by Nadene Goldfoot
They forget that back when Richard Nixon was president, he said that the United States stands by its friends and that Israel is one of its friends. Even Gerald Ford reaffirmed his commitment to the security and future of Israel because of basic morality as well as enlightened self-interest. He felt the United State’s role in supporting Israel honored our own heritage.
Back then Jimmy Carter said he had a warm and unique relationship of friendship with Israel that was morally right. He stated that it was compatible with our deepest religious convictions and was right in terms of America’s own strategic interests. He said we were committed to Israel’s security, prosperity and future as a land that had so much to offer the world.
Israel has never had to have any American soldiers on their soil in the struggle to fight against terrorism. Instead every able-bodied Israeli has been involved in their own protection. What Israel has had to ask for has been money for weapons. In return Israel has been paying back loans and supplying the USA with everything they can that has been helpful. Not only medical knowlege and advancements but ways of protection against terrorism in airports and other places has been shared with the USA that Israel has been doing.
Ronald Reagan, the Republican, states that Israel was a strategic asset to the United States, something he kept saying even before he was elected. "Only by full appreciation of the critical role the State of Israel plays in our strategic calculus can we build the foundation for thwarting Moscow’s designs on territories and resources vital to our security and our national well-being." He continued: "Since the rebirth oof the State of Israel, there has been an ironclad bond between that democracy and this one. "
George Bush, another Republican stated, "The friendship, the alliance between the United States and Israel is strong and solid, built upon a foundation of shared democratic values, of shared history and heritage, that sustains the life of our two countries. The emotional bond of our people transcends politics. Our strategic cooperation is a source of mutual security. And the United States’ commitment to the security of Israel remains unshakeable. We may differ over some policies from time to time, individual policies, but never over the principle.
Since the Jewish population in the United States is less than six million, it doesn’t explain the depth of the friendship that exists between the two countries. Fewer than 3% of the population could hardly have such a dramatic influence on American foreign policy. The U.S.-Israel alliance is rooted in shared values.
When Soviet Premier Aleksei Kosygin asked Lyndon Johnson why the United States supports Israel when their are 80 million Arabs and only three million Israelis, the President replied simply: "Because it is right."
Have our people forgotten that? Are they that quick to put the blame on Israel? It’s sad to find that this is happening.
Israel is the only other democratic state in the Middle East. It has been an advantage for the USA to have Israel there.
Now there are people who have given up feeling that Israel is a helpmate and would rather blame all our ills on having backed Israel in different ways, like verbally and monetarily. They see no reason that they should exist. The fact that Israel was sanctified by the United Nations in 1948 means nothing to them. They feel that whoever has the might has the right to exist as long as they don’t have to shell out any money to help.
Are we becoming isolationists in that we are having nothing to do with the world? There’s the old adage, do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If we don’t help others, do we expect to be helped? Should China call for full payment right now from us?
Let’s say that there’s nothing in it financially for the United States to back Israel in its right to exist. Renig on our 60 year old friendship. Stop helping Israel out financially. The result will most likely be that Israel will be attacked by the Muslim nations again and they will win. Six Million people will either be slaughtered wholesale or driven out and find themselves homeless again. There will again be no country that will take them in. This happened just before and at the end of WWII. The only country that really allowed Jews to enter was the United States, and at that under certain conditions-that of promised jobs and sponsors that took responsibility for them such as my great uncle and father did. It seems that there have always been quotas on Jews, even to get into medical school or even colleges. Funny thing is that we’ve had way more capable of entering these places and have just had to abide by quotas, keeping very capable and brilliant students out.
What will happen to the USA? They’ve been attacked once on 9/11, but I daresay that will not be the end. The Muslim terrorists will be more brazen and will continue, trying to finish what they had started about 1,000 years ago. They attacked Europe then and there was no Israel then to blame. . It can happen again. One thing that could happen again is anti-semitism in the United States as well as the rest of the world. We’ve all seen and read about this before. When people are down others seem to relish kicking them down even further. It’s been happening in France already.
I was 14 years old when Israel became a state. Now I’m 75 years old and Israel is still struggling to survive and has to dodge missiles. I’m tired of it and I’m not even living in Israel now. Think of how tired Israelis are. It seems that it might just take the Messiah’s presence to stop the attacks so that we can have peace. It is right and just to support a state who have struggled so hard to survive. They could have wiped out a lot more of their enemy if they were just concerned to win no matter how, as some Americans advocate how life should be lived. Israelis have been trying to survive rightously. It wouldn’t hurt to at least pray that they will survive. Right now they're being threatened with atomic warfare by Iran. Would these same people just put their arms out to this enemy and side with them?
I say that the United States has made its own errors that have caused an uproar with the Muslims and has helped to bring about terrorism. Backing Israel may not have helped, but it's not the only reason. Stop blaming only Israel. Israel has been our one good friend. We've been one country that has been paying back loans received from the United States. Besides money, we've shared much more for America's benefit. We're sort of like the Space Program. It was an expensive program and is reaping a lot of technical benefits for doing it. The USA is also reaping benefits from being friends with Israel. What other countries can say that?
The United States was created because Europe lacked a morality that our Pilgrims chose to follow. England had quite a ways to go to give people the freedoms they craved. The United States has been successful because of our differences from the rest of the countries. Our morals have created a strength in the fiber of our people just like the strength and determination found in Israelis. Hopefully, both nations will continue as they are morally good. This must continue.
