Israel - What does it do for America?

[Spanish Moss]

Jews make up a large portion of Democratic voters/donors, so that's that for the Democrats, while evangelicals make up an even larger portion of Republican voters, and of course the Jews must possess their own nation in the 'Holy Land' in order for Jesus to return.

This.

Ok,  you really don't understand foreign policy, do you? Israel is our only trustworthy ally in the Middle East. They give us some pretty damn good intelligence at times (which, sometimes we stupidly ignore).

Also, politicians need to suck up to christian/jewish voters who believe Jerusalem is the Holy land. 

You have no right to attack Rwoys post. If you believe Israel is our friend, I would like you to get on wikipedia and read about the USS Liberty incident, the Vela incident, or the root cause of 911. Our support for Israel hurts us, and while I am personally pro Israel for the most part, I oppose all US support for them (and Palestine for that matter), because it only hurts us. Israel needs to stick up for itself, and not have us do its dirty work.

I don't want what you're smoking.

Well, Osama Bin Laden listed the U.S. support of Israel as one of the top reasons Al Quaida is against us, so there's nothing to smoke.  Also "America's freedom" wasn't on that list.

[Spanish Moss]

Personally, here's my take:

We can't abandon Israel, seeing as it would lead to genocide and the driving of any Jews living there into the sea - which is clearly bad.  But the biggest problem is that the Israeli lobby in Washington (stemming from their right wing party, Likud) needs to be kicked out of Washington, and America - being far stronger - needs to take the upper hand.

We need to let them know - stop the atrocities perpetuated by the IDF against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank, or face us leaving.  They wouldn't risk that, we need to use what power we have to be in the position of power here, not the other way around.

Other than that, we need to work fervently with the Israeli and Palestinian peace movements to do whatever we can to come to some kind of conclusion.

[Spanish Moss]

Personally, here's my take:

We can't abandon Israel, seeing as it would lead to genocide and the driving of any Jews living there into the sea - which is clearly bad.  But the biggest problem is that the Israeli lobby in Washington (stemming from their right wing party, Likud) needs to be kicked out of Washington, and America - being far stronger - needs to take the upper hand.

We need to let them know - stop the atrocities perpetuated by the IDF against innocent Palestinians in the West Bank, or face us leaving.  They wouldn't risk that, we need to use what power we have to be in the position of power here, not the other way around.

Other than that, we need to work fervently with the Israeli and Palestinian peace movements to do whatever we can to come to some kind of conclusion.

Israel has the most powerful military in the Middle East (except possibly Turkey) and has nuclear weapons, so the argument about abandoning Israel is frankly ridiculous.

Exactly. The Israelis punch above their weight in the military arena. Most Middle Eastern leaders would be terrified of the Samson Option.

And Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people that were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than they which he slew in his life.
~ Judges 16:30

I don't think the Muslim Brotherhood are going to risk nuclear holocaust to get the Israelis.

I do think we need to lay out some ground-rules for the behavior of the IDF in the West Bank.  We don't need Israel, Israel needs us.  We're in the position to do that.