The United States and Israel are good friends. Israel is regarded as the most important ally the United States has in the Middle East. The US has provided Israel with military and economic assistance, and we share intelligence.
The State of Israel
The State of Israel is a small nation about the size and somewhat similar to the shape of the states of Vermont or New Hampshire. The 2018 population of Israel is about 8.5 million. There are 20 major cities with populations ranging from over 880,000 (Jerusalem) to about 75,000 (Nazareth). The population consists of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, who more or less get along with each other and have learned to live in relative peace.
The cuisine is superb beyond words. Food brings people together. In Jerusalem: A cookbook authors Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi note that food is the common ground between people who are ideologically opposed, and maybe it can be a point of agreement and a bridge to peace.
The economy is currently very strong, and has grown steadily since Israel was established. Medical electronic devices, agricultural technology, telecommunications, computers, both hardware and software, and diamond cutting and polishing. Part of this is the result of a highly educated and skilled labor force. Israel has many R& D (Research and Development) centers to keep industries and technology on the cutting edge.
The military is very strong for its size, and very capable. As of 2018, Israel has 170,000 men and woman in their full time Army, air force, and navy. They have another 445,000 reservists. They have about 500 fixed wing fighter and attack aircraft, mostly American made F-16’s and F-15’s, and 12 of the new F-35’s. (Yes, I know that is a naval F-35 in the photo, I couldn’t find a stock photo of an Israeli F 35; give me a break readers).
The IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has over 2700 tanks, and over 10,000 armored vehicles, plus almost 1000 artillery pieces, and another 148 pieces of tube artillery (rockets). Their navy is very small, consisting of 35 small patrol boats and corvettes, and six submarines. The Israeli’s have proven to be formidable opponents on many occasions.
The current Prime Minister of Israel is Benjamin Netanyahu . He has had a remarkable career. He was born in Tel Aviv one year after the founding of the state of Israel, spent in teens years in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and went back to Israel at age 17 to join the Army.
He served in the Sayeret Matkal (General Staff Reconnaissance) special forces unit, and participated in the rescue of hostages from a hijacked plane in 1972. He came back to the US later that year, and attended MIT and in Boston. He later went on to work in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, and then served as the Israeli ambassador to the UN.
He served in the Israeli parliament, then was elected Prime Minister in 1996, a position he has been re-elected to the dare. His time residing, studying, and working in the US gives him a unique perspective on the United States, our political system, and our culture.
The Holocaust and Reaction Formation
The Jewish people in Europe were almost wiped out by the Nazi’s. Three years after the end of the Second World War, with the help of the US and the UK, they formed a nation that became one of the most capable militaries in the Middle East.
This is an extreme pendulum swing. Reaction formation is a psychological response described by Sigmund Freud. When a person had been subjected to something which produces anxiety, stress, and trauma, they will go to great lengths to avoid a similar experience in the future. It is understandable that a people who were brought to the brink of extinction became assertive and at times aggressive. What else could be expected?
This was an entire culture that was traumatized, both directly and vicariously. People who have been in that dark place are going to say Never Again. All nations have the right to self-defense, and to not only survive, but prosper. Israel has been attacked and invaded a number of times since its establishment in 1949. They have enjoyed very little peace in the past 70 years. Major wars and conflicts include:
When the British Mandate of Palestine officially became Israel, there was a massive hostile response, both internally and by the neighboring Arab nations. Egypt Syria and Transjordan (now known as Jordan) attacked Israel. Israel was victorious at great cost, with about 6,000 killed and 15,000 wounded. Israel captured more territory, which included the West Bank and the Gaza strip, giving them a bit of a buffer zone against their enemies.
- 1967: The Six Day War
This was a brief but high intensity conflict in which Egypt, Syria, and Jordan attacked Israel. Military forces from Iraq, Kuwait, and Algeria were also involved. Israel was decisively victorious and seized new territory.
- 1973: The Yom Kippur War
Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur, when much of the Israeli military was on leave.
- 1982: Lebanon invasion aka Operation Peace for Galilee
In retaliation for ongoing terrorist’s actions by the PLO (Palestine Liberation organization), Israel invaded neighboring Lebanon on June 6, 1982. Their intention was to destroy the infrastructure near the Israeli-Lebanon border from which terrorists operated. What was supposed to be a brief two day operation became more complex. Syria attempted to intervene. The Israeli’s destroyed 100 Syrian aircraft in the fighting.
- 2008: the Gaza War
In 2004, the terrorist group Hamas, based in Gaza made artillery and rocket attacks against Israel. They responded with air strikes and an invasion.
The Ongoing Palestinian Debate
This has been the greatest point of contention. American liberals are forever crying about this issue, even childishly refusing to use the name Israel, but instead calling the nation Occupied Palestine. Do people know how many times Israel has offered the Palestinians an olive branch, which they have slapped away?
See the videos below:
Why isn’t there a Palestinian State?
Why are there still Palestinian Refugees?
Israel: the World’s most moral Army
The connection between the United States & Israel
Our common cultural, political, and historical ties make for a solid relationship between our nations. We have a prominent Jewish population in the US, who are constitutionally guaranteed the right to practice their faith. American forces liberated Jews from Nazi death camps at the close of World War II. We are both democracies that value human rights. Both of our nations have felt the losses due to terrorism, and oppose Islamic extremism.
Relations during the Cold War
Throughout the Cold War, the Soviet Union was making incursions into the Middle East and North Africa through alliances with Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Libya. Israel was the major US ally in the Middle East which opposed communism and Soviet expansion. In 1989, the US received permission from Israel to store military supplies that could be accessed by US forces if there was a US-involved conflict in the Middle East, and could be used by Israeli forces in extemis, and with the permission of the US.
US president Jimmy Carter brokered peace through a historic meeting between Israeli Prime minister Menachem Began and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. Egypt and The site of Began and Sadat smiling, shaking hands, and embracing when the peace agreement was signed was remarkable given the level of hostility between the two nations. Israel and Egypt have not been involved in any organized armed conflicts since this agreement. Anwar Sadat, who became a friend of the United States, was brutally assassinated in 1981 for his role in the peace process. There were those in the Arab world who saw him as a traitor instead of a peacemaker.
Current Status under the Trump Administration
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu have a warm relationship. For decades, the US has been the principle arms supplier to Israel. We are economic partners, we share intelligence, and US and Israeli forces have engaged in joint exercises.
Recognition of Jerusalem
A pivotal moment in US-Israeli relations occurred this year. The US embassy was moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018. This was considered highly significant, as Jerusalem is a disputed city, and the center of the world’s three major religions; Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
In 1995, Congress enacted a law naming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel by 1999. Prior US presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barrack Hussein Obama have stated the capital of Israel should be Jerusalem. All have signed recurring waivers of the aforementioned law keeping Tel Aviv as the Official Israeli capital. . The United Nations General Disassembly voted to condemn the US recognition of Jerusalem. They said our recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is null and void. Here are my thoughts on the UN resolution:
Fuck the UN. They do not get to tell us what to do, nor do we need their approval. The US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel is null and void? Fuck you. Your whole fucking organization is null and void so what is your point?
Given the amount of money we pour into this impotent bureaucracy, they need us more than we need them. So fuck your pathetic and impotent resolutions. President Trump told our UN Ambassador Niki Halley to note which nations voted in favor of the condemnation of the US for this move. They can kiss their foreign aid goodbye. Fuck them too. (Am I a little cranky today?). I’m not done yet: feminists take note; Niki Halley is what a strong, beautiful and confident woman looks like, not a fucktard wearing a pink vagina hat and refusing to use a tampon because it is “too restrictive”. Fuck off.
Conclusion
I must give serious consideration to switching to decaffeinated coffee.
Almost done. Most of the media outlets treat Israel as if it were the incarnation of evil. As I was researching sources for this article, I noted the almost unanimous negativity in the media toward Israel, Prime Minister Netanyahu, and the relationship between Mr. Netanyahu and President Trump. The Israelis are not perfect, and neither are we.
Both of our nations have made bad moves in the past, and could have done things better. But at what point to people let things go and move forward? Especially when the self-righteous outrage is fueled by inaccurate information? What are the alternatives the left seeks? Can they even articulate them? For example, who would pay for slavery reparations? If the liberals are serious about this, let them start. Give away 50% of your income to compensate people for a wrong done to their ancestors over 150 years ag.
By the way, was ended and corrected by white people. White republicans I would add. You are welcome. If I can be blamed for something I had nothing to do with, I might well take credit for something I had nothing to do with.
Liberals, who see themselves as so peaceful and tolerant, are among the most unforgiving and intolerant individuals. They tolerate ISIS, Radical Islamic extremists, Muslim treatment of women, MS-13, the governments of Iran and North Korea, and illegal aliens, and even pedophiles as of late.
Yet they focus their self-righteous anger and outrage on Republicans, Christians, carnivores, ICE (Immigration & Customs Enforcement) Israel, and anyone who voted for our current president. OK, I am going to start ranting again. They want contemporary Americans to feel guilty about slavery, while no American living today has ever owned a slave or been a slave. I
have been accused of insensitivity (by a white girl) due to the previous statement, and that I couldn’t possibly understand what I was saying as I am a privileged white male. Well, I would really like to collect my white privilege and male privilege. Just tell me where to pick it up and where to sign. Because I do not feel too fucking privileged.
I have had to work extremely hard for what I have; nothing has been given to me but opportunities by key individuals at the right moment. By the way, my ancestors were persecuted and enslaved. The Irish were persecuted by the British, and were not well loved when they immigrated to the US. Involuntary servitude, which is theoretically debt based and can be worked off, is just another name for slavery. I feel no animosity toward the British, not do I intend to try to collect reparations. It is long over and done with. However, I will accept kegs of bitter ale and wheels of sharp cheddar as compensation for past wrongs if they insist.
Liberals are intent on shoving their beliefs down the throats and up the asses of all, while practicing blind hypocrisy. Readers, think for yourselves. Be highly critical consumers of information.
via Modern Survival Online https://ift.tt/2LDQ7E1
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