing, a tiny area filled with over 2 million people totally dependent on outside logistics and incapable of fleeing the battle, this is very difficult. It can easily become so that nobody can refute you.
By the way, who is in control of your respective countries?
Is it you or some human/animal?
Curious. — FreeEmotion
What should their tactic be when opposing forces of Islamic Jihad (that is Hamas Hezbollah Iran, and the like)? — schopenhauer1
Why does it seem like Britain, France, and Western Europe etc downplay their hand in this and colonialism in general and just are content putting the onus on the US and Israel for problems they generally caused in their imperialism? — schopenhauer1
We see this everywhere, even in 'civilized' countries: John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Yitzhak Rabin, etc. — Tzeentch
What did it do in those 30 years? Did it seek to take away the root causes of extremism in the Middle-East? — Tzeentch
No, to the contrary - the destabilization of the Middle-East runs like a red line through the American 'unipolar moment'.
In fact, the situation in the Middle-East has probably never been worse. — Tzeentch
What do you do? You have a lethal Jihadist entity next to you that showed you a taste of what it would love to do to every one of the people in your country until it gets what it wants. Do you leave that entity intact? Do you sue for peace and give in?
I know your answer is going to be, hold steady and bring the case to the UN for review, right? Get world sympathy from former colonial powers in NATO so that you have enough support from the sideliners to get the bad guys? — schopenhauer1
How should they have handled 10-7 as prime minister? Your citizens were raped, you had babies burned, people shot in cars and their bodies paraded around and shot in real time, you had 250 people kidnapped, and you had hundreds (1400+ people) killed in a one day operation. Okay, well, we already know that you failed in terms of intelligence... What would you do? This group is also responsible for helping screw up the Oslo Accords in the 90s with suicide bombers, and has been sending rockets to Israel, trying to provoke war for years. Also, let's factor out prior politics. Let's just say this is the situation you are given. What do you do? You have a lethal Jihadist entity next to you that showed you a taste of what it would love to do to every one of the people in your country until it gets what it wants. Do you leave that entity intact? Do you sue for peace and give in?
I know your answer is going to be, hold steady and bring the case to the UN for review, right? Get world sympathy from former colonial powers in NATO so that you have enough support from the sideliners to get the bad guys? — schopenhauer1
Well, around 1991 it started the Oslo Accords peace process, which failed... — schopenhauer1
Again, why does this always go back to the US' fault. — schopenhauer1
Do you know why the Netherlands doesn't have to spend gross amounts of money on its military? — schopenhauer1
The world we live in is US backed, but European created my friend. — schopenhauer1
I would have secured the border and subsequently resigned. — Tzeentch
Resigning seems like a shortcut, a way to answer the question without answering the question. — flannel jesus
Analysts say the language being used by Israeli authorities indicates that there will no return to the status quo of sporadic violence, rocket attacks, skirmishes and short-lived but intense fighting between Israel and Hamas that have characterized the last 18 years. Hamas took full control of Gaza in 2007 following Israel’s withdrawal from the territory in 2005.
“The Israeli military response will reflect that reality, with ground operations accompanying air strikes. The likely result will be a significantly degraded Hamas and substantial destruction within Gaza,” he noted
“Jerusalem is unlikely to accede to that request unless it views that it has achieved at least some of its objectives,” he noted.
He noted that while Saudi Arabia may be “privately supportive” of Israel’s efforts to quash Hamas, the Arab world is unlikely to be, “especially as images from television, print, and X (formerly Twitter) highlight death and destruction in Gaza and potentially Lebanon.”
1. Renounce the idea of turning Israel into a Jewish nation state. — Tzeentch
Immediately stop settling the West Bank. — Tzeentch
3. Give Palestinians equal rights and stop mass human rights abuses in the occupied territories. — Tzeentch
Garner help and support from the international community (including Arab states) to integrate Israel and Palestine into a state where Jews and Muslims can live together peacefully. — Tzeentch
If successful steps are taken towards these goals, start removal of the West Bank barrier and lift the siege/embargo on Gaza. — Tzeentch
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